Where is the Kihon in your Kihon?

The Kihon of martial arts is not technique and there is a distinct difference between Kihon and Kihon waza.  If you do not have solid Kihon then the Kihon waza will result in nothing.

The Kihon of Martial Arts is: Distance, Angles and Timing (DAT) and proper waza cannot be executed without control of the space with these 3 elements.  These 3 elements must be thought of as essential and primary and therefore must be correct and just before you attempt to execute waza or technique.  Too many rush to the waza and therefore ignore the Kihon, resulting in bad habits and ineffectiveness. 

The difference lies in the mindset of the training. DAT must be honed by drill training and not technique based training.  Soke often says that he has no technique, but he always has the primary control of the space based on the DAT.  This comes from consistent training of Kihon and not from the training of technique.  If you have the control of DAT then you always strive to be in a position of safety where opponent is ill positioned.  The choice to execute technique becomes optional and is purely dictated by the opponents continued need to fight.

It is also important to draw the difference between a technique and a drill.  An easy example is that of training in Judo. If you have ever trained in Judo you know that there are drills that are practiced to catch the DAT of a throw.  The throw is only initiated after several reputations and is only executed after the Judoka has experienced the proper DAT of the throw.  These are drills are not considered nage waza.

In our training if we are not fully present and questioning the reality of the attacks, our response, and the effectiveness of our Kihon, then we are cheating ourselves.

Bufu Ikkan