PILATES FOR KARATE

HOW PILATES IMPROVES KARATE TECHNIQUE

GYAKU ZUKI PUNCH IN ZENKUTSU DACHI STANCE

ARISTON SUTANDIO

APRIL 2014

BASI CTTC in SVARGA INDONESIA

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ABSTRACT

Karate is a martial art that use all extremities range of motion and all spinal articulation in

it’s movement.

Speed is a must in Karate techniques but speed without stability is nothing.

Stances in Karate needs many muscle co-contracting together to get stability, same things

in punching, kicking, blocking and body moving.

Punching needs shoulder stability, kicking needs pelvic stability and all movement needs

spinal articulation and core strength to get better technique.

Because of so many muscles and joint work at the same time, Karate-Ka (person who

train Karate) needs body awareness to prevent injuries in doing Karate technique, in a

Karate competition and Karate as a martial art.

Pilates is a complete body, mind and spirit exercise to acquire complete control of our

body and develops body uniformly, correct wrong postures, restores physical vitality,

invigorates the mind and elevates the spirit. ( “Return to Life through Contrology”, Pilates

H. Joseph, 1945 )

Principles of BASI PILATES are Awareness, Balance, Breath, Concentration, Center,

Control, Efficiency, Flow, Precision and Harmony is a unique method and different from

many other forms of conditioning that guides BASI Pilates practicians to acquire all

Pilates benefits.

BASI Pilates principles could be same principles in Karate Techniques and very useful to

Karate-Ka to mastered his techniques.

Pilates will improve posture, joints ROM, core strength, spinal flexibility, body stability and

mobility and prepare the body to do any kind functional activities, prevent injuries, anything

body conditioning like one of them is Karate.

Karate-Ka needs Pilates to mastered Karate Techniques.

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TABLES OF CONTENT

ABSTRACT ... 2

Chapter 1. WHAT IS GYAKU ZUKI AND ZENKUTSU DACHI ... 4

Chapter 2. MOVEMENT ANALYSIS GYAKU ZUKI AND ZENKUTSU DACHI ... 5

Chapter 3. IMPROVING GYAKU ZUKI TECHNIQUE ... 7

Chapter 4. CASE STUDY ... 10

Chapter 5. PROGRAM DESIGN ... 11

Chapter 6. CONCLUSION ... 13

BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 14

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CHAPTER 1. WHAT IS GYAKU ZUKI AND ZENKUTSU DACHI

Gyaku Zuki is Reverse Punch.

Zenkutsu Dachi is Long Forward Stance.

Gyaku Zuki technique in basic Karate (KIHON) is straight punch to solar plexus and head

where arm and leg in reverse position (cross pattern). One arm (right) straight punch, left

arm on waist, pelvis facing to target, left leg in front dan right leg in rear.

Zenkutsu Dachi technique in basic Karate (KIHON) is stance which 60% weight in front

leg, 40% weight in rear leg, shoulder wide, twice shoulder length and hip facing 45 degree

to front.

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Chapter 2. MOVEMENT ANALYSIS GYAKU ZUKI AND ZENKUTSU DACHI

Gyaku Zuki punch in Karate Techniques always in Zenkutsu Dachi Stance and could be do

in stance position (stable) like in KIHON ( Basic Techniques ), KATA ( form of

choreographed pattern of movement ) and in dynamic movement like in KUMITE (fighting).

BASIC TECHNIQUE GYAKU ZUKI :

Pelvis is place to generate and transverse power, to assist mobility, as a bridge vertically

between legs and upper body in cross pattern movement.

Essentially power generate from floor to push pelvis forward. Pelvis rotates spine, spine

rotate scapula and shoulder then arm straight forward in sequence movement as

described below :

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• From stance position with pelvis facing 45 degree forward.

• Movement start from rear leg with firing quadriceps and gluts to pivot ball of foot,

pushing heel to the floor forcefully and explosively to extending knee join.

• There is transverse weight from rear leg to front leg and front leg should be very stable

and pushing pelvis forward.

• At the same time adductor, lower abdominals, oblique and intercostal muscles to pull

pelvis forward and bring rear leg and front leg narrow and keep legs and pelvis

completely still.

• The momentum bring pelvis facing perpendicular to the target, rotates the spine and

shoulder to release the punching arm to the target and the others arm to waist.

• Keeping upper back and shoulder relax, straightening punching arm once index and

middle knuckles perpendicular to the target, tightening the other arm elbow to the body.

• Just before impact, begin to turn the wrist ( keeping elbow facing to the floor as much as

possible), rotates wrist from the center of two knuckles to ensure direct path to the target.

• On impact, completely rotate wrist (wrist and forearm remain straight) and extend the

elbow.

• Ensure good posture throughout to ensure power transverse from rear leg, to the pelvis

and to front arm.

• Use the breath to focus the power, maintain lower center of gravity then tense to the

impact.

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picture from GKR KARATE BLUDENSELLS DOJO, Liverpool. (note: akan di ganti dgn foto

sendiri)

Chapter 3. IMPROVING GYAKU ZUKI TECHNIQUE

Practice Karate in DOJO (place Karate-Ka practising Karate) Gyaku Zuki do hundred

even thousand repeatation in long times to be perfect. Strengthening muscles like push up,

sit up, back extension, run are exercise complimentary to support techniques need.

The others way to make gyaku zuki more speed and powerful is use of rubber band as an

assistant to gain muscles flexibility and strength.

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Pilates as body, mind and spirit exercises is a powerful body conditioning to improves

muscles strength, flexibility, power, speed, good posture, core strength as Karate-Ka

needed to improves Karate Techniques and body awareness.

GYAKU ZUKI MUSCLES

Gyaku Zuki is punching. Punching needs muscles strength, flexibility and endurance to

built speed, power and endurance punch.

Latissimus Dorsi and Serratus Anterior is the main punching muscles needs to make good

punch because Serratus Anterior stable the shoulder and Latissimus Dorsi to

strengthening punch.

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ZENKUTSU DACHI MUSCLES

Stance is essential manner for martial art like Karate and need many muscles to stabilize

to bring punch more powerful because the power start from firing rear leg as an initiator of

the power, amplified with the pelvis to transverse the power through to knuckles.

Zenkutsu Dachi same position as lunge in Warrior II in Yoga Pose.

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Karate is a dynamic body movements. Strengthening only few muscles gain no stability

and mobility in it’s dynamic movements yet need balance muscles and good posture.

Agonist and antagonist muscles work in the same manner, cossentric and essentric

muscles work together to build speed, flexibility and strength. Co-contracting build stability

to support speed.

Pilates is the ultimate body conditioning to Karate-Ka to win in Karate competition, to

mastered Karate technique as martial art and to build MIND OVER THE BODY because A

SANE MIND IN A SOUND BODY.

Chapter 4. CASE STUDY

KURO, 20 years old male, is an individual KATA athlete. He was a gold medalist in Junior

High School Olympic when he was 13 years old. Now he is a student of Sport Science in

one of the Best University in Bandung, Indonesia.

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He is an active young man, practice Karate twice a week for regular exercise and could be

5 days a week if were in training center for Karate competition. His ambition to be national

individual KATA athlete.

One of his weakness in Karate Technique is left side kick not as good as right one. Range

of motion (ROM) left hip when external rotation lower because of muscle tightness in Gluts

Med and Min. The body compensate hin forward rather than side hindging. Left adductor

weak and the result his left gyaku zuki slower and not as strong as his right arm. Right

Zenkutsu Dachi weak.

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Chapter 5. PROGRAM DESIGN

BLOCK 1 - 10 11 - 20 21 ONWARDS

WARM UP • pelvic curl • spine twist supine • chest lift • chest lift & rotation • side lift

• roll up • spine twist supine • double leg stretch • single leg stretch • criss cross

• roll up • spine twist supine • double leg stretch • single leg stretch • criss cross

FOOTWORK • footwork (R) • footwork (C) • footwork (MC)

ABDOMINAL WORK

• mini roll up (C) • mini roll up & oblique (C)

• hundred (R) • short box series (R)

• hamstring pull 3 (M) • full pike (MC) • torso press sit (MC)

HIP WORK • supine single leg series (C)

• frog avalon • opening avalon • scissors avalon • helicopter avalon • hip extension avalon

• lying side single leg series (C)

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BLOCK 1 - 10 11 - 20 21 ONWARDS

BRIDGING • leg pull back (M) • leg pul front (M) • shoulder bridge prep (M)

• push up (M) • shoulder bridge (M)

SPINE ARTICULATION

• bottom lift & extension (R) • monkey (C) • roll over avalon

• boomerang (M) • jackknife (R)

STRETCHES • standing lunge (R) • shoulder stretch side lying (LB)

• full lunge (R) • shoulder stretch prone (R)

• side split (R)

FULL BODY INTEGRATION (fundamental / intermediate)

• scooter (R) • reverse knee stretch (R) • up stretch 1,2,3 (R) • kneeling cat (C)

ARM WORK • arm supine series • standing series (mc) • shrugs (MC)

• arms standing series (C) • arms kneeling series (R)

• arms kneeling side series (R)

FULL BODY INTEGRATION (intermediate / advanced)

• tendon stretch (WC) • balance control front (R) • balance control back (R) • saw (C)

LEGWORK • gluteals kneeling series (box) • gluteals side lying series (box) • adductor squeeze (mc)

• backward step down (WC) • hip opener (WC) • skating single (R) • jumping series (R)

• squat (C) • Lunge group (WC)

LATERAL FLEXION / ROTATION

• side lift (SB) • spine twist supine (SB) • side over prep (SB)

• mermaid (R) • side lift w/ PTB (C) • side over the box (R) • side pike (WC)

• butterfly (C) • corkscrew advanced (SB)

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BLOCK 1 - 10 11 - 20 21 ONWARDS

BACK EXTENSION • breaststroke prep • swan prep (SB) • swan prep (mc)

• swan from floor (WC) • pulling strap 1,2 (R) • back extension single arm (WC)

• rocking • swan (SB)

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