Karate in Time(frames)
Timeframe: “a period of time, especially a specified period in which something occurs or is planned to take place.”
Sensei Power said something interesting in class last week that was a mosquito bite (you know how a mosquito bite gets your attention): “One of my Sensei [Sensei Smaby] used to say: any hesitation, backward movement or motion, is a negative timeframe.”
He went on to say that a technique - about to be delivered - should go off, not after the Bang when a gun fires, but on the first consonant of sound in a Bang when the gun fires.
“Any negative timeframe is Kyo (dead time). At this level we are working at eliminating dead time – cutting the fat off our techniques.”
Your mental intention is forward, there is no hesitation, no backward movement with the body or limbs, no indecision. Your body is already prepped and 100% ready to fire.
As seen here, pulling your Hikite back, letting your knee roll in, moving your front foot, or a slight head gesture or visible inhale, are negative timeframes – fat on the technique.
Kinda like letting your standard transmission vehicle roll back a few inches before accelerating – you may see this on the street, but you won’t on the speedway.
This is elevated training. This is the stuff we need to examine in order to understand the Dan ranks and the progression of things.
Negative timeframes don't belong in karate or in the philosophy of it: Don't back up or hesitate on training; don't fall back on the study of karate; don't pause on your pursuit of Karate as emotional and mental therapy.
Bang!
