K I H O N
Newsletter #19
August 2001 ISSN# 1534-1437
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An email newsletter focusing on Ninjutsu/Budo
Taijutsu training. Published by www.KIHON.com
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**** CONTENTS ****
>> Sempai Insights: Instructor Insights
>> Taijutsu Tips: Training Tips
>> Budo Quotes: Martial Arts Quotes
>> Keiko Events: Upcoming Events
>> Shoshin Comments: Comments
*** Sempai Insights *****
Building Blocks
Glenn Catania, BNYD
A few days ago in class we were talking about the
kihon -- the basics. It made me think about the
basics of life, not just taijutsu basics. Isn't
one of the major reasons we train in the martial
arts to become better people? We want to be
stronger and handle life's different situations,
both physical and mental, better. What does that
mean? A few years ago at a Tai Kai, a gentleman
gave a lecture on verbal judo. It was very good,
and gave me some great ideas. Some of it I really
liked, some I didn't, but it did get me thinking
in another direction. That is what taijutsu is all
about. Learn the basics, then have fun with the
henka. Take everything people are willing to teach
you. Find the ideas in the lessons that are most
important to you and incorporate them into your
own life. We can't like everything out there, but
everything out there can teach us something. These
are some of my thoughts on learning from everyone:
-Listen to others without needing to judge.
-Learn to process information instead of reacting
to it.
-Give someone a helping hand; don't feel
you need to tell them that it was you.
-Be honest with yourself. Truth is a sword for
us all.
-Remember to laugh at yourself sometimes.
-Give more than you take.
-Never compromise who you are; you are all you have.
We have all heard these in different forms. Think
about them again. Take what you like, and change
it to make it your own.
*** Taijutsu Tips *****
Stupid Mistakes
Garrett G. G. Galimi, BNYD
Taijutsu strategy is not that difficult. When
someone throws a punch, get out of the way. If
you want to counter, don't move too far. If you
have a six-foot staff, don't stay three feet from
your opponent. Do you really think tensing up
during hon gyaku will make it less painful? If you
believe that, then you probably think the sanshin
will be easier if you hold your breath. All of
these things seem simple enough, yet I'm guilty of
doing them all. It's not just me either, because
I've seen all ranks, white to black belt, make the
same mistakes. Why does this occur, and keep
occurring, with all of us?
I think ego plays a big part. When you train, your
ego can become so big that it can and will destroy
you. Being human, especially a young man, my ego
isn't going anywhere too far too soon. If I want
to get better though, I have no choice but to
deflate my head. How can I really learn to wield a
sword if I'm busy showing everyone how cool I am
with the blade? Training has this really great way
of literally bringing you to your knees and
teaching you some humility. So, although ego is a
factor, I think there's another culprit behind
those stupid things we do.
Lack of awareness plays a huge part in allowing us
to do stupid things. Since I first began training,
my teacher has always stressed awareness. As a kid
my parents told me to be aware; "Look both ways
before you cross the street." Despite numerous
lessons on awareness, in a crowded class or
seminar, I still bump into people, and get bumped
into. My distance and timing after a few years are
still off. I have become more aware of my
weaknesses and try to close those gaps. Training
forces you to pay attention, because if you don't,
you are going to get injured, or injure someone
else. That doesn't mean I will totally stop doing
stupid things and be completely aware from now on.
In fact, I still have a lot of mistakes to make,
and learn from.
*** Budo Quotes *****
If you flow with the fight, being flexible to the
opponent's attack and changing your position, you
will never be defeated.
By Masaaki Hatsumi
[Ninpo: Wisdom for Life, Page 91]
http://kihon.com/ninpo/
*** Keiko Events *****
* Bujinkan New York Dojo
http://kihon.com/
* Bujinkan New York Dojo
27 Milburn Street
Bronxville, NY 10708
http://kihon.com/ny/
*** Shoshin Comments *****
Striving For Precision
Lauren Brandstein, editor
Incidental things make up the essence of your
taijutsu, for good or bad. Where the forward foot
is placed when receding from a punch in jodan uke,
for instance. The foot either steps or slides away
and is repositioned at a new angle, usually 45
degrees from the line of the opponent's attack.
But is it inside the line, or on it? How far from
the opponent's foot is your foot? How far from
your rear foot is your front foot when you end the
movement and put weight on it again? Once the
movement is ended and weight is distributed to the
forward leg, it takes a new movement to change its
positioning again. If it ends up crossing the line
of attack, the opponent may be able to kick or
trap the leg. If it's too close, *you* are too
close, and he may be able to strike your face or
body. If it's too far from your rear foot, it may
be difficult to remain balanced or to move again,
since your stance is wider and necessarily lower
than it would be if your feet were closer
together, and there may be no more slack, no lower
to go.
Not all of these things are entirely dependent on
that foot, but very specific attention to things
like where your front foot "just happens to end
up" after jodan uke can have an enormous effect on
your taijutsu. Details like this are incidental
when they are unconscious, natural results of your
movement. They cease being incidental when they
enter the conscious mind. They become deliberate.
They are noticed, analyzed, adjusted. This is
precision. But after a time, a certain period of
intense attention and effort, the details of
movement become, once again, incidental and
natural. They become so familiar and ingrained
that they are simply the unconscious and
inevitable results of a larger movement that is
itself second nature, yet better now: more
powerful, fluid, and efficient than before,
because of a striving for precision.
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** DISCLAIMER **
It is recommended that you seek out medical
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Be sure to find a qualified instructor to guide
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KIHON Newsletter and all contents
Copyright (c) 2001 by Joe Maurantonio
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