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To begin to learn the toe kick, try gently kicking a bowling ball across the room with the tip of your big toe every day for two weeks. Before and after each training session, liberally apply dit da jow to your toe to help strengthen it and help it recover from the stress. For more information on the toe kick, check out our Toe Kick Training #1 and Toe Kick Training  #2 DVDs.

One way to find bunkai in your kata is to try using the same movement as a defense to an offensive attack.  Try coming from behind the attack to defend and counter-attack.

Try sparring slowly with only the moves from your kata (forms). Gradually add-in pressure point target areas.

Pressure points can be effectively used during ground fighting. The N.I.P.P.A. system of pressure point ground fighting breaks techniques down into three categories: (1) escapes, (2) transitions, and (3) submissions. Attacking a pressure point can be effective in helping you escape from both "hopeless" situations (e.g., a rear naked choke that has been sunk-in deep) and "crummy" situations (e.g., north-south). Attacking a point can also help you transition from a stalemate or a poor position to a better position (e.g., use jaw #2 to move your opponent's head so you can throw your leg over and sink-in an arm bar). And finally, attacking a point can lead to a submission (e.g., when you have mount, turn your opponent's head to the side and jam the tip of your thumb into jaw #1).

To double the amount of pain signals sent to your opponent's brain, and to thus increase the chance of a knockout, use occlusion. Occlusion is the simultaneous activation of more than one pressure point. As an example, if your opponent grabs your shirt at rib level, press both arm #1 and arm #2 to buckle his/her knees. This attack, followed-up immediately by a strike to (say) carotid #1, will cause an immediate knock-out (or worse)!

A properly executed kiai (spirit yell) not only awakens the fighting spirit of the person delivering a pressure point attack, it also startles the attacker and thus lower his/her blood pressure. This sudden drop in blood pressure, along with the pain signals delivered to the brain from the pressure point strike(s), causes the attacker to faint or become knocked out.

To make your pressure point strikes more powerful, wrap an elastic band from Dave's Gym in a Jar around each hand, and around your back, and then practice your kata. The band will create dynamic resistance and force you to work your muscles as you push out and pull in during each movement of the kata.

Master Hohan Soken's Eleventh Rule for Training in the Martial Arts: When one attains high rank in the martial arts, one should strive to advance others instead of bragging and boasting and praising himself. Karate training has no limits. Step by step you study and, one day in the future, you will enter the land of Shaolin.

Master Hohan Soken's Tenth Rule for Training in the Martial Arts: Refrain from overeating, drinking, and smoking, for these are bad habits that hinder the effectiveness of your training.

Master Hohan Soken's Ninth Rule for Training in the Martial Arts: Self praise and overconfidence are sicknesses that corrupt training.

Master Hohan Soken's Eighth Rule for Training in the Martial Arts: Always strive for achievement and, when advanced, one must not brag or boast.

Master Hohan Soken's Seventh Rule for Training in the Martial Arts: Training is on a continuous basis and one learns a little at a time. Do not take breaks in training as it will result in a step backwards.

Master Hohan Soken's Sixth Rule for Training in the Martial Arts: In order to advance, one must strive to attain the true spirit of karate.

Master Hohan Soken's Fifth Rule for Training in the Martial Arts: Listening and watching are key points of achievement.

Master Hohan Soken's Fourth Rule for Training in the Martial Arts: Take the advice of teachers, other senior students, and that of instructors. Listen to and never forget their advice. Respect all who practice the martial arts.

Master Hohan Soken's Third Rule for Training in the Martial Arts: All physical and mental training of karate should be combined as one - heart, mind, and body in unison at all times.

Master Hohan Soken's Second Rule for Training in the Martial Arts: During training, concentrate to the limit of mental endurance.

Master Hohan Soken's First Rule for Training in the Martial Arts: Always act in a courteous manner.

Master Nagamine’s Seventh Rule for an Effective Fighting Technique: Sighting the opponent must include seeing the whole opponent. See with the mind, not just with the eyes. Look into his eyes.

Master Nagamine’s Sixth Rule for an Effective Fighting Technique: The block must break the opponent’s balance; it must not give the opponent a chance to attack again.

Master Nagamine’s Fifth Rule for an Effective Fighting Technique: Your “third eye” must be able to judge your distance to that of your opponent. Don’t stand in front of your opponent, but let him stand in front of you.

Master Nagamine’s Fourth Rule for an Effective Fighting Technique: There must be good hand/feet coordination.

Master Nagamine’s Third Rule for an Effective Fighting Technique: Distancing between self and opponent must be accurate.

Master Nagamine’s Second Rule for an Effective Fighting Technique: Hands must move with smooth coordination.

Master Nagamine’s First Rule for an Effective Fighting Technique: Block and counter-attack must be one movement. One action contains two acts.

A simple piece of equipment you can use to strengthen your thumb for pressure point striking is created by mounting an empty peanut can on a wall (secure it to the wall with a screw through the bottom) and then attaching its plastic lid. Practice striking the lid with a pressure point thumb strike (a thrust punch with the thumb placed between, and protruding through, the index and middle fingers) until you can easily puncture it. At this point, place two lids on the can (one on top of the other) and tape them down with duct tape. When you can puncture both lids with a pressure point strike you'll be able to activate pressure points with deadly effectiveness. To learn more about this training tip see our Pressure Point Street Fighting tape.

A good way to strengthen your thumb so that you can more effectively activate "push" pressure points is to repeatedly push the tip of your thumb into a tennis ball. This will provide a type a resistance training for the thumb and improve your grip strength. To learn more about this training tip see our Pressure Point Clinic Tape #1.

When activating a "push" pressure point, be sure to use the tip of your thumb rather than the "flat" portion. In other words, "dig-in" with the thumb like you're trying to get a starting point when peeling an orange. Don't push with the flat portion of the thumb like you're being finger-printed.

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