One reason it may be so misunderstood is the unnatural position of the body when moving in a back-stance. Back stance it self is a very difficult stance to ultimately perfect and become totally comfortable with.
Yet knife hand is one of the most important techniques you will ever have to learn in the martial arts, especially Shotokan Karate.
From my experience, the more you learn, the more you realize you need to go back to basics and start all over again. That to many people may seem very frustrating and time consuming. Why should anyone become proficient at Knife-hand when it is less practical than many other techniques? Or is it more practical than we think?
From a less experienced practitioner's point of view one may think it is physically frustrating because it is very difficult to get any power from it since it utilizes smaller muscles like the shoulders and back when delivering a strike or a block.
It is also very difficult to block an attack in a strait line moving forward or backwards. Back stance is also very difficult to achieve balance with since your feet are in a strait line, let alone the lack of ankle flexibility many people experience when attempting to lower their center of gravity.
When it comes to applying it, the question is how would someone use this in a real fight? What would make me think of such an unnatural technique when I am going through an adrenaline rush at the heat of the moment, or a life threatening situation? In Kata it is also done in sequences of (3) three in a row? How does that work and why in a strait line? Why would anyone on earth attack you going backwards in a strait line, let alone do it three times in a row?!! So HOW would this technique be affective or useful when in reference to all the above questions?
Here is my answer to each of these questions one at a time, are you ready?
This is my personal opinion and many may disagree. But it leads to a healthy debate if anyone chooses to interact.
1. Physically
Generally speaking, Shotokan Karate techniques are very difficult to master and knife hand is no different. So needless to say there must be a reason why such unnatural techniques like Knife-Hand-Block/Strike are so important and focussed on throughout a person's career as a karate student from the very beginning.
One reason is that it is fitness oriented. If performed regularly, knife-hand can be extremely challenging on the back, shoulders and chest as well as the torso. The torso is worked by keeping the hips in a 45^ angle while twisting the upper body beyond 45^ which definately can tighten the ( Latissimus dorsi ) "Lat" muscles. The chest can be exercised by the prepping action of the arms before the technique is executed. The back and shoulders are exercised by the actual sword like action of the prepped arm and the re-action of the pulling hand which in turn works the Lats again.. This applies to many other techniques too.
In regards to power of striking or blocking, it was NOT developed to be the most powerful part of your arsenal of techniques, but it was developed rather for the sake of targeting softer targets of the body like the carotid artery which doesn't require much power to damage. However, if thrown with a decent amount of force, knife-hand can cause quite a bit of damage to the collar bone or even the temple because of its sword-like course of motion and because the edge of the hand is used when delivering a strike. So after years of practice one can see the benefits.
2. Back Stance,balance and flexibility, low center of gravity.
Stances in Shotokan are the most important part of anyone's foundation of fundamentals. All stances have a significant purpose. Back-Stance helps learn better balance and felxibility which is why it is hard to transition to and from if you are not comfortable with it. Stepping in a strait line obviously is a balance test in itself but also it allows the hips to sit in a 45^ degree angle in order to deliver a knife hand technique because the feet are in a 90^ angle when in a proper completed transition.
Below is a great Video that displays some of the technical requirements to execute a proper Shuto Uke.
Try executing a knife hand in a horse stance or a front stance. You might find your self even more uncomfortable because horse stance does not allow any hip twist when stationary and in a front stance it might feel funny because knife hand requires the hips to twist until facing forward in order to transition forward which also requires the knees to practically close midway to enable the hips to twist and the feet to pivot at the half way point, This is extremely difficult to do in a front stance when moving at a higher speed forward and when most of the weight is on the front leg.
Also try getting any power from it with your hips strait forward and you will find that your arms are the only thing generating power and not your body. Try twisting to an angle that is needed for knife hand and you will soon find that since your feet are not in a strait line you will not get as much of the angle you need in a knife hand to deliver a decent strike with the proper hip anti-rotation.
3. Applying it in a real situation
Well, in a real situation I have to say that the knife-hand is like any other technique. It is a follow up technique and not the initial one. The initial block is actually the prepping hand,which could also be just a simple parry "Nagashi-Uke" not the knife hand itself. The re-action hand is actually used to deflect an attack. "Go-No-Sen" (Block with an immediate counter attack) is then what you are actually performing. This principle I believe applies to all other so-called blocks. They are all explained as blocks but in reality they are actually hidden techniques of striking, joint locking and takedowns. AHA !
4. Adrenaline rush
In the heat of the moment anyone can lose it. Someone who has been training for years might mentally lose it to a degree, but they may also manage to keep their calm to a certain degree as well. One thing is for certain. Your mind does not always have control of your body once your adrenaline starts pumping. But there is a reason why we do things thousands of times. As boring as it may seem to be so repetitive, we are actually doing more than one thing. We are developing what is called muscle memory and densifying our bones at the same time. When in a dangerous moment, even if the mind has less composure the body will still be able to react with certain actions if it were to be trained long enough to do so. Not only will our bodies be stronger upon delivering a technique to someone, but we will not depend on the mind as much either. This is when things become natural body reactions rather than a conscious mental reaction.
Our bones will also be denser because they are a state of calcification when we move them consistently which densifies and toughens them. This is why athletes statistically have fewer broken bones.
So not only will you have a better physical reaction to an attack, but you will also be striking them with a harder, denser part of your body.
5. Kata and Backwards attacks
Finally in Kata, Knife-hand as well as many other techniques are done in multiple sequences usually in 2 or 3 of the same technique in various parts of a Kata. Example: Hiean-Nidan and Kanku-dai. Their purpose is to develop balance on both sides of the body and to allow a fair amount of repetition to the given techniques, not to mention the whole exercise part again.
Not everything in Karate was meant to be understood as a self defense explanation. Many people try to over analyze every single technique in a Kata. Some things were simply developed for repetition, fitness and conditioning. Others were for the sake of introducing a new method and technique for the body to initially start getting used to.
Simplifying forms and adding a sense of symmetrical structure helps ease the learning process of each Kata and the ability to hand them down from one generation to the next. Additionally, when many people wish to remember the same Kata or form, it is much easier for the masses when something is symmetrical rather than random and uneven. Hence, another reason all Shotokan Kata start and finish on the same spot.
Anything standardized will be systematic and easier to follow. As for backward attacks, well they are really not backward movement attacks, but they seem like that when you do 3 of the same technique in a row moving forward demonstrating a defensive technique getting punched at. Many people explain the (Bunkai) application as it were blocking a backward moving lunge punch attack just to show beginner students what they are doing so they can comprehend it at the present time. However, later on things are shown individually. This if for the more advanced students are eventually ready to understand how thing really work because they developed working comprehension of technique. So then the (Bunkai) or (Oyo waza) would be shown as if it were simply deflecting an attack and then stepping into the opponent with a strike.
The Kata just demonstrates the easiest way to get a series going by either moving in a forward or in a backward direction. Again they are structured like this for simplicity, symmetry, fitness and let's not forget coordination.
Because while some individuals may learn things faster and have an easier time physically, many people flat out need the repetition just to get their bodies to do it correctly.
So there you have it . Hope you have a better understanding of the whole "KARATE CHOP" Theory and why it is so focussed on when many UN-experienced people tend to consider it is a useless technique, It is quite the opposite. I myself consider it to be one of the most vital and deadliest techniques in all martial arts.
Oss,
Good Training,
Sensei Joseph Claycomb
Also try getting any power from it with your hips strait forward and you will find that your arms are the only thing generating power and not your body. Try twisting to an angle that is needed for knife hand and you will soon find that since your feet are not in a strait line you will not get as much of the angle you need in a knife hand to deliver a decent strike with the proper hip anti-rotation.
3. Applying it in a real situation
Well, in a real situation I have to say that the knife-hand is like any other technique. It is a follow up technique and not the initial one. The initial block is actually the prepping hand,which could also be just a simple parry "Nagashi-Uke" not the knife hand itself. The re-action hand is actually used to deflect an attack. "Go-No-Sen" (Block with an immediate counter attack) is then what you are actually performing. This principle I believe applies to all other so-called blocks. They are all explained as blocks but in reality they are actually hidden techniques of striking, joint locking and takedowns. AHA !
4. Adrenaline rush
In the heat of the moment anyone can lose it. Someone who has been training for years might mentally lose it to a degree, but they may also manage to keep their calm to a certain degree as well. One thing is for certain. Your mind does not always have control of your body once your adrenaline starts pumping. But there is a reason why we do things thousands of times. As boring as it may seem to be so repetitive, we are actually doing more than one thing. We are developing what is called muscle memory and densifying our bones at the same time. When in a dangerous moment, even if the mind has less composure the body will still be able to react with certain actions if it were to be trained long enough to do so. Not only will our bodies be stronger upon delivering a technique to someone, but we will not depend on the mind as much either. This is when things become natural body reactions rather than a conscious mental reaction.
Our bones will also be denser because they are a state of calcification when we move them consistently which densifies and toughens them. This is why athletes statistically have fewer broken bones.
So not only will you have a better physical reaction to an attack, but you will also be striking them with a harder, denser part of your body.
5. Kata and Backwards attacks
Finally in Kata, Knife-hand as well as many other techniques are done in multiple sequences usually in 2 or 3 of the same technique in various parts of a Kata. Example: Hiean-Nidan and Kanku-dai. Their purpose is to develop balance on both sides of the body and to allow a fair amount of repetition to the given techniques, not to mention the whole exercise part again.
Not everything in Karate was meant to be understood as a self defense explanation. Many people try to over analyze every single technique in a Kata. Some things were simply developed for repetition, fitness and conditioning. Others were for the sake of introducing a new method and technique for the body to initially start getting used to.
Simplifying forms and adding a sense of symmetrical structure helps ease the learning process of each Kata and the ability to hand them down from one generation to the next. Additionally, when many people wish to remember the same Kata or form, it is much easier for the masses when something is symmetrical rather than random and uneven. Hence, another reason all Shotokan Kata start and finish on the same spot.
Anything standardized will be systematic and easier to follow. As for backward attacks, well they are really not backward movement attacks, but they seem like that when you do 3 of the same technique in a row moving forward demonstrating a defensive technique getting punched at. Many people explain the (Bunkai) application as it were blocking a backward moving lunge punch attack just to show beginner students what they are doing so they can comprehend it at the present time. However, later on things are shown individually. This if for the more advanced students are eventually ready to understand how thing really work because they developed working comprehension of technique. So then the (Bunkai) or (Oyo waza) would be shown as if it were simply deflecting an attack and then stepping into the opponent with a strike.
The Kata just demonstrates the easiest way to get a series going by either moving in a forward or in a backward direction. Again they are structured like this for simplicity, symmetry, fitness and let's not forget coordination.
Because while some individuals may learn things faster and have an easier time physically, many people flat out need the repetition just to get their bodies to do it correctly.
So there you have it . Hope you have a better understanding of the whole "KARATE CHOP" Theory and why it is so focussed on when many UN-experienced people tend to consider it is a useless technique, It is quite the opposite. I myself consider it to be one of the most vital and deadliest techniques in all martial arts.
Oss,
Good Training,
Sensei Joseph Claycomb
