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Old 04-27-2010, 07:21 AM   #7
seank
Location: Victoria
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 132
Australia
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Re: The use and strength of atemi application

Personally, I think of this question in terms of nage's ability to deliver an effective atemi.

Most of the atemi I've seen would result in nage breaking fingers or knuckles if they tried to apply any force to the strike. I'll qualify this by saying that after fourteen years of kyokushin you learn very quickly how not to strike.

A well placed atemi doesn't need a lot of power to be effective. As the old boxing axiom goes, everyone has a glass jaw. Some people can receive atemi very well, most people can't.

Angles and body position are very very important to the delivery of atemi. As a simple exercise, try delivering an atemi along the line of your uke's toward their neck/chin/nose/cheek/etc. and then try the same by "swinging" your arm to deliver the atemi. Feel what it does to your centre and the shape of your body and feet as you deliver the strike.

Mary is right about the comment about karate being tense and hard. With experience you develop a very fluid and flexible strike. Maximum power comes from moving your whole body in unison... much like Aikido
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