The Sabaki movement is a unique method of meeting an attack by combining defence and offence into one.
- Sabaki uses one of four fundamental circular movements in response to an attacker’s thrust. These movements carry the defender to the outside- left or right of an attack, moving either slightly forward or backward.
- In each case, the defender move’s to the attacker’s back side. This limits the defender’s exposure to frontal attack. In addition, it allows the defender to develop a “blind spot” in the attacker’s position.
- Once the defender has developed this “blind spot”, he/she can take strategic advantage of this position by entering that “blind spot” and countering effectively with various combinations of punches and kicks.
- No matter what the distance – short, medium or long – this strategy of moving outside and to an opponent’s “blind spot” is essential.
- In Kenpokai / Shidokan Karate the practitioner learns to be aware of three types of distances and the Sabaki that applies to each.
