Kumite Tactics by Seiji Nishimura & Mark Kupsz
I have to be honest and admit that I hi-jacked this article. Whilst I agree with all of Sensei Nishimura’s advice on tactics I felt a need to add my thoughts and experience as a competitor, coach and referee.
Mental Attitude
When fighting in kumite, you must have confidence at all times. Confidence develops from constant practice. Overcome your flaws, sharpening your techniques in which after years of practice you will achieve a state where you can perform your best at all times. Your confidence will also come from having self-control and most important, a strong desire to win. Especially in an international tournament, prepare yourself for the rules, a large audience, and for the referees so you can relax and face your opponent. This requires a strong mind that does not necessarily come with experience. It requires an ability to judge your opponent without mistake and by having faith in yourself. Practicing like the others will not accomplish anything. You have to develop your own technique that fits you, eventually to create your own style of Karate.
Tactic #1: When your opponent is attacking and coming within range is your chance!
It is unavoidable not to have your protection weaken when attacking. Therefore, take advantage of that and counter at the moment. Always stay one step ahead of your opponent. Know your distance and timing.
Note: Never wait for your opponent to attack. You must move forward, forcing your opponent to attack or you'll never have the opportunity to counter. Don't block to retreat and then counter; block to counter immediately or your timing won't be right!
Tactic #2: Attack with high speed, aggressively and persistently!
Single techniques are easily "read" by your opponent. Therefore, use feints and sweeps and attack without pause until the referee stops you. Attacking from the side is effective especially against a larger opponent.
Note: It is very important to maintain your opponent within your range. Intimidate him with speed and spirit, using your aggressive attack to weaken his guard so you can attack him from within.
Tactic #3: Use your footwork to prevent your opponent's specialty!
Moving into your technique from a stationary position predicts your movement for your opponent. If you're moving, you can move smoothly into your technique without losing any valuable time. For these reasons, it is very important to develop footwork that's fit for you. Next, know your opponent's best technique so you can prevent his using it. You can do this either by having a strong guard around the region of attack (if his specialty is upper kick, constantly protect your upper body); or lure him into using that technique, and counter when he attacks. By making your opponent's favorite technique useless, you will have destroyed his fighting potential. When you can manipulate your opponent, by moving one step ahead of him, you will always win.
Note: Footwork requires strong leg muscles and stability. When attacking persistently, it is most effective to use a combination of jodan and chudan.
Tactic #4: Make your body memorize the basic attacking pattern!
Create a basic attacking pattern that is most effective for you. Keep practicing that pattern so it will occur spontaneously. Note: For use during tournaments, you need not know so many patterns. If you can add a few techniques to your pattern as the situation demands, you will need to know 5 to 10 patterns to be a champion.
Tactic #5: Never pass up opportunities to take advantage of your opponent's error!
It is very important to score whenever your opponent makes an error. If your opponent blunders his sweep and you don't make a move, you are only thinking about how to block or retreat. You have to have more confidence and concentration. Even a well-trained opponent makes one or two mistakes in a match so you have to take advantage of that. As a matter of fact, one who can create a situation in which his opponent blunders, will be the champion.
Note: It is common to see participants who start aggressively and soon tire during the last half of the match. It is absolutely necessary to have enough stamina to be able to move with full power during all three minutes of your match.
Tactic#6: Create targets of opportunity rather than waiting for them to be offered
As part of your combination attacks ensure that you penetrate deeply enough to draw your opponents arms away from defending. For example make the intent to attack to the head so fierce that your opponent is forced to defend and then immediately attack strongly to the body. Do likewise to the body and then attack the head. Ensure you mix jodan and chudan offences to keep your opponent unsure of the intended attack area. In this way you ‘open up’ targets and provide an opportunity to score.
Tactic#7: Break your opponents’ balance and attack as he struggles to regain it
Techniques such as foot sweeps, pushes and pulls can off-balance your opponent momentarily. Whilst his concentration is fixed on regaining balance and posture you have a split second to launch your attack. The mind works by addressing the immediate situation. It is very difficult to defend and attack in the same instance. Be confident that if you attack at the right instance whilst your opponent is defending he will be unable to simultaneously launch his own attack.
Tactic#8: Be equally effective on both sides of your body
Many fighters naturally favour one side of the body or the other for example boxes are classified as ‘orthodox’ or ‘southpaw’. If you can become equally adept on either side of your body you have the ability to switch sides at any point during a match. Fighters will feel more comfortable when their opponent is standing in reverse mirror image to them. i.e. if they are orthodox they will prefer their opponent to stand orthodox also. By being equally effective on either side you can choose which form to take and thereby gain an advantage before you even commence the match.
Tactic#9: Do not fight to your opponents’ strength
Fighters often get into habits depending on training regime and past success. If your opponent is a natural kicker break their distance by using footwork and techniques that bring you close. Likewise if your opponent prefers to punch keep more distance and attack with your legs. If your opponent is a strong counter puncher force them into attacking you instead. If your opponent is a chaser turn the tables and instead chase them. Such tactics make your opponent uncomfortable and unsettled. It is important to watch all matches in your group so that you know your opponents tactics and how best to offset them. Also be aware that they are watching you. Try to avoid being predictable in your attacks.
Tactic#10: Develop your timing to a high degree
Many fighters will mirror each others stance i.e. as you change stance so will they. Change back and they will do also. If this is the case you can use this to your advantage. Whilst in transition from one stance to another it will not be possible for him to also launch an attack. If your timing is very precise you will have an instant to attack whilst he is in transition.
Tactic#11: Hide your distance
Fool your opponent into misreading the distance between you. Distance is gauged by how far the front feet are from each other. Move the front foot back and forth rather than side to side to keep changing the distance between you and your opponent. This will make it harder for him to decide when to launch his attack. During this time when the attention of your opponent is fixed on the front foot position try to creep your rear leg up closer to your front leg. Although the front leg is used to gauge the relative distance between two fighters it is the rear leg that dictates how far forward you can spring into an attack. By bending the rear leg strongly and slowly advancing the back foot you can reach a point where a sudden explosive push into a lunge attack can no longer be avoided as you can move forward faster and penetrate deeper than your opponent can react to in the reverse direction. As long as you are then on target and can avoid the block the point should be yours.
Tactic#12: Be aware of your position in the match
Fighting is about tactics as well as skill and technique. How you fight (offensively or defensively) can depend on your position in the match and the amount of time remaining. It is probably better to initiate a strong defence if you are ahead in the match with only a short time remaining. Conversely if you are behind you may have to take the fight to your opponent.
Tactic#13: Watch other fighters
Most tournaments are based around a knockout ladder. This means that you will most likely be drawn in the next round against either the winner of the fight preceding yours or the winner of the fight following yours. You should watch all fighters and winners to be familiar with their style and tactics but especially so those fighters that you are likely to meet in the next round.
Tactic#14: Use the rules to your advantage
Warnings and penalties for infringements such as ‘jogai’ (going out of the area) should be given by all good referees. With strong offence you can repeatedly force your opponent out of the area. After two warnings, further infringement of this rule means that penalty points will be awarded to you.
If a fighter is injured (maybe from a previous fight or even a self-injury) target this weakness. Repeated hits will hurt far more than on un-weakened targets. You might well break the fighter’s spirit and will to continue.
Appeals against a weak decision can be made after a match by going through the appropriate channels such as the arbitrator or chief referee. (this sometimes works)
Tactic#15: Don’t give it away
During a fight many rapid exchanges of fists, feet and blocks occur. It is the referee’s job to ensure that he/she calls the scoring blow correctly. Referees are taught that if there is any doubt NOT to call in favour of one opponent or the other. Being highly involved in a match will have a totally different perspective to what happens in such exchanges. You might well feel that blows have landed in both directions and NOT been scored. This is irrelevant at this moment as it is only what the referee sees and scores that matters. Even if you have been caught by a scoring blow NEVER stop fighting until the referee calls YAME!.
Acknowledging a blow or losing focus in a fight should be avoided. Often a referee will half see a technique go in. By showing any sign that you also thought it was in can make the decision to call in favour of your opponent more likely. Likewise a tut, wince, hand in the air are all that a good opponent needs to realize you have dropped your mental guard. I for one would be piling in like a steam train at this instance.
Tactic#16: Don’t celebrate the technique or the point
Good fighters do not also referee themselves during a fight. Your job is to out-maneuver, out-speed and out-class your opponent. The referees’ job is to decide who scores. If you land a good punch or kick and it is not scored do not stop fighting or try signaling to the referee that he missed it. Like wise do not start pumping your fists in the air in celebration of a scoring technique. Don’t turn your back or drop your guard because you are certain that you got one in and the referee MUST have seen it and will score it any second. I have seen too many people lose matches because the referee doesn’t call your shot and whilst you are having your victory salute the other chap uses your lack of concentration to launch his own attack and lands one that the referee DOES SCORE. Despite this warning too many fighters do this. Personally I think it looks unprofessional and unsporting. Focus on the fight rather than your performance in it.
Tactic#17: Know the rules
Stupid as it might seem many fights are lost because of lack of familiarity with the rules. Many associations have their own specific rules. For example gum shields may be optional at one tournament and compulsory at another. In some tournaments you might be allowed open-handed techniques and in others not. As a competitor you must be aware of any actions that are likely to lose you points or get you disqualified.
Tactic#18: Use control
Unless you are competing in a Kyushinkai or other full-contact tournament, full-force blows (especially to the head) will not be tolerated. Learn to control your technique so that if you do make contact it is not excessive. Broken noses and cut eyebrows tend to get you disqualified as do low kicks or sweeps to the knees. I recently watched a very talented female fighter smacking a competitor in the face with a gorgeous gyaku-zuki. She received a severe warning and points awarded to the opponent but she survived this fight finishing ahead. In the very next round (with the same referee) she did exactly the same thing and broke her opponents nose. Result? Instant disqualification and no selection for the UK squad. As her coach I would have been furious, as had she picked either another target i.e. chin or chest or used more control the technique would have scored.
