KARATE TECHNIQUES

Fumio Demura Reveals How to Make

6 Types of Karate Moves Work Properly 
by S.D. Seong • Photos by Sara Fogan 
F
umio Demura is one instructor who insists that traditional martial arts like
shito-ryu karate are every bit as eective as they’ve always been — pro-
vided they’re taught properly. For the benet o those students who have
not trained under a master rom the old school, the Black Belt  Hall o Fame
member, who was a kumite (sparring) champion in Japan rom
1961 to 1964, oered us the ollowing guidelines on how and
when to use karate’s six most eective hand techniques.

STRAIGHTPUNCH
Called tsuki in Japanese, the straight punch is the mainstay o 
karate. Contact is made with the rst two knuckles o the st.
 The technique can be used in a variety o sel-deense situa-
tions and on a variety o targets.
One o the more interesting applications o the straight
punch involves using the motion o your striking arm to
deect an incoming attack, Demura says. “Halway into the
punch, your orearm is used to block. His punch goes by the
side o your ace as you strike his chin with your st. The block 
and the punch happen at the same time. In case it doesn’t
work, your other hand can punch straight into his body.”
Because you risk being counterattacked whenever you are
within arm’s reach o your opponent and your hands are oc-
cupied, you must pay attention to the angle and distance so
you can stay away rom his ree hand, Demura says. “Then i 
it gets messy, you can punch a second time, a third time or
a ourth time until you knock him out — as long as you are
protecting yoursel.”
 The key to making the straight punch work is prac tice, De-
mura says. I you simply throw the technique a ew times in
the dojo and then expect it to save your skin on the street,
you’re bound to get into trouble. “Especially or beginners,
knowing the technique is not enough,” he says. “You must
have experience, and once you get some, you’ll be able to
punch even harder.”

DISCLAIMER
BLACK BELT COMMUNICATIONS, an Active Interest Media Publication, as publisher, does not endorse and makes no representation, warranty or guarantee concerning the saety or eectiveness o
either the products and services advertised in this magazine or the martial arts or other techniques discussed or illustrated in this document. The publisher expressly disclaims any and all liability
relating to the manuacture, sale or use o such products and services and the application o the techniques discussed or illustrated in this document. The purchase or use o some o the products,
services or techniques advertised or discussed in this document may be illegal in some areas o the United States or other countries. Thereore, you should check ederal, state, and local laws prior
to your purchase or use o these products, services or techniques. The publisher makes no representation or warranty concerning the legality o the purchase or use o these products, services
and techniques in the United States or elsewhere. Because o the nature o some o the products, services and techniques advertised or discussed in this document, you should consult a physician
beore using these products or services or applying these techniques. Specifc sel-deense responses illustrated in this document may not be justifed in any particular situation in view o all o the
circumstances or under applicable ederal, state or local law. Neither Black Belt Communications nor the author makes any representation or warranty regarding the legality or appropriateness o
any technique mentioned or depicted in this document. You may be injured i you apply or train in the techniques illustrated in this document and neither Black Belt Communications nor the author
is responsible or any such injury that may result. It is essential that you consult a physician regarding whether or not to attempt any technique described in this document.

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 UPPERCUT
Although the uppercut is one o the “big our” weapons o Western boxing, it has
a slightly less prominent but no less eective role in the k arate dojo. Called age
tsuki, the technique is aimed at the underside o your opponent’s chin or nose
and launched as soon as he gets within range and drops his guarding hands.
“It is especially eective when someone tries to punch you in the stomach,”
Demura says. “You block his arm downward using your palm heel. At the same
time, your body drops down and your right hand rises up to his ace to strike.
“I or some reason the uppercut doesn’t work or you miss your target, you’ve
already got your hand in position to continue into an upward elbow strike. You
can aim or the nose or the chest.”
 The goal o the uppercut is not necessarily to KO an assailant or break a bone
with a single shot, Demura says. “I one strike does not accomplish the goal, you
have to continue without wasting any time. Don’t stop ater just one technique.”

KNIFEHAND
 The kniehand is called shuto uchi  in Japanese. Your striking hand must be
rigid and tense or it to impart maximum damage when you chop it into a
vulnerable part o your opponent’s body. It traces a circular path to its target,
which is requently the throat area.
“I the attacker tries to punch you, you can grab his punching hand and then
strike his throat,” Demura says. The kniehand is the perect weapon or this type
o situation, he adds, because its horizontal orientation allows it to be readily in-
serted into the narrow opening that leads to the neck. In contrast, it would be di-
cult to successully throw a punch into the same space because o the presence
o the chin.
 The eect on the assailant is nothing short o devastating, Demura
says. “Because the throat is one area you cannot make stronger, the
kniehand can crush the windpipe. Sometimes the throat swells
and breathing becomes difcult.”
I something goes wrong — i the attacker raises his arm to stop
your kniehand, or example — you have many options, Demura
says. One is to open your ngers and go or his eyes. Another is to
grab his hair and hold him while you deliver a ollow-up strike or
take him down.

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INSIDERIDGEHAND
Called herabasami  in Japanese, the inside ridgehand employs the por-
tion o your hand that lies between your thumb and index nger to
strike and grab the assailant’s throat.
One o the best times to use the inside ridgehand, which is also
called the “tiger’s mouth,” is in response to a ront kick, Demura says. “As
soon as the attacker kicks, you step back and block his oot. I you can,
you should hold his leg as you slam your other hand into his throat in
one continuous movement. Then, as you squeeze, he won’t be able to
breathe.”
I the assailant manages to survive the strike or escape rom its grasp,
you can simply raise his trapped leg. “When you go higher, his weight
moves backward and he loses his ooting,” Demura says. “It is easy to
knock him down.”

FINGERTIPJAB
Japanese martial artists have named it nukite, while in the West it is
reerred to as simply the ngertip jab. No matter what you call it, it is a
devastating sel-deense technique that belongs in the arsenal o e very
martial artist. Just make certain you never use it when circumstances
are anything less than dire, Demura says.
A type o two-nger spearhand strike, the nukite targets the sot ar-
eas o the body — such as the eyes and throat. As a close-range tech-
nique, it can be used to orce an assailant to release you. For example,
i he grabs your lapels with both hands, you can raise your hands as
though you are giving up, then chop downward to buckle his arms and
bring him in close. While one hand controls his orearm, you simply
thrust the rst two ngers o your ree hand into his eyes.
“The nukite is great or the little guy,” Demura says. “I your at-
tacker is a big man and you punch him in the stomach, it might
not work. But i you strike his eyes or throat using your ngertips,
it is very eective. Your st won’t work to go to his eyes because
it’s too big, but the ngertips are perect. When you hit his eyes, he
won’t be able to see or a while. You will have a moment to get out
o the situation.”

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 PALMHEEL
 The palm heel — teisho in Japanese — is particularly appropriate or use
by martial artists who are not accustomed to the stresses that punching
inevitably places on the wrist. Best o all, it packs the same wallop as a
punch while sacricing only a ew inches o range.
“For sensitive areas like the chin and nose, the palm heel works better
than other techniques,” Demura says. “It’s hard to miss with it, and there’s
a lower risk o injuring yoursel. I you punch an attacker’s ace, you might
miss and hit his teeth, and that will probably cut your knuckles.”
In a rontal attack, your opponent may grab your jacket with both
hands, Demura says. “You should grab him, too — his belt, his shirt, his
pants or whatever — with your let hand. As your right hand comes up be-
tween his arms, it pushes one arm higher and out o the way. At the same
time, you pull him closer until he is almost touching your body. Then your
right hand goes up to his nose or chin and pushes his head back. It is
more painul because you are preventing him rom moving backward
with the orce o the palm heel.”
I you need to administer a bit o extra punishment,
you can use your ngers to gouge his eyes and scratch
his ace, he adds. “And i you need even more, you can
always continue with other strikes. I the ght goes one
way, you have to be ready to do this. I it goes another
way and you all to the ground, you have to be ready to
do a dierent technique. That’s why you have to know
so many techniques — so you are always able to protect
yoursel.”

ELBOWSMASH

Although technically not a hand technique, the elbow smash

(hiji uchi  in Japanese) is among karate’s most efective sel-deense
moves. It can be delivered by swinging your olded arm vertically
upward, vertically downward, horizontally across your body to the
inside or horizontally to the outside.
“The elbow is one o strongest bones in the human body,” Fumio
Demura says. “When you hit someone with it, there’s a lot o dam-
age. You can use it to strike the chest, stomach, ace or back o the
head — places where other techniques won’t work.”
The best way to ampliy the efective power o the elbow smash,
Demura says, is to restrain your opponent with your ree hand so he
can’t move in the direction o your strike.
—SDS

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 1 2

3 4

 Straight Punch: Fumio Demura (right) aces his opponent (1). The opponent advances and punches (2),
 and Demura steps back and uses the preliminary motion o his arm to execute a halway block (3). He
nishes the technique by driving his st into the other man’s chin (4).

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 1 2

3 4

 Inside Ridgehand: The assailant (let) initiates his ront kick (1), and Fumio Demura defects the leg to
the outside (2). The karate instructor traps the limb as he moves orward and readies his counterattack 
(3). Demura nishes the sequence by slamming his open hand into the assailant’s throat (4).

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 1 2

3 4

 Knifehand: The opponent (let) begins his punch, and Fumio Demura readies his deense (1).
 As the opponent thrusts his fst orward, Demura shits his body and blocks it with his let hand 
(2). He maintains his grip on the other man’s wrist (3) as he chops into his neck (4).

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 1 2

3 4

Uppercut: Fumio Demura (right) and his partner square o (1). As the partner punches, Demura
 alters his stance (2) and swats the attacking arm downward with a palm heel (3). The karate master 
then blasts his uppercut into the partner’s chin (4).

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 1 2

3 4

 Palm Heel: The opponent grabs Fumio Demura’s lapels (1). In response, Demura grabs the
opponents belt with his let hand and lits the opponent’s let arm with his right (2). The karate
 master then extends his right arm, slamming his palm heel into the opponent’s chin (3). I necessary,
 Demura can transition into an eye gouge or ace rake (4).

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 1 2

3 4

 Fingertip Jab: In response to a two-handed grab, Fumio Demura raises his hands in apparent 
 submission (1). He then thrusts them downward to buckle the opponent’s arms (2). While holding the
other man’s let arm (3), Demura jabs hi s fngertips into his eyes (4).

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 KARATE
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