Kime, or Chinkuchi

We often speak of "kime" in our classes:  The focusing of power at the end of a technique, at the moment of impact.  It is a sequence of relaxation / tension / relaxation which happens almost instantaneously in more advanced practitioners. This is a difficult concept to understand for a beginner, and one which needs constant attention and refinement for the more experienced student.  The beginner tends to have far too much tension in the body for kime to be effective.  This not only slows down the technique, but it can actually be damaging to the body.  There is a good article in the Shotokan Times discussing fascia - the covering of organs, connective tissue, and muscles which is found throughout the body - and its relationship to Kime.


In Okinawa, there is a slightly different term regarding this concept:  Chinkuchi.  It is the process of near instantaneous tension and release throughout the body, which must be learned by physical practice over a period of years before mastery can be approached.  Jesse Enkamp describes this as a feeling like a sneeze.


A really down-in-the-weeds examination of this subject can be found in an article published in the research journal Body and Society.  This article is rather esoteric, but it can be summarized thusly:  Kime is a body consciousness which is achieved through repeated thoughtful practice of the body in motion.


Obviously, the key to achieving Kime - and anything else in Karate - is PRACTICE.  Regular, dedicated, intentional practice. 



Get on the deck and sweat.