Kyoshin Sabaki

Kyoshin Sabaki is not just one style but also a combination of various styles, with an emphasis on Ashihara Karate.

Its main aim is to allow a person to defend themselves in a real world environment, in real situations. For example, - Its late at night and you've just finished work, you're walking to your car, railway station, etc. Suddenly an attacker that wants to really hurt you confronts you, there is around 3 – 5 seconds to end the confrontation. Not something you will learn in a tournament or constantly training every night under lights or on nice jigsaw mats in your dojo.

Kyoshin Sabaki is not here to degrade other styles, but the truth is it's hard to throw someone if your attacked in a phone booth, grapple someone on the ground if your standing ankle deep in a pool of mud or the ground is covered in broken glass. Likewise trying to kick on loose or uneven ground.

You must have the ability and techniques to change your fighting style to suit, still within the 3 – 5 second time frame, hence the need for training in awareness skills as well as your physical skills.

Shihan Chris Parsons who trained for many years in Ashihara as well as other styles founded Kyoshin Sabaki. Shihan Chris found the need to enhance his instruction format even further due to changes in attackers style of fighting and level of violence. This was achieved by Shihan Chris training with other instructors of various styles and also by talking to his students of various ages and occupations about their needs. Therefore a single technique can be adapted to suit the individual size, shape, height or other needs.

Now the student is learning a technique or combination of techniques that will work for them.

All forms of self-defence are reactive ie: all your reactions are governed by the attackers initial actions. You need to have choices ie:- walk away, take down to a submission/control point or launch a quick attack/counter-attack. Depending upon your situation ie:- multiple attackers, you may need to take control and attack first. You must be able to control your first opponent very quickly and still retain a position that gives you the choice to plan your movements.

Kyoshin Sabaki is a reactive style that allows you, through understanding of positioning, distance, etc. , to act accordingly on your terms and not the attackers.

The techniques that a female student learns whilst wearing her Gi must be adaptable and work when she is wearing a tight dress and high heels. The same for a male wearing a big heavy jacket and a set of work boots, a child carrying their books home from school, or as mentioned earlier, standing in that infamous phone booth.