The whipping action of the legs.

Now, in the same way you thought of your hands earlier, you must think of your legs. Visualize your legs moving in equal softness you visualized earlier for your arms. Like the arm, the leg can also be used like a whip. If we look at photograph 26, this is not simply the leg in a circular motion , but the joints being used like the Chinese 7 jointed whip. Thinking and using the body like this, a kick can be used in many ways. For example photographs 27〜29 shows a simultaneous block and attack to the knee. There is no pull back of the leg, just one smooth motion.　Also, in the same way your arm is able to twine around your opponent's attack, your legs too can similarly do this action while striking your opponent.

Asai Sensei is also capable of kicking from close distances. This is achieved by suppleness of joints and soft techniques. With normal Karate you think about the kick only, while maintaining stiffness in your joints.
In addition, Photographs 30〜31 demonstrate "Idori", seated method striking, This can only be done if your joints are supple and moving in the method of the 7 jointed whip.
After you practice this method, your shoulder movement becomes soft, therefore you must use your soft shoulder for your Karate Techniques.

Photographs 32〜33 show Gedan Uke. However, the photographs do not show the softness and fluidity of the technique. In this situation, one must not think that this technique is simply a block. One must adapt to the opponent's movement, therefore a block can become a strike at the same time (photographs 34〜35). Your mind must make quick decisions about which techniques to use against your opponent.

Asai Sensei says: "Please use caution while practicing this technque, do it one step at a time until you master it. You must give your body time to practice this method and learn the technique. As you notice, the technique is broken down into multiple parts. You must practice this technique part by part. Practice the parts in the proper order of the technique. And then, once your body can naturally perform each part of the technique, you can put them all together to perform this technique with your maxim speed capacity. If you try to perform it with the maximum speed from the very start, you could cause injury to your body, for you have not allowed your body to learn the proper angles of the motions required for each of the steps that make up this technique."


The ideas that have been introduced thus far are for beginners. Asai Sensei practices a much more rigorous, advanced, and difficult training. If beginers, including all Karateka from all ranks attempting at this method for the first time, can grasp 30% of the ideas expressed here, then the author believes that it is quite an accomplishment.