At North Shore Martial Arts in Whitefish Bay WI, three martial art styles we teach include Judo, Aikido, and Karate. The following was taken from a book called The Martial Arts by Michael Random which adds some interesting insights to these styles.
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Karate is determined by one’s will to concentrate the greatest amount of energy in one spot; judo too acts on a single point but by shifting the centre of gravity. As soon as the vertical line which passes through the centre of gravity is moved outside the area of support, the subject is ready to fall. In aiki-do, the point is the centre of the circle. Any change of position pulls the opponent towards the void symbolized by this centre and makes him fall.
The Open or Empty Hands
The expression ’empty hands’ is peculiar to the karate of Okinawa, the word karate itself meaning ’empty hands’.
A second meaning is added to the literal sense. The empty hand is also the hand free of nervous tension and restriction, the hand through which the energy passes.
In aiki-do, the position of the open hand, with outstretched fingers is called tegatana. Here, the hand is the image of energy itself which can indifferently determine life or death, and be yin or yang, the negative or positive force.
Similarly in judo, the hand is the extension of the intelligence combined with technique. Master Kano’s judo had to be like a dance. That meant that only he who possessed suppleness of mind and body could attack properly. The hand penetrated the opposing force and in a way attracted this force to it in order to use it and throw it.
Karate still obeys the same principle adapted to the total mobilization of energy transmitted by the hand.
(From The Martial Arts by Michel Random)
