Learn a Karate training exercise for hip twist/rotation by Jesse Enkamp ('The Karate Nerd') to increase power in punches, kicks, strikes or blocks. Visit www.karatebyjesse.com to learn more!
Thanks for your great comments! Visit my website (www.karatebyjesse.com) to get my books, articles, videos, seminars, training programs and more. ARIGATO! :-)
I’ve learnt more watching Sensei Jessie’s videos than I ever have in any karate class I took....thank you jessie san!. We appreciate the time and effort you take for these awesome videos ...I’ve recently started getting back into karate ...a high mountain to climb still but each step forward is more than one step back .OSS!
Wow what a great video! As a beginner, my instructor constantly says use your hips use your hips. I had no idea what a hip was untill I watched this video thank you so much!
Thank you for that video Jesse. I always emphasize hip importance to my students. That exercise is a great way to help them understand how to use your hips. I'm going to use it at the dojo.
Greetings from Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. I consider mastering the hip movement. It's just as important as learning to kick your toes in Uechi Ryu. Thanks for teaching. I keep watching the videos.
Extra tip for those having difficulty isolating. Do not rotate the body by trying to control the position of the pelvis. Focus on the V area around the ground where the hips connect to the leg on the inner leg. Squeeze together in this area to help identify the sensation of twisting. Keep in mind the hips are not what makes the power, they simply are a part of the engine and the point of reference. The stick helps you isolate the motion, because the hips turning like that actually makes the spine turn. That is where the power comes from. Don't focus in a direction, just focus on rotating on the axis of your own spine, by focusing on the twist through the V area of the hips/lower abdomen. Good video all in all. Almost no one teaches anyone how to use the hips, almost everyone just says use the hips. Although application of this mechanic is just ever so slightly different. You need a directional intent with the twist to apply force in a specific direction. So you would kind of focus the rotation forward for a punch, or to the side for a block. It's kind of hard to explain that part without visually demonstrating and even then it'd probably be hard to understand.
Congratulations for the vídeos! It's very good to see a martial artist knowing about biomechanical. I'm physic education professional in Brazil and I'm training goju-ryu karate for 2 years now. Your videos have been helping me in some details of karate. I've known about the seminary "karate to MMA" and it's very good to see masters going throw a way that isn't just the olympic!! Still in this way and we (me and my team) will still watching you =)
Hey Jesse, awesome breakdown of the hip technique. I've got a similar technique that involves a baseball batters stance. As you swing the bat, concentrate on turning your hip out with the swing.
Jesse-san, I have completed my black belt 2 months ago with my team. We went our separate ways for the summer as we always do, to return again in the fall. However I won't be returning. I am sad to leave my true Sensei, but I just want to say that you, your videos, book (break the box which I LOVE) have inspired me to continue, when I know that I can give up freely now, where that was not possible before. thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Before i don't understand the importance of hip twisting. after how many years of practicing karate i know how to do the shomen and hanmi but i cn't find the right words on how to explain them until i saw this video. thanks a lot i can now explain briefly about the importance of shomen and hanmi.
This is a great illustration of one of the basic concepts/techniques that differentiates Chito-Ryu Karate from other styles, making it extremely efficient at generating power. Hip vibration is ubiquitous throughout all levels of Chito-Ryu kihon and kata, whereas most (not all) other styles emphasize hip rotation, but not vibration. Thanks for posting.😀
I'm far from an expert on the topic, however here's an attempt at answering your question... Essentially, like hip rotation, hip vibration enables the body to rotate around its vertical centre line, thereby generating linear force that can be delivered through a technique. The difference is that it also involves a very rapid re-setting the hips back to the beginning position - regardless of the stance. It generates a very quick source of power from the hips with little outward motion (think Bruce Lee's 1-inch punch) while putting the hips back into the most advantageous position to immediately deliver another technique. When done correctly, hip vibration is very effective in generating power for "push-pull" techniques (e.g. Ren-zuki, Shiko-zuki-kaeshi, Tsukami-uke), isolateral techniques (e.g. a single Mae-te-zuki or a rapid-fire series of strikes and/or blocks with the same hand), and bilateral/ryote techniques (e.g. Sayu-zuki, Kakiwake-uke, Yama-zuki). The "belly dancer" exercise you demonstrated in the video above is one of the ways we train kyu belts to get them used to the sensation of quickly snapping the hips forward and back around the body's centre line. Ultimately, the technique is refined to focus on vibrating one hip forward and back while preventing the opposite hip from vibrating in the opposite direction - thereby making the energy of the accompanying technique more focused. I hope this makes sense. :)
It's a good exercise for Taekwondoins as well. I had always trouble with my hip rotation. Maybe i should try this. Many thanks! Regards from Germany :)
I practice my hip rotation with hula-hoop trying to move forward in zenkutsu dachi. To make it more challenging I take a flex bar swing hula-hoop in zenkutsu. This is really challenging!
Great teaching Jesse. You seem to be a great teacher, I always enjoy your lessons, and you are a great martial artist, much better than on first appearance. I don't know, maybe the whole "Nerd" personna, but when I hear you and watch you move I can tell you're the "real deal" as we say out here. 😊 It reminds me of what my father, my first instructor, always said, "Don't intentionally disrespect anyone, and don't allow yourself to be disrespected nor your wife, especially from other men." True. Don't mess with this "nerd", Master Enkamp Sensei! Domo arigata Master Enkamp Sensei! Rénshi Chuck Benson Sensei 5th Degree Black Belt Wašóše (washóshe)*: American Indian Self Defense The Red Nation Warriors Black Belt Society Tucson, Mesa, Arizona (*Wašóše is a "new" martial arts system based on the Native American Warrior Tradition, but our instructors also over 400 years of combined experience in Okinawan, "the birthplace of Karate," and other martial arts. Just between the Head Instructor, Hónshi John Colmenero Sensei, 10th Degree Black Belt in Isshinryu Karate and myself, we hold black belts in American Kenpo and Isshinryu Karate, both amateur boxers and Full Contact Kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Military Hand to Hand Co ❤️mbat, Jiujitsu and plain old dirty street fighting).
I think in left zenkutso dachi left hip must fixed and right hip driven forward and back ward by thrusting the right leg against the floor..moving your torso like window or door while left hip as pivot. with regards from IRAQ
watching in 2024 .... I miss these kind of videos which you used to teach Karate and explain very important techniques, history and more , now if just visiting other masters and arts , more like a comic show ; no more tournaments neither ;; nada .
Funny thing: I trained for myself today, 2 hours straight, only punching and focussing on my kime and my hip-rotation - with exactly this toy, I had from the movie KarateKid in mind ... and you come up with a video where the first thing I see, is THIS xD Awesome Jesse-San :D
