Master Shotokan Fundamentals Shomen and Hanmi

Karate Fundamentals: A Guide to Shomen and Hanmi Hip and Body Rotation
I'm outside to break down a core concept of karate: the dynamic between Shomen and Hanmi.

This is one of the most basic and important fundamentals in Shotokan karate. It's something we practice constantly, from the first day in the dojo right up to the black belt level. Mastering this hip and body rotation is key to building a strong foundation.

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What Are Shomen and Hanmi?
In simple terms, Shomen and Hanmi refer to the orientation of your hips and body relative to your opponent.

Shomen (正面): Square-facing. Your hips and shoulders are facing directly forward. When you first learn basic kihon (fundamentals), you often start in a Shomen position.

Hanmi (半身): Side-facing. Your hips and body are turned to the side, at roughly a 45-degree angle. We use Hanmi for our first blocks.

The Foundational Exercise: Gedan Barai to Gyaku Zuki
A great exercise to feel this rotation is to combine a downward block (gedan barai) with a reverse punch (gyaku zuki) in a front stance (zenkutsu-dachi).

The Block (Hanmi)
Start with a downward block. The goal is to get your body into a full Hanmi (side-facing) position.

Really pull your hip, the side of your body, and your thigh back.

Focus on your hikite (the pulling hand). It should be pulled back tightly to your hip. Be careful not to let your upper arm be visible from the front—keep it tucked in.

Ensure your front knee doesn't cave inwards.

The Punch (Shomen)
From the Hanmi position of the block, you will execute a reverse punch.

Drive off your back leg. The power should travel from the heel, up through the leg, and into the hip.

Rotate your entire body into a Shomen (square-facing) position.

As a starting point, try to time the completion of the hip rotation with the full extension of your punch.

Key Focus Points
Timing is Everything: Initially, focus on a simple rule: your technique and your body rotation finish at the exact same moment. As you block, your body rotates to Hanmi. As you punch, it rotates to Shomen.

Drive from the Ground Up: The power for your reverse punch comes from the floor. Drive off the back leg to initiate the hip rotation. Don't just use your arm.

Knee Stability: Keep your front knee stationary throughout the rotation. Do not let it cave in or push out. Engage your inner thigh muscles to lock it in place. I personally focus on tightening the inner thighs on impact (kime), though you might see my knee move slightly. The key is to control it.

Avoid Early Rotation: As you get faster, resist the urge to start rotating your hips as you prepare the next technique. The rotation should be a sharp, decisive movement that happens with the block or punch, not before it.

Drill 1: In-Place Rotation
Let's put this into a simple drill. From your front stance:

Execute a downward block, rotating fully into Hanmi.

Without moving your feet, execute a reverse punch, rotating fully into Shomen.

Return slowly and with control to the Hanmi block position.

Repeat, focusing on the feeling of pulling back into Hanmi and driving forward into Shomen.

Start slowly, then gradually increase the speed, always returning to the start position with control.

Drill 2: A More Practical Application
Now, let's adapt this for a more realistic, self-defence-oriented drill. In this version, we will step back into the block, and we will not use a traditional hikite.

The idea here is that the blocking arm could be used to parry, check, or grab an opponent. A strong hikite practice allows you to effectively grab and pull an opponent off-balance as you counter. For this exercise, however, we will leave the blocking arm out.

Start in a ready position.

Step back with one leg into a front stance, executing a downward block. Your body will be in Hanmi. Your blocking arm stays forward.

From there, execute a reverse punch, rotating your hips to Shomen.

Repeat on the other side.

The sequence is: Step Back & Block (Hanmi) - Punch (Shomen).

So there you have it—a small exercise to help you work on your Shomen and Hanmi rotation. I hope you enjoyed the video and found this guide helpful.

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