Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Movement and Hinging

The term Kaname has been tossed around quite a bit this year, mostly due to Hatsumi Soke introducing it as one of the themes for this year.  Among the many different meanings applied to it during the year, the raw definition really is as simple as relating to the hinge of a door.  So, I would like to take a moment to write out some thoughts on this and how the mechanics of movement work with this kaname.

For starters, let me say there are no definite rules on this and many teachers teach different things.  But, for this post I am going to strip away all the extra 'stuff' and just look at the hinging aspect.

Take the Tsuki no Kata for instance.  The old form way of doing it involves moving a great distance, extending the body as far forward as possible while dropping the weight down and flattening the posture.  The legs are open, the hips open, the spine straight, the shoulders open over the hips and the head in line with the spine.  The punching hand is extended out from the shoulders to the target.

It really is a very difficult technique unless one has the flexibility and committed taijutsu to propel their body forward like a spear to pierce the target.  In fact, this kind of movement is so universal, it's been a foundational technique in European fencing for hundreds of years!

Without getting into the different ways people have changed this technique over the years in the Bujinkan, I want to just focus on a key point of it all.  What is important is that when you move forward, the entire body must move forward.  Any percent of the body that doesn't move forward is less energy going into the penetration and force of the attack.  Further, any part of the body that pulls away actually steals energy from the attack!

By "any part of the body", I am not necessarily including the limbs, as there are counter moves designed to keep balance (like the back motion of the arm in Chi no Kata from the Gogyo/Sanshin no Kata) or simply when you walk.

Rather, I am particularly focusing on the shape of the capital "I" that represents the shoulders, spine and hips.  Or, more specifically, the shoulders and hips.

When I see people launch a Tsuki, often I see energy or force being stripped or inhibited by counter or dead movement in these parts of the body.  For instance, take a look at this example of a good Tsuki:

 

 This is a good example of a Tsuki, showing how the body projects the weapon through the target in a forward and downward motion, using a body posture of the spine, hips and shoulders that support the action.  What is not shown, however, is the action, the kinetics of how this happens.

If you look at how a person stands, each foot planted at a point that best supports the balance of the body, you'll see how each connecting point to the ground (i.e. the foot) is a post.  When the body moves, often weight is lifted off the moving leg to raise it up and move it forward, then weight is brought back onto the leg as it posts to a new location and supports the body transition over it.  However, in Tsuki no Kata, this is incorrect.  The back and forth shifting of weight is telegraphing and, in the case of moving under a sword cut or thrust, you would be moving back across the attack line as the projected foot lands and posts.  In a nutshell, you would be struck as you move forward.

Instead, find how you can shift weight down and forward onto the foot you want to move and raise it just as weight is starting to move into it.  This involves a softening of the knees and slight turn of the hips, spine and shoulders towards the direction of motion. If you wait too long, the weight will lock your foot down, so you have to find the right timing.  In this manner, you are transferring your body to the side you are moving forward, taking you off the attack line and staying off of it.

Ok, so we got that part, right?  Staying off the line of attack and sending your body along the line of movement instead of shifting weight back and forth.  It's plain economics of kinetic energy, motion and balance.

Now for my focus.

As you execute your movement, be aware of the other half of your body.  Particularly your rear foot and hip.  Do you push them away from your movement?  Does your rear foot turn outward away from the direction of motion?  Does your rear hip push back and turn away?  These are the things I am writing about.

As you transfer weight off of your posted foot onto the moving foot, your body is moving forward.  The posted foot becomes the rear foot and pushes your body forward onto the front foot as it posts.  This line of support, the rear foot, leg, hip and shoulder is like the hinge on a door.  It pivots around a singular line.  Some people will move and teach that the spine is the singular line and some people will teach the center line (also known as Chusen) is the singular line from which motion is hinged or pivots on.

This last part is actually true in some regards and at times the spine can be the center line of the hinge.  But, remember that I am writing about Tsuki no Kata, the committed action of going in a forward attacking direction.  If anything, the chusen and spine actually move around and forward of the pivot line of the rear foot, hip and shoulder.  As the lead foot, hip and shoulder move forward, the spine/chusen follow around like a train, linked together in a string of action.

Does this make sense?

What is key here is in knowing what is moving forward, what is moving back, what is pivoting in a singular point and what is just dead.  There are times maybe you need to shorten range but still need the correct body alignment and, in order to achieve that, you must pull back the rear half of the body or your posture won't support the impact of the strike.  You need to adapt to your situation, but do it with economical, balanced and powerful motion.

As you explore these technical details and see how you can improve your own natural motion, you'll quickly find this to be true when moving in any direction.  So, see how you can apply this hinging idea as you move, whether it is forwards, backwards, sideways, and diagonally.

Then, find the parallels to how you move when lunging from Fudoza no Kamae or Seiza no Kamae.  Hint:  Your ground or posted knee is the pivot point connecting your spine and skull to the ground.




Hope this helps!  Whether you agree or have different ideas is fine.  If you are at least made aware of these things and make a point in your training to take a look at them, then my article has served it's purpose.

Happy training!

















Monday, October 1, 2012

Teaching, Coaching, Leading

Training in any martial art always involves, at some point, having to show someone else what to do.  A concept among more traditional Japanese schools is the Kohai (junior) and Sempai (senior) class model.  The idea is that everybody is both a Kohai and sempai to somebody.  The Kohai learn from and follow the examples of the Sempai.  The sempai nurture and provide example to the Kohai.  There is a responsibility of each role and every student strives to adhere to these Kohai and Sempai responsibilities at the same time.  This presents a real challenge as each student tries to learn, to accept their mistakes and grow from them, but to also provide example centered leadership to those Kohai who look to them.

In addition to the Kohai and Sempai roles in the class, there are also the roles of Tori (person doing a technique) and Uke (person receiving the technique).   This relationship is common to martial arts, but carry a very deep significance besides just "attacker" and "defender".  In particular importance is the role of Uke.  This is not just the guy who is being hit, thrown, locked up, choked, and otherwise abused as part of an overall technique.  This role is vital to the successful learning of the Tori and involves a level of training and growth that is equally important.

At the base of being Uke is this concept of Ukemi.  Ukemi is the ability to blend or adapt to a situation.  On a basic (but not really 'basic') level, Ukemi is the rolling and breakfalls, the techniques of going to the ground safely.  It also is the ability to go with the leverage, the pain, the lock, the hit, whatever the Tori is doing, so as to avoid being injured.

I have written previous posts about each of these roles and provided my thoughts regarding them from a student's perspective.  The point of this blog post has more to do with these relationships from the perspective of the Sensei, or teacher.

In many martial arts, particularly Koryu (classical martial arts), techniques are preserved in their written (Densho) form, practiced over and over without much variation (or none at all), and passed on from teacher to student.  Thus, the structure of the Sensei (teacher) and Deshi (student) is one of transmitting the material "as is".  Among the Deshi, the Kohai and Sempai operate as a sort of caste system of ranking.  It all follows a very systematic form of passing the traditions, techniques and principles along to newer generations.

In the Bujinkan, however, things might be similar to the class structure I outlined above.  But, what makes the Bujinkan what it is has more to do with the relationships, the open learning environment, that we enjoy.  Our Soke (grandmaster) encourages us to learn from each other.  He doesn't say to only learn from our Sempai or Sensei.  He says learn from each other, regardless of rank or status.  He encourages people to come to Japan and train with him and the senior Japanese teachers.  In many traditional schools, the Soke is often not approachable to people below a certain rank.  In fact, sometimes only those senior ranked students are allowed to train with the Soke and junior ranked students train with the senior students.

With our current Soke, he invites people to come to his classes, but encourages people to train with Shidoshi (Bujinkan teachers).  He says he is teaching to the upper ranked students (10th degree black belts and above), but everybody gets something from his classes.  He just won't teach you how to step, punch, block or any other kind of fundamental skills.  What you will get is a big picture, out of the box approach to see our art.  You will get a certain 'feeling' of how Soke moves.  It's this experience that is used as the backdrop to training, the light at the end of the tunnel.  Except this light keeps moving, evolving and we can only try to keep up as best we can.  That's why we need each other.  That's why the Bujinkan came about to begin with.  It's a team effort to try and stay connected to Soke's light.

When someone passes their Godan (5th degree black belt), they have the option to also be a Shidoshi (teacher).  Then, they can open their own schools, teach seminars and rank their students.  However, many other martial arts stop there.  Our Soke requires all those who are Shidoshi to stay connected to him either through direct experience (going to Japan and training) or by training regularly with Sempai or Sensei who do.  This is very important, since we are not a school of straight technique transmission.  There is so much more to the training that goes beyond the Densho (written techniques).  This is the Kuden (spoken teaching).  It only comes from direct experience, to catch the vision, the 'feeling', the principles and concepts, that turn techniques from being the product to just being the expression of the art.  The "Art" is the human element, which only comes from human to human interaction.

Then, to be able to express that and pass it along to Deshi (students) is a real challenge for a Shidoshi!

I have found that my role as a Shidoshi has fallen into three parts:  Teacher, Coach and Leader.  As a Teacher, I educate my students on what I know.  As a Coach, I encourage and guide my students to develop their skills.  As a Leader, I give examples through my own training.  I am both Sensei and Deshi.  I am also both Sempai and Kohai.  And, by example, I try to lead those who look to me for guidance through both my knowledge and my own training.  I don't talk the talk, but strive to walk the walk.

And, I accept that my current level of ability and understanding is incomplete, sometimes flawed, sometimes with holes, and sometimes dead on correct.  That's why I take being a Shidoshi, a Teacher, Coach, and Leader very seriously.  I am also honest.  If I don't know something or I'm not correct, I'll be the first to admit it, learn from it, and move on.  I've messed up techniques.  I've taken my share of hits and laughed at myself over it.  It's because I don't take myself too seriously.  I do, however, take the effects of what I say and do very seriously, because I know there are those who trust me with their training.   I also take the responsibility of my training very seriously.  I'm the only one who I don't take seriously!

It's a tough journey as a Deshi.  Particularly a Bujinkan Deshi, as the road is not paved, structured, laid out nicely in a package that can be learned easily.  It is filled with confusion, misdirection, misinformation, misunderstanding, and many, many points of frustration along the way.  And, to be a Bujinkan Shidoshi, a Sensei and Sempai, is even tougher! Yet, we are admonished by our Soke to "Keep Going" (Gambatte).  Because I have been training so long, I am finally starting to really see the value in that.  I have come to really understand that it is the "Keeping Going" that contains the real lessons of Budo and Life.  As a Shidoshi, I can teach someone to strike, grapple, throw, use weapons, and all sorts of other things.  However, I cannot teach Gambatte.  I can only encourage and show through my own examples.  And, if I fall short on that, I am not only going against everything Soke has taught me, everything this art has taught me, but I am also living a lie to myself, my Deshi and my Kohai.

The responsibility is great.  But, nobody said this life was easy, nor should it ever be.