Quote Originally Posted by SPX View Post
Technically, they don't. Techniques are supposed to executed with control. But from what I understand, if someone runs into your punch or kick and gets knocked out then that's their fault, provided the judge doesn't believe you did it intentionally. Also, I believe that there's a lot more leeway with black belts than there is with colored belts, and it can essentially become full contact at that level.
I don't know. Alot of the shit in that video looked like they were going full on with most of those punches. No open hand strikes or anything like that. I think I even saw some aimed low toward the throat but that could just be the camera angle.

Quote Originally Posted by SPX View Post
Yeah, you know a lot of people think of karate as being a "flashy" art, but it's really not. There are some flashy kicks like the spinning heel kick, but for the most part it relies on basic techniques. What sets it apart is the philosophy which governs a lot of movement, in that a lot of it is about evading your opponent's attacks and counter-attacking. Especially in Shotokan, there is a lot of emphasis on the lunging punch, and you see it constantly in the video where guys stay on the outside and then jump in to strike. This is exactly where Machida's "elusiveness" comes from.
The misconception probably comes from the various "styles" of kung fu and the failure to separate effective martial arts from form demo's and the movies(mostly the movies).