I see some things in the ‘karate-world’ being uncorrected that hold students back from progressing.

In my opinion, the most significant faults I see are:

1. Hunched shoulders.
2. Poor alignment of feet to the target.
3. Twisting at the hips rather than the waist.
4. Straight knees.
5. No body weight transfer.

You might say, “Well, this is just what beginners do”, but I see this in high grades in photos posted on Facebook, etc., and videos on YouTube, particularly combining points 2 and 4.

1. Shoulder tension prevents force transmission. If the shoulders stray from their natural seat, there will be a disconnect between the upper torso and the arm. You can quickly feel the difference in connection by getting a partner to push on your outstretched arm having a hunched shoulder and then with a relaxed seated shoulder.
2. To gain maximum power, the feet should be pointing towards the target of a strike. Additionally, the knees should also be in line with the feet.
3. Turning from your hips will cause your knees to collapse inwards. This causes an improper structural path to the ground. There are many warm-up exercises practised where you can feel and rectify this. Don’t get confused with stepping where the hip is used to initiate changes in direction – I am talking about ‘twisting’ when striking.
4. Straight legs have no spring, which equates to sluggish movement. Also, it’s harder to balance with straight-locked knees.
5. No weight transfer equals no real impact to strikes.

Although straight legs are deemed bad because they pose a danger of being impacted from the front and causing damage because the knee does not bend that way, it’s primarily the movement and balance restrictions that impede progress.