The Hips Have It

By Christopher Caile
(With Added Commentary by George Donahue)

In karate, taekwondo and kung fu students are constantly reminded about putting our hips into various techniques to add power. But what is not said is that sometimes what we don’t do with our hips is just as important.

What does this mean? Well, for example, most students are taught that thrusting your hips into a front kick adds both power and reach. This is true. But, if you are trying to execute a quick follow up punch, the forward thrust of the hips actually reduces the speed of your follow up technique.

That’s because when you push your hips forward, you lose your center. That means you have to pull your hips back to regain your center and balance before an effective punch can be launched. This takes time and allows your opponent the opportunity to defend himself more easily.

If instead you hold your hips back when you do a front kick, your follow-up punch can be launched much more quickly. Here, for example, the punch begins as the kicking leg is pulled back. The retreating kick and punch work together, one retreating, the other extending, just as you would do as if you punched with one arm and then the other. This allows the possibility of a whole flurry of quick techniques — punches and kicks.

I have always wondered about the old photo of Chojun Mayagi, the founder of Goju-ryu, which shows him doing a front kick while also blocking with both arms. While the particular effectiveness of the technique shown may be questioned, the photo does illustrate this same conservation of hip movement so as to be able to execute simultaneous techniques.

Another good example of holding the hips back is in the executing of a front kick that turns into a roundhouse kick. If the hip is extended into the front kick, it is difficult to follow with a roundhouse kick with the same leg without pulling the hip back first.

A much more effective method is to hold the hips back when doing the front kick and then using them to power the following roundhouse kick. In this way the two kicks can be combined and the second kick launched much more quickly and powerfully.

On the Other Hand

By George Donahue

Sometimes in martial arts, as in most of our experience, we fall into the trap of thinking that if something is not “A” then it must be “B” and only “B.” Sometimes there really are only two choices, but most times there are more choices, if we look at the situation more intently. We have to be careful that we don’t disregard “C” and even “D” through “Z,” if they’re at hand.

I read my friend Chris Caile’s article “The Hips Have It” with great interest. I agree with Chris completely that the manner of hanging out the hip to create greater extension and thrust with a kick is not really optimal, however traditional it may be in certain styles, particularly those originating in Japan rather than Okinawa. In my younger days, I used to love it when my sparring partners fell into the error of overextension-with either the leg or arm-as it usually made for easy disposal, and it at least greatly improved the odds in my favor, despite my smaller size. I was also many times able to take advantage of an attacker’s overextension in my days as a nightclub suirakan doorman. There is no easier way to take someone’s balance than by letting him do the work for you himself.

However, to keep the hips retracted and/or centered sacrifices too much potential power, limits the kicking range and height, and severely constrains delivery speed. It allows your attacker to stay much closer to you and to dictate ma-ai, the fighting distance. You cannot maximize your effort if you stay in a state of contraction, hips at neutral.

So, in this case, neither “A,” extending into the kick, or “B” not extending into the kick, is without limitation. Both have some pluses, but both have some heavy negatives, too. That means it’s time to start thinking about whether there might be other alternatives. In fact, there are more than one that I’m aware of, and there are probably many more that I haven’t seen or figured out yet, but we’ll keep matters simple by discussing only one, the most basic, which incorporates elements of both “A” and “B.”

Okay, here is yet another way to kick, one that involves driving with the hips, extending with the hips, and snapping back with the hips. We won’t call it “C,” because then you might have broken the habit of thinking there are only two ways to kick and simply fall into the habit of thinking there are just three ways to kick. We’ll call it “G,” so that it will prompt you to think about what “C” through “F” might be, and whether there might also be alternatives “H” through “?”.

In any stance conducive to kicking, with your hips neutral, begin by driving the hip in your non-kicking leg forward, without letting either of your feet go anywhere. When you’ve stretched your stance as far as it will stretch without snapping or toppling, then with all the power you can muster thrust the hip of your kicking leg toward your target, without letting your kicking foot go anywhere. When you’ve reached the state of maximum stretch of your kicking leg, release your kicking foot. Allow the stretch of your stance and your kicking leg to snap your foot to the target, like a big rock on the end of a giant rubber band. Your hip will be in the lead and will be in a position similar to that used in ordinary thrust kicks. However, you will not extend fully until after contact, saving the last six inches or so of your now increased reach to drive through the target. Here’s where you get into trouble if you don’t have good mastery of your koshi, not just the hips but the entire pelvic carriage and the muscle and connective tissue surrounding it. As you drive through your target, your driving hip is already changing direction and heading back to neutral. It’s working like the handle of a very thick whip to snap your foot (or knee) through the target and then continue to snap it back through the target so that, in essence, you’re kicking on the way in and on the way out.

Method “G” won’t work if you keep your hips on a single horizontal plane. You have to swivel them like a sexy walker to execute this technique successfully. Loosen up; give it a try.

About the Author Christopher Caile

Christopher Caile

Christopher Caile is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of FightingArts.com. He has been a student of the martial arts for over 65 years.

He first started in judo while in college. Then he added karate as a student of Phil Koeppel in 1959 studying Kempo and Wado-Ryu karate. He later added Shotokan Karate where he was promoted to brown belt and taught beginner classes. In 1960 while living in Finland, Caile introduced karate to that country and placed fourth in that nation’s first national judo tournament.

Wanting to further his karate studies, Caile then hitch hiked from Finland to Japan traveling through Scandinavia, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South and Southeast Asia — living on 25 cents a day and often sleeping outside.

Arriving in Japan (1962), Caile was introduced to Mas Oyama and his fledgling full contact Kyokushinkai Karate by Donn Draeger, the famous martial artist and historian. Donn also housed him with several other senior international judo practitioners. Donn became Caile’s martial arts mentor, coaching him in judo and introducing him to Shinto Muso-ryu under Takaji Shimizu.

Caile studied at Oyama’s honbu dojo and also at Kenji Kurosaki’s second Tokyo Kyokushinkai dojo. In his first day in class Oyama asked Caile to teach English to his chief instructor, Tadashi Nakamura. They have been friends ever since. Caile also participated in Oyama’s masterwork book, “This Is Karate.”

Caile left Japan with his black belt and designation as Branch Chief, the first in the US to have had extensive training in Japan directly under Oyama Sensei. As such, Oyama Sensei asked him to be his representative on visits to his US dojos to report on their status.

A little over a year later, Nakamura, Kusosaki and Akio Fujihira won an epic David vs. Goliath challenge match against Thailand’s professional Muay Thai Boxers in Bangkok, Thailand, thrusting Kyolushinkai and Nakamura into national prominence.

Back in the US Caile taught Kyokushinkai karate in Peoria, Il while in college and later in Washington, DC. while in graduate school. Durimg this time Shihan Nakamura had moved to New York City to head Kyokushinkai’s North American Operation.

In 1976 when Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura formed the World Seido Karate organization, Caile followed. Living then in Buffalo, NY, Caile taught Seido karate and self-defense at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo) for over 15 years where he also frequently lectured on martial arts and Zen in courses on Japanese culture.

Caile moved to New York City in 1999 to marry Jackie Veit. He is now an 8th degree black belt, Hanshi, training in Seido Karate’s Westchester, NY Johshin Honzan (Spiritual Center) dojo. In Seido Caile is known for his teaching of and seminars on kata applications. He also produced a 14 segment video series on Pinan kata Bunkai currently available to Seido members.

Caile is also a long-time student and Shihan in Aikido. He studied in Buffalo, under Mike Hawley Shihan, and then under Wadokai Aikido’s founder, the late Roy Suenaka (uchi deshi under Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido and was Shihan under Tohei Sensei). In karate, Suenaka (8thdan) was also an in-house student of the Okinawan karate master Hohan Soken.

Having moved to New York City, Caile in 2000 founded this martial arts educational website, FightingArts.com. Twenty-five years later, in 2025, it underwent a major update and revision.

For FightingArts.com and other publications Caile wrote hundreds of articles on karate, martial arts, Japanese art, Chinese Medicine and edited a book on Zen. He also developed relationships with a cross section of leading martial arts teachers. Over the last four decades he has conducted extensive private research into karate and martial arts including private translations of the once secret Okinawan hand copied and passed on Kung Fu book, the Bubishi, as well as an early karate book by the karate master Kenwa Mabuni. He periodically returns to Japan and Okinawa to continue his studies and participate Seido karate events. In Tokyo he practiced (with Roy Suenaka Sensei) in a variety of aikido organizations with their founders – including private interviews and practices at the Aiki-kai Aikido Honbu dojo with the son and grandson of aikido’s founder, Doshu (headmaster) Kisshomaru (an old uchi-deshi friend) and his son, Moriteru Ueshiba and in Iwama with Morihiro Saito. On Okinawa he studied Goju Ryu karate under Eiichi Miyazato, 10th dan founder of Naha’s Jundokan, and also with Yoshitaka Taira (who later formed his own organization, who specialized in kata Bunkai. While there Caile also trained with Hohan Soken’s senior student, Master Fusei Kise, 10 dan as well as with the grandson of the legendary karate master Anko Itosu.

Caile’s other martial arts experience includes: Diato-ryu Aikijujitsu and Kenjitsu, kobudo, boxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Kali (empty hand, knife and bolo), study of old Okinawan Shoran-ryu & Tomari body mechanics, study of old Okinawan kata under Richard Kim, study of close quarter defense and combat, including knife and gun defenses, Kyusho Jitsu and several Chinese fighting arts including 8 Star Praying Mantis, Pak Mei (White Eyebrow), and a private family system of Kung Fu.

Caile is also a student of Zen as well as a long-term student of one branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chi Kung (Qigong). As one of two senior disciples of Chi Kung master Dr. Shen (M.D., Ph.D.) Caile was certified to teach and practice. This led to Caile’s founding of the The Chi Kung Healing Institute on Grand Island, NY. In Western NY, he also frequently held Chi Kung seminars, including at SUNY Buffalo and at the famous Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY. His articles on Chi Kung also appeared in the Holistic Health Journal and in several books on alternative medicine.

Caile holds a BA in International Studies from Bradley University and MA in International Relations with a specialty in South and Southeast Asia from American University in Washington, D.C. While in Buffalo, NY he also studied digital and analog electronics.

In his professional life Caile also worked in public relations and as a newspaper reporter and photographer. Earlier he worked in the field of telecommunications including Managing a Buffalo, NY sales and service branch for ITT. He then founded his own private telephone company. This was followed by creation of an electrical engineering company that designed and patented his concept for a new type of low-cost small business telephone system (which was eventually sold to Bell South). The company also did contract work for Kodak and the US space program. Simultaneously Caile designed and manufactured a unique break-apart portable pontoon boat.

Most recently Caile co-founded an internet software company. Its products include software suites with AI capability for control and management of streaming media, such as video and music, an all-in-one book publishing software product for hardcover, eBook and audio book creation and security software for buildings and government use.

For more details about Christopher Caile’s martial arts, work experience and life profile, see the About section in the footer of this site.

George Donahue