Standardisation Wado Karate Course Part 3 – Ohyo-gumite, Kihon-gumite, Gyo.

OHYO-GUMITE

‘Applied sparring’. The prearranged, ‘semi-free sparring’, fighting sequences practised in Wado-ryu Karate. The principle of Ohyo-gumite is to enable the student to develop ‘individual timing’, as if free-fighting, as apposed to ‘coordinated timing’ found in Kihon-gumite.

For example, the Ohyo-gumite as practised by the British Wadokai Karate-do Federation:

(A = Attack, D = Defence – R = Right stance, L = Left stance)

Prior to the attack/defence the tactic of nijiri-ashi (crawling-foot) is performed by both the attacker and defender. The attacker ‘creeps’ forward to take advantage, and the defender ‘creeps’ back to retain the Ma-ai.

Ohyo-gumite:

Ipponme; A – L: Step forward with head then chest punch, left foot sweep, right reverse punch to the body. D – L: Step back into right short cat stance with right inner sword hand block.

Nihonme; A – R: Right leg slides forward with left reverse punch to the head, one step foot sweep, left reverse punch to the body. D – L: Draw back into long cat stance with left inner sword hand block.

Sanbonme; A – L: Step forward with head then chest punch, slide forward to twist into right horse riding stance (avoiding oncoming punch from opponent), with right arm across D’s chest and right shoulder, take down over right knee, back fist to head. D – R: Step back into left fighting stance with hidari-jodan-uchi-te-nagashi-uke, slide forward left leaning lunge punch to the head.

Yonhonme; A – R: Step forward with right back-fist strike to the head (temple), left hand grabs D’s right sleeve (between elbow and shoulder), right reverse punch to the body, right hand grabs D’s left shoulder (A’s arm behind D’s neck), pull onto right knee strike, right downward elbow strike to base of skull/neck. D – R: Draw back into right side viewing back stance blocking with right forearm to cover side of head (temple).

Gohonme; A – L: Step forward left reverse punch, one step front kick to the body. D – L: Step back with right inner block to the body, step back with left inner open-hand deflecting block, right ridge-hand strike to the ‘floating-ribs’, right back-fist strike to the head, left hand grabs A’s right shoulder, drop down onto right knee pulling A to the ground while right hand strikes rear of A’s right knee, sword hand strike to the side of head.

Ropponme; A – L: One step front kick to the body, left leg slides forward with right reverse punch to the head, one step foot sweep, bring left leg back for distancing, right roundhouse kick to the body/head. D – L: Step back into right fighting stance, draw back into long cat stance while blocking in with right sword hand block.

Nanahonme; A – L: Slide forward left snap punch, slide forward left snap punch, slide back with left open-hand deflecting block, right reverse punch to the body, right hand grabs D’s right shoulder, place right foot sole (toes out) behind D’s right knee, pull D’s shoulder to the right taking him to the ground, reverse punch to the head. D – L: Slide back with right inner open-hand deflecting block, slide back with right inner open-hand deflecting block, right front kick to the body.

Napponme; A – R: One step foot sweep, foot sweep, back kick to the body and step inside D’s left leg with right leg and use Kuzushi tactic and right outer block, while performing left reverse punch to the body. D – L: Step back into right fighting stance, step back into left fighting stance.

Ohyo Gumite – Demonstration Video

KIHON-GUMITE

‘Fundamental sparring’. The prearranged fighting sequences within Japanese and Okinawan Karate that reflect the fundamental concepts of the individual style.

(A = Attack, D = Defence – R = Right stance, L = Left stance).

Prior to the attack/defence, the tactic of nijiri-ashi (crawling-foot) is performed by both the attacker and defender. The attacker ‘creeps’ forward to take advantage, and the defender ‘creeps’ back to retain the ma-ai.

Kihon-gumite: 

Ipponme; A – R: Tobikomizuki-jodan, gyakuzuki-chudan. D – R: Nagashi-soto-uke-jodan in migi-tate-seishan-dachi, left foot slides forward and outward and twisting into migi-tate-seishan-dachi while turning the body to avoid punch, right nagashi-gedan-barai (noru) with left nakadaka-ippon-ken-chudan.

Nihonme; A – R: Tobikomizuki-jodan, surikomi-sokuto-chudan. D – R: Nagashi-soto-uke-jodan in migi-tate-seishan-dachi, hidari-gyaku-neko-ashi-dachi with right gedan-barai, right foot slides in behind A’s right leg, twist body clockwise into gyakuzuki-tsukkomi-dachi while striking with right soto-haito-uchi (upper right ribs, between spine and shoulder blade) and left shuto-uchi (right kidney/lower rib area) chudan.

Sanbonme; A – R: Tobikomizuki-jodan, right foot draws back for ma-ai to deliver left maegeri-chudan. D – R: Nagashi-soto-uke-jodan in migi-tate-seishan-dachi, slide forward into right tate-seishan-dachi with right tate-chudan-tsuki/nakadaka-ippon-ken (solar-plexus), while using left fist to ‘protect’ the body from A’s kicking leg.

Yonhonme; A – L: Tobikomizuki-jodan, gyakuzuki-jodan. D – R: Nagashi-soto-uke-jodan in migi-tate-seishan-dachi, draw back into mashomen-no-neko-ashi-dachi while blocking with left te-nagashi-uke-jodan, slide towards the opponent into migi-tate-seishan-dachi with left palm osae-uke on A’s right punching arm, while striking nakadaka-ippon-ken-chudan to the middle/upper ribs under A’s arm.

Gohonme; A – L: Tobikomizuki-jodan, gyakuzuki-chudan. D – R: Nagashi-soto-uke-jodan in migi-tate-seishan-dachi, draw back into (moving stance) mashomen-no-neko-ashi-dachi while blocking with otoshi-uraken-uke, left hand grabs A’s right fist while sliding into migi-tate-seishan-dachi striking right hitosashi-ippon-ken-chin-chu (under the nose), slide into shiko-ashi-dachi while delivering right chudan-empi-uchi (sternum), right hand assists left with fist grab applying grab/lock, using circular motion, with elbow support, on takedown technique while moving into right mashomen-no-neko-ashi-dachi, right kosa-dachi, right mashomen-no-neko-ashi-dachi, as A falls ensure right foot is placed under A’s right shoulder-blade, apply arm-locking technique (while A is on the ground control must be kept with both hands), place right knee above A’s elbow joint, release your right hand to reinforce control on the forearm (thumb turned in), take arm to the ground pressing both knee and hand against A’s arm while moving and resting into left kata-hiza-dachi, right shuto-uchi-jodan (to the side of the head/temple), place hand back on A’s arm with thumb pointing outwards this time, release knee pressure while still controlling A with the hands, left kata-hiza-dachi, release.

Ropponme; A – L: Tobikomizuki-jodan, surikomi-sokuto-chudan, gyakuzuki-jodan. D – R: Nagashi-soto-uke-jodan in migi-tate-seishan-dachi, twist to the left with hidari-gyaku-neko-ashi-dachi and using right gedan-barai, twist back 180° to the right in migi-tate-seishan-dachi while using right haishu-uke-jodan and left nakadaka-ippon-ken-chudan.

Nanahonme; A – L: Tobikomizuki-jodan, left foot draws back for ma-ai to deliver right maegeri-chudan. D – R: Nagashi-soto-uke-jodan in migi-tate-seishan-dachi, slide into migi-nagashi-tsuki-dachi while delivering right tate-shuto-uchi to the neck, under A’s jaw.

Napponme; A – R: Tobikomizuki-chudan, gyakuzuki-jodan. D – R: Chudan-uchi-uke in migi-tate-seishan-dachi, while twisting the body further back (while still retaining migi-tate-seishan-dachi) block age-empi-uke, slide forward into tate-seishan-dachi while striking right hitosashi-ippon-ken to A’s Yako, top inside-leg/groin area (left hand presses A’s right wrist to chest area), slide in reinforcing right yoko-empi-uchi in shiko-ashi-dachi, twist body to face A, press A’s wrist and forearm with both hands (left tate-shuto position on arm while right haishu ‘rests and presses’ against the back of A’s wrist) while right knee presses against the inside of A’s leading leg to create kuzushi effect, release when A becomes unbalanced and falls away.

Kyuhonme; A – R: Tobikomizuki-chudan, gyakuzuki-chudan. D – R: Chudan-uchi-uke in migi-tate-seishan-dachi, left foot slides forward and outward into migi-tate-seishan-dachi while delivering left nakadaka-ippon-ken to A’s throat/neck whilst deflecting with right haishu-uke.

Jupponme; A – R: Tobikomizuki-jodan, gyakuzuki-jodan. D – R: Uchi-shuto-uke-jodan in migi-tate-seishan-dachi, right soto-haishu-uke while striking the vulnerable point just above the left chest (and below the collar bone) with migi-tate-empi-uchi in migi-tate-seishan-dachi – the left hand presses with osae-uke to A’s right wrist at the same time, draw left arm back while grabbing A’s sleeve, at the shoulder/arm area, with right hand – between shoulder and elbow, strike left haito-uchi to A’s groin in gyakuzuki-dachi, step under your own right arm with left leg moving into gyaku-neko-ashi-dachi while grabbing A’s left leg, throw A over right shoulder while using a lifting manoeuvre with the left hip – dropping down and releasing grasp on A’s leg as his weight shifts forwards, pull down with right hand to create throw whilst drawing back and down into left kata-hiza-dachi.

Excerpts taken from the ‘Wado Comprehensive’ and an ‘A to Z of Martial-arts’, written by GE Swift (8th Dan) Kyoshi.

Kihon Gumite – Demonstration Video

The objectives with the British Wadokai Standardisation Course is to ensure that all members within British Wadokai are practising and teaching the correct form of Wado as laid down by Ohtsuka Hironori Meijin and Suzuki Tatsuo Hanshi.

The techniques of British Wadokai Kata, Sanbon-gumite, Ohyo-gumite, and Kihon-gumite were introduced into the UK in 1964 and have been some of the important primary foundations of British Wadokai Karate-do. There should be no deviation from these principles and techniques with the British Wadokai Karate-do Federation. It is not Wado if these primary training elements are not practised correctly.