Karate like any martial art has it's postives and negatives. Some karate styles are practical while others are not.
Shotokan Karate was among the deadliest of karate styles when it first surfaced. It employed the idea of "one strike, one kill." However, as of late, shotokan hasn't been able to hold its ground against very many martial arts. Today, one strike that doesn't kill can mean you're gonna get killed.
In regards to punching and blocking, karate is not that practical. As a one time Karate practitioner, I noticed that karate strikes and blocks are over-committed. Thus, karate is susceptible to feints and quick jabs, double jabs, fake kicks.
I prefer the principles of boxing when it comes to hand techniques. Less blocking and more moving and punching. Karate punching power, more often than none, comes from the twisting of the waist, not necessarily the hips. In boxing, the hips provide the power, but it's also the drive from your feet. Furthermore, the punch lands before the feet touches the ground when advancing, so that the power is behind the punch, not on the ground.
__________________
The sage experiences without abstraction,
And accomplishes without action;
He accepts the ebb and flow of things,
Nurtures them, but does not own them,
And lives, but does not dwell.
|