K I H O N
Newsletter #14
February 2001
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An email newsletter focusing on Ninjutsu/Budo
Taijutsu training. Published by www.KIHON.com
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**** CONTENTS ****
>> Taijutsu Tips: Training Tips
>> Kata Ideas: Thoughts on Technique
>> Budo Quotes: Martial Arts Quotes
>> Keiko Events: Upcoming Events
>> Shoshin Comments: Comments
*** Taijutsu Tips *****
Don't Forget To Step
Glen Catania, BNYD
It is very easy to get caught up in a technique so
that sometimes we forget where the strength comes
from. Many of the newer students, (and some not
new), become so worried about what the arms are
doing, they forget the rest of the body. What
makes our art different from many other martial
arts is that we use the whole body. Hatsumi Sensei
has taught us, the arms are just holding the
wheel, it's the legs that drive the car. Very
often, watching a white belt perform a technique
you can see the student's frustration. Simply
using the whole body, taking a step or bending
your knees usually makes the technique work. When
you use your body in taijutsu, you are adding all
your weight to your attack. This can make a huge
difference when 15 lbs. of arm attacks the 150
lbs. of a moving body. The strength is in the
motion of the body, not the muscle of the arm. We
all forget at times. When we remember it makes
every lesson we learn that much stronger.
*** Kata Ideas *****
Why 45 Degrees?
Don Houle, BNYD
Newer students often ask about the logic behind
the angles that we use in basic defensive
techniques. When demonstrating jodan uke (high
level receiving), as in ichimonji no kata, I am
often asked, "Why do you move off the line of
attack at a 45 degree angle instead of getting
further away from the opponent by moving straight
back?" This is a good question and shows that the
student is really analyzing what we are teaching
instead of blindly accepting everything we show
them. The answers to this common question are
easily demonstrated:
1. By "logically" moving with the motion of the
attack (straight back), we actually expose
ourselves to more danger by remaining right on the
line of attack. If the opponent is very intent on
striking us, he is not likely to "pull" the attack
once you have moved to avoid it. He will continue
attacking, moving forward in the same direction
faster than you can backpedal.
2. 45 degrees is a sensible place to be. Once you
have moved back and to the inside of the attack
the opponent should not be able to reach you with
a cross-punch from his current position. In order
to hit you, the attacker has change direction and
step or lunge before he can throw a second punch.
3. This angle allows you to be just out of range
of any attacks while easily being able to carry
out a counterattack against the opponent. This is
the optimum strategic position in any type of
conflict.
*** Budo Quotes *****
When I was sick for five years, I could not even
stand up. I sat in the dojo and gave lessons to
my students. Those five years increased my current
shinkiryoku [spiritual power] and my ability to
move freely... When you are stuck on something,
it is important to hold to your purpose but not
press onward against the current. When you cannot
move at all, try to concentrate, continuing
forward as if in a boat switching to a stronger
motor. The keiko that is most important when you
cannot move is kage no keiko [shadow training].
By Masaaki Hatsumi
[Ninpo: Wisdom for Life, Page 102]
http://www.kihon.com/ninpo/
*** Keiko Events *****
* Mark O'Brien USA Seminars
http://www.kihon.com/mob.html
* Bujinkan New York Dojo
February 17, 2001
March 3, 2001
http://www.kihon.com/events.html
* Bujinkan New York Dojo
27 Milburn Street
Bronxville, NY 10708
http://www.kihon.com/ny/
*** Shoshin Comments *****
Precious White Belts
Lauren Brandstein, editor
This week I worked on musha dori with two white
belts and I noticed a few cool details. I've been
trying to find a balance when working with
beginner students, between going with the
technique too much, and resisting too much in an
effort to give my partner a realistic and valuable
training experience. In trying to find this
balance I noticed that, if the technique is not
really being applied smoothly or with enough lower
body movement, it is very easy as uke to defeat
the technique. The technique could be defeated
without resisting or tensing at all, by merely
relaxing the arm being attacked and letting the
elbow drop. When tori attempts to bring his (or
her) arm over and sink to apply the technique, he
finds that his elbow is checked by uke's arm, the
technique cannot be applied and tori's balance is
disrupted instead.
When tori was much taller than uke, the technique
could be applied anyway, but the movement requires
more muscle than it should have and resulted in a
less effective lock. We figured out that if the
entry for the technique is applied well and uke's
balance is truly broken, the technique cannot be
defeated this way. It was a good lesson for me
since I also had been rushing through the "easy
opening steps to get to the "real" technique.
also noticed a really cool symmetry to our art
there is an instant when tori enters for musha
dori which can appear as though the opponent is
entering for ganseki nage. It occurred to me that
regardless of who is the "attacker," in that
instant, whoever has more awareness, intention
and understanding of the subtleties of balance an
space will be the one to prevail in the end.
_______________ KIHON Newsletter ______________
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This issue of Kihon Newsletter is a bit shorter
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issue of the newsletter by two columns and will be
expanding on those in our NEW online Kihon
Magazine.
Kihon Newsletter will remain monthly while Kihon
Magazine will be released Quarterly (the first
issue will be on display Feb 17, 2001 at
http://www.kihon.com/magazine/
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KIHON Newsletter and all contents
Copyright (c) 2000 by Joe Maurantonio
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