The Boxer Mentality Versus Ippon Kowashi

Shorin Ryuu · Black Belt

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community.

When reading all the stories about the old masters of Karate fighting in real situations, you notice one thing: the fights didn't last more than a few seconds. Yet, if you notice the way most people train, whether it is Karate, mixed martial arts, boxing or whatever, they train specifically to exchange blows and use all sorts of tricks. Certainly, they don't preach that one should take a long time to win, but looking at their approach, multiple techniques and combos are viewed as necessary. This exemplifies the notion of having a "boxer mentality" versus Chibana Sensei's concept of "ippon kowashi" or "one technique, total destruction."

The boxer mentality stems from simply tradition, a more sport oriented focus, the belief that it is better to be safe than sorry or the outright refusal to believe a fight can be ended with a single technique outside of good luck and proper circumstances. In most cases, it is a combination of this last reason with one or more of the others. For these people, combos or advanced techniques are a must because the basic techniques simply aren't strong enough or effective enough to win a fight by themselves.

In traditional martial arts circles, there is disillusionment with the idea of ippon kowashi. Sadly, many of the schools that do believe in it grossly overestimate their skills, which only contributes to that disillusionment amongst the greater martial arts community. Many rational martial artists notice their techniques lack the power needed for ippon kowashi. In brutal honesty, this lack of power comes from having an instructor who couldn't or wouldn't teach them how to generate it properly or simply the student not being good enough to learn it (but usually the instructor is to blame).

As a result, these rational martial artists begin to believe martial arts techniques must rely on speed and involve a heavy emphasis on esoteric pressure points, complex grappling or whatever the flavor of the week is. Unfortunately, this overly eclectic approach, while useful for exposure, causes seriously dedicated martial artists to do everything except work towards an advanced understanding of basics. Much lip service is paid to the idea of keeping things "simple" and sticking to the basics, but few instructors actually do this. Then again, few instructors ever teach ippon kowashi, let alone teach it properly. At most, there is a philosophical idea of ippon kowashi, but only in terms of giving full concentration to each technique, as if each technique was a killing blow. Consequently, for most people who do not believe in ippon kowashi, it is a self fulfilling prophecy and their techniques will lack the degree of power necessary to pull it off. In order for them to fight effectively, they must use the boxer mentality as their approach.

By contrast, Chibana Sensei's Shorin Ryu Karate was all about ippon kowashi. His Karate wasn't merely ippon kowashi in the philosophical sense, but had the ability to defeat opponents with one technique. Ippon kowashi isn't the result of mystical sounding pressure point techniques or any sort of spiritual ki. Instead, it is the application of such intense power that an opponent cannot stand against it. By mastering the closing of distance and proper timing, his use of ippon kowashi made him the most respected Karate instructor on Okinawa. If the opponent kicked or punched, his block would literally floor them. If they did nothing or tried to guard themselves, he would open them up and destroy them with a single punch. Such a power seems legendary and, in a way, is. However, this kind of power is not unattainable nor is it merely an exaggeration or a fond myth.

Ippon kowashi is the result of refinement rather than being a technique collector. To obtain ippon kowashi, you must have an instructor who can generate that kind of power and can teach how to do it. I've learned that such an instructor is exceedingly rare. Equally necessary is being able to learn it. I facetiously joke with my Sensei about him one day revealing to me the hidden scroll of all his knowledge, but that is because we both know there are no secrets, no hidden techniques. All it takes is an understanding of timing, body mechanics and continual training. You gain this from doing kata, hitting the bag and practicing a few walk in drills. Nothing more, nothing less.

When fighting, there is no waiting for the opponent to attack. There is no letting the opponent determine the pace of the fight. If he attacks, you destroy what he attacks with and him in the process. If he blocks, you destroy what he blocks with and him in the process. If he does nothing, then you destroy him regardless. That is the mindset needed to match the technical skill to actually achieve those results. Fighting with ippon kowashi requires total commitment. Total commitment fully accepts life or death as the outcome of a fight and requires supreme confidence, which can come only through training and experience. Confidence without skill is merely bravado. Skill without confidence cannot be utilized.
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Patrick · KF Administrator

Thank you for the submission.

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bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

A very nice article, and I enjoyed reading it. I know that we have had many discussions on the theory behind "Ippon Kowashi."

I think that this concept is perhaps rare because only a few people seem to be able to obtain or possess such ability. I could be wrong, though. I don't think that the idea should be discarded, either. I think that training techniques in such a way that Ippon Kowashi could be attained is very important, but it is also important to understand that you may be required to execute more than one technique in order to end a confrontation.

I like your words here:

Killer Miller · Brown Belt

I appreciate your article and it was well written - Thank you. I agree that learning the "old" concepts that are commonly referred to are rare these day - true. But it is only rare because of the US popularity of Boxing in general, and the I'm a "tough guy" attitude in the US that spawned many of the popular MAs as a sport.

The true essence of the "old" arts was to defend and kill as many and as quickly as possible. This is definitely not the essence of Sport MAs and does not apply to one or another. The old arts of "kara-te" (empty hands) was actually training, in large part, a trilogy of arts to prepare one for Battle. This would be an offensive empty hand arts(s) like Karate or Jujitsu, a defensive art like Aikido, and one of the sword arts like Ken-do, Naginata, etc. And in some cases arts like Kyudo (archery).

These people were trying to defend their country and territories. This didn't mean to always kill, but kill if necessary... This concept of survival has no comparison to the boxing mentality. It was not a sport, it was a way of life to survive as a human being, family, or country. With this mentality of survival, life or death is one chance - or you may not get a second chance... This is what they taught, this is what they learned, and this is what they spent their entire lives perfecting.

The rare instructors of the "Old Arts" are coming to an end of their generation. What they teach is an "art of perfection" which is a life long challenge to achieve. Boxers and Sports Arts enthusiasts do not have what is takes, or nor do they want to spend the time to achieve this level of perfection. It is out there, and being passed on to younger instructors, but most busy Americans don't want to take the time to learn or perfect it to an effective level. It is effective, and can quickly kill if necessary, but takes high levels and years to obtain this level for effectiveness. But this extensive time span does not make the art(s) less effective or less meaningless, it just takes longer for effective results.

This reminds me of my business trip I was recently on and I spent a few days with my brother. My brother studies one of the "Boxing" style of arts. Off the cuff, we dropped by his dojo in our travels. There were a couple of guys training in a boxing ring they had set up when we got there. My brother said hello to them and introduced me to them and mentioned that I was a JKA black belt. The one guy was really friendly and cordial. The other guy was hanging over the edge of the boxing ring just staring me down like a rabid dog with the message that "I'm tougher than you and I'm going to rip your face off." I was always friendly while I was there, and really said nothing but "how's it going, please to meet you..." After a few minutes of this, I chuckled quietly smirked and left the dojo and waited for my brother. Here's someone that knows nothing about me or my skills, nor whom I've trained under and with, and he stares me down as if my art is an absolute waste of time like we are a bunch of pansies. My chuckle was because he had no clue as to what my art and purpose was really all about.

I just think that the old arts could be better respected and an attempt to truly understand why the arts are taught the way they are. Why it takes so long to properly learn. Why they are effective with the situation they are intended for. Why you can't compare Boxing or Sport MAs with the Old Arts. Etc...
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