Q6752 + $1.25 4 A BANTAM BOOK [>@}* SECOND REVISED EDITION BRUCE peeten oe COMPLETE BOOK 0. KARATE 1 See CETTE EES oe. forsee. 1. SELF- DEFENSE KARATE: A COMPLETE MANUAL iN ISE K KARATE — EFFECTIVE STREET DEFENSES e STEP-BY-STEP ILLUSTRATED SPORT KARATE FROM BEGINNER TO BLACK BELT. 1000 PHOTOSTWO COMPLETE COURSES OF KARATE 1. Practical karate for self-defense. 2. Sport karate for physical fitness. BRUCE TEGNER explains and separates the two aspects of karate and makes a brilliant presentation of this ancient weapon- Jess fighting skill. SELF-DEFENSE KARATE is practical, easy to learn and easy to remember. The text is written in clear language; every step of every technique is illustrated with photos. You do not have to become a karate expert to learn karate for self-defense. SPORT KARATE is an excellent physical fitness activity and a recreation pastime to enjoy. Here are all the sport techniques from beginner through black belt, from one-man forms you can practice alone to the exciting game of contest karate. NEW IN THIS EDITION: A guide to karate for physical educa~ tion classes and for community recreation centers. Safety in prac- lice is emphasized.BOOKS BY BRUCE TEGNER *BRUCE TEGNER'S COMPLETE BOOK OF KARATE *BRUCE TEGNER'S COMPLETE BOOK OF AIKIDO *BRUCE TEGNER'’S COMPLETE BOOK OF JUKADO SELF DEFENSE Jiu Jitsu Modernized "BRUCE TEGNER'S COMPLETE BOOK OF JUDO KARATE: Self-Defense & Traditional Sport Forms KARATE & JUDO EXERCISES STICK FIGHTING: SPORT FORMS STICK FIGHTING: SELF-DEFENSE DEFENSE TACTICS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT: Weaponless Defense & Control SELF-DEFENSE NERVE CENTERS & PRESSURE POINTS *BRUCE TEGNER METHOD OF SELF-DEFENSE: The Best of Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Karate, Yawara, etc. SELF-DEFENSE FOR BOYS & MEN: A Physical Education Course SELF-DEFENSE YOU CAN TEACH YOUR BOY: A Confidence- Building Course, Elementary School Age SELF-DEFENSE FOR WOMEN: (With Alice McGrath) A Simple Method for Home Study SELF-DEFENSE FOR GIRLS & WOMEN: (With Alice McGrath) A Physical Education Course BLACK BELT JUDO, KARATE, JUKADO JUDO & KARATE BELT DEGREES: Requirements, Rules AIKIDO and Jiu Jitsu Holds & Locks JUDO FOR FUN: Sport Techniques SAVATE: French Foot & Fist Fighting *KUNG FU & TAI CHI: Chinese Karate & Classical Exercise Additional titles in preparation “Published by Bantam Books BRUCE TEGHER'S COMPLETE BOOK OF KARATE SECOND REVISED EDITION 4AM 9g 2 0, = % puneeon fonpon A New yank”“Heroic aspirations .. . dauntless bravery, unsparing bloodshed are worse than useless when the combatants understand neither what is wrong nor how to set it right.” GEORGE BERNARD SHAW DEDICATION: To the heroes of the quiet battle— those brave men who will not fight. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Richard Windishar assisted the author in demonstrating most of the techniques in the photos. Don Phillips, Helen Phillips, Mike Hazy, and V. E. Christansen were helpful in many ways, for which the author is grateful. BRUCH TEGNER'S COMPLETE OOK OF KARATE A Bariaem Rook / Published Seprember 1966 Revised edition published July 1967 3rd printing... September 1967 Sth printing... December 1968 4th printing... .... March 1968 ih printing... dumeectry 1969 Second revised ediion published Nevenber 1970 ‘Sth printing... December 1970 Lith printing vo dune 1972 9th ‘petriting. Febreary 197% 12th printing August 1973 T0th printing, ...December 1971 lsh printing. .. September 1973 14th printing Tth printing Library of Congress Catalog Card Member: 70-126632 Monuscript prepared under the supervision of ALICE McGRATH Copyright @ 1966. 1970 by Bruce Tegner & Alice MeGrath All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whele or in port, by any means, without permission in writing. Published sivuttaneously in the United States and Caneda Bantam Books are publisked by Bantam Boolis, Inc. Hs trade- mark, consisting of the words “Bantam Books" aud the por- trayal of @ bantam, is registered in the United States Parent Office and in other coumries. Marea Registrada. Bantam Books, Inc., 666 Fifth Avenve, New York, New York 10019. PRINTED EN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CONTENTS INTRODUCTION AND PRE-INSTRUCTION SELF-DEFENSE & SPORT KARATE ARE DIFFERENT / 7 THE SECRETS OF KARATE /9 BELT DEGREES AND RATING IN KARATE / 10 WHICH STYLE OF KARATE |S BEST ; 11 HAND BLOWS, STYLISTIC DIFFERENCES / 12 STYLISTIC DIFFERENCES IN KICKING / 13 HARD AND SOFT KARATE / 14 SUBTLE DIFFERENCES IN STYLE / 14 COMPARING STYLES IN ACTION / 16 INDIVIDUAL STYLE / 17 HAND-CONDITIONING: AM EXPLANATION AND A WARNING / 19 SENSATIONAL TRICKS ¢ 20 TEACHING: MODERN AND TRADITIONAL / 20 ‘CHOOSING A SCHOOL / 21 HOW TO PRACTICE / 23 PRACTICING ALONE / 23 SAFETY IN PRACTICE / 23 EXERCISES / 24 BALANCES / 25 DISTRACTION FOR SELF-DEFENSE / 32 FEINTING DISTRACTION / 32 KL-Al: SUPER-POWER / 34 BREATH CONTROL / 37 SELF-DEFENSE LESSON PLAN / 40 BOOK 1 SELF-DEFENSE NONAPPARENT FIGHTING STANCES / 43 OBVIOUS FIGHTING STANCES / 44 OPEN-HAND BLOW / 45 HAND BLOWS: FINGER STABS / 49 HAND BLOWS: “Y" OF HAND AND FIST BLOWS ; 50 FOREARM AND ELGOW BLOWS / 51 FOOT BLOWS: BASIC TECHNIQUE FOR KICKING ; 53 NERVE CENTERS & PRESSURE POINTS / 56 HOW TO COPE WITH ANNOYING SITUATIONS / 62 BASIC KARATE DEFENSES AGAINST HAND BLOWS / 65 SLASHING BLOCKS AGAINST FIST ATTACK / 66 DEFENSE AGAINST FIST ATTACK: SLASH-BLOCK AND HIT / 6B TOE-KICK DEFENSE: LOW KICK / 62 KNEE-KICK DEFENSE / 68 COMBINATIONS OF BLOWS / 70 FIST-FIGHTING DEFENSE: SLASH, LEAP, KICK 7 71 FIST-FIGHTING DEFENSE: PARRVING STRAIGHT PUNCH / 72 DEFENSE AGAINST ONCOMING ATTACKS / 72 DEFENSE AGAINST OBVIOUS FIST ATTACK: DISTRACT AND KICK / 74 UNBEATABLE DEFENSE: TRIPLE RESPONSE / 76CONTENTS DEFENSE AGAINST GANG ATTACK / 78 DEFENSE AGAINST OVER-ARM GRAB / 82 FRONT CHOKE DEFENSE / 82 DEFENSE AGAINST GRAB AND FIST ATTACK / 82 FINGER CHOKE DEFENSE / 84 REAR GRAB DEFENSES / 85 OVER-ARMS GRIP / 86 HEAD LOCK DEFENSE / 87 REAR-ARM CHOKE OR HEAD LOCK / 88 DEFENSE AGAINST FULL NELSON / 9 DEFENSES AGAINST CLUB OR STICK / 91 WHEN TO DEFEND AGAINST AN ARMED ASSAILANT / 93 GUN DEFENSES / 94 DEFENSE AGAINST CHAIN (OR FLEXIBLE WEAPON) / 99 KNIFE DEFENSES / 100 BOOK 2 SPORT KARATE SPORT KARATE BELT DEGREES / 105 RULES REGULATING KARATE CONTEST / 106 STANCES / 106 TECHNIQUES OF PUNCHING / 110 MIDDLE-AREA KICKS / 112 HIGH KICKS FOR CONDITIONING AND EXERCISE / 112 PARRYING AND DODGING ; 115 BLOCKING AND PARRYING KICKING ATTACKS / 116 DEFENSE AND COUNTERATTACK / 117 PRACTICE OF GIVE AND TAKE HAND BLOWS / 118 ATTACK, DEFENSE, AND COUNTERATTACK / 119 PREPARATION FOR CONTEST / 120 INTRODUCTION TO TWO-MAN ROUTINES / 121 PURPLE BELT TWO-MAN ROUTINES / 121 FIRST ROUTINE / 121 INTRODUCTION TO THE FORMS / 131 HOW TO PRACTICE FORMS / 132 PURPLE BELT FORMS / 132 THIRD BROWN BELT ROUTINES / 149 THIRD BROWN BELT FORMS / 156. SECOND BROWN BELT ROUTINES + 179 TRIPS AND THROWS / 190 ADVANCED BROWN BELT FORM / 195 BLACK BELT FORMS / 212 KARATE FOR MODERN USE: A GUIDE FOR KARATE IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION, FOR RECREATION CENTERS AND "Y" PROGRAMS / 242 INDEX / 253 INTRODUCTION SELF-DEFENSE & SPORT KARATE ARE DIFFERENT Karate is not one skill, but two. Karate for self-defense is not the same as karate for sport. Though both phases of karate use techniques which are similar, the specific techniques, the training methods and the goals of the students are distinctly different. To begin with, the level of proficiency which is adequate for self- defense is not the same level of proficiency required for sport karate. Anyone can learn and use the hand and foot blows which are practical and effective on the street. In sport karate, perfection of technique is the goal; not everyone is cither willing or able to achieve perfection of technique, An attack on the street is a fight without rules; it is ludicrous to expect people to be “sportsmanlike” in defending themselves on the street. Sport karate is a game. It has rules, regulations, and judges. On the street, your adversary means to hurt and harm you. In sport karate, your Spponent is attempting to make tech- nical points. In contest, you choose to compete. On the street, if you cannot run, you have no choice except to fight. As my stu- dents know, I advise running whenever possible. Because there is nothing sporting about a street fight, there is no loss of honer in avoiding one, if possible. If you have tried to avoid a fight and find yourself forced to defend yourself, you are justified in hurting your adversary. In sport karate, the rules prevent making delib- erate contact. Theoretically, you can reach a high rank in sport karate without ever having touched an opponent except to block his intended point blow, The hand and foot blows which are most suitable for self-defense are not used in sport Karate, In contest, only the high kicks are allowed; kicks below the waist do not count for points. For self- defense, the low kicks are effective, and they are more easily learned. The high, spectacular contest kicks require a great deal of training; not everyone can learn them. Since contest forbids deliberate contact, the style of hand blows used in competition is relatively unimportant. For self-defense, you should learn the few hand blows which are easiest to use and most effective. For practical, self-defense karate, you must learn to defend against back attack and against more than one adversary—situations which do not occur in the sport.INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION 9 1, In sport karate, only the high kicks count for points in contest. ‘These kicks are not easy to learn, not the most practical for self- defense and require constant, continuing practice, otherwise proficiency cannot be maintained. 2. This kick is a practical self-defense kick, can be easily learned by anyone and does not require constant practice. In sport karate, this kick would not count for points. 3. The stylish and spectacular sport karate punches are used in contest; this blow is not used in contest, but it is an efficient self- defense hand blow. 4, The situation shown here does not occur in sport karate; it is an attack which might occur on the street. Characteristic sport techniques would not be appropriate for defense in this situation or for many of the other common street attacks. ee Tf you wish to practice sport karate for contest, you must train constantly and consistently, as in any competitive game. Self- defense techniques, however, are only efficient if they do nor require constant practice. Once you have learned a practical tech- nique of self-defense, it should be available to you whenever you need it. It is for this reason that the complicated and spectacular techniques of the unarmed aris are noi practical for most people. Most people do not continue their training forever, nor do they keep themselves in contest condition forever. They need to know things which will stay with them, as does the ability to drive a car, swim, or ride a bicycle, whether or not they practice con- stantly. You need only remember a Kick into the shin to use it effectively. THE SECRETS OF KARATE For thousands of years, karate and the other Oriental unarmed arts were practiced in secret. There was a reason for secrecy, karate training was illegal when peasants were learning it to use against armed Samurai warriors. ‘There is no longer any reason for secrecy on the subject of karate—any form of karate—but a sense of secrecy persists, Part of this is deliberately fostered by those who are making a hard sell for karate and who exploit the mystery angle ta confuse the innocent. During the time when karate was forbidden by law, only the exceptional person could learn it. He had to be brave, he had to be willing to spend long years learning it, and he had to keep the secrec! Around any skill, ritual or membership available to a limited group there arises a cult of superiority. Those in the Know are most pleased to be thought of as superior; they are happy to have people think that there is a way of getting plugged idle some Higher Truth which accounts for their special skill, Anyone who practices any skill for many years will develop a Proficiency that inspires awe in someone who cannot do it at all. Even shorthand, a system of symbols easily understood by the average high school girl, seems an obscure and difficult language fo the uninitiated—a “mystery.” The basic techniques of karate (and judo and aikido) are not mysterious; they are simply not well known. The ability 10 learn them is not related to possession of an occult gift nor the willingness to accept a Way of Life. There are physiological and psychological reasons for the effi- ciency of karate, and these reasons can be explained and under- cecal10 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION il stood by everybody. All the techniques and methods of karate can be explained without reference to the “unexplainable.” The beautiful and difficult techniques seem in tournament karate can- not be done without long, intense, continued training—that is the secret. The student of self-defense should not confuse the spec- tacular with the practical, An “expert” can make anything work for him, The people who are interested in useful street defense must learn the simpler, easier techniques, which do not require intense and constant practice and training. And that is the secret of karate for everyone. BELT DEGREES AND RATING IN KARATE Those who are interested only in self-defense need not concern themselves with the colored belt ranks. Belt ratings are usually earned in sport karate and they indicate proficiency in perform- ance of the karate forms and routines and proficiency in com- petitive karate matches. In their original forms, the unarmed fighting skills had no ranks, degrees, uniforms or colored belts. They were used for the single purpose of training highly specialized warriors for combat. The proficiency of the fighter was determined by his ability to kill and survive. Like archery and sword-fighting, the old specialties of weaponless combat have become obsolete for war. The two ways in Which we use the former combat skills are: 1, Modern self-defense which is different from combat in purpose and in approach, 2. We have made a game of it—sport karate. In its play aspect, karate is like any other game in that it requires rules, regulations and interpretations and adaptations of the rules and regulations to suit the place where it is being used. As a sport or recreation activity, karate is played somewhat differently in different parts of the world, Generally, it is practiced in three ways: forms, routines and contest. Forms permit the individual to practice the techniques alone. Routines are formalized exer- cises for two men. Contest is free-style fighting. Colored bel rankings are given on the basis of achievement in ail three phase of Karate play, There are dozens of styles of karate being practiced; cach styl hag its own system of belt ratings. Sometimes, teachers within one system may alter the belt ratings. Thus, in one style of karate, a green belt might signify a particular stage of training which would be indicated by a purple or yellow belt in another system. The color of the belt or any other symbol of advancement is of less importance than actual achievement. My system of belt ratings (p. 105) is similar to many of the rating systems in Japanese karate. Instructors use the belt systems they are familiar with or approve of. Simply because an instruc- tor uses a different belt rating system, you are not to infer that it is wrong or inferior. Remember that self-defense karate instruc- tion is to be judged on the basis of practicality, but that sport karate training is to be judged solely on the basis of preference. There is one absolute rule in the matter of belt ratings: Under no circumstances may an individual decide his own rating. This means that you are not permitted to say that you have reached the rank of purple, brown or black belt because you have studied and practiced all of the purple, brown or black belt techniques. Even if you have studied seriously and conscientiously, you may not judge your own level of proficiency, just as you may not award yourself a driver's license or a high school diploma. WHICH STYLE OF KARATE IS BEST? As karate was adopted by the different Asian countries, its style changed. Basic techniques remained the same, After all, an open hand blow is an open hand blow whether it is called by a Japanese name, by a Korean name, by a Chinese name or whether we use English to describe it. Whether karate is called kenpo, kung fu, gung fu, Okinawa-te, or shito-ryo, it is a system of fighting Which utilizes hand and foot blows which are more similar to each other than they are different from each other. Some styles of karate emphasize hand blows more than they emphasize kick- ing techniques; some styles of Karate emphasize kicks more than hand blows; some Karate styles prefer power training while others (rain for speed and precision. Now obviously, if you examine only these stylistic differences, you will see that individual prefer- ence most play an important role in determining choice of a style. Before considering the question further, let us examine the ways in which style changes. There are, at present, about a dozen main styles of karate, but within those main divisions, one might say that there are hundreds of variations, for each teacher introduces his personal style into the general style he follows, Each teacher argues that his style is the best one. Each teacher claims that he is teaching the only true and authentic karate. If we consider only the opinions of those teachers who have taught for many years and only those whose competence is taken for granted, we must wonder why, if there is such a thing as “best” karate, they have not been able (a convince each other, why, after years and Years of dispute about the matter, there are still hundreds of stylistic variations in karate instruction. Let us examine the prob- lem of karate style more closely. rire eee ee12 INTRODUCTION Hand Blows, Stylistic Differences As mentioned carlier, an open hand blow, using the edge of the hand for striking, is the same blow no matter which language is used to describe it. ‘The identical blow is called a chop, a thousand hand blow, a weapon hand, the knife edge, a hand knife and a bulterfly blow! If there is this much language confusion in the description of one single blow, imagine how much confusion there is in trying to describe real stylistic variations. First, let us dispose of the question of “best” hand blows for sport karate. The best hand blows for sport karate are those which are easily seen by the judges and those which cach individual con- testant finds suited to his personal style of body movement. The hand blow most frequently seen in contest is the straight in punch. This is the hand blow which delivers a more obvious point strike than other kinds of hand blows, Punching blows are more dramatic than other hand blows, Since contest is a drama of sorts, for the contestants, the strong-looking punching blows are quite appropri- ate for sport karate. As neither contestant is supposed to make contact in sport Karate, the theoretical result of the blow is not as important as the appearance of the blow, For self-defense, we must judge by an entirely different set of values and standards, Punching blows for self-defense are appropriate for some indi- viduals and inappropriate for others, Punching blows cannot be easily used by women, for instance. The karate styles which emphasize the power blews and then teach those same techniques to men and women are not doing a service to women. There are some men who cannot use punching blow efficiently. Punching blows depend on power and reach. The speed of delivery which compensates for bulk and strength cam only be achieved by intensive training. When you see a demonstration by a small man in which he is delivering a punching blow of tremendous speed and power, remember that he has spent a long time training to that level of proficiency, Remember also that if he does not con- tinue to practice and train, he will lose that high level of skill. Karate training is not different from any other kind of body skill training; karate does not invest the individual with a magical power which he retains for the rest of his life. Just like (he boxing champ who goes to fat when he stops training every day, the karate champ will lose skill when he stops training and his skill will diminish when he gets older. INTRODUCTION 13 The open hand blow ts a more versatile blow than a punching blow. It can be used more efficiently by more people in a greater number of circumstances than the punching blow or the clawing and stabbing blows. But, finally, it is the individual who must make the choice. Think about if you are not comfortable using punching blows, but feel that open hand blows work best for you, then open hand blows are “best” for you: if you prefer punching blows and feel uncomfortable using open hand blows, then punching blows are “best” for you! Kung fu (or gung fu) is a style of karate in which students do not currently engage in contest. The teacher of kung fu insists that he is teaching only self-defense. In kung fu there is a strong emphasis on finger blows—stabbing and clawing. The favored target area for these stabbing blows is into the eyes and throat. Poking into the eyes is a serious action which can be justified as a defense against a serious and vicious attack. There are fewer instances of attacks in which clawing and poking would be appropriate than there are instances when effective, but less vicious, defenses would be suitable, So, again, the question of deciding which is the “best” blow has to be modified by the question “best for what purpose and what situation.” Stylistic Differences in Kicking As some karate styles emphasize hand blows over foot blows, others prefer kicking techniques to hand blows, Again, however, we have to evaluate style in terms of purpose. In sport karate, the rules call for points to be awarded for kicks above the belt. As only the highly trained individual can use high kicks, the question of “best” has no universal application. In contest we see the high spectacular kicks used for winning matches and forget that train- ing for competition js totally different from practical self-defense instruction. We see, in contest, the most able individuals and those who are willing to spend a substantial part of their lives preparing for tournament. The kicks they use are determined by the rules and conditions of sport tournament. For self-defense, kicks must be less spectacular and more available fo those who benefit from self-defense instruction to the greatest degree—that is, to the less able, possibly awkward, probably slight, certainly non-aggressive individual, To teach such people, OF to allempt to teach them tournament karate as street defense simply makes no sense. The karate kicks which can be applied for modern street defense are the simple, low kicks, The more Subtle stylistic differences in karate kicks count for nothing in self-defense training.i4 INTRODUCTION Hard and Soft Karate There is one major division between the styles of karate, what- ever else they may agree or disagree on, und that is the question of hard versus soft karate. Hard karate emphasizes the use of power and frequently involves extreme hand conditioning; great importance is placed on breaking tricks. The advocates of hard karate explain that if a blow is delivered with sufficient force, it does not matter what body target area is hit. This is true. A boxing blow struck with sufficient force can ‘be fatal. To overcome force with force, it is necessary to be more powerful than your assailant, There are two ways in which this can be accomplished, neither one of them available for most people. You can be naturally strong, in which case you are unlikely to need very much self-defense instruction, or your life can be devoted to developing strength. In contest, it is endurance, not power which is the critical factor. Soft karate emphasizes the development of skill and coordina- tion and the use of vulnerable target areas of the body—the nerve centers and pressure points, This approach is more suited to those Bevple who need self-defense training. It is more practical for modern use. Subtle Differences in Style When we talk about the differences in styles of karate, the novice ean follow the discussion just so far. We all know the difference between kicking high and kicking low, between hitting with an open hand and punching with the fist, but when we enter the area of the slight differences (aver which there are bitter argu- ments among the advocates of different styles) it is more dif- ficult 10 follow the discussion without having some background in the subject. Unless you are somewhat familiar with the skill of fencing, it would be impossible for you to see the stylistic differences among the styles of fencing followed by the French, English and Spanish, German and Italian schools. Yet each of these schools of fencing places great importance on those stylistic differences and the expert fencer can observe immediately which style the fencer is using. The novice, watching karate practice, might have the same dif- ficulty obsebving stylistic differences in karate as the novice watch- ing a fencing match. Within one style of Karate, the kung fu style, there are at least four variations of their favorite fighting INTRODUCTION 15 stance. (It is my opinion that fighting stances have very limited value in self-defense instruction and that the heavy emphasis put on stances is not appropriate for students whose principal pur- pose is practical street defense). The horse stance is the favored kung fu stance and kung fu students are required to maintain this stance for long periods. But what is the “best” horse stance cannot be agreed upon, One Would expect that at least the basic horse stance would be the Samé in all schools of kung fu—nol so. The four photos show four different variations of the horse stance. One kung fu teacher will insist on the stance shown in $, another will argue that the correct horse stance is the variation shown in 6, and still others will argue that 7 or 8 shows the correct horse stance. There ate still more variations than the ones shown, but the others are as Slightly different from each other as the ones you see, It may eccur fo you to wonder if the matter is worth argument. Prob- ably not,