Karate fighting incorporates a variety of upper and lower body offensive and defensive techniques. These techniques include various stances, blocks and attacks. The practice of learning karate occurs in three stages, each focusing on a particular aspect of training.
Stages of Practice
Kihon, the first stage of karate practice, involves learning and practicing individual techniques -- the fundamentals of karate -- and drilling them until you have memorized them by rote. In the second stage, Kata, you link these techniques together into various specific combinations with evocative names like Ten Hands or Crane on a Rock, performed repeatedly and in sequence, in order to simulate various combat situations. The third stage, Kumite, involves putting all of these techniques and sequences together into free-form sparring scenarios. Kumite may simulate a single attack, a single or set number of multiple engagements or continuous engagement.
Stances
Every attacking and blocking maneuver in karate originates and finishes in a particular stance, or dachi. A stances is a stationary body position from which a fighter executes a maneuver and to which he returns upon its completion. In a stance the body should be perfectly balanced, centered and grounded. Stances are often named for visual representations of their appearance, such as Horse Stance or Hourglass Stance, or for the objective of the position, as in Ready Stance or Immovable Stance.
Blocks
Blocks are defensive karate fighting techniques designed to protect a fighter from the attacks of another. Blocking techniques can be executed with both the hands and legs. The two standard blocking techniques are called High-Low Defend and Double-High Defend, referring to the use of one or both hands to protect either the body or head or both. They may further divide into lower, middle and upper blocks. Blocks can also double as attacks, such as a high block that strikes a fighter in the face or a low block that strikes an opponent in the legs.
Attacks
Attacks, or strikes, are offensive karate fighting techniques designed to subdue an opponent. As with blocks, attacks may be executed with both the hands and legs. Hand attacks are most often executed with an open palm, although some attacks do incorporate a closed fist. Examples of hand attacks include the Lunge Punch, Reverse Punch and Elbow Strike. Leg attacks, or kicks, can target an opponent's knees, inner thigh, groin, stomach, sides, chest and head, although in sparring -- as distinct from genuine combat situations -- excessive offensive kicking is often discouraged.
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