Hi Camo,
Hey all, Iāve been doing some research into power generation and how all the different terms fit together. In my research, some of these topics have conflicting meanings or even the same explanations regarding different terms and topics.
The thing you always have to remember is that each school will have it's own preferred lexicon and expression of concepts... so a lot will come down to "what does it mean in your school", more than "what does it mean (generically)"... that said, there are some things to clear up, as you don't have it quite right just yet...
In your opinion, how do Gamaku, Hara, Tanden, Koshi, and Chinkuchi all fit together? How do you define each term? How do you incorporate these into your own karate training? How does your style view these different concepts?
I'm going to take the later attempt from Isshinryuronin, and clarify from there.
It will be nice if you can include the English translation.
Why? Seriously, John, why? The gent is asking about how specific terminology is applied and explained, which means we need to know the terminology he's asking about. English translations are, in essence, what he's asking for. But, one more time, if you enter a forum for a particular art, the use of terminology for that art is to be expected... there is no need to cater to your ignorance in the field, as you are outside of the conversation.
Ok. This is mucle sequencing. And is kind of the science behind what you are asking.
No, it's not.
Some of these terms may be defined somewhat differently, depending on the TMA sytle.
This is very correct, and something that should always be remembered. Particular terminology doesn't always translate or transfer from one school to another, even within the same "family", or cultural group. An outside example is the prevalence of a term "Ganseki Nage" or "Ganseki Otoshi" in various jujutsu systems in Japan... it basically means "throwing a big rock/boulder", or "dropping a big rock/boulder", and can mean an underhooking hip throw, an arm-bar throw, a form of dropping kata guruma (judo term), a rear seoi nage (throwing over your back), or any of a number of other definitions, all depending on the school in question.
This is how I view them:
Hara/Tanden - As far as I know, they are synonymous. Both refer to the internal location just under the navel (center of gravity), where the breath is drawn into and chi flows from. "Hara" may be used more in Japan, "tanden" more in Okinawa. Similar to the Chinese "tan tien" I believe.
They are absolutely not synonymous, although they can occasionally be conflated.
The term "hara" means, in essence, "belly", but actually typically refers to the area of your body that provides strength and power, being from just below your ribs down to just above your knees. This area is considered (from a Japanese perspective) to be the seat of all your physical strength and power, which is why sumotori, and many illustrations, all emphasise large bellies, thighs etc, with seemingly (from a Western perspective) small shoulders, chests, and arms comparatively. Our Western ideal of physical strength is the opposite, with wide shoulders and chest, and a small waist.
The term "tanden" does, indeed come from "tan tien" (it's the Japanese pronunciation, using on'yomi pronunciation), and is basically "energy centre". Technically, there are a number of tanden found in the body, typically given as three, being upper, mid, and lower, however it's this "lower" tanden that we commonly refer to in martial arts.
Actually, you know what? I'm just going to copy-paste an email I sent my students a number of years ago...
What Is The Tanden?
That's a good question! The Tanden is a specific point in your body which acts as a focal point for the various energy meridians in Traditional Chinese (and Japanese) wholistic medicine. Technically, there are three, referred to as the Upper, Middle, and Lower Tanden... but, in the main, martial arts are most concerned with the Lower Tanden, and, when the term is used by itself (Tanden), it typically refers to this point. This point is located about an inch or two below your navel, and a further inch or two inside yourself. But here's where it gets a bit confusing...
While we often describe the Tanden as having a physical location, it's important to realise that there is no actual part of your biology that specifically correlates to this point. Instead, it's a point used to focus your attention internally, allowing you to become more aware of your entire core, and the structural muscles used to maintain balance and protect your internal organs. Its position within your hara is directly related to the way the Tanden operates.
Sumo rikishi are an overt example of the focus on the hara for strength!
Okay... So, What's The Hara, Then?
The hara (belly) is often thought of as being simply that; your belly. However, it really encompasses from your diaphragm just below your ribcage down to just above your knees, meaning it includes your hips (koshi), lower back (sei), and your thighs (mata), the largest muscles in your body. This part of your body contains the largest stabilising muscles, and has the most strength, which makes it obvious as to why this is such a focus for power and strength development in martial systems. But none of it works as efficiently as it can without a focal point to centre it... which is where the Tanden comes into it.
A connection from your Tanden to another allows you to control their balance much easier.
How Do I Find The Tanden, If It Doesn't Exist?
This is something that everyone needs to find for themselves... but there are some clues that can help you. The first is a simple visualisation... imagining a point below and behind your navel. Bring your attention to that position, until you begin to become aware of it. This is the reasoning of the hand position often seen in various meditative practices, with a cupping shape held just under your Tanden. Symbolically, you are "catching" the energy/strength there, and holding it in place, in order to revitalise yourself.
While it looks like the attack is with the short sword, it's really from the Tanden... can you see it?
Great! How Do I Use It?
That's the real question... there are many theories and concepts, but, from my perspective, the first thing to do, once you have become aware of your Tanden, is to connect it to the rest of your hara... after all, the Tanden should operate as your centre, so it needs to be centrally connected. From the Tanden, I visualise connective tissue, similar to tendons, from each part of my hara to the Tanden itself, feeling a connection from my back, my hips, my legs, my diaphragm. Once this is achieved, I aim to have this connection present in all my movement. My breathing is directed down towards the Tanden by travelling through my diaphragm; my shoulders are relaxed and held back, with my chest full, and my chin tucked in (directing my body down towards my centre). All action then is instigated from the Tanden itself... with forward movement feeling like the Tanden itself is moving forward, which then pulls/pushes my back to shift forward. This then allow my hips and legs to remain free enough to "flow" with the movement. If, instead, I try to start the action by tightening my thighs in order to step, I get "locked" in place, making it impossible to actually use my Tanden properly.
The danger, of course, is in not allowing the Tanden to be suitably grounded, which leads to a lack of stability... but, as one of the major benefits of applying a focus to the Tanden is increased stability (ideally, making you immovable in many ways), that should be avoided. How to avoid it? Simply... maintain the connection! By having all the various points of the hara connected through the Tanden, it acts as a self-supporting structure, increasing the integrity of your structure, and aiding in your balance, and ability to withstand force.
Like all areas, the Tanden is greatly benefited by conditioning!
So, Is It Physical? Spiritual? Mental?
Honestly, it's a bit of all of them. The term Tanden, when written, uses the characters for "whole hearted" and "a rice field", and has the meaning of an area (field) where everything comes together. It's sometimes translated as a "sea of ki (internal energy)", and, as my instructor used to say, where the mind goes, the ki follows. So, simply by visualising the movement and connection of the Tanden, you are directing your own ki in that way, making it very much a spiritual (in an Eastern sense) and mental concept... but it also helps your awareness of a range of muscle and organ groups, allowing you to become more aware of how they interact in order to help in your power development, structural stability, balance, and more... which makes it physical. However you choose to see it, though, what's important is that all Japanese arts depend on a connection to the Tanden via the hara to work at their most efficient... so, I recommend taking the time in your next practice to look inward, see your Tanden, feel how it's connected to the rest of your body... and notice the improvement in your technique!
Gamaku - This is an Okinawan term I believe, referring to the use of hip rotation (in conjunction with other body parts) to generate power.
Not quite. Gamaku refers more to the musculature around the hips and lower body, both on the right and left sides of the hips, and on the lower back. There are then various applications fo the term, such as gamaku undou (or taiso, or keiko), which are exercises for strengthening the gamaku, and gamaku tsukuri, or using the gamaku, which often involves "putting the hips into it!", and can include factors such as rotating your sacrum in order to tilt your pelvic bowl forwards and up, tightening the muscles of the gamaku, and providing a stabilising structure from which you can apply your techniques.
Koshi - I had to look this one up. It seems to be the Japanese equivalent of gamaku, with perhaps a broader reference to overall posture and stance.
Basically, it's the Japanese term for the hips. That's it, really. Of course, saying "that's it" is rather simplistic, considering the incredible emphasis on the position, direction, drive, and connection to the hips that Japanese arts maintain. In this sense, it's quite similar to gamaku indeed, however the application can be quite different to a karate approach. Personally, I think that the term "koshi" has been used as a stand-in for the more accurate gamaku in many (commonly Japanese) karate dojo to match in with the Japanese concepts they were attempting to incorporate... however, I also feel that gamaku encapsulates the idea as applied to karate much better.
Chinkuchi - Okinawan term that means the tensing of the entire body and focusing power at the moment of impact. This allows power delivery at close distance which is typical of Okinawan fighting style. Sometimes confused with "kime" (also referred to as focus or control) which is a Japanese term and is much different as it refers where the power stops.
Hmm... again, a slight disagreement here. Chinkuchi (which can mean "single power", or "small power", depending on how it's written) is a native Okinawan term referring to a completely unified alignment of the entire body in action. In Chinese systems, this same concept is fa jing. It is most commonly demonstrated by first becoming completely loose and relaxed, such as having your arms extended in front of you, almost hanging, with the hands loose and hanging down, then "rippling" energy through your body in order to transfer through to the hands in a striking fashion with one or both hands. It is quite akin to a whipping action, where the whip is loose and relaxed as it moves, only to all culminate in the energy extending to the tip of the weapon on impact.
When it comes to kime (a Japanese term that refers to "decisiveness"), that is the tensing at the very moment of completion of the technique, at full extension into the target, in order to structurally avoid injury, as well as transfer the energy into the target. It is characterised typically with a very short moment of tension, before relaxing again afterwards.
Personally, I would say that chinkuchi is the movement through the body, with each part aligning with the next, similar to, but not quite the same as kinetic linking or chaining (as that looks more at sectional movement, rather than the chinkuchi idea of transferring through the links in order to build the power), and kime is the moment of impact that is included within the chinkuchi concept.
That's the short of it but obviously each has greater depth.
This is true.
