Gohon Kumite Drill Book
Mat Manual companion guide to "Gohon Kumite: The Five Steps You Rushed Through." Print it. The article argues that the five-step form is the first rung of the kumite ladder, not a warm-up for it. This book trains it tha…
| Art | Shotokan Karate |
|---|---|
| Family | Karate |
| Level | beginner |
| Format | playbook |
| Topics | sparring, fundamentals, training-plans |
Mat Manual companion guide to "Gohon Kumite: The Five Steps You Rushed Through." Print it. The article argues that the five-step form is the first rung of the kumite ladder, not a warm-up for it. This book trains it that way: attack and block standards for the standard menu, the distance standard printed on the cards, step-integrity drills, retreat-block progressions, counter standards, partner-feeding dosage, a fault table, and a grading-look checklist.
Name: ______________________________ Dojo: ______________________________ Current grade: ______________ Working attacks this block: ______________
BEFORE ANYTHING: SCOPE AND SAFETY ☐ Attacks in this book are thrown at the agreed target and the agreed contact level for your grade. The defender's head is never the contact point for a beginner pair; jodan attacks are blocked, not landed. ☐ Either partner stops any rep with one word, for any reason. A stopped rep counts as a completed rep. ☐ Wrists and forearms take the blocks in this book. Sharp joint pain, numbness, or a forearm that is already bruised ends blocking work for the day. Muscle effort is training; joint pain is information. ☐ Speed rises only when the standards in the current part pass at the current speed. A pair that cannot hold distance at walking pace does not get to try at running pace. ☐ The menu and details here follow the common Shotokan teaching. Your instructor's version governs in your dojo; note variations on the form card in Part 1.
Part 1: The Form Card
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | Gohon kumite (five-step sparring) |
| Shape | Attacker announces the attack, steps in five times; defender steps back five times, blocking each; one counter after the fifth block; reset; swap roles |
| Standard menu in this book | Jodan oi zuki / age uke; chudan oi zuki / soto uke or uchi uke; mae geri / gedan barai |
| Counter | Gyaku zuki (reverse punch) unless your instructor sets another |
| Distance standard | The gap at the fifth attack equals the gap at the first (Part 2) |
| Position on the ladder | First rung. Ippon kumite and jiyu ippon are separate books and are not re-taught here |
| Your school's variations | Chudan block used: ______________ Counter used: ______________ Count or commands: ______________ |
Fill in the variations before the first session. A drill book that argues with your instructor helps nobody.
Gohon Kumite Drill Book
Mat Manual companion guide to "Gohon Kumite: The Five Steps You Rushed Through." Print it. The article argues that the five-step form is the first rung of the kumite ladder, not a warm-up for it. This book trains it that way: attack and block standards for the standard menu, the distance standard printed on the cards, step-integrity drills, retreat-block progressions, counter standards, partner-feeding dosage, a fault table, and a grading-look checklist.
What's Inside
- Part 1: The Form Card
- Part 2: The Distance Standard
- Part 3: Attack Standards: The Announced Attack
- Part 4: Attack Cards: Jodan Oi Zuki
- Part 5: Attack Cards: Chudan Oi Zuki and Mae Geri
- Part 6: Block Standards: Age Uke
- …and 22 more sections
The full guide is a paid Mat Manual product. Checkout is not connected yet — no payment is taken on this page.
Free companion article: Gohon Kumite: The Five Steps You Rushed Through — the full article, free in full.