23-Minute Follow-Along Karate Class – Improve Your Punch Snap Back
In this series of karate lessons online, we work on the snap back of karate techniques.
Here is a 23 minute shotokan karate follow along class, focusing on snapping your punches back.
Sensei Linden Huckle starts with some very basic exercises from shizentai.
First starting with choku zuki. Single arm punch without using the opposite hikite pulling arm.
Leaving the arm out at completion, then snapping back as fast as possible to the hikite position.
Trying to generate as much snap back as possible, using the legs, hips and punching arm.
Recounting a story from he was MUCH younger, about a dragon and snapping punches back 🙂
Sensei Huckle then moved onto gyaku tsuki, which is used extensively in this snap back series of karate lessons online.
Snapping the hikite arm back to kamae was emphasised here, a part of the punch sometimes neglected.
When the hikite arm goes back to kamae after the punch, it should feel like you are punching.
Snapping the reverse punching arm back, snapping the body into hanmi and the hikite arm back to kamae.
Next came the grab and snap!
Sensei Huckle explained how to use the hikite arm as an aid to step forward quickly.
As you snap the reverse punch back, imagine you are grabbing an opponent.
Then as you snap, step forward with the back leg oi tsuki.
The faster you snap the punch back, the faster you step.
So now the snap back is linked to the step forward.
On to a basic Shotokan combination putting everything together.
Karate Lessons Online
Gyaku zuki, Oi zuki – Gyaku zuki, Oi zuki – Gyaku zuki.
- From a left leg in front kamae fighting stance.
- On the spot, punch gyaku zuki with the right arm.
- As you snap the gyaku zuki back, step forward and punch oi zuki with the right arm.
- Immediately on landing the oi zuki, punch gyaku zuki on the spot with the left arm.
- As you snap the gyaku zuki back, step forward and punch oi zuki with the left arm.
- Immediately on landing the oi zuki, punch gyaku zuki on the spot with the right arm.
When you snap the gyaku zuki back, try and keep the stepping leg up with the speed of the snapping arm.
Although this is not entirely possible, this should be the feeling.
So the stronger the sanp back with the punch, the faster the step.
The faster the step, the faster the punch snap back.
So both legs and arms are working together to get a fast snapping punch and fast step.
In many of our karate lessons online we focus on one topic and today’s topic is the snap back.
But that does not mean we do not work on shomen, hanmi, kime, good technique, etc.
Karate Lessons Online
Shotokan Karate Follow Along Class Video
We hope you liked this shotokan karate follow along class, working on the snap back.
Gyaku tsuki is a favorite karate technique in competition karate and used extensively in the karate olympics.
Check out our Shotokan Community, where we are continually adding shotokan karate follow along classes, shotokan kihon, kumite and kata tutorials.
Which include ~ complete kata tutorials, live kata class recordings, individual kata moves, bunkai and much more.
We have karateka joining from all over the world who practice or are just starting Shotokan karate.
Many of our members already practice at a Dojo and use our online Dojo as extra training and many of them even take our ranking qualifications.
Within our karate membership site we have lots of shotokan video tutorials and articles, covering every aspect of Shotokan karate, to help your karate get better.
We even have an instructor training program and live zoom classes, plus! we continue to add more content every week. Oss!
