(Approx 2 minute 50 second read)

Many of the comments and messages I receive about the continued use of step-kumite – which I’m against practicing – still leave me with the same questions.
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Why punch, block, punch, block – moving backwards and forwards in a prearranged manner, with no basis in reality?
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I’ve yet to find anyone who can give me a logical reason for using this practice. I’m told repeatedly that it is for timing and distance, and to prepare a new student to face an attack.
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Let’s consider this. The movements in karate were never designed to receive an attack from another martial artist – especially one who stands at a distance and steps in to reach the defender.
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Now, if you incorporate some of the budo practices, with weapons in hand, then yes – distance is a prerequisite. And this is what karate in Japan became.
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Removing the close-quarter defenses that were part of Okinawan karate was central to Funakoshi and others’ desire for a new form of karate, adapted for the Japanese. Additionally, Funakoshi didn’t want to upset his good friend Jigoro Kano by utilizing grabbing and throwing.
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Perhaps then, this is the reason why so many drills that seem senseless to the practically minded were accepted.
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So let’s use some common sense – doesn’t stepping backwards in front of an attack just put you at a disadvantage?
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Let’s break down the two main reasons I’m often given for the continued use of step-kumite: Helping beginners become accustomed to attacks, and understanding distance and timing.
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Firstly, the attack. A lunging oi-zuki or similar technique from several feet away is not something that happens in the real world. How do we know this? Statistics. HAPV theory is based on real evidence. Most real-world attacks happen much closer – at arm’s length or less – often within grappling range.
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So wouldn’t it make more sense to have an attacker face the defender at much closer distances? Close enough that you can almost smell their breath. Much more realistic, wouldn’t you say?
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Secondly, timing and distance. Well, I’ve already covered distance. As for timing – what timing? I’m not going to stand there in a perfectly aligned front stance, just waiting for you to attack me. So the timing is wrong too. For realism, the timing should reflect something closer to the chaos of actual encounters, where distance is closed quickly – often by surprise.
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If we assume that kata is the basis of our karate, how many kata teach us to step backwards? Not many. But how many kata teach us to move at angles or move forward? Many of them.
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So, if the reason for continuing to practice it, and the timing and distance are both incorrect for reality, that raises a fundamental question: why continue to practice these techniques?
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Tradition? Your style has always done it this way? Or are we mimicking other arts – Kendo, for example?
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There are many alternative training approaches that could replace this ineffective method, even for beginners.
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Scenario-based simulations or drills with varying degrees of resistance, for example, offer a much more practical and effective way to develop real skills.
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Stepping backwards and trying to block an attack has major limitations. It restricts your movement. It can cause you to lose balance – especially if your attacker is bigger and attacking at speed, you’re on uneven ground, there are obstacles, and so on.
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If the distance is great, then practice escape. This would certainly fit the self-defense model.
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By studying the movements in kata, we see clear examples that moving off-angle during an attack gives you a significant advantage.
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Isn’t it preferable to move to the side – off the attack line – rather than meeting a direct attack head-on? Moving to a position of advantage is much safer and far more tactically sound.
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If our goal is effective self-protection, we must stop rehearsing attacks that don’t exist outside the dojo. Kata already gives us the tools – we just need to look more closely, question what we’re doing, and be brave enough to change it.
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Written by Adam Carter