As a practically orientated martial artist, who always trains with a degree of contact in partner work, I am used to realistic reactions after an impact.
I originally trained with my teacher, Ludwig Binder, in a full-contact-based form of Shotokan Karate, since he had his roots in Yushinkai full-contact karate. Years later, I found friends in New York City. Shihan Michelle Gay’s dojo, KEN-WA-KAN Karate Do, is an offshoot of World Oyama full-contact karate. Last but not least, I became friends with Jürgen Höller, a practitioner of Ashihara full-contact karate for around fifty years. These training experiences have been very influential on the way I view the different levels or areas in karate: jodan, chudan and gedan.
Are we really talking about heights?
Virtually every karateka has heard of these classifications, and most are aware what they mean. Typically, we think of jodan for neck and head, chudan for shoulders to pubic bone, and gedan for the legs and groin. Let’s now take a closer look at these three terms. When exploring them, I asked myself several questions:
- Are we really talking about heights?
- Why were these areas created and why do we use them?
- Should we view them from a defensive or an offensive point of view?
- Are they traditional, or do they originate in modern sport karate?
- Where are the demarcations between them?
- Can we better describe and use these classifications?
Examining the sources, I found two main ways of looking at the levels. Firstly, there are pictures with lines on a standing body to divide the heights. Secondly, there are texts to explain which parts of the anatomy are included in each level. Beyond that, we don’t have a great deal to go on, so it initially seems that definitive answers may be hard to come by. However, I think we need to look beyond the surface and examine things more deeply.
Jodan (上段) means “high level”, chudan (中段) means “middle level” and gedan (下段) means “low level”. This would seem obvious when applied to a standing body, but they can also be applied to a falling or prone body. These classifications are therefore best seen not as heights from the floor, but as designated areas on the body. We can view these designations from both an offensive and a defensive perspective.
Offensive, defensive and competitive perspectives
From an offensive perspective, the terminology around the three levels can make things easier for everyone, students and teacher. We can simply say “jodan elbow” instead of “elbow strike to the head”. We can say “strike chudan” instead of “deliver a strike to the stomach”. We can say “kick gedan” instead of “deliver an attack to a leg”. However, such instructions lack precision and don’t communicate the specific anatomical targets or how to best attack them. This is important information, and hence the vague nature of the terms is potentially problematic.
From a defensive perspective, the vague nature of the terms can be seen as a positive. You don’t necessarily need to know the precise technique coming at you in order to stop it. It can be enough to defend a certain area. It would therefore seem the terms have more value defensively. However, it seems odd to me that the terms are still applied to offensive techniques. Surely their widespread use that way would suggest they must have some value offensively, beyond simple convenience in training.
From a modern competitive perspective, the levels are used to prohibit certain attacks and to designate the number of points awarded for others. This is of little concern for this article, because we are considering things from a traditional and combative perspective.
The elbow line: predicting the reaction after impact
As a practical martial artist who has always trained with a degree of contact, I have been able to observe how the enemy’s body reacts after any given strike. Those like me will be aware that after contact the partner usually leans backwards, forwards or sideways. I think the three levels can be very helpful in determining what the most likely reaction will be, and hence what the most appropriate follow-up attack will be. This is where we find their offensive value.
I believe there is an important line which isn’t included on the drawings that typically show the three levels: the line from elbow to elbow, just above the solar plexus. This line divides the body in such a way that we can predict the enemy’s reaction after impact. If one is hit above this line, the body will lean backwards. As a result, the abdominal muscles will be stretched, and the genitals will be vulnerable to attack. If one is hit below this line, the head will come forward and the arms will be positioned in front of the stomach and chest. Additionally, he will bend at the waist so that his backside moves backwards.
Jodan, chudan and gedan redefined
With this in mind, practical karateka can best define the levels as:
- Jodan is above the elbow line.
- Chudan is the lower torso.
- Gedan is the genitals and lower.
To make use of the levels offensively: if we want the enemy to lean backwards, we strike jodan. Conversely, if we want the enemy’s head to come forward, we attack chudan. The terms therefore have offensive combative value in determining the enemy’s reaction to impact.
Defensively, there are also advantages to dividing the body this way:
- Jodan is the area you can protect with your arms alone.
- Chudan is the area you can protect with your legs and arms.
- Gedan is the area you protect with your legs alone.
By moving the jodan line down from the neck to the elbows, the three levels have both offensive and defensive value. I therefore suggest that all practical karateka join us in defining the levels in this way. How this works in kata application is shown on our Bunkai page.
Special thanks to Iain Abernethy for tweaking my English!
Christian Wedewardt
If you would like to host an open Karatepraxis seminar in your country, town or dojo, please don’t hesitate to contact me at info@karatepraxis.com. I really look forward to meeting new martial arts friends. And don’t forget to subscribe to our Karatepraxis YouTube channel.
