The four primitives

1. Move — step, pivot, or shift.
2. Align — stack hips, shoulders, knees, and feet on the line.
3. Deliver — technique lands with correct timing.
4. Finish — stop cleanly, balanced, and ready for the next move.

What “finish” really means

• You can hold it for 2 seconds without wobble.
• You don’t need to adjust your feet.
• Your posture is quiet (no head bob, no shoulder lift).

Try this drill: Freeze Check.

Fundamentals

Primitives describe what happens in a movement. Fundamentals describe why it works. Two people can perform the same primitive, but fundamentals decide whether the movement is stable, powerful, and repeatable.

• Balance — your center stays over the base throughout the motion.
• Distance — the technique lands at effective range, not at full reach.
• Timing — movement, alignment, and delivery complete together.
• Breath — relaxed during motion, controlled exhale at impact.
• Relax → tighten → relax — tension only at the moment of finish.

Fundamentals are not separate techniques. They are applied to every primitive, every time.

Common beginner failure

People focus on the hands and forget the base. When the base is unstable, the technique has to fight for balance, and power disappears.

Next

Go to Stances to make the base reliable.