Bucks County Karate School

This list is all the students who earned their Black Belts under Senesi Pursell (4th Dan) at Bucks County Karate School.
Third Dan -
Jen Walker
Second Dan-
First Dan -
Bill Gillis
Chris Gillis
Doug Powell
Eve Packel
Nathan Packel
Tommy Solly
Josh Weisel
Eric Lekich
Helen Lekich
Nick Coromilas
Michael Frenzen
Brady Lozen
Come train with us.

Bucks County Karate | Traditional Shotokan As members of the AJKA-I, Bucks County Karate School teaches traditional JKA Shotokan Karate.

After completing the Instructor training program for the AJKA-I you need to write papers on all of the 43 topics plus a personal research paper. My topic was Front Kick. Once all my 44 papers were submitted I had to teach a class in front of my piers on this topic. Doing all of this qualified me to test for Yondon (4th degree Black Belt)

Stacy Pursell
Instructor Trainee
Front Kick (personal research paper)
December 26, 2018
Front Kick

Geri Waza means kicking techniques. Some of the most powerful techniques in karate are kicks. Mae Geri or "Front Kick," is the most basic of all the kicks in Shotokan karate. Mae Geri is the topic of this paper.

Kicking techniques fit into three categories.
1) Snapping Kicks or Keage- Mae Geri, Yoko Geri Keage and Mawashi Geri are snapping kicks
2) Thrust Kicks or Kekomi- Yoko Geri Kekomi, Fumikomi and Ushiro Geri are thrust kicks
3) Striking Kicks or Special Kicks- Yoko Tobi Geri and Mae Tobi Geri are flying kicks.
Knee strikes or Hiza Geri are considered a knee kick. They are very powerful and the striking surface is right above the knee.
Before we start kicking lets go over some of the body mechanics on how it all works.

Understanding balance is very important. Correct posture is key. Leaning in any direction takes the centre of gravity away and disrupts balance and stability. The lower the centre of gravity the more stable the body is.
Balance is the ability to stay upright or stay in control of body movement and coordination. You must maintain the body centre of mass over its base of support. Static balance is maintaining equilibrium when stationary. Natural stances are what we call static balance. Dynamic balance is maintaining equilibrium while moving or what we call body shifting. There are three sensory systems of balance.
1) Vestibular which is equilibrium
2) Visual which is sight
3) Proprioceptive which is touch.
Stability is the state of being stable. It is the capacity of an object to return to equilibrium or to its original position after being displaced.
There are three factors that effect this in karate.
1. Stance. The bigger the base or stance the better the balance. It is important to to keep your feet flat on the ground.
2. Body mass or body weight. Bigger and heavier bodies are harder to move which makes them more stable. Lighter bodies are easier to move and less stable.
3) Posture. This is the position in which you hold your body up right against gravity. Keeping good posture puts less strain on muscles and ligaments during movement. If you break posture you are not stable.

By using kinesiology we can scientifically study the movements of the body. By doing this we can understand how the muscles and bones and cartilage all work together. Everything starts with the will of the mind. This way we get the correct firing order to the muscles needed for the technique. The better you get at using the correct firing order the better the muscle control and better the technique. The velocity of the muscular contraction depends on the will, mind and body all trained simultaneously in order to perform the technique. This only comes through many repetitions. The size of the muscles do not always designate their strength. A small person with well educated muscles will exhibit great power. We must understand our body centre and use correct posture. We use vibration, body rotation and body shifting as power sources. Through kinesiology we can figure out how to maximize our bodies effort in order to make fast and powerful techniques.
We use body vibration for close distance, body rotation for medium range distance and body shifting from long distance. We must only use the muscles necessary to complete the technique properly.
There are two types of skeletal muscles, polarization and depolarization. Polarization is when the muscle is contracted and depolarization is when the muscle is relaxed. This would be expansion and contraction you use throughout the body. We have dark red muscle fibers known as type one. These are large slow twitch muscles. This type of muscle will help enable long endurance such as long distance running. Type two muscles are white fast twitch fibers. These muscles fatigue faster but are used in powerful burst of movement like sprinting.
The contraction and relaxation of the muscles cause motion, speed, power and maximum force. All of these depend directly on the proper coordination of contraction and expansion of the muscles. As we perfect the control of the mind and education of the muscles will it will help with maximizing the technique's potential.

Karate basically breaks down into 50 percent leg and 50 percent hand techniques. It is important to understand the joints in the lower limb so we can kick better.
There are three major joints in the leg.
1. Hip Joint. This is a ball and socket type joint
2. Knee Joint. This is a hinge type of joint which allows for flexion and extension.
3. Ankle Joint. This is a hinge type of joint.
There are four major bones in the leg.
1. Femur. Thigh bone
2. Patella. Knee cap
3. Tibia. Shin bone, The larger of the two bones located below the kneecap
4. Fibula. The smaller of the two bones located below the kneecap.

The muscles surrounding the knee and hip joints are designed to aid the limbs in motion. It is important to work these areas for strength and flexibility.
Muscles of the leg.
1) Quadricep. This is the strongest and leanest muscle in the body. This muscle helps to extend the legs straight of the knee
2) Hamstring. These are the three muscles at the back of the thigh that affects hip and knee movement
3) Calf Muscle. Calf muscles are pivotal to movement of the ankle, foot and toes.
While creating the weapon for a kick it is important to understand the joint of the leg. You need to rotate the ankle in order to show the weapon correctly and understanding which direction to point the knee. For a Mae Geri you must show the ball of the foot. For a keage you need to show the blade edge of your foot and for a ushiro you need to show the heel of your foot. There are two types of kicks thrusting and snapping.
Muscles used in leg techniques are voluntary muscles. They must be trained through repetition. You must build the muscle as well as stretch them. At the age of 12 you will start to lose your flexibility without continuing to stretch. The more you use these muscles to exercise and stretch the less chance of injury.
You must have the correct balance and stability to withstand dampening because now the support leg is holding 100% of your bodyweight.

While kicking or doing any other karate technique it's important to breathe correctly. We utilize diaphragmatic breathing in karate. This is also known as belly breathing. You want to focus on the seika tanden area. This is the gravitational center of your body. For a man it’s 56.18% and for a woman 55% of standing by height. As you inhale and expand your belly the abdominopelvic cavity becomes larger and the diaphragm drops. This enables you to get more oxygen then breathing through your lungs alone. It's important to breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. As you inhale you will feel your belly expand if you do this properly.

Most people breathe through their chest. It's easy to notice this type of breathing because the shoulders usually are raised during the inhale and drop on the exhale.

Pneumo-muscular reflex otherwise known as a Kiai in karate, is matching your breath with force. As you exhale during a kiai you contract muscles in your abdomen which creates a lot of power. If you ever noticed a power lifter lifting something very heavy they usually yell or groan loudly to give them self extra power. A study done by Ikai & Steinhaus showed that when a subject shouted out during exertion they got a 12.2% increase in strength.

In with the good out with the bad. As we breathe in we take in fresh oxygen as we exhale we discharge toxins. While breathing in deeply we increase circulation while maximizing blood flow. The deeper we breathe in the more oxygen is absorbed into the body.

All techniques in Karate begin and end with vibration. In order to vibrate you must breathe. While body shifting you would inhale during the contraction of your stance and exhale door in the expansion and completion of the stance. Timing technique, stance and breath all together as one.
Without understanding the gravitational centre one cannot control and maintain balance through the use of correct posture and stance. Posture in karate consists of everything above the belt. Stance is everything below the belt.
In karate we use three geometrical shapes. The triangle, square and circle. The triangle represents pe*******on. Nose, knuckle, naval all lined up to the target. Shoulders and hips all point to the knuckle or towards the ball of the foot during a front kick. The circle represents rotation centrifugal and centripetal in all directions. The center of gravity must stay in the centerline of rotation to maintain balance. The square represents stance. The body must stay in the square of the stance for good balance. The larger the base the more stable but the harder it is to move from. The best way to practice your stance is by doing kata. Basic Kata use basic stances. Advanced kata use advanced stances. In order to use the stance correctly we must learn to understand the dynamics of it. You always release the tension in the leg to the direction you want to go. If you're in a front stance this means you will load the front leg making it strong and pulling the weak leg to it using a contraction. It is very important to keep your heels flat on the ground. Whenever we make impact there is what we call dampening. What goes out must come back also known as recoil.
It is important that we understand where our center of gravity is. Gravity and reaction force affect the body in all stances in karate. The only time we are not fighting gravity is when we are laying down. The seika tanden is where the bodies center of gravity is located. On a man it is 56.18% of his standing height. On a woman it is at 55% of her standing height. Or about three fingers lower than the bellybutton. From this area we focus on internal forces such as mental strength, spiritual strength and visceral strength. Through practice we learn how to control this area for balance and power. On every technique in karate we tense the lower abdomen muscles at the moment of impact. This is called kime or moment of focus.
The proper use of stance allows us to utilize the force of gravity. The bigger the stance the more power you can generate but the harder it is to move out of. The smaller the stance the easier it is to body shift and move quickly. Every stance has its own specific purpose. Through much practice it is easy to select the proper stance for the right situation. Never forget that good technique is the result of a good stance.

In order to kick high you must work on your flexibility. Only use the muscles necessary to perform the kick correctly. There is no need to swing your arms and break posture while kicking. Kicking mostly uses the muscles below the belt. Kicking gives you great range and can be a great long distance weapon. They are the most powerful techniques we have because it uses the largest mass in our body.

Vibration is the key to generating power in karate. All techniques begin and end with a vibration. This is especially important when doing combinational techniques. You isolate vibration at the gravitational center of the body. It begins with reaction force from the ground through the legs and a rapid snapping motion from the hip. You use Concentric and Eccentric contractions to create vibration. A concentric contraction is when the muscle is shortened by generating force. This is done when doing a bicep curl. The muscle is shortened while bending at the elbow to lift the weight. A eccentric contraction results in the elongation of the muscle while the muscle is generating force. This would be the negative or lowering or straightening out the arm during a bicep curl. The muscle is elongated. The quicker you relax the muscle after a contraction more power it will create. The brain sends signals in the form of action potentials through the nervous system to the motor neuron that innervates several muscle fibres into action. In order for it to be a vibration the part of the body that is vibrating must start and stop at same position. The better control one has over both firing order and the degree of contraction of the different muscle groups the more powerful the technique. The mind and body must train simultaneously to perform any technique effectively.


Understanding the 3 laws of motion are key. Reaction force is utilized through proper contraction and expansion of muscle stimulated by the will and in proper firing order. The more perfect the control the more perfect for a technique.

Newtons laws of motion.
1. every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state in motion unless an external force is applied.
2. The relationship between objects mass, it's acceleration a, and the applied force is F is F = ma. Acceleration and force or vectors (as indicated by the symbols being displayed in the slant bold font); in this law the direction of the force vector is the same as the direction of the acceleration vector.
3. For every action there is an equal And opposite reaction. For every action there is an equal And opposite reaction.
Example for newtons law of motion number 1. When kicking the body will stay in motion until impact or you decide to stop.
Example for newtons law of motion number 2. The more force the more acceleration. Learning the proper firing order to the muscles and understanding tension and dynamics will create more force. The faster you go the harder the impact of your kick.

Examples for newtons law of motion number 3.
1)Using the draw hand to pull back as you punch creating opposite reactions.
2) It is very important to keep your back heel pressed flat on the floor during impact. Dampening happens when we hit things. Whatever goes out comes back. You need to learn how to press forward and receive the dampening so it does not push you back and you lose power. If your back foot comes off the ground you lose connection with ground reaction force.
Correct posture is very important. All techniques start with the will of the mind then go to the muscles. Having correct posture allows this flow through the nervous system to the muscles to be quicker. Performing muscle contraction with correct form and total fiber participation is a learned process. Muscle contractions are controlled by the brain the art of training the brain and the muscles to work as a team is called neuromuscular facilitation.
The goal for the Karateka is understand these principals.
1. The magnitude of force depends on the size of the muscles in action.
2. The direction of force should be 90° with regard to the object to which it is applied this will give you maximum force.
3. The greater the speed the greater the force.
4. Range of motion. Force is proportionate to range of motion.
5. You must have good stability and balance. You must practice to get all of these to work together for maximum force.

A front Kick (Mae Geri) is the first kick we learn at the white belt level. We start by standing in heisoku dachi (feet together stance). The student then lifts the knee up in the front at waist level while keeping the foot parallel to the floor and with the toes curled back. After a few repetitions alternating legs we then work on extending the foot towards the target striking with the ball of the foot and then snapping the foot back while keeping the knee high and placing it back on the floor.
After the student has a good understanding of the basic Kick we now practice while in Zenkutsu dachi. Using the back leg we first must pull the heel up to the buttocks all while curling the toes back and lifting the knee to the target. This coiling or contraction helps the pendulum of the hip. After the knee is pointed to the kicking target thrust the hip forward while expanding the leg and foot. Once the strike is made retract the hip, leg and foot by recoiling or contracting it back to the buttocks and place back on the floor where it started from. The next step would be to learn and practice the kick while body shifting forward.
Make sure to keep your hips squared to the target. When performing a snap kick it is important to have zero hang time. You want to spend the least amount of time as you can on one leg. It is always better to have two feet on the ground when possible. A snap kick it is 80% extension 100% retraction. What this means is it's a little more important that you snap your kick back then extending it towards the target. The knees always points towards the target. I like to think of the knee being the crosshairs of the scope or the sights. It is important that you pendulum the hip towards the target and then snap the hip back to its original position.

A good drill to practice Mae Geri is to first start in Zenkutsu dachi. Do a ( in place) kick using the back leg. Once the kick is completed and the foot is placed back on the floor immediately Kick again with the same leg but body shift forward and land in a Zenkutsu dachi. This drill really utilizes ground reaction force to accelerate the contraction of the leg to create more power in the kick.
Another great drill is to kick over a rope. Have the students stand in Zenkutsu dachi. Hold the rope tightly at about knee level. Have the students kick in place using the back leg. They must pick up the knee higher then the rope, kick and retract the kick and place the foot on the floor without touching the rope. To make it more advanced have them step forward by body shifting and kicking over the rope with the back leg. Now the rope is between the legs. Now step in kicking with the other foot. The back leg will need to clear the rope again while stepping forward and kicking. After the second kick mawate and set and set up to do it again. This drill will really focus on the students picking up the knee, contracting the leg pulling the heel to the buttocks, keeping foot parallel to the floor, pulling the toes back, keeping the hips squared, expanding the leg and foot to the target, retracting the kick back and placing the foot on the floor on purpose.

Always move the body center first then the legs. Keeping our posture through the whole body shift is very important. We also must understand the correct firing order of the muscles in order to do the technique properly. Only through repetition can we make this firing order faster. Everything begins with the will or the mind. We must process it first and then activate the correct muscles in order to do the technique correctly. The more perfect that control the more perfect the technique.

The best class of the year. Don’t miss it.

This is who I was talking about in the Dojo this week. We are having Takamichi Maeshima do a special class at the Quakertown YMCA. Details to come.

Event Registration – Haver Ford Karate Martial Arts International Institute LLC is the oldest authentic tradtional Japanese Shotokan Karate dojo in Chicago, focused on overall growth and improvement beyond just techniques.