Bone Breaking Karate

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

First, the title is merely an advertising gimmick to attract attention like many such labeling. As to its relation toward an actual fact that is doubtful, debatable and somewhat wishful. It gives students the misconception that karate is something that is may or may not actually be as to its history, etc.

Second, to insinuate to anyone that in a self-defense situation that one can literally, “block an attackers strike, turn his back (this is just stupid regardless of any so called bunkai, etc.) without delivering a retaliatory blow” is just ludicrous. To teach someone to turn their backs in any dangerous situation is just stupid. Granted, if your blow does result in your attacker ceasing aggressive actions then, in self-defense, you are supposed to stop your actions but you never, ever turn your back on a dangerous situation - you back up to gain distance then you move to a safety zone, etc.

Third, hundreds of years ago Okinawan developed a system called, “Ti (hand),” but didn’t actually call it “China Hand,” till later then only about a hundred years ago or a bit less changed that to “Empty Hand.” It was NOT designed primarily for use against “Well Trained Military Warriors!” To even consider the possibility of using empty hands against weapons wielding professional military is also just plain stupid. You don’t face off with someone who has a weapon no matter how good you are unless you are in a situation where it is unavoidable but in reality most times it is avoidable. There is nothing in the limited history told of those early historic years of Okinawan that says the “Peasants” had to protect themselves against military warriors. There is a chance that they used it to protect one another from other villages, etc. but as to military, not so much.

Fourth, teaching the belief that one can stop an attacker immediately by breaking ones bones is also stupid and a total misconception. When combatants are under the influences of the adrenal flood they often don’t feel injuries, pain or damage until well after the episode ends. Even if you are successful in disabling a limb by a joint injury it is absolutely no guarantee the attacker will stop. It all depends on their experiences and mind-set. Even today people who are shot or stabbed or cut may keep right on attacking, it is just the way it is and to teach someone that they can stop because the accomplished one thing like breaking a bone, etc. is not true to reality.

Fifth, the ability to break a bone when it is static is possible but when a determined adversary who happens to be in any fit shape physically and with any combat type experience will have a certain level of strength where the muscles, bones and certain principles like alignment and structure will provide a certain level of armor like protection and when you add in the chaos of the fight where one is moving in a chaotic manner it is almost impossible to break a bone unless it is by a tool of some sort like a heavy stick or other blunt instrument. 

Sixth, the reason one learns and teaches something like karate in the application of principles and the attack methodologies is to apply various different methodologies like, “Actual tactics and attack methodologies of impacts, drives (pushes), pulls, twists, takedowns/throws and compression, etc.” that allows one to achieve the goal of ending the attack in their favor. To teach a student that to break a bone and make the assumption the attacker has no more ways of attacking and doing damage is, again, just irresponsible, stupid and plain wrong.      

Seventh, I do agree that if one can, and that is a big IF, break a bone thus causing the attacker to give up, i.e., breaking their spirit and mind-set, then one does give themselves an opportunity to stop using force and escape-n-evade barring the attacker having others in the vicinity who will jump in and help. 

This article goes on the demonstrate bone breaking methods or techniques that are technique based teachings whereby the uke has to take a somewhat specific action where the kata counters in a specific way teaching a specific bunkai. As a novice level teaching model this has a lot of merit but as to actual self-defense actions it seems on the surface to ignore the needed fundamental physiokinetic sub-principles that would make this or any other attack methodology work regardless of any specified technique. 

Eighth, again this lesson as written also insinuates that one must focus on “One method, bone breaking.” It may be just one of many methodologies that the system teaches but the actual written word tends to lean toward a novice possibly making the assumption that learning to bone-break an attackers arm or leg will end the attack and so on - don’t agree with that assumption. 

There is one redeeming quality of this article in that the last paragraph hints at the student returning to the kata movements to find more effective self-defense techniques that will be discovered. I applaud this last paragraph with some reservations. For instance, teaching and assuming the breaking of bones is a good self-defense technique without at least mentioning that to do so must meet the standards of an appropriate level of force applied is to be met or repercussions could be worse  than getting hurt by such an attack. Also, saying that one learns more self-defense TECHNIQUES leads the practitioner toward the current model of teaching by a technique based model over a more effective principle based teaching model. It must be remembered that there are a finite number of principles to learn while techniques number in the thousands dependent on the students imagination and ability to validate before relying on them in a defensive situation. Also remember that a thousand techniques means you brain has to choose an appropriate one according to what ever attack is perceived and that in and of itself is a slower process but applying principles and attack methodologies is a smaller and easily trained through operant conditioning reality based adrenal stress-conditioned model that actually speeds up the process.

Bibliography (Click the link)

p.s. Karada-kitae, body hardening system or models, provide benefits to karate-ka but one should not make any kind of assumptions that this type of training is how you condition your body to break bones. A a predatory physical armor conditioning to help alleviate and reduce injuries when applying karate to self-defense it is not a means of creating a body hard enough to easily break bones. After all, when the right conditions occur it doesn't really take all that much to break bones - some bones anyway.

Look at karada-kitae as confidence builder along with mind training to expose your mind to pain and sometimes injuries so that your mind will continue regardless.