Thoughts on movement and kukan...

My thoughts on moving:

In budo, movement is everything. Movement comes from the body, as we strive to move with freedom and a naturalness that permits efficiency and natural power. However, when we look at movement in context, we then are faced not with the how, but with the where.

We do not move into solid, we move into space. However, in striking, we are moving to make contact with the solid, but we don't stop there. In order to penetrate, we have to drive through the contact point. In driving through the contact point, we create space as the opponent's body is affected by our strike. This space or kukan gives us the extra space we need to continue forward, or we are stopped in our motion and face a level of recoil in proportion to the amount of resistance we encounter from the target (i.e. the "bounce back"). Unless you strike the air, you will face some degree of recoil or "bounce back". Your kamae in striking or moving plays a key role in being able to pierce through this recoil, or redirect it or absorb it without giving up structure and balance.

Because all structures have strong and weak points, techniques involve a combination of striking into the weak points of the structure, while striking at angles which are not supported fully by the structure.

Then, there is the moment when structure is in transition and that transition is the time when the structure is weak.

Lastly, there is the moment when the structure is no longer strong, due to over extending past the balance point or off the support line of the legs.

With kukan or space, you can create this space, or wait and move in space that opens. In one version of techniques, you 'break open' this space. On another version of techniques, you manipulate the uke's movement to create this space. But, there is another version of techniques where you take the space the uke needs in order to maintain their strong position and movement or that puts you where they are weakest.

This last strategy can be seen as 'stealing space'. I like to think this is a way of shinobi-iri, or "stealing in". More than just sneaking into a castle or house, this strategy exists in high level martial arts techniques. They are sneaky in the sense that it involves moving into spaces undetected. The uke doesn't realize the movement until they are affected, and often they don't understand or are confused by it. In this moment, they are weak structurally and their mind is distracted.

In Japanese budo, efficiency and balance is stressed as one moves from one point to another. This has the benefit of moving in everyday activities with power and naturalness. In combat, the one who has better efficiency and balance is able to have the advantages of correct timing, angling and positioning or distancing. This method of movement relies heavily on precise use of the legs, hips and spine. The knees are bent, the feet and knees align with the points of the hips and the spine supports the upper body without relying on tension of the muscles. As one moves in this manner, the body 'floats' across the floor in an even distribution of balance, instead of the usual up and down, side to side, bobbing manner indicative of Western movement. By moving in this manner, the body is able to move more freely in any direction, change at will, use energy more efficiently and not fatigue as quickly.

Having the physiological control of the body and balance during this kind of movement also can create false senses in the uke and lead to the 'stealing' of kukan. One is able to shift and move into these spaces with little or no detection, since the body movement is reduced to it's move simplistic action. The mind detects movement as it's primary visual cue, so the less movement there is, the more concealed it is. By eliminating extra movement and moving along lines that are outside the mind's ability to detect, the actions become undetected.

There are many ways to make a move undetectable, but to put it simply in the context of movement, it is important to understand the mind detects lateral movement far easier than linear movement. In addition, a flat or wide posture is easier to track than a narrow one. So, if you take these two points, it becomes easy to conclude that the most concealing movement is a linear, streamline movement with a narrow posture. Thus, you have the basis for kamae like Ichimonji no Kamae, Seigan no Kamae, and many others. This is why kamae are not stances, but go far deeper into the science of movement.

There are other examples of how to achieve hidden movement, but I will not go into them here, as this is an article more related to movement in general and the kukan that's involved.

Understanding how the body moves and where it can move with balance, efficiency and power, is a pursuit that will last a lifetime. Every level of understanding leads to the next, but only through proper, consistent, mindful training under a competent teacher can these points of discovery be found. Like knots in a rope, the rope is the connection to one's teacher, the consistent training like the unbroken rope, and the knots are the points of discovery when new levels of understanding are revealed.

Gambatte!