The term "back" leg is constantly being used in technical considerations relating to postures and movements in Karate. Here, we attempt to define its role more concretely.

What is the back leg?

This may seem a surprising question, given that the back leg seems to be the one "behind". Yet it can be seen in a different light. In fact, the rear leg is the one that is connected to the ground during a move or at the precise moment of "Kime". Whether you're moving forwards or backwards, there's a moment when one of the two legs is connected to the ground to "bind" the execution of the technique. But just after this technique, it's the leg that's in front that potentially becomes the back leg.

At any rate, this is how we need to get used to thinking of it, so that as soon as we start a new move, awareness of the supporting leg is made in the right place.

Placing the supporting foot

The preceding reasoning in relation to the supporting leg means that the supporting foot will automatically be placed correctly. By "correctly", we mean turned in the right direction, and above all placed flat on the ground, i.e. with the heel in contact. You can't imagine being supported on the ball of the foot, heel raised, if you want to connect the supporting leg.

And yet, how often we see, sometimes with relatively high-level practitioners, that the heel of the rear leg is raised, both in Kihon and in Kata! And what can we say about backward movements where, instead of a weight transfer induced at pelvis level, we see the "back" foot lift up to take a kind of momentum, which introduces an extra step in a movement intended by definition to be as fast as possible.

Relentless training

To eradicate this flaw, the only solution is assiduous training. You need to learn to do Tsuki or any other technique on the spot, lightening or even slightly lifting the front foot in Zen Kutsu, to powerfully connect the rear foot over its entire surface to the ground at the moment of Kime.