Extending the Front Foot. This adjustment for distance is performed by extending the front foot in a forward or oblique direction, shortening the distance between you and your opponent in order to follow through with rear hand or foot attacks. A simple attacking move follows the extension of the front foot forward. This type of adjustment is used in a same-side facing position where one leads with his left leg and the other with his right in order to attack the solar plexus, for example, and in an opposite-side facing position both leading with same leg to attack the front-facing kidney.
Push your front foot forward as far as necessary to adjust for the right distance between you and your opponent and attack with the reverse hand or foot. This is a simple method of shortening the distance and provides a strong advancing force for the attack. While adjusting, your free-fighting position is primarily unchanged. Therefore, a rapidly executed adjusting move may not be detected by the opponent.
Bringing the Rear Foot Forward. This is an adjustment for distance made by first bringing the rear foot forward and then attacking with the front hand or foot. When the attack is made with the front hand, it is accompanied by the forward extension of the front foot. The rear foot must be brought to the spot from which an attack can be successfully executed.
To adjust for distance in order to attack with the front hand or foot, bring your rear foot forward and place it somewhere around or ahead of the front foot, depending upon how close to your opponent you must be for your attack to be successful. You can attain a side-facing posture for your attack by pointing the toes to the side as you bring up the rear foot.
A continuous adjustment can be made by repeating the same adjusting move after extending your front foot forward following the original adjustment for distance.
In free fighting, a combined adjustment for distance is often applied against the opponent who unexpectedly moves after detecting your original stepping move. Some examples of combination adjustments will be shown in later sections. It can be made easily by extending the front foot forward first and then bringing the rear foot forward again before initiating an attack.
• Fake
A fake is performed when a free fighter indicates that he is going to perform a certain move, solely for the purpose of drawing the opponent's attention to it, so he can then launch a real attack, catching the opponent off guard. For this reason a fake should be executed with a snappy but obvious motion with the hand, foot, or the entire body.
The reaction of the opponent to the fake may result in his changing his guarding position or commencing the execution of a block or shift, thereby rendering him less prepared to defend against a different actual attack. His defense against the fake may result in the creation of an opening for a rapid subsequent real attack.
If a particular fake is used several times the opponent may cease to react to it. It may then be possible to score with the very move which had been used as a fake previously. A fake move can indicate how the opponent customarily reacts, enabling you to plan your future strategy effectively.
The ability to employ the fake with expertise is an important part of many different successful karate combinations. Later sections will show specific applications of the fake.
8 Foot Moves
• Stepping (Bal Ohmkigi)
Karate trainees must acquire broad knowledge and training in free-fighting moves to enable them to understand their own moves as well as their opponents'. Free-fighting stepping is the method of body movement. The spirit of "Go get 'em" as it is taught in some schools may work once in a while but the mastery of stepping provides a bridge between knowledge and practical application. It can provide you with the ability to close in on your opponent and allows you to move into a position to create openings. Stepping should be practiced with the aim of making this free-fighting move, fast, strong, and natural.
Maintaining a correct and balanced free-fighting position is important whether you are stepping forward, backward, or sideway in both offense and defense. Unless you have mastered stepping, your offensive and defensive techniques can easily fail in application.
Simple Forward and Backward Stepping. This is one of the basic moves which must be practiced continuously for application in free fighting. You can practice stepping forward and backward in a single stance first. You can then vary this routine by practicing stepping from one stance into another. Drop your front-guarding arm slightly across your front-facing area until your rear foot passes the front foot. Then push your rear arm forward, simultaneously extending the rear foot forward. This step is made with a simple motion of body rotation. To step backward, you move in the same manner but reverse the procedure.
Straight Forward and Backward Stepping. When you step forward, first remove your body weight from your front foot and push your body forward with the rear foot. The front foot must be placed in the new stance as the rear foot pushes the body forward. When stepping backward, relieve your rear foot of weight by moving your center of gravity slightly forward and push your body backward with the front foot. The whole move must be executed as one simple stepping move whether it is to the front or rear.
Such a step does not have to cover a long distance. It is used to maintain the most advantageous distance for you, and you should always be ready to move either backward or forward. Continuous stepping can be used to adjust distance for both offense and defense.
Open Stepping. This movement is performed by extending the front foot outward in a 45- to 150-degree angle from the body line, with the position of the guarding arms switched while stepping in defense. If the new position after shifting is at a 90-degree angle from the original position, it is called "90-degree stepping"; 45-, 120-, or 150-degree stepping indicates the angle of the new position in relation to the original position. Since this type of stepping requires a big body maneuver, which opens your main target area, it should be executed rapidly. Whatever the direction or degree may be, the principles of stepping are the same, and your new position should be far enough away from the opponent so he cannot easily follow with another attack.
As illustrated above, guard your front-facing area with your front arm while stepping in a 135-degree angle. Also, move your rear foot in a line that faces the target directly or a safe place for your next move.
To make a 90-degree open step, lift your front foot and lean your upper body weight toward your new position. Then, push the entire body weight with the rear foot, drawing it up immediately. Both feet should land in the new position almost simultaneously, and a well-balanced and guarded free-fighting position should be assumed instantly. This way, you are prepared to block or move away from your opponent's combination attack.
Closed Stepping. The direction of this step is