By Martín Fernández Rincón

Copyright © 2000, All the right reserved. 

Introduction.
1. Origin of the kamae.
2. Purpose.
3. Function.
a. The kamae like corporal protection.
b. The kamae like facilitator of certain technical actions.
c. The kamae like method of the opponent's distraction.
d. The no-apparent kamae.
4. Types.
- Of closed hands.
- Of open hands.
- Mixed.
- Written of Musashi Miyamoto on the kamae.
5. The kamae and their linking to the displacements.
6. Relationship between the kamae of the armed Bujutsu and those of Karate-dô.
7. Conclusion. 

Introduction.
Commonly well-known as guard or posture, the one finishes kamae it is one of the words more used in the classes of Karate. Although it is not always used in the most correct way, or with the most appropriate methodology. The kamae, far from being a certain form of locating our members or corporal posture, is a wider term that includes aspects, as: the psychic state, concentration degree or the mental attitude; until arriving to other more quantifiable like they are: posture, situation of the arms and hands, the displacements and other elements that are manifested in the person's space location. We don't have more than to observe the Kamae of a karate-ka to know he is in what phase of the learning. For it, anything better than looking attentively at the following thing: “their expressions when moving, the transition of a posture to other, the step of a kamae to other, the flow of their breathing, the situation of their look, like it uses the maai or distance with the contrary one” and other important aspects that without a doubt some will indicate us very approximately the level or experience that hold. 
 Because another side, and like I will develop later on, it is very important not to forget the existent relationship between many of the kamae and applications of the Karate-dô with their homologous in the Bujutsu with weapons as the Ken-jutsu, Ken-dô, or their ancestors like the Jigen-ryu. 

 1. Origin of the kamae. 
If already of for yes, it is very difficult or impossible to determine with accuracy the origin of the karate in spite of the existent bibliography, by the way, quite contradictory in many aspects. More difficult it still turns out to establish the origin of this part of the bujutsu or of the karate in particular, “the kamae”. although, and by way of hypothesis, I dare to outline that the use of the kamae like such it arises as consequence in the way in that the first warriors passed from a defense situation to one of attack or vice versa , and therefore, of the introduction of these phases adapted in their repertoire of technical of combat. It is not necessary to be any erudite to know that until the animals they have their peculiar form of using the kamae, -if they allow me the expression. P. E.g. the felines adopt some certain postures or very different attitudes when they attack to when they are come in danger or harassed. And this way, it could enumerate different examples that are in the memory of all, but this, is not the case that occupies us. For that that, returning to the hypothesis outlined in this section, the origin of the kamae arises of the necessity of the first Budokas or warriors, which needed an order when structuring its combat techniques and an effective method to pass from some to others without leaving openings or dead points in these phases. For it, some certain ones arose “postures or guards” called kamae to wait and/or to outline the combat. And independently that the warrior was a samurai or an unarmed Budoka, this could pass from a defensive attitude to an offensive, to change position, or to fight at the same time with several opponents without showing signs of physical neither mental opening and this way to connect his actions in perfect synchrony. Therefore, using the military terminology can say that the use of the kamae allows that the techniques are more operative. That is to say, leaving of some postures and established kamae, the samurai or Budoka could evolve until some more personal kamae and adapted according to the preferences and each person's aptitudes, or in function of the weapon or of the situation to the one that faces.

 2. Purpose.
The purpose or purpose of the kamae in the bujutsu (with or without weapons) it was and it is of strategic character and in turn and in certain aesthetic or artistic way. Well, in certain sense the domain in the art of the kamae denotes in the Budoka a domain and security in the practiced art. They are many the anecdotes in this sense they exist in the books of martial arts. In these histories: the apparent security, the indifference to the life, and a kamae without evident opening makes the aggressor to desist of his idea of fighting when losing the trust in itself. At the present time, although some situations so romantic or idealistic are not given, yes many fights have been avoided when the aggressors in power have not been able to intimidate a sure person of itself and resolved to everything. As soon as, to the Jyu Kumite or free combat or in Shiai Kumite (it combats ruled), the case of the lost combats is given before beginning, for him previously described, or those that once begun they are managed with a masterful trust for karate-ka that dominate the different aspects of the kumite, among these the attitude manifested in its form of moving and in the kamae adopted. 

 3. Function.
If for function of the kamae we understand in what aspects of the practice of the Karate-dô it is of utility the application of these, I dare to say that it is indispensable for all the facets of the formation of a Karate-ka. And like sample, I will develop some of the aspects shortly in those that it will impact the domain of the same ones:

a. The kamae like corporal protection.
This first form indicates that the adoption of a certain guard or kamae will allow to the karate-ka to impede or at least to hinder the possible attacks of an opponent. Another of the functions of the kamae like corporal protection, are that protecting a certain area of the body can be good to incite the opponent to attack the area more unprotect. With that which, we are taking to the opponent to our land and by means of a protection strategy what we really look for is to direct their attacks toward where we want.

b. The kamae like facilitator of certain technical actions.
That is to say, a certain corporal posture and that of their members facilitates the technical good use of some certain ones, be of attack or defense. This is this way, since we all know that adopting a certain kamae, either jodan, chudan, gedan or combined, or of closed fist, I flow open or both, it will allow us a better action or reaction with certain technical. P. E.g. From the classic kamae of the late fist located in hikite in the hip. goes us to allow to carry out any indirect attack perfectly. However, the indirect attacks will be more hindered, although adaptations can always be made in the trajectory of a technique.  

c. The kamae like method of the opponent's distraction.
When a watch or kamae denote insecurity or it lacks of assurance, it induces to the opponent's attack. On the contrary, when this kamae is active and/or the concentration and attitude they are excellent, the opponent will be absorbed in how an opening to find in us. It is at this time, when we can adopt another kamae and to throw an attack fulminated. A perfect domain in the use of the kamae and of the technical actions from them hinders the actions of the contrary one and can make lose the security to the same ones.

d. The no-apparent kamae.
It is when, “without an apparent attitude” of concentration or combative preparation, all the elements are perfectly alert and willing for their setting in action. Said otherwise, although the karateka can seem in an indolent attitude, all his being is really receptive and he waits a minimum opportunity or failure of the contrary one to act in an immediate way. Many times the situation of the arms, the posture, the look and general attitude doesn't denote the individual's interior activity. This way, inexpressive on the outside and much activated inwardly one can react of surprising form and fulminated.

4. Types of Kamae.
- Kamae of closed hands.
This kamae type is usually the more practiced in the first stadiums, because usually gives mostly in the basic kata. In a principle the kamae of closed hand gives a bigger security to the practitioner, because they transmit a protection sensation and in turn of combative potentiality. So many possibilities exist of adopting a Kamae of closed hands as the karate-ka it can imagine. Although, the most common is to locate the attack arm in correspondence with the late foot and the early arm as protection measure and defense. Although this is not always this way, because it will depend on multiple aspects like the practitioner's level, habit in their style or school, attitude with which attacks the combat, etc. 

- Kamae of open hands.
In a principle, the hand kamae opened up is maybe those fewer used or operative, since the first learned techniques are usually the defenses and the attacks of closed fist. And therefore, it becomes easier to use them leaving of a kamae of closed hand. Although neither it is necessary to forget that the man's natural tendency is to take the open hands. For this reason, and without intending it, those karate-ka they usually open the hands in the kamae adopted during the exercises or in the own kumite. Also, it is of standing out that the adoption of kamae of open hand allows a bigger corporal relaxation and absence of unnecessary tensions at least in the first levels where to close the fists is usually synonymous of tension. For it, it is common in the realization of series of technical of leg to take the open hands, because in certain form it facilitates their execution and it contributes to mitigate the tensions. Of equal it forms it happens with the athletics sprinter and their sway of arms with the hands opened up in conjunction with the hip tanden and legs.
 
Mixed Kamae.
Understands each other as such to those that use an open hand and another closed one indistinctly. The fact of locating an open hand and another closed one can have different meanings, among them, an early open hand usually indicates that it is the defensive hand or of anticipation, provided it is not a feint or strategy of distraction. The contrary case, the closed early hand and the late one open, it is less common, although it can be given perfectly in the karateka that easily they pass of a kamae to other and they don't have problems when carrying out technical of open or closed hand indistinctly, be already direct or indirect.
To finish this section on the kamae types and their use, anything better than reproducing the words of Musashi Miyamoto in their treaty “Gorin No Sho” a masterful work on the “strategy in the road of the sable.”

“Without thinking of the Kamae”
........ / The secret of the art of being combated has said that is in dominating the chudan-gamae. Or also in being located in one of the five postures: jodan, chudan, gedan, migi waki (right side), hidari waki (left side), in accordance with the moment and the opponent.
But, while the postures can be divided in five, the purpose is one. For it, whichever it is the posture to take is not this the purpose in itself; the purpose is to intercept the person, taking a short cut its attack. To stop the enemy's sword, hitting it, deviating it or braking is she everything you form of achieving the purpose, but the forms and the objective they should not made a mistake.
If we lower a jodan-gamae a little he/she becomes chudan, if we go up this of agreement with the necessity it is a jodan. Going up a gedan according to the circumstances is in chudan-gamae. If the circumstances request it coarse from the center to vary a little to change to migi waki or hidari waki, well in chudan or in gedan. Minimum variations offer multiple situations inside a Kamae.

 5. The kamae and their linking to the displacements.
If there is an essential component in the Karate that should not be neglected in the daily practice, this it is without a doubt the displacements. And of little serves to have a certain ability in the techniques of the Karate if among these abilities doesn't meet the domain of the distance with the opponent “maai” and that of the displacements in any angle and address, in all the possible variants, until getting a fluency and naturalness in the same ones. Centering us in the displacements that it is the point that now occupies us, it is convenient to remember that depending on the style or practiced art the name or Japanese meaning can vary to denominate oneself thing. Although, those most used ones are generally:
Yori ashi: simultaneous displacement of both feet.
Tsugi ashi: alternative displacement of both feet.
Kae ashi or Ayumi ashi: complete displacement with change of situation of the early foot or of the late one
Irimi tsugi ashi: displacement forward, but in diagonal or oblique address regarding the opponent.
Tobi ashi: more than a displacement is a jump in itself although when it implies a position change in the space it can be considered a displacement in certain measure.
Tai sabaki: It is a displacement of the body that rotates on their vertical axis, and moves in circular trajectories.
Henka: it is guard's change or posture without moving the feet. It is a Tai Sabaki or turn of 180º (half turn) pivoting simultaneously on both feet. Effective against an attack that it is to the back. Effective against an attack that it is to the back.
Migi Tenkan: it is a turn of 180º in which is pivoted on the front metatarsus of the right foot that doesn't move.

 Other variants.
These displacements can be carried out in anyone of the addresses “ahead, behind lateral, to circulate in diagonal” and as many possibilities as circumstances can be given in our practice. Also, they should train in different ways: using positions with different heights and kamae of all type, varying the addresses, the angles, the travelled distance; and I not eat, combining the different displacements together with different techniques.         

6. Relationship between the kamaes of the armed Bujutsu and those of Karate-dô. 
Of all it is known the great influence that the armed bujutsu, especially the “Way of the Sable” (Ken-dô, Ken-jutsu, Jigen-ryu),  has had on the evolution of the Karate-do. Being the Ken or Katana the soul of the samurai and symbol of the Japanese town, how didn't go to it turns influenced the Karate-do for this fact. We don't have more than to observe certain movements of the katas to notice the influence of the armed bujutsu. Kamae and applications exist inside our katas, in the different styles that come from the art of the samurai with the katana; included the double “kamae” of the school of the two sables of  Musashi Miyamoto . The own system of work of Go hon kumite and the kihon-kumite in general were taken and adapted of the Ken-dô. Therefore, the different applications of open hand, without a doubt some, they were influenced by the form of using the katana, not in vain in many books is translated “shuto” like sable hand. But, it is not only the katana, influences also exist in the movements of our taken kata of the art of the Bo-jutsu or of the Jo-jutsu long stick and I cut respectively.
If we take the five basic kamae of the Ken-jutsu:
- Jodan No Gamae.  
- Chudan No Gamae.  
- Gedan No Gamae.  
- Waki No Gamae.
- Hasso No Gamae.

Of each one of these kamae we can find their homonyms in the practice of the karate, so much in sequences of the kata like in the kamae adopted in different moments of the training of Kihon-Kumite or free kumite. In many of them one can notice great influence of the Ken-jutsu depending on the natural weapons that we use, fist or open hand or combinations of the same ones.

 7. Conclusion.
To finish I must say that each one of the sections of this work would have been susceptible of a bigger extension. But, the idea of which subscribes has been giving a group vision about the importance of the use of the kamae in the daily practice of the Karate. And not to be relegated to the practitioner's free will, at least not in their initial formation. For it, and maybe abusing of the hypothesis, such aspects have been seen as: The origin, purpose and function of the kamae, as well as the different kamae types and the linking of these with the displacements. Also, and by way of reflection, it has been on the unquestionable influence of the Bujutsu armed in the schools of combat of empty hand. Fact this demonstrated in the great similarity between the kamae of Ken-jutsu and Ken-do and in a same way the parallelism between the court techniques or puncture of this martial art with the hand techniques open of Karate-do. If something should be clear in this work it is that the martial arts with becoming of the times have received contributions some from others. In some cases these contributions are evident being been able to decipher their origin, and in other occasions the elements of an art are so perfectly imbricate that is difficult to say if such or which technique or movement comes of here or of there.
Lastly, and I eat colophon, a taken poetry of the book “Karate-Dô My Way of life. By Funakoshi Gichin. That shows the importance of knowing the origin of the things.

“To search for the old is to understand the new. This is a matter of time. In all things man must have a clear mind. The Way, who passes it on straight and well?”

Albacete (Spain), May of the 2.000