| There are hundreds of karate moves, some basic, | | | | at the actual sequence of arm movement, when |
| some advanced. One of the first blocks practiced in | | | | practicing Age- uke. |
| karate classes, is age uke or upper rising block. It | | | | 1. Open the left hand. Now imagine you are going to |
| should be noted that karate blocks can also be used | | | | use your right hikite fist to punch your left arm, in |
| as attacks. In this article we are going to go through | | | | the middle of the forearm. That is roughly, the path |
| the movement rather than the applications of | | | | your right fist is going to take. |
| Age-uke. Once you have been shown a karate | | | | 2. As you start to lift the right blocking arm, drop the |
| move, it is possible to take your karate to the next | | | | left elbow and turn the left hand, so the thumb |
| level by using books, videos and podcasts, which will | | | | (which should be bent), is facing towards you. As you |
| enable you to learn karate at home alongside your | | | | lift the right arm and drop the left, both arms should |
| dojo practice. | | | | cross in front of the chin. The right blocking arm |
| 1. Starting from the yoi (ready) position in shizentai | | | | should be on the outside, so the left pulling arm, is |
| (natural stance). Place the left arm above the head, | | | | closest to the face. Still keep the arms, a fist to a |
| so the elbow is directly above the shoulder, one fist | | | | fist and a half distance, from the face. |
| away from the head and just above the eye line. | | | | 3. Continue the upward movement of the right arm, |
| 2. keeping the elbow as explained above, bend the | | | | remembering you were aiming a punch at the middle |
| left arm, so the fist is just above the head. The fist, | | | | of the left forearm, when it was in the age uke |
| forearm and elbow are about a fist to a fist and a | | | | position. As you raise the right arm from the crossed |
| half away from the forehead. Try and keep the wrist | | | | arm position (5), start to rotate the forearm counter |
| straight. | | | | clockwise, so the palm faces away from you. The |
| 3. The left arm is now in the upper rising block | | | | left arm now becomes the hikite (pulling hand), |
| position. The right arm should be in the hikite | | | | moving down to the finished hikite position at the left |
| (hiki=pulling, te=hand) position. The right hikite fist | | | | side of the body. |
| should be clenched and placed on the right side of | | | | 4. Breathing should be silent and natural. Breathing in |
| the body, palm up, at the bottom of the ribs, with | | | | on the preparation and out on the execution of the |
| the right elbow pulled in tight. | | | | block. Both fists should stop at exactly the same |
| You should now be in the age uke position. Lets look | | | | time. |