Throwing and Takedown Techniques (Nage Waza)
Nage, Kuzushi & Ukemi-waza
(Throwing, Balance Displacement, Tumbling & Falling/Landing)
It seems axiomatic that you cannot learn the art of self-defence, especially a percussive-impact discipline like karate, without ever learning how to protect yourself from falling, being knocked down or even thrown to the ground. Unfortunately, ending up on the ground, irrespective of how unwelcome the thought may be, is something that is more than likely to happen in an actual physical confrontation.
Ukemi-waza is the Japanese term that identifies those skills associated with learning to protect one's self from the dangers associated with hitting the ground under such circumstances.
This kind of training is not only fun and highly informative; it adds a vital component to an otherwise ignored part of karate as an art. Confirming that throwing was, in fact, a part of old-school karate training, Okazaki Teruyuki wrote, "Funakoshi explained that many of the kata applications were throwing techniques. But he always stressed that before you throw your opponent to the floor you must punch or kick first in order to finish them".
Once a learner has grasped the basic ukemi-waza drills they can then go into learning the below fundamentals to help improve the effectiveness of Nage waza.
- Tsukamite - refers to grasping the body or a limb for the purpose of avoiding a strike and displacing balance, before using the opponent's power against him thus enhancing the effectiveness of defensive action.
- Chinkuchi - The total summation of joint forces, combined with the breath to maximize one's technique.
- Nigirite - Refers to grasping and shaking and opponent.
- Kakete - Refers to hooking an opponent with your grip.
- Kuzushi - Refers to breaking the balance of one's opponent.
- Hikite - Refers to the technique of pulling (a wrist, arm, someone's garment) and twisting it in order to create an anatomical weakness with which to physically exploit. The twisting of one's hand back to the hip, for example, in kata, is symbolic of this technique.
- Ashi/tai sabaki - Two terms referring to footwork and body movement.
For the purpose of understanding the mechanics behind takedowns and throws. Collectively, these principles are paramount to learning about balance displacement.
McCarthy Sensei has reversed engineered no fewer than 55 takedowns and throws from classical kata culminated in a wonderful two-person drill.
Nage-Waza by Hanshi Patrick McCarthy
This is a unique presentation on the principal throwing, take-down and techniques of balance displacement. For the very first time ever this highly functional two-person practice has been made public. Developed by myself [Patrick McCarthy] this two-person drill brings together no fewer than fifty-five different ways of displacing an opponent's balance and should be considered mandatory learning by all. Nage-Waza provides learners of any rank and or style with an extraordinary repertoire of kata-based application practices. Balance displacement Classical Throws Take-downs.
While nage-waza is not the principal source of self-defense used in the art of karate, it is, nonetheless, an indispensable component of effective fighting, and also reflects a forgotten aspect from this arts early origins. Nage-waza is also something that every student of karate, irrespective of style or politics, should gain some level of proficiency in. As all domestic forms of self-protection can be bridged together by the same habitual acts of physical violence they seek to address, winding up in a clinch is sometimes an inevitable outcome. While almost everything we do in percussive impact-based traditions is to avoid ever getting into a standing clinch, if and when such a thing was to ever happen, taking immediate control of the situation is of the utmost importance, and it is at this point in time that nage-waza reveals its true value. We doubt anyone could dispute the sense it makes to be well prepared and never need nage-waza than to wind up in a standing clinch one day with the safety of your life or well-being left only to chance. Here's your chance to learn directly from a 5th-generation master of Okinawan Karate.
