Yakusoku Kumite – Part I

This post was done as a thank you to Noah Legel for being my first active reader and always offering commentary on my posts. If you would like to request a topic contact me.

Tonight’s topic is on Yakusoku Kumite, or Prearranged Sparring. The term itself is something that I have never personally used in my study of karate but first became familiar with it in Shoshin Nagamine’s book The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do. After thinking further on the subject, I realized that I have practiced this for years, just never referring to it as Yakusoku Kumite. I referred to it as Kihon Kumite Waza (Basic Fighting Techniques). Before I talk about my personal sets of Yakusoku Kumite, let me give some basic thoughts on the overall idea.

Many people have told me that prearranged sparring routines are useless because both opponents know what is going to happen. However, today I read an interesting book called Shorin-ryu: Okinawan Karate Question and Answer Book where the author argues that Yakusoku Kumite is better than Jiyu Kumite (Free Sparring) because both opponents are willing to perform the attacks without holding back in the assumption that the other person will not be injured because they know what is coming. Whereas with free sparring, karateka tend to hold back in fear that they might injure their opponent (who is often a friend). This is one of the first times I have heard that argument, but felt it was worth mentioning as it has valid points.

I find that Yakusoku Kumite is most useful in gaining technical skill and putting techniques to use. It tends to be very similar to bunkai except that it is usually a back and forth fight (my Kumite Waza sets are an exception) where both opponents are using important techniques rather than one karateka performing all of the moves from a kata while the other person simply aids them in practicing. One great example I can think of that is in that very gray area between bunkai and Yakusoku Kumite is a routine I first saw on the forum at traditionalfightingartsforum.com. The sites owner, Dan, teaches a routine to help learn how to apply the moves from Naihanchi Shodan:

It is always going to be hard to define which is Kumite, which is Fukazatsu (Complexes), and which is Bunkai (application) simply because of how interwoven they all are. Typically Yakusoku Kumite isnt directly related to a single kata and they are shorter than a complex. Beyond that, it is hard to really distinguish them from a complex. Rather than fight over the definition, I would like to offer my own personal Yakusoku Kumite.

My Kihon Kumite Waza are performed in five sets referred to as:

• Kihon Kumite Waza Dai Ichi – Basics
• Kihon Kumite Waza Dai Ni – Intermediate Moves
• Kihon Kumite Waza Dai San – Advanced Moves
• Kihon Kumite Waza Dai Yon – Takedowns
• Kihon Kumite Waza Dai Go – I may have Japanese instructions to this, but no one I know remembers it sadly.

All sets involve five parts. In all instances, one person is designated the attacker and the other person the defender. The defender will always end up “winning” the fight. I do not have any videos of these sets so I will do my best to explain them in words. Tonights post will cover the first set, Kihon Kumite Waza Dai Ichi and I will talk about the others in the follow-up posts. I will also try to figure out who created these when I am home in Indiana for the holidays. I am unsure if it was Tadashi Yamashita, Richard Hooven, or both.

Kihon Kumite Waza Dai Ichi – Part 1:

Attacker: Step into right forward stance and attack with a high punch using right hand.

Defender: Step back into left forward stance and block with a left high block. Middle reverse punch.

Kihon Kumite Waza Dai Ichi – Part 2:

Attacker: Step into right forward stance and attack with a low punch using right hand.

Defender: Step back with left foot into horse stance and then turn into right forward stance as you perform a right low block. Middle reverse punch.

Kihon Kumite Waza Dai Ichi – Part 3:

Attacker: Step into right forward stance and attack with a high punch using right hand. Low reverse punch.

Defender: Step back into left forward stance and block with a left high block. Open handed slap using the left hand. Middle reverse punch.

Kihon Kumite Waza Dai Ichi – Part 4:

Attacker: Step into right forward stance and attack with a right middle punch using right hand. Low reverse punch.

Defender: Step back with left foot into kiba dachi. Middle block with right hand. Sending elbow straight back, elbow block. Raise the attackers arm with the right elbow, shuffle towards the attacker and then strike their ribs with the right elbow in a sideways fashion.

Kihon Kumite Waza Dai Ichi – Part 5:

Attacker: Step into right forward stance and attack with a high punch using right hand. Low reverse punch.

Defender: Step back into left forward stance and block with a high block. Shuffle to the left and perform a low block with the left hand. Middle reverse punch.

One final note – when I teach these, I will usually say “Kihon Kumite Waza Dai Ichi, number one” rather than “part one”. I will have a follow-up post here in a few days on the second and third sets. Hopefully by the time I write about the fourth set I will have found my notebook containing the Japanese for the fifth set and begin translating it.