Class Log: Existing Intervals in Budo & Life.
Another week has flown by – yet another approaches. Talking about time travel, how awesome. Friday past was no exception in terms of travelling from one point to another in successions within the interval of time. LOL
Anthony L.
Friday 13th – We worked on the concept of the ‘interval’ and the timing of moving…
Using O Gyaku and Ganseki nage as the core techniques we explored. The idea of moving to create a space, taking the opponent down and then as they progress to the end state (face down on the mat!) almost intercepting them in that time interval to apply another lock…
As uke grabs one arm, by stepping back from grab you first create the space, drawing back the arm and moving out to side, then taking their balance and gaining control by placing your hand on the outside of their arm and moving in:
- Moving into musha dori and reaching across to grab the pectoral muscle
- Locking arm, moving in to throw (soto gake) and lock hand as they fall
- Placing elbow on their hand, dropping down on one knee to draw them down
- Spinning under arm and turning to lock shoulder and throw
The second part of the class we explored the idea of timing your movement and the difference it makes to the technique. For any of the sword cuts you can move before, during or afterwards. In this class, we explored the idea of moving afterwards – there is a space between when the cut is initiated and when it makes contact, that’s the interval you are seeking to move in. How you decide which to use depends greatly on your opponent and how they move, moving between the different timings and knowing when to switch takes a great deal of practise and experience.
From Jodan no Kamae, uke does tento kiri (blade moving downwards focusing on the point) tori in Hasso no kamae, moving just in time to avoid the cut, dropping the sword downwards first and cutting upwards and diagonal (omote kesa kiri) to cut under arm (armpit). The key element of this technique is the waiting, moving just enough after the cut has been made and entering under the cut.
A Henka is to try the technique without the sword; as Uke does tento kiri, waiting until the cut has been committed to, stepping in to first avoid the cut, then turning to place the hands to take possession of the sword.
The first three techniques from Biken Jutsu (Tsuki Komi, Kiri Age and Tsuki Kake) each explore the idea or feeling of moving after opponent has committed to the cut.
Give yourself the patience, discipline and courage to wait until after the cut has been made. Legs move first to complete the counter strike.
It’s hard to grasp all of these ideas from just one night, you need to see them, feel them, practise and practise again. Don’t get frustrated that you can’t get them the first time.
The motto from the night’s training should come from the Chumbawamba song as personified by Luis’s demonstration of a good uke; ‘I get knocked down, But I get up again, You’re never going to keep me down’.
Blaise Barron, Yondan.
