Five Karate Moves

KARATE BEGAN in the fifth century BC as a set of mind-strengthening exercises. Legend says that it was brought to a small forest temple in China by a Zen Buddhist monk named Bodhidharma (Bo-dee-darma) who, amazingly, had walked there all the way from India. Below are five basic moves that are fun to do with friends. To learn more and to take karate more seriously, look for a professional instructor in this and other martial arts.

Front Kick

The front kick is Karate’s most powerful kick. Bring your left knee up to waist level, then extend the rest of the leg straight out. Your right leg should be firmly grounded to balance the kick, and your arms should be held close to your chest. Try the quick-surprise front kick, and then try a slower but more forceful variation.

Back Kick

Stand in a comfortable position facing forward. Your right leg is your kicking leg. Bend your left non-kicking leg just a little bit to give your body extra support and balance. Look over your right shoulder. Find your target. Bend your right knee, aim your heel in a straight line toward your target, and kick your foot high behind you. Your eyes are very important in this kick. Keep looking at your target while you kick back, extending your leg. Pull your leg back in the same path you used for your kick. Alternate kicking leg.

Punch and Pull

Face forward with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your right leg straight, lunge forward with your left leg, bending at the knee. Push your right arm forward in front of your body, with your hand in a downward-facing fist. Your left arm stays back, at your side, with your left hand in an upward-facing fist. Now, punch forward with the left arm and twist the wrist so that when this arm fully extends forward, your fist faces down. While the left arm punches, the right arm comes to rest at your side, with hand in an upward-facing fist. Alternate punches.

Knife Hand, or Classic Karate Chop

Open your hand and turn it so your thumb faces the ceiling and your pinky faces the floor. Extend your fingers forward and away from you. The fingers should lightly touch. Let your thumb fall into the palm of your hand, and bend the top of the thumb downward. Arch the hand slightly backward. Raise your hand above your shoulder. Swing diagonally downward across to the other side of your body aiming to strike your target with the part of your hand that’s just below your pinky.

The Lunge Punch

Face forward, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your left leg in front of the right, and bend your knee into a lunge. Keep your right leg straight. This is called front stance. Step forward with your right foot into a powerful lunge, and as your right foot lands forward, punch forward with the right hand. To add power, at the same time you punch the right fist forward, pull your left hand back to your left side in an upward facing fist. Pull your punching hand back to lunge again, alternating sides, or to switch to another move.