Proprioception is our innate ability to sense movement our our limbs in relation to our position in space. If we are touching or holding on to another person’s body, we can sense through touch where our body and limbs are in relation to that other body. Proprioception provides our brain with more accurate data than our eyes alone, and thus in a self-defense situation, if we are holding on to our attacker, we have a better sense of where his head or other vital targets are in relation to ourselves, and we can strike those targets with greater accuracy than if we were not holding him and relying solely on our eyes for targeting. Also, if we are holding on to him, and he is moving around, we can locate our target more quickly and effectively.
Katas make use of proprioception. The non-striking hand is usually clearing limbs, controlling limbs, or providing proprioception data to help locate the vital target. In this video, Sensei Hogsette works some pad drills that help students practice using proprioception for effective targeting as well as developing strength and power in the striking techniques.
