PILATES FOR KARATE

HOW PILATES IMPROVES KARATE TECHNIQUE

GYAKU ZUKI PUNCH IN ZENKUTSU DACHI STANCE

ARISTON SUTANDIO
APRIL 2014
BASI CTTC in SVARGA INDONESIA

ABSTRACT

Karate is a martial art that use all extremities range of motion and all spinal articulation in
it s movement.
Speed is a must in Karate techniques but speed without stability is nothing.
Stances in Karate needs many muscle co-contracting together to get stability, same things
in punching, kicking, blocking and body moving.
Punching needs shoulder stability, kicking needs pelvic stability and all movement needs
spinal articulation and core strength to get better technique.
Because of so many muscles and joint work at the same time, Karate-Ka (person who
train Karate) needs body awareness to prevent injuries in doing Karate technique, in a
Karate competition and Karate as a martial art.

Pilates is a complete body, mind and spirit exercise to acquire complete control of our
body and develops body uniformly, correct wrong postures, restores physical vitality,
invigorates the mind and elevates the spirit. ( Return to Life through Contrology , Pilates
H. Joseph, 1945 )
Principles of BASI PILATES are Awareness, Balance, Breath, Concentration, Center,
Control, Efficiency, Flow, Precision and Harmony is a unique method and different from
many other forms of conditioning that guides BASI Pilates practicians to acquire all
Pilates benefits.

BASI Pilates principles could be same principles in Karate Techniques and very useful to
Karate-Ka to mastered his techniques.
Pilates will improve posture, joints ROM, core strength, spinal flexibility, body stability and
mobility and prepare the body to do any kind functional activities, prevent injuries, anything
body conditioning like one of them is Karate.

Karate-Ka needs Pilates to mastered Karate Techniques.

TABLES OF CONTENT

ABSTRACT ... 2

Chapter 1. WHAT IS GYAKU ZUKI AND ZENKUTSU DACHI ... 4

Chapter 2. MOVEMENT ANALYSIS GYAKU ZUKI AND ZENKUTSU DACHI ... 5

Chapter 3. IMPROVING GYAKU ZUKI TECHNIQUE ... 7

Chapter 4. CASE STUDY ... 10

Chapter 5. PROGRAM DESIGN ... 11

Chapter 6. CONCLUSION ... 13

BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 14

CHAPTER 1. WHAT IS GYAKU ZUKI AND ZENKUTSU DACHI

Gyaku Zuki is Reverse Punch.

Zenkutsu Dachi is Long Forward Stance.

Gyaku Zuki technique in basic Karate (KIHON) is straight punch to solar plexus and head
where arm and leg in reverse position (cross pattern). One arm (right) straight punch, left
arm on waist, pelvis facing to target, left leg in front dan right leg in rear.

Zenkutsu Dachi technique in basic Karate (KIHON) is stance which 60% weight in front
leg, 40% weight in rear leg, shoulder wide, twice shoulder length and hip facing 45 degree
to front.

Chapter 2. MOVEMENT ANALYSIS GYAKU ZUKI AND ZENKUTSU DACHI

Gyaku Zuki punch in Karate Techniques always in Zenkutsu Dachi Stance and could be do
in stance position (stable) like in KIHON ( Basic Techniques ), KATA ( form of
choreographed pattern of movement ) and in dynamic movement like in KUMITE (fighting).

BASIC TECHNIQUE GYAKU ZUKI :

Pelvis is place to generate and transverse power, to assist mobility, as a bridge vertically
between legs and upper body in cross pattern movement.
Essentially power generate from floor to push pelvis forward. Pelvis rotates spine, spine
rotate scapula and shoulder then arm straight forward in sequence movement as
described below :

 From stance position with pelvis facing 45 degree forward.

Movement start from rear leg with firing quadriceps and gluts to pivot ball of foot,
pushing heel to the floor forcefully and explosively to extending knee join.
There is transverse weight from rear leg to front leg and front leg should be very stable
and pushing pelvis forward.
At the same time adductor, lower abdominals, oblique and intercostal muscles to pull
pelvis forward and bring rear leg and front leg narrow and keep legs and pelvis
completely still.
The momentum bring pelvis facing perpendicular to the target, rotates the spine and
shoulder to release the punching arm to the target and the others arm to waist.
Keeping upper back and shoulder relax, straightening punching arm once index and
middle knuckles perpendicular to the target, tightening the other arm elbow to the body.
Just before impact, begin to turn the wrist ( keeping elbow facing to the floor as much as
possible), rotates wrist from the center of two knuckles to ensure direct path to the target.
On impact, completely rotate wrist (wrist and forearm remain straight) and extend the
elbow.
Ensure good posture throughout to ensure power transverse from rear leg, to the pelvis
and to front arm.
Use the breath to focus the power, maintain lower center of gravity then tense to the
impact.

picture from GKR KARATE BLUDENSELLS DOJO, Liverpool. (note: akan di ganti dgn foto
sendiri)

Chapter 3. IMPROVING GYAKU ZUKI TECHNIQUE

Practice Karate in DOJO (place Karate-Ka practising Karate) Gyaku Zuki do hundred
even thousand repeatation in long times to be perfect. Strengthening muscles like push up,
sit up, back extension, run are exercise complimentary to support techniques need.

The others way to make gyaku zuki more speed and powerful is use of rubber band as an
assistant to gain muscles flexibility and strength.

Pilates as body, mind and spirit exercises is a powerful body conditioning to improves
muscles strength, flexibility, power, speed, good posture, core strength as Karate-Ka
needed to improves Karate Techniques and body awareness.

GYAKU ZUKI MUSCLES

Gyaku Zuki is punching. Punching needs muscles strength, flexibility and endurance to
built speed, power and endurance punch.
Latissimus Dorsi and Serratus Anterior is the main punching muscles needs to make good
punch because Serratus Anterior stable the shoulder and Latissimus Dorsi to
strengthening punch.

ZENKUTSU DACHI MUSCLES

Stance is essential manner for martial art like Karate and need many muscles to stabilize
to bring punch more powerful because the power start from firing rear leg as an initiator of
the power, amplified with the pelvis to transverse the power through to knuckles.
Zenkutsu Dachi same position as lunge in Warrior II in Yoga Pose.

Karate is a dynamic body movements. Strengthening only few muscles gain no stability
and mobility in it s dynamic movements yet need balance muscles and good posture.
Agonist and antagonist muscles work in the same manner, cossentric and essentric
muscles work together to build speed, flexibility and strength. Co-contracting build stability
to support speed.
Pilates is the ultimate body conditioning to Karate-Ka to win in Karate competition, to
mastered Karate technique as martial art and to build MIND OVER THE BODY because A
SANE MIND IN A SOUND BODY.

Chapter 4. CASE STUDY

KURO, 20 years old male, is an individual KATA athlete. He was a gold medalist in Junior
High School Olympic when he was 13 years old. Now he is a student of Sport Science in
one of the Best University in Bandung, Indonesia.
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He is an active young man, practice Karate twice a week for regular exercise and could be
5 days a week if were in training center for Karate competition. His ambition to be national
individual KATA athlete.
One of his weakness in Karate Technique is left side kick not as good as right one. Range
of motion (ROM) left hip when external rotation lower because of muscle tightness in Gluts
Med and Min. The body compensate hin forward rather than side hindging. Left adductor
weak and the result his left gyaku zuki slower and not as strong as his right arm. Right
Zenkutsu Dachi weak.

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Chapter 5. PROGRAM DESIGN

BLOCK

1 - 10

11 - 20

WARM UP

FOOTWORK

footwork (R)

footwork (C)

footwork (MC)

ABDOMINAL
WORK

mini roll up (C)

mini roll up &
oblique (C)

hundred (R)
short box series
(R)

hamstring pull 3
(M)
full pike (MC)
torso press sit
(MC)

HIP WORK

supine single leg

series (C)

frog avalon
opening avalon
scissors avalon
helicopter avalon
hip extension
avalon

lying side single

leg series (C)

pelvic curl
spine twist supine
chest lift
chest lift & rotation
side lift

21 ONWARDS

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roll up
spine twist supine
double leg stretch
single leg stretch
criss cross

roll up
spine twist supine
double leg stretch
single leg stretch
criss cross

BLOCK

1 - 10

11 - 20

21 ONWARDS

BRIDGING

leg pull back (M)

leg pul front (M)
shoulder bridge
prep (M)

push up (M)
shoulder bridge
(M)

SPINE
ARTICULATION

bottom lift &

extension (R)
monkey (C)
roll over avalon

boomerang (M)
jackknife (R)

side split (R)

STRETCHES

standing lunge (R)

shoulder stretch
side lying (LB)

full lunge (R)

shoulder stretch
prone (R)

FULL BODY
INTEGRATION
(fundamental /
intermediate)

scooter (R)

reverse knee
stretch (R)
up stretch 1,2,3
(R)
kneeling cat (C)

ARM WORK

arm supine series

standing series
(mc)
shrugs (MC)

arms standing
series (C)
arms kneeling
series (R)

arms kneeling side

series (R)

tendon stretch
(WC)
balance control
front (R)
balance control
back (R)
saw (C)

FULL BODY
INTEGRATION
(intermediate /
advanced)

LEGWORK

gluteals kneeling
series (box)
gluteals side lying
series (box)
adductor squeeze
(mc)

backward step
down (WC)
hip opener (WC)
skating single (R)
jumping series (R)

LATERAL FLEXION
/ ROTATION

side lift (SB)

spine twist supine
(SB)
side over prep
(SB)

mermaid (R)
butterfly (C)
side lift w/ PTB (C) corkscrew
advanced (SB)
side over the box
(R)
side pike (WC)

14

squat (C)
Lunge group (WC)

BLOCK
BACK EXTENSION

1 - 10
breaststroke prep
swan prep (SB)
swan prep (mc)

11 - 20
swan from floor
(WC)
pulling strap 1,2
(R)
back extension
single arm (WC)

15

21 ONWARDS
rocking
swan (SB)

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