Friday past was black friday as well as halloween. Such a spectacular event in and around the downtown area of New York City. If you’ve never seen nor experienced halloween in NY before, make it a point to do so. It’s totally unique.
Class friday past was a continuation of maniuplating the space within the space (invisible). Specifically we worked from kumichi to explore leverage, distance, balance and the feeling of being grab. I impressed upon everyone to not be drawn into a tug of war like kumichi but, to just let the will of uke set his own trap and fall leaving him with a knowing of being doomed. On the part of the defender from the kumichi point of view to not grab intentionally and give off any information but, learn to use the elbows and reliance upon the legs will get them to where they need to be.
Judo practitioners work from kumichi alot and focuses on tripping and throwing their opponents. I talk about this and how to often you see this with experienced fighters in the streets. We spent some time on this approach as well.
We approached harai gosh without the throw – I wanted to point out from my observation over the years some important details to often gets over looked or thrown out just to get an end result / effect quickly.
Many of the stuff cannot be taught nor shown because it does’nt exist figuratively speaking. What I mean by such – the techniques whether there being shown from the “tenchijin” or just from a punch, grab what have you. The point is when the attack is done with intent a sense of timing is born that often expresses a natural result unrehearsed. So when you ask to be shown this again, it cannot be replicated because their is only the moment in space, nothing else exist (i.e. past, future). That moment per se is gone forever.
Disappearing as I understand has many connotations yet have one thing in common, the psyche is tweak in a sense (laughing). So happen I used the disappearing as a metaphor which made the whole concept more comprehensible for even a beginner. From kumichi uke grabbed me, right leg/foot leading as well as mines and without giving off any information from touch, I simply used my right elbow, which freed up my left hand as I stepped slightly back and off line with my right foot, ukes left upper torso & spine was compromised without him/her knowing it. I was careful not to allow them to take a step with the left foot to regain a sense of stability, at the same time I used my left hand and gentlely placed it over the right elbow to slightly get this twist thing going, and in that motion I turn my whole body lightly either placing my left foot on there right instep, ankle, chin whatever it doesn’t matter where, the point is once you take the balance in such a kamae and lightly touch the leg that supports their whole body an effect happens to the structural foundation and they fall in this empty space totally baffled, not knowing what happened. Most people try to ukemi their way out of this, there is simply no way out. This is disppearing in the kukan as I taught it. Most people look at this from various perspectives, what I’m talking about is imagine not being where uke expects you to be and suddenly appear at their destination which is you’re spacious present, the point of power. Mean while you never gave any signs to participating in the fight.
A few to mention – Osoto gake, osoto gari, osoto guruma, hiza guruma, uchi mata, seion is what we’ve been covering from kumichi with no intention to fight back, just move the legs/body and see where this action (effect) takes you.
Here’s my favorite part in closing, one of my many quotes from a great musician - ” Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom – if you don’t love it – it will not come out of your horn”.
Note: In music as in budo there is many similiar or parallesl if you will. As a layman perhaps, you need to expand yourself and take the focus off the external and look further.
Don’t forget to Vote!
