Mastering Karate Block and Stances
Mastering karate block and stances is the guide on what to expect when you start your karate journey. There is approximately over 75 different styles of karate around the world, all comprising of different kata’s and techniques. I myself train in Shindo Karate which is based off Shotokan Karate (one of the most popular.
Everybody out there starts martial art or a self defence class for a variety of reasons such as self defence, fitness, belt ranks or to compete. But it is important to find the style that fits your individual needs, as this gives the best chance to feel comfortable and confident. This will help to achieve your martial arts dreams
STANCES (DACHI)
READY POSITION (YOI)
Ensuring both feet should point straight forward, distribute weight evenly on both the left and right legs, keep your back straight, and look straight ahead. The arms are slightly bent and the fists held tightly about one fist size apart just below the belly button and the fists should be about a fist size away from the body.
RONT STANCE (ZENKUTSU-DACHI)
Instructions:
- Place your front foot in front of you.
- Making sure you bend your front knee so that it prevents you from seeing your front foot.
- Extend your rear leg and push the ground with it, your rear foot is at a 15° angle.
- Keep a distance of approximately two shoulder width between your feet.
- Make sure you keep both legs are about shoulder width apart.
- Distribute your weight to 60% on the front leg and 40% on the back leg.
- Keep your back and neck straight.
- Tilt your pelvis upward.
- Tense up your lower abdomen.
BACK STANCE (KOKUTSU-DACHI)
Instructions:
- Bring your rear leg backwards with your foot at a 45° angle.
- Keep your front leg in front of you, with your foot pointing forward.
- Keep a distance of approximately one and a half shoulder width between your feet.
- Distribute your weight to 70% on the back foot and 30% on the front foot.
- Keep your back and neck straight.
- Tilt your pelvis upward.
- Tense up your lower abdomen.
HORSE STANCE (KIBA-DACHI)
Instructions:
- Feet are about two shoulder widths apart, toes are facing forward (parallel).
- Lower your center of gravity by bending your knees forward.
- Push your knees towards the outside.
- Keep your back and neck straight.
- Tilt your pelvis upward.
- Distribute your body weight equally on both legs.
CAT STANCE (NEKO-ASI-DACHI)
Instructions:
- Bring your rear leg backwards with your foot at a 45° angle.
- Pull back your front leg with only the ball of your foot lightly touching the ground.
- Keep a distance of maximum one shoulder width between the front and rear legs.
- Your weight is 90% on the back leg and 10% on the front foot. Keep your back and neck straight.
- Tilt your pelvis upward and tense up your lower abdomen.
BLOCKING TECHNIQUES (UKE-WAZA)
UPPER BLOCK (JODAN UKE)
- Starting from the yoi (ready) position. Place your left arm above the head, so the elbow is directly above your shoulder, one fist away from your head and just above the eye line.
- Keeping the elbow in same poison as previous step then bend the left arm, so the fist is just above your head. The fist, forearm and elbow are about a fist to a fist and a half away from the forehead. Keeping the wrist straight.
- Your left arm is now in the upper block position. Therefore, in this position your right fist should be clenched and placed on the right side of the body, palm up, at the bottom of the ribs, with the right elbow pulled in tight.
DOWNWARD BLOCK (GEDAN BARI)
- Extend the left arm down and out, so the back of the fist is pointing up and is positioned just out in front of the left thigh.
- The right arm should be placed at the bottom of the ribs, palm up and elbow pulling down slightly, with both shoulders down and relaxed.
- Lift the right fist to the left shoulder, keeping the right arm as close as possible to the body. The palm of the right fist should be facing the neck.
- Just as you start to slide the right fist down the outside of the left arm, bring the left arm towards the centre of the body.
- When the right fist reaches the left elbow, start to pull the the left pulling arm back to the left side of the body.
- Remember to make sure the back of the right forearm, is the part of the arm that blocks. Just before the right arm reaches full extension, rotate the right forearm strongly, so as the palm of the right fist faces down. At exactly the same time, the left pulling arm, also rotates and stops at left side of the body, at exactly the same time as the blocking arm.
OUTER BLOCK (SOTO-UKE) – Mastering Karate Blocks and Stances
- Left blocking arm elbow is slightly outward from the body and have a 90 degree bend at the blocking arm elbow. While the fist of blocking arm should be shoulder height.
- Making sure you shoulders are not tense with the palm of the left fist, facing towards you.
- The right arm, should be placed at the bottom of the ribs on the right side of the body. Making sure your fist is facing palm up, with the elbow pulled down slightly. Tip do not let your elbows stick out.
- Extend the left arm forward, so the back of the fist is pointing up, arm straight and fist directly in front of the left shoulder.
CONTINUED
- Make sure at the exact same time you let the left arm stretch forward, lift the right elbow straight up from the pulling arm position.
- Just as your elbow reaches shoulder height, lift the right forearm and fist, so as the fist is directly above the elbow, with the palm of the fist facing out to the right.
- Moving the elbow as far behind as you can, the elbow should be at shoulder height. The next step is to bring the blocking arm down and across to the centre of the body. The elbow takes a straight line from the starting position to the end position. The blocking part of the arm, is the inside of the forearm, so as the blocking gets level with the right side of the body, rotate the forearm strongly. Finish with arm position is the same as explained at the start.
- After you perform the previous point pull the left pulling arm strongly back.Be sure to keep the elbow on line with the side of the body, as you pull the arm back. This make sure the elbow and fist come back in a straight line, as soon as you start the pull back. Rotate the left pulling arm clockwise, so the bottom of the fist faces down. As the puling arm reaches the side of the body, finish the rotation strongly, by rotating the forearm. So the fist finishes palm up, elbow pulling down slightly and with both shoulders square and relaxed.
KNIFE HAND BLOCK (SHUTO UKE)
Starting with the left arm out
- Lift the right arm up from the stomach to the left shoulder. Keep the forearm close to the body as you lift the arm and keep the elbow in the centre of the chest. Remember the right hand reaches the left shoulder (palm facing the neck), the hand is open, fingers and wrist straight.
- At the same time you lift the right arm, stretch the left arm forward, hand open, palm facing down, fingers and wrist straight.
- Try and keep the elbow of the right blocking arm in the centre of the body and close to the chest.
- Now start to execute the block with the right arm. The blocking arm starts to move forward with the palm of the blocking arm facing towards you.
- As the blocking arm starts to move forward, the left pulling arm starts to move back with the palm facing down.
- As the blocking arm finishes it’s movement, rotate the forearm and hand strongly and at exactly the same time, the left pulling arm finishes with another strong forearm and hand rotation, finishing with the palm facing upwards. This will help you keep mastering karate blocks and stances.
X BLOCK (JUJI UKE)
How do I perform a downward X-block? (Mastering Karate Block and Stances)
First chamber both hands at the hips. Start by entering a front stance, shooting both hands downward at 45° angles. Cross your forearms just above the wrists, the lead hand is always on the bottom. This position will trap or jams the opponent’s attacks between your wrists.
INNER BLOCK
- The right blocking arms elbow is slightly away from the body. There should be a 90 degree bend at the blocking arms elbow. The fist of the blocking arm shoulder height, shoulders down, with the palm of the right fist, facing towards you.
- The left pulling arm, should be placed at the bottom of the ribs on the left side of the body. The fist should be palm up, with the elbow pulling down slightly and both shoulders down. Try not to let the elbow stick out, keep the elbow directly behind the fist.
- Extend the right arm forward. Back of the fist is pointing up, arm straight and fist directly in front of the right shoulder. This can also be done with the hand open and fingers stretching forward.
CONTINUED
- At the same time the right arm stretches forward. The left fist slides across the stomach, towards the top of the right hip. With the palm of the left fist facing down. Now bring the blocking left arm forward and across the centre of the body.
- The blocking part of the arm, is the outside of the forearm, so as the blocking arm travels forward. Keep the back of the left fist facing upwards, then rotate the forearm strongly. So the finished arm position is the same as explained in the 1st point.
- As you do the 5th point pull the right (pulling arm) strongly back. As the pulling arm reaches the side of the body, finish the rotation strongly, by rotating the forearm and fist. So the fist finishes palm up, elbow pulling down slightly and with both shoulders square and relaxed.
Final Thoughts
By mastering karate block and stances. You will begin to understand some of the most basic but important techniques when training karate. I will also do on upcoming tutorial on punches, strikes and kicks.
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