Tsuku Kihon

Tsuku Kihon refers to advanced combat techniques used and taught by some shotokan karate instructors. The idea behind tsuku kihon is that power and closing distance are greatly enhanced by propelling the body forward using basic karate principles. A basic group of approximately 25 tsuku kihon combinations was developed by the Japan Karate Association as part of the advanced Instructor Training curriculum, which only top-level instructors were invited to study at the Tokyo Honbu Dojo. Sensei Luis Bernardo Mercado decided to expand and categorize tsuku kihon in order to increase its applications and to create a formal structure for teaching them. Many years of trial and error by the author of this book resulted in an additional 41 combinations and three methods by which tsuku kihon can be systematically taught to intermediate and advanced karate students. This book is a result of that effort.