Karate is NOT Punching and Kicking.

Most take Karate to be primarily punching and kicking, at least that is the general opinion outside Certain circles.
I have often felt this is not the case, certainly Karate has punches and kicks, but outside of Tournament Karate these are not necessarily the primary tactics.

It is important to take into account which techniques are often repeated within Kata, where they are, angles, even the preceding movements and transitions between one thing to another as they are all linked.
In his book on Kumite the ruff and tumble Karate ‘Master’ Choki Motobu refers to Kata segments as technique, not to what we consider individual techniques today. Each segment as a whole, including transitions, are the technique of Karate... These are the keys to Karate’s primary strategy and an understanding of the tactics that support said strategy.

Seiken Punches, with the palms down, are a longer range punch and do not occur very often in Goju Ryu Kata at all, but can be found A LOT in the various drills we practice within SRSK Goju Ryu, which lends to the illusion that these are a primary tactic rather than a lead-in to close distance to in-fighting range.
This leads to confusion in the minds of many as they wonder why only a few punches and kicks are ever thrown in sparring... Simply put, it is a lack of understanding.

In the context of Kata, where does the ‘punch’ fall and what precedes it? In Gekesai it is preceded by a Jodan Uke and followed up by a drop into Shiko Dachi and Gedan Barai.
It does occur in another couple of places, but the same principles here apply there. To me the Jodan Uke is the key. This tells me we are already at an extremely close range, too close for the type of ‘punch’ that follows to be effective.
If we are to follow Toguchi’s guidelines for understanding Kata then the advancing step in the Jodan Uke segment means this is the primary strike or attack and it is aimed at the neck/head as almost a hammer fist and a post-up.
What follows, to me, makes more sense as a bicep check, reach through, in preparation for a takedown utilizing the back/down drop in weight to Shiko Dachi.

That is not to say that a Seiken is never a punch, it is all about context. Take the opening to many Kata that begin in Morote Kamai. This can imply a guard starting at striking distance, three punches to close the gap, follow-up at in-fighting range.
These can also be other things, depending on how one approaches them, but the primary principles here imply aggressive attack to close distance.
Again, not a primary technique, but more of an opening tactic to set up for the primary tactics that suit the Kata’s strategy (and nearly all of them are at in-fighting range or end up there).

To understand this requires an understanding of various ranges, timing, and rhythm, but also to step outside the blocky ‘techniques’ we are used to and looking at them from a more fluid perspective.

I will come back with an article listing ‘techniques’ that recur the most and look at how they are used in each Kata respectively. These are the primary principles/methods/tactics of Karate, at least the Karate I study.

I am also working hard on creating a Kata based on the Kumite Drills of Choki Motobu, as they are understood from my perspective... More to follow on that as well.