Shigeru Kimura Sensei 9th Dan Tani-Ha Shitoryu Shukokai had a punch that was like being hit with a cannonball.

Kimura Sensei had won the Japan Karate Championship two years in a row. His technique was very fast, sharp and decisive. However, there was a problem. Tani Sensei, Mabuni Kenwa’s top student and founder of Tani-Ha Shukokai was a firm believer in the ancient concept of IKKEN HISSATSU or “One Fist – Certain Death”. Kimura Sensei wasn’t sure that the technique he possessed was capable of doing that in a SHINKEN SHOBU or a REAL life and death battle.

He and others from the Shukokai began experimenting with Bogu (Bogu is armor, similar to Kendo, but modified for Karate). Kimura was dismayed that his punches and kicks lacked TRUE stopping power when full force was applied against real resistance. Now Tani Sensei WAS an innovator and had “changed” the traditional waza of Shitoryu Karate to impart MORE strength, speed and power. Tani was the FIRST person to coin the term “double hip” in reference to the twisting motion used to create greater ballistic force.

Kimura Sensei went BEYOND. He developed other concepts based on modern sports science, training techniques and exercises. This continued until his untimely death at age 58.

When Kimura Sensei first came to the United States and began teaching at the Yonezuka Sensei Dojo around 1970, he was interviewed by a well-known local sports journalist. This gentleman commented in print that Kimura hit as HARD if NOT HARDER than any of the many PRO-FIGHTERS including HEAVYWEIGHTS that this sportswriter had known over the years. HIGH PRAISE TRULY, considering that most martial artists would assume that boxers possess the HARDEST blows of any of the combative methods!

The staple of Kimura’s Shukokai training was the use of the “hit” block, now known as the “hit” pad.

The originals we used were simply cut 14 “X 14” Styrofoam squares stacked 8-10 inches thick and wrapped with a Gi belt. Three techniques were practiced CONSTANTLY for HOURS AND HOURS over and over again. They were the “gyakuzuki” or reverse blow, “maegeri” or front kick, and “mawashigeri” or round kick. Using the principles of “double hip twist”, “muscle kickback”, “whiplash”, “total body lockdown” and other concepts rooted in modern sports, the dynamic speed and tremendous power one could develop made said training would be worth much more than the usual “monkey” exercises found in most other Dojos.

The use of hitting blocks developed BOTH the hitter’s ability to produce a massive hit and the hittee’s ability to RECEIVE a massive hit.

Drill blocks WORK. Since blocks allow you to really work to penetrate INSIDE the target, you can develop the ability to get excellent “feedback” on how effectively you are striking.

JUST ONE PROBLEM! YOU NEED a training partner. Your training partner is the one HOLDING the block and GIVING you VISUAL feedback on the effectiveness of your shots. Over time and with proper skill development, another “problem” arises. When everything works well, you can hit so hard that after two or three “gut” shots your partner will have NO interest in continuing. On a really “good” day, you can even do it with ONE take.

A large, powerful individual (about 220 pounds) known for hardening and conditioning his body and a black belt in a system KNOWN for his conditioning exercises, who trained with us LASTED only THREE strokes. On the third reverse punch, he dropped the bag and nearly threw his “cookies.” He admitted that without the pad the FIRST punch could have “killed” him. Another big and powerful bodybuilder took ONE punch (through TEN inches of dense foam) and turned WHITE, lost the ability to breathe and speak and fell to his knees. When he recovered several minutes later, he said he felt as if an electric shock had “turned off” his HEART. He admitted that for a second he really thought he was going to die. The “kicker” in both cases was around 150 pounds.

So here is my solution for training without a “partner”:

Do any of you “veterans” remember Frank Smith? During the 1960s, Frank Smith WAS the “powerhouse” of American Shotokan Karate. It was a TANK and perfectly executed the powerful direct Shotokan style.

His trademark was the REVERSE PUNCH! He developed his technique into a specially constructed “makiwara”. This is what WE will use for our BASE.

Here’s how we start: one 6 “x 6” x 6 “block of wood glued to the floor or wall (stud or concrete) another block attached at the angle of the wall and ceiling. Four eye hooks, each attached to the SIDES of the blocks.

One-inch pine board running from floor block to ceiling block approximately 8 feet long and 8 inches wide. TWO bungee cords. One goes from eye hook to eye hook on the LOWER block securing that end of the board, and one does the same on the upper block.

There is YOUR BASE “makiwara”. NOW, as your stroke improves, you can KEEP ADDING BOARDS! And replacing the ones you break!

NOW, here is OUR addition! Get TWO more bungee cords. Get an IMPACT PAD from KAM Industries in New Jersey. Secure the pad at chest / solar plexus height with bungees.

There you go! You can use the impact pad and see and feel the development of speed and power WITHOUT a training partner. As your technique develops and gets STRONGER, ADD boards! Overload training for your PUNCH!

The only HARD part here is “developing” the RIGHT and proper technique.

Kimura Sensei always said that YOU DO NOT “train” or “practice” Karate as much as you STUDY it. Think about it. Each repetition of EVERY technique is a COMPLETE STUDY of body mechanics, speed, power dynamics, balance, and EFFECTIVENESS itself.

EVERY technique should always TEACH YOU SOMETHING!

Kimura Sensei went on to totally renew his “style”. It was then that Kimura-Ha Shukokai really came true. He developed a system based on what he called “Left Gear”. Although I have trained myself in this method, I am NOT from the “new” school. My Shukokai technique is based on studying with the four Sensei mainly: Kimura, Yonezuka, Kidachi and Ishihara. I have trained with Nanbu but this was very limited.

In fact, the LAST black belts promoted at Cranford JKC by KIMURA SENSEI, KIDACHI SENSEI and YONEZUKA SENSEI at TANI-HA SHITORYU SHUKOKAI were as follows: Mr. Anthony LaForte, Mr. Daniel Chin and myself. The black belt certificates issued were from the Hombu Dojo in Japan, signed directly by Chojiro Tani and under the direct auspices of the World Shukokai Karatedo Union.

Last Comment: Training in a “traditional” makiwara is excellent for developing hand and wrist strength, as well as for stiffening the fist and hand. The “makiwara” as described above is the BEST way to develop the IKKEN HISSATSU concept or better yet the “ICHIGEKI-HISSATSU” (an ATTACK – certain death).

Ancient methods (Okinawan styles) made heavy use of hanging sandbags (probably Chinese influence) and the makiwara.

REAL makiwara training develops great attributes. True Okinawan experts use weights suspended from 8 to 10-inch ropes behind the board and at the same distance from the wall.

When hitting with “chinkuchi” or “kime” similar to “fa-jing”, the transfer of energy to the weight through the makiwara is EVIDENT. This is responsible for developing the REAL “tsuki” in which energy is poured INTO the target, NOT just INTO IT.

The real “Ryukyu-Ken” or Okinawan fist (also known as Daikento) is misunderstood. The correct alignment is 70-40 or 80-30 on the INDEX KNUCKLE (MOTOBU-KEN EXPLAINS UP TO A CERTAIN MEASURE). You can only REALLY train this on a makiwara.

I have several different “types” of makiwara. Some imported from Okinawa. Each one has a different “feel”. My MAIN is constructed from thick, rough hemp AND topped with a Shureido makiwara leather sheath. Why? I use the hemp wrap for KNUCKLES and EDGE of HAND. I use the LEATHER pad for the phoenix eye “Ipponken” or a knuckle, “Oyayubiken” or thumb knuckle and similar single point weapons.

The base for this was custom made in a welding shop.

One of the Gungfu Wusu “pai” that I studied was a branch of what could best be described as a combination of bakmei, fist of five ancestors, and phoenix eye. SO ……………. Yes, you guessed it! Heavy dependency on the INDEX KNUCKLE hit. Conditioning of this weapon for this style was SANDBAG training (and one-knuckle push-ups on cinder blocks). In essence, it was a heavy bag filled with sand. Pretty brutal to start with BUT this is what I thought was really GOOD about this as opposed to a “normal” heavy bag:

It could drive to the same place with CONCENTRATED force over and over again. Little if it’s ANY sway or movement and DON’T worry about spinning or whatever makes you slip off the canvas and rip or scrape something to open it!

I ASSUME we are talking about NAKED hits, NO gloves.

When REAL Korean karate expert (MooDukKwan) Ki Chung Kim was teaching at the Yone Dojo, the heavy bag that was used was ALSO filled with sand! I asked Mr. Kim on this day and he gave roughly the same answers that I posted above.

Heavy sacks filled with sand develop momentum, penetration and discharge of energy or “sinking” energy VERY VERY WELL.

For my money, I got EVERYTHING right. Each will develop a different and important attribute.

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