What is Sabaki

* Sabaki is a unique method of meeting an attack by combining defence and offense into one.

* Sabaki uses one of four fundamental circular movements in response to an attacker's thrust. These movements carry the defender to the outside- left or right of an attack, moving either slightly forward or backward.

* In each case, the defender move's to the attacker's back side. This limits the defender's exposure to frontal attack. In addition, it allows the defender to develop a "blind spot" in the attacker's position.

* Once the defender has developed this "blind spot", he/she can take strategic advantage of this position by entering that "blind spot" and countering effectively with various combinations of punches and kicks.

* No matter what the distance - short, medium or long - this strategy of moving outside and to an opponent's "blind spot" is essential.

* In Ashihara Karate the practitioner learns to be aware of three types of distances and the Sabaki that applies to each.