Kyokushin Technique

A straight punch lives or dies on two knuckles and a wrist that holds. Here is how I teach the Kyokushin punch, from the fist check to the body shot.

Shita-tsuki is the rising body punch I call the best in Kyokushin. Most people throw it by leaning. Here is how to bend, fire, and close the drawer.

Everyone freezes in kumite at some point. The fix starts with a basic one-two, a smarter leg-kick defense, and a kick that comes back as fast as it goes out.

Backing out of range feels safe. It isn't strategy. Here is why I tell fighters to stay in the pocket, let the hands go, and earn the kick.

It's nothing with the arm. It's the shoulder. How to throw a rising punch, hook, and cross combination tight, with the body doing the work.

The hard part of a takedown is the space between punching range and the body lock. Strike your way in, get rid of the gap, and commit.

Big, heavy-footed opponents don't get swept by accident. Catch the moment the foot leaves the mat, open the windows, and be a disruptor.

I used to overwhelm Shihan Omar with size, until the day he stopped the train. Framing, angles, and the clinch-to-sweep chain for smaller fighters.

Standing in front of someone trading one-twos is a test of who can absorb more. Work a slight angle instead, cover up, and step in the moment your kick comes off.

Weak roundhouse kicks are rarely a strength problem. Fix your distance, open the support foot, and let the arm pull the hip through.

You can fake a punch on a partner wearing gloves. You can't fake it on a heavy bag. How to grade every rep and build from technique to timing.

When someone takes your distance and you have nowhere to go, the rising elbow keeps you in the fight. Why I prefer it to the circular elbow, and how to drill it.