Why Should You Continue to Practice The Kibon Series --- Chief Instructor's Blog December 2023

 

It is nice to learn something new.  And sometimes we think if we are learning something new (e.g., technique, concept, principle, hyung, etc.) we have mastered a technique or hyung and are ready to just move on.  This is most likely not the case.  You should not sacrifice practicing the details and gaining more depth of skill of known techniques for something new.

In fact, the basics are not as basic as you might think they are.  It can take years to become effective even with what appears to be the most basic of our techniques or hyung and even longer to master it. 

As an example, to master any one hyung, you will need to be able to do the following every time:

1.      Perform each technique and transition mechanically precise

2.      Perform each technique and transition linearly

3.   Maintain ground throughout the form, including during the transition of stances

4.   Focus your energy and movements in one direction at all times

5.      Perform each technique (including transitions) such that each micromovement has a purpose and can cause damage

In addition, for each hyung there are specific, unique challenges to master.  The below table lists those challenges in the kibon series.

Hyung	Challenges to Master
Kibon Hyung	Effectively turn in Attack Stance Make use of a turn in an Attack Stance
Kibon One	Effectively rotate and turn in cat stance Make use of a turn in a cat stance Linear transition from Cat Stance to Attack Stance Lower the Cat Stance to match the height of the Attack Stance
Kibon Two	Linear transition from Cat Stance to Attack Stance Staying level in the transition from Cat Stance to Attack Stance
Kibon Three	Make use of a turn in a cat stance Maintain set in Cat Stance Keep shoulders and hips square Control and manage the power of the kicks outward and retracting
Kibon Four	Control the rear leg kick and set it into attack stance

As you can imagine, the items above can take quite a bit of time to master.

So, am I suggesting not learning anything new until you have mastered the previous techniques or hyung you have been taught?  Not at all.  What I am suggesting is there is still a lot to master even with what appears to be simple like kibon hyung.  You should always continue to practice what you have already learned and not just move on to new techniques or hyung.

Regards,

Kelly

 

“In the past, it was expected that about three years were required to learn a single kata, and usually even an expert of considerable skill would only know three, or at most five, kata.” ~ Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957), founder of Shotokan Karate