One Steps & Realism

[Daniel Sullivan]

Do you believe one steps should be usable self-defense in of themselves? Or it is merely to teach technique and physical mechanics?

Yes.

Unless your one steps are based on completely unrealistic attacks (chi ball deflection, for example), they will have some degree of SD value and will, of course, teach mechanics.

As a further question, do you believe the one steps you use right now align themselves 100% to the goals you have for them?

They seem to. My students practice one steps to learn the technique and then are made to apply the techniques in a more free form setting.

Daniel

 

[ralphmcpherson]

I think its also important to teach one steps with a view to the attackers whole body and not just the hand/foot they are attacking with. Often I see a wrist grab, for instance, being taught and while the defender clumsily paces through a series of overly complicated moves the attackers other hand is just dangling by their side. In a real life encounter that hand wouldnt be dangling it would be punching the defender square in the face while all their focus is on the hand that grabbed them. When we teach anything like this we are always conscience to keep the student aware of staying in a position to avoid attacks from their other limbs.

 

[bluewaveschool]

I will admit that while my white/yellow belt one steps work as SD, they are almost all working off a straight punch, with 1 tech being vs a kick and 1 vs an overhead strike. Green gets into one steps off grabs and such, taking the simple escapes we teach to beginners and adding the follow up that puts the attacker down.

As far as too many patterns... once you pass green in my school, ALL of your one steps are taken directly from the movements within the form. Taking the 'fight against an invisible attack' and breaking it down move by move. Decoding forms is fun.

 

[Devlin76]

I think one-steps fall into the same category as almost all MA techniques. They are effective if trained to be effective. One-steps that have solid body mechanics and tactics that are trained consistently and against resisting opponents are going to be useable for self-defense. One-steps that are perfectly sound are not going to work for the student if they do not train them consistently or realistically.

 

[puunui]

Here is what JKA Chief Instructor NAKAYAMA Masatoshi says about one step sparring:

*

The people of my generation were required to study martial arts beginning in grammar school, and continuing all the way through graduation from high school. Karate was not taught in the schools at that time, so all of us had studied judo or kendo. I began kendo training in grammar school, for example, and my friends had also practiced for a long time. But judo and kendo were centered around combat -- throwing an opponent or actually striking an opponent with a sword. So the idea of combat was deeply ingrained in us, and we really needed the combative aspect which karate lacked.

Master Funakoshi understood this, and he began to change his teaching methods to meet the needs of our younger generation. We needed more than just kata all the time, and he realized that things would have to if he was going to attract young people and see his art grow.

So, he picked techniques from the kata and began teaching gohon kumite (5-step sparring) based on individual techniques. We would step in 5 times with the same attack while the defender blocked. Then the defender would counter-attack. But we had high spirits, and if the defender did not counter-attack immediately, we would attack him again, and he would be forced to improvise a defense and try to counter again. These actions became the basis for free-sparring. It was just a natural outgrowth of spirited young people practicing with one another.

Shortly thereafter, we began kihon-ippon kumite, or 1 step sparring. In this method, the attacker would announce the target area to be attacked, face or stomach, and would then execute his strongest, most powerful technique. The defender had only one chance to make a powerful, correct block and counter-attack. This was very much in keeping with the basic philosophy of martial art which revolves around the concept that there is no second chance. Everything must be done correctly the first time, or the person dies. We weren't trying to kill each other, of course, but we were trying to execute that one, perfect technique which would stop the opponent in a real fighting situation.

A natural outgrowth of this kind of training was jyu-ippon kumite (one step sparring) in which the defender knew the area to be attacked, but in which the attacker could maneuver freely for position and distancing. The significant thing about this is that this was the first time karate had been taught in any way except for application of kata movements to self defense, and the entire system of kumite (sparring) developed in a single, 5 year period. When Master Funakoshi published Karate Kyohan (The Master Text of Karate) in 1936, he included basic sparring methods in the book, and this was the first time this brand new idea was introduced to the public at large.

.

I began training in 1932, and basic kumite was introduced in 1933. In 1934, jyu-ippon kumite was introduced, and jyu kumite (free sparring) began in 1935. In November of 1936, we formed the All Japan Collegiate Karate Union and gave a demonstration at the Tokyo Civic Center. For the first time in history, we showed the public the new training methods of kumite, and demonstrated how the student progresses from 5 step sparring to 1 step, then to semi-free and finally free sparring.

*

In other words, one step sparring was an intermediate step to teaching free sparring, or karate style sport sparring; it was not a vehicle to teach self defense.

 

[dancingalone]

In other words, one step sparring was an intermediate step to teaching free sparring, or karate style sport sparring; it was not a vehicle to teach self defense.

OK. Kata wasn't meant to be a competition activity either, but here we are.

Ultimately, a one step is just a practiced combination between two people with an attacker and defender role defined, whatever we want to call it. Such training has existed in one form or another well before Nakayama, in all sorts of martial arts and fighting systems, both Asian and Western. Okinawan karate has two man sets which share a lot of the same back and forth dynamics as one steps, yet their purpose is most definitely to teach skills and tactics useful in fighting (er, self-defense).

It is what we choose to make of it.

 

[puunui]

Ultimately, a one step is just a practiced combination between two people with an attacker and defender role defined, whatever we want to call it. Such training has existed in one form or another well before Nakayama, in all sorts of martial arts and fighting systems, both Asian and Western. Okinawan karate has two man sets which share a lot of the same back and forth dynamics as one steps, yet their purpose is most definitely to teach skills and tactics useful in fighting (er, self-defense).

That might be true, but from a Taekwondo perspective, which so many people want to say is "merely" a watered down version of shotokan, one step sparring was conceived for sport sparring, not self defense, which means that there is no tradition of self defense for one step sparring. One step sparring for self defense is not "traditional", anymore than belt ranks or standardized uniforms are. That's the point I'm trying to make, not that you cannot use one step sparring for self defense.

 

[dancingalone]

That might be true, but from a Taekwondo perspective, which so many people want to say is "merely" a watered down version of shotokan, one step sparring was conceived for sport sparring, not self defense, which means that there is no tradition of self defense for one step sparring. One step sparring for self defense is not "traditional", anymore than belt ranks or standardized uniforms are. That's the point I'm trying to make, not that you cannot use one step sparring for self defense.

I've heard people say tae kwon do is 'conflicted Shotokan' which is equally insulting, but somewhat more amusing. In any case, I would think that the current KKW expression of TKD has evolved so much that the Shotokan connection definitely is not prominent any longer. And given that there has been so much change both technically and culturally since the sixties, perhaps 'traditional' should not be an adjective used in connection with KKW TKD either.

 

[leadleg]

when you listen to kkw instructors you don't hear much talk about tradition but you do hear about the scientific aproach to developing tkd. I understand that the kkw looks at the development of tkd as ongoing, not something static as "tradition' denotes.

 

[terryl965]

when you listen to kkw instructors you don't hear much talk about tradition but you do hear about the scientific aproach to developing tkd. I understand that the kkw looks at the development of tkd as ongoing, not something static as "tradition' denotes.

Now this ineresting that KKW instructor do not talk about tradition, well I know alot of GM that talks about the traditional ways they was tought and how they have changed and sometime they wish certain tradirion was still around. But then again maybe there view of what they consider tradition and your kkw people are different.

 

[leadleg]

I certainly don't speak for the kkw just what I understand,always from a learning position.Tradition can mean many things but should not be used as an excuse not to try or learn new things. I have never heard kkw say anything about other styles of tkd as being bad or wrong. Although if you are kkw tkd there are definately ways of doing things that would not be say,traditional moo duk kwan.

 

[terryl965]

I certainly don't speak for the kkw just what I understand,always from a learning position.Tradition can mean many things but should not be used as an excuse not to try or learn new things. I have never heard kkw say anything about other styles of tkd as being bad or wrong. Although if you are kkw tkd there are definately ways of doing things that would not be say,traditional moo duk kwan.

That is correct the KKW does not ever interfer with ones training add or take away and they are fine with it.

 

[KarateMomUSA]

1 steps for green belts in the ITF, are the continuation of 3 step & step sparring, making up pre-arranged sparring, which is 1 of the 6 types of ITF sparring, not including tournament sports sparring. When trained as designed, with the approriate purposes, they are all valuable tools for TKD fighting.
Also Hoosinsul or self defense, which comes in at 2nd Kup red belt level, is not included in the above 6 types of sparring either.
TKD training, especially the 6 types of sparring & self defense, must be trained with realisim, if we are to derive a protection benefit

 

[searcher]

For me, it depends on whether the "follow up" is single technique or multiple. It is to rare to get someone stopped with a single technique.

 

[KarateMomUSA]

For me, it depends on whether the "follow up" is single technique or multiple. It is to rare to get someone stopped with a single technique.

Yes but in the ITF the requirement is for only 1 counter. That is not only for the 1 blow to finish a fight type of thing, but also to reflect what would happen in the street, as the attacker will not stand still & present a target for you to hit. So 1 step is literally the 1st step of the actual combat encounter. There are other ITF drills & other types of sparring that work on building combos etc

 

[searcher]

Yes but in the ITF the requirement is for only 1 counter. That is not only for the 1 blow to finish a fight type of thing, but also to reflect what would happen in the street, as the attacker will not stand still & present a target for you to hit. So 1 step is literally the 1st step of the actual combat encounter. There are other ITF drills & other types of sparring that work on building combos etc

I very much understand the ITF's requirements and their use of 1 step sparring.

But thanks.

 

[leadleg]

The best thing about one steps would be learning to move off line before countering,no matter the technique,this is always a constant.

 

[Tez3]

We teach one and three step but the attacks and defences aren't pre-set. You have to make your defence then and there, not rely on something that's already been made up for you. After all you don't have rehearsed attacks outside training so why have them in training? The defences may not look pretty and standardised but they work, any defence can be used including throws, locks, anything. You aren't expected to keep repeating the moves either, you have to make them all different.
If you don't defend, the punch gets through and you get hurt so it's a big incentitive to defend.

 

[KarateMomUSA]

Yes but in the ITF the requirement is for only 1 counter. That is not only for the 1 blow to finish a fight type of thing, but also to reflect what would happen in the street, as the attacker will not stand still & present a target for you to hit. So 1 step is literally the 1st step of the actual combat encounter. There are other ITF drills & other types of sparring that work on building combos etc

I think it is also important to understand that 3 step sparring in the ITF is for white belts, while 2 step sparring is for yellow belts & 1 step sparring is for green belts. Taken together they are the 3 parts of pre-arranged sparring, which is only 1 type of the 6 types of sparring that the ITF does. This does not include their tournament sports sparring, which would be 7, but sport is not fighting.
This step sparring is a prelude to actual free sparring, which in the ITF is like (almost) everything goes fighting. It is the way that Gen Choi put into motion how to teach fighting & the concepts that a fighter needs to know. So once a student is a blue belt, there is little reason to do step sparring, as they are supposed to concentrate on real fighting, using skills & concepts learned in step sparring (or sparring in steps).

Now is the ITF the only ones that do 2 step sparring?

From what I have seen, the WTF or maybe I should say the non-ITF TKD students do 3 & 1 steps just like karate does. Am I mistaken or missing something?