Training in Saigon, in the absence of a common language or a particularly motivated and ambitious training environment, I think a lot about how I should be structuring my own training regimen. Knowing that I am heading for Belize where I will need to create my own opportunities for aikido practice is another factor. I had better be sharp when I get to Belize if for no other reason than that I will need to convince others of the value of aikido as a martial art.
So I am looking at structure in training and I will revisit that structure from time to time to modify or expand it as my understanding allows.
To begin with, I am breaking down training into categories of flow:
Kihon Waza (Basic Technique)
This is the starting point. Uke and nage work cooperatively to create an ideal situation for mastering the text book version of the technique. Unfortunately, I think most aikido stops here and kihon waza becomes 99% of people's training.
For myself, I want to focus my kihon waza on few key ideas:
Off the line
Attack the center (Atemi is a must to get the right distance and alighnment for throwing)
Take Balance (through both atemi and extension/ projection)
Lead to Kuzushi (tipping point)
Give uke the space and motivation to fall
Further, I especially want to perform kihon waza in a smooth, controlled and continuous manner - no herky jerky interruptions. I am striving to use committed resolute atemi to inform the structure of every technique.
Kihon waza can be performed statically and dynamically. Grabbing attacks ususally are practiced from a static start and striking attacks from a dynamic one. I want to mix it up. Sometimes I need to start statically and force uke to apply a strong grip. Other times I want to respond by blending with uke's movement and never allowing a good grip. Either way I need uke to attack with a clear intent.
Jiyu Waza (Free Technique)
This is a must. It's one thing to perform a technique when the attack is pre-arranged. It's something else to move appropriately when you don't know what the attack will be or which direction it will come from.
I think randori is the final outcome of jiyu waza practice. To get there, there are smaller steps I can take and incorporate on a regular basis.
Core Technique
I don't have a better word to describe this. To me, some techniques are just much more practical and efficient in an open-ended situation. They are quick, direct and very malleable in that they require only the slightest modification to adapt to uke's evolving attack. Irimi Nage is an example. It doesn't matter a whole lot what uke throws at me. I just have to move and take the technique.
On the mat I can incorporate this into daily practice. If I am practicing general technique, I can include five or ten minutes of having uke throw anything they want at random. My response is always the same, Irimi Nage.
If we are working on kokyu, then my response might be Kokyu Nage #4. For koshi, I focus on Koshi Nage #4 or #8. As much as possible I take it to uke. I don't really even need to wait for the attack.
I can up the pace and the stakes by working with two or more uke.
Futari Garami
Working with two or more uke, I now implement all of my core techniques. Again, I take it to uke. No waiting around for the attack.
Randori
The way I understand it, randori is not much different from futari garami except that maybe the pace is quicker. Ukes do not necessarily proceed in an orderly sequence but attack all at once as best they can.
Kaeshi Waza (Counter Technique)
Countering someone else's technique really demonstrates the weaknesses in the mechanics of the technique. Knowing the weaknesses helps to tighten them up.
The most elemental way to incorporate this into daily practice is to keep an aiki mindset when acting as uke. I mean flow with tori's movement. Don't simply hang there like dead weight. Don't lock down and try to thwart technique. Instead, go where they lead whether they meant to lead you there or not. Keep the mind open to the moment where their control can be usurped.
A regular example of this is with Koshi Nage #3. Tori leads my arm across my center. For some reason, they tend to lead my arm out and up without taking my balance. As the arm comes up I have the opportunity to turn my position into a basic kokyu nage. I can choose to take it or not to take it, depending on tori's skill level. I don't want to frustrate them excessively and ruin their practice although I do want them to see the flaw in their technique and correct it.
The other more direct way to practice kaeshi waza is simply to save five or ten minutes to directly practice a particular technique.
Sutemi waza is included as kaeshi waza.
Henka Waza (Changing Technique)
In reality, technique often fails. If I am locked on a specific outcome then I will just get stuck and give up my advantage. Henka waza means flowing into the next available technique. I do this because I screwed up my first technique or else the situation changes and I see that my intitial intention is no longer going to get me the outcome I wanted.
Some ways to incorportate this into practice:
With any technique that inititates from ikkyo, just go for ikkyo. If it fails, flow into the next logical technique. Another option is to take ikkyo and having secured it, allow uke an appropriate escape. As they take the escape, cover it with the right technique.
A good example is Kokyu Nage #7. This technique is really ikkyo. Ikkyo is either aborted or resisted. I can choose to bail half way through and take uke another way. Or I'm late and uke meets ikkyo with physical resistance. I yield to that resistance and take uke another way.
Another way to incorporate henka waza is to not allow myself to stop techniques and start over. Too often I have a particular technique in mind. When it starts to go wrong, I back off and start again. Instead, when it starts to go wrong, go elsewhere. Combat Aikido is a good video series for addressing this. Additionally it shows how to use aikido to initiate rather than waiting for a text book attack. In ititiating, the flow can go in different directions. From the same guard positon, if I get to uke's outside, ikkyo is my point of contact. If I end up inside, the same guard positon leads to shihonage.
A Daily Regimen for Well Rounded (Flow) Practice
Kihon Waza (30 minutes)
Smooth and continuous, no start and stop (henka)
Pursue uke and initiate the next repetition.
As uke, keep an aiki mindset and awareness of opportunities to be exploited (kaeshi)
Kaeshi Waza (5 minutes)
Select one specific kaeshi waza and drill it
Jiyu Waza
Core Response (5 minutes)
Futari Garami (5 minutes)
Solo Regimen for Flow and Skill (Slow and continuous)
Kihon Waza
Visualize and rehearse technique practiced that day
Visulaize and rehearse technique in preparation for tomorrow
Suburi
Tai Sabaki (with Atemi)
Jiyu Waza
Visulaize and Rehearse core techiques
Visualize and Rehearse futari garami
Friday, March 21, 2008
Structural Atemi
The Internet is wonderful. I came across a program called Close Combat Training by Captain Chris. His premise is that after years of martial arts training he found himself in a life threatening situation where it all went out the window. That near death experience sent him on a mission to find a truly effective, no BS approach to self defense which he discovered in the systematic training of World War 2 hand-to-hand combat.
He looked at kill or be killed situations. Adrenaline is flooding the system. Memory and finesse both fail. All that is left is raw, gross motor responses. So much of martial arts training falls into the realm of working fine on the mat or in the ring, but falling apart under stress.
Under stress, with only generalized motor control available, the human body has a limited number of fighting responses. I can't delineate everything Captain Chris had to say, especially because I didn't pay the 400 plus dollars for his course and only looked at his free material, but a few things stuck out for me. They struck me because they seem to be very much a part of aikido allbeit a part that is regularly addressed in only a minimal and dismissive way.
He says that two of the most fundamental and ferocious strikes we can deliver are the chin jab and the knife hand.
In my opinion these are a part of most martial arts but are practiced as crisp, precision oriented strikes delivered at a distance. Under stress, crisp precision goes to pieces. Captain Chris delivers these strikes as generalized, whole body movements. He delivers from the legs, powering in close to overwhelm the opponent with a crushing, smashing force to general areas of weakness.
The chin jab powers straight up under the chin, hitting with a broad open palm that snaps the head up and back. The knife hand drives down through the throat and collarbone region.
I think that aikido contains these. More so, I think it stresses them in virtually every technique. The problem is that most practitioners treat atemi as an afterthought, as something to save for the street, but I agree with the adage that the way you train is the way you react. Train to throw wimpy atemi aimed at nothing in particular and that is what you will be throwing when it counts.
Aikido is intimate. It insists that we get right in and take uke's space. I believe that proper atemi as practiced in aikido is meant to be up close and personal. It is meant to be devastating.
Growing up, I did a bit of boxing, mostly with my friend Mike who was older and very skilled in boxing and karate. He always said that the proper distance for punching is the same distance at which you can just reach your opponent with your elbow. In other words, if you can't touch me with that elbow, then you're too far away and that punch is going to be weak and just expose your vulnerabilities. Mike beat this concept into me regularly.
Later, practicing aiki-ken, this same concept was reiterated. The right distance for cutting with a sword is the distance at which I can just reach you with my hand. If I can't reach you my hand, you're too far away for me to cut effectively. Same principle.
Take all of this and synthesize it and I think we have a very effective and powerful approach to atemi in aikido. Aikido is sword based. My striking hand becomes a sword. I need to move in close to where I can reach with my elbow in order to have power in my striking/ cutting hand. I move in with my whole body, attacking the center. I attack with the chin jab, powering up under the jaw (irimi nage) or jaw line (kokyu nage). I attack the neck with a knife hand that is not dissimilar to my chin jab, overwhelming uke's posture and forcing his torso to lean out of balance.
Because I have positioned myself correctly to deliver truly powerful strikes, I am now in a position to deliver truly powerful throws.
He looked at kill or be killed situations. Adrenaline is flooding the system. Memory and finesse both fail. All that is left is raw, gross motor responses. So much of martial arts training falls into the realm of working fine on the mat or in the ring, but falling apart under stress.
Under stress, with only generalized motor control available, the human body has a limited number of fighting responses. I can't delineate everything Captain Chris had to say, especially because I didn't pay the 400 plus dollars for his course and only looked at his free material, but a few things stuck out for me. They struck me because they seem to be very much a part of aikido allbeit a part that is regularly addressed in only a minimal and dismissive way.
He says that two of the most fundamental and ferocious strikes we can deliver are the chin jab and the knife hand.
In my opinion these are a part of most martial arts but are practiced as crisp, precision oriented strikes delivered at a distance. Under stress, crisp precision goes to pieces. Captain Chris delivers these strikes as generalized, whole body movements. He delivers from the legs, powering in close to overwhelm the opponent with a crushing, smashing force to general areas of weakness.
The chin jab powers straight up under the chin, hitting with a broad open palm that snaps the head up and back. The knife hand drives down through the throat and collarbone region.
I think that aikido contains these. More so, I think it stresses them in virtually every technique. The problem is that most practitioners treat atemi as an afterthought, as something to save for the street, but I agree with the adage that the way you train is the way you react. Train to throw wimpy atemi aimed at nothing in particular and that is what you will be throwing when it counts.
Aikido is intimate. It insists that we get right in and take uke's space. I believe that proper atemi as practiced in aikido is meant to be up close and personal. It is meant to be devastating.
Growing up, I did a bit of boxing, mostly with my friend Mike who was older and very skilled in boxing and karate. He always said that the proper distance for punching is the same distance at which you can just reach your opponent with your elbow. In other words, if you can't touch me with that elbow, then you're too far away and that punch is going to be weak and just expose your vulnerabilities. Mike beat this concept into me regularly.
Later, practicing aiki-ken, this same concept was reiterated. The right distance for cutting with a sword is the distance at which I can just reach you with my hand. If I can't reach you my hand, you're too far away for me to cut effectively. Same principle.
Take all of this and synthesize it and I think we have a very effective and powerful approach to atemi in aikido. Aikido is sword based. My striking hand becomes a sword. I need to move in close to where I can reach with my elbow in order to have power in my striking/ cutting hand. I move in with my whole body, attacking the center. I attack with the chin jab, powering up under the jaw (irimi nage) or jaw line (kokyu nage). I attack the neck with a knife hand that is not dissimilar to my chin jab, overwhelming uke's posture and forcing his torso to lean out of balance.
Because I have positioned myself correctly to deliver truly powerful strikes, I am now in a position to deliver truly powerful throws.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Kaeshi Waza
I have been told that aikido is about choices. As nage, I always have a choice about which technique I use, whether I express atemi, how far I take the pin.
The same then should also be true as uke. I should have more options than just to take ukemi. Because off the mat, wouldn't taking ukemi mean going gracefully to the ground where my opponent could finish me off with his katame or shime?
The other option is kaeshi waza, counter techniques. I have been trying to incorporate principles of kaeshi waza into my regular practice. My big discovery today was that things do not always go the way I want and if I am fixated on getting what I want then conflict ensues and aikido goes out the window. Therefore, the more kaeshi I have under my belt, the more likely that I will have something applicable to the changing situation.
With that in mind, I want to start to collect a list of kaeshi waza and begin filling in the many gaps so that regardless of where the interaction goes I have choices.
The same then should also be true as uke. I should have more options than just to take ukemi. Because off the mat, wouldn't taking ukemi mean going gracefully to the ground where my opponent could finish me off with his katame or shime?
The other option is kaeshi waza, counter techniques. I have been trying to incorporate principles of kaeshi waza into my regular practice. My big discovery today was that things do not always go the way I want and if I am fixated on getting what I want then conflict ensues and aikido goes out the window. Therefore, the more kaeshi I have under my belt, the more likely that I will have something applicable to the changing situation.
With that in mind, I want to start to collect a list of kaeshi waza and begin filling in the many gaps so that regardless of where the interaction goes I have choices.
- Shihonage Omote - Shiho Nage
- Kotegaeshi Ura - Irimi nage
- Irimi Nage - Sutemi Waza
- Ikkyo - Ikkyo
- Ikkyo Ura - Kotegaeshi
Mushin
I suffered on the mat today. I bruised my ego.
I was feeling a bit off to begin with. Then I tried to take an opportunity to practice kaeshi waza, taking shihonage omote and giving it back. My uke didn't get it. He kept trying to jerk away or bear down and force his own shihonage through. A few times I thought my arm would break.
From there I tried to shift the practice to what I call my core responses. Uke attacks shomen and I either take a very immediate and direct entry irimi or, if I'm a little late or the distance is off, I yield and irimi tenkan to the inside for a throw. Again, he fought and resisted, suddenly yanking away or speeding up or bearing down. I felt frustrated. I finished practice feeling irritable and incompetent.
But I've been thinking about it, trying to see what I can learn from a bad experience.
First of all, I don't get to make decisions for uke. I don't get to pick the ideal situation for executing my aikido. Certainly that's true off the mat where an attacker is going to behave unpredictably.
But if all of that is true then it follows that uke can't make decisions for me either. Not if I don't let him. He can be as rigid or as spastic as he wants, but I don't have to let that undermine my response.
That brings me to mushin. The term mushin is derived from the phrase mushin no shin meaning mind of no mind. This is the correct attitude for practicing aikido or any other budo. For me, at my elementary level, it means putting aside my ego and not trying to impose my will on the interaction. I can't decide beforehand what the outcome will be. I can't predetermine the technique.
Today, I was determined to practice what I wanted to practice and when uke didn't cooperate I tried to force it. Undoubtedly, there were other openings, but I couldn't see them or take advantage because I was stuck on my original intention and blaming uke for non-cooperation.
Mushin is sophisticated. Real mushin is beyond me and will be for many years. But I think there are baby steps I can take in that direction so that I have a good practice regardless of uke's attitude.
First and most importantly, give uke what uke wants. Move with uke and don't go against. If that leads to kaeshi waza then great. If it means I take ukemi that's all right, too. Later, I can analyze the interaction and look for kaeshi. But in the moment I must respond harmoniously and accept the outcome as it is.
That said, the more kaeshi waza I am familiar with, the more likely that I will see opportunities when they arise and not be forced to take ukemi. Ukemi is great on the mat, but ultimately, in a confrontation, I'd rather have kaeshi.
I was feeling a bit off to begin with. Then I tried to take an opportunity to practice kaeshi waza, taking shihonage omote and giving it back. My uke didn't get it. He kept trying to jerk away or bear down and force his own shihonage through. A few times I thought my arm would break.
From there I tried to shift the practice to what I call my core responses. Uke attacks shomen and I either take a very immediate and direct entry irimi or, if I'm a little late or the distance is off, I yield and irimi tenkan to the inside for a throw. Again, he fought and resisted, suddenly yanking away or speeding up or bearing down. I felt frustrated. I finished practice feeling irritable and incompetent.
But I've been thinking about it, trying to see what I can learn from a bad experience.
First of all, I don't get to make decisions for uke. I don't get to pick the ideal situation for executing my aikido. Certainly that's true off the mat where an attacker is going to behave unpredictably.
But if all of that is true then it follows that uke can't make decisions for me either. Not if I don't let him. He can be as rigid or as spastic as he wants, but I don't have to let that undermine my response.
That brings me to mushin. The term mushin is derived from the phrase mushin no shin meaning mind of no mind. This is the correct attitude for practicing aikido or any other budo. For me, at my elementary level, it means putting aside my ego and not trying to impose my will on the interaction. I can't decide beforehand what the outcome will be. I can't predetermine the technique.
Today, I was determined to practice what I wanted to practice and when uke didn't cooperate I tried to force it. Undoubtedly, there were other openings, but I couldn't see them or take advantage because I was stuck on my original intention and blaming uke for non-cooperation.
Mushin is sophisticated. Real mushin is beyond me and will be for many years. But I think there are baby steps I can take in that direction so that I have a good practice regardless of uke's attitude.
First and most importantly, give uke what uke wants. Move with uke and don't go against. If that leads to kaeshi waza then great. If it means I take ukemi that's all right, too. Later, I can analyze the interaction and look for kaeshi. But in the moment I must respond harmoniously and accept the outcome as it is.
That said, the more kaeshi waza I am familiar with, the more likely that I will see opportunities when they arise and not be forced to take ukemi. Ukemi is great on the mat, but ultimately, in a confrontation, I'd rather have kaeshi.
Friday, March 14, 2008
A Place for Atemi
I have been told that o'sensei used to say that atemi is ninety percent of aikido. Lately, I have been thinking about this in a new way.
I see two meanings. First is the obvious meaning. We need a convincing atemi to interrupt uke's attack, to take his attention, his balance, so that we can more easily execute technique. But there is a second meaning, I think.
I'm looking at atemi as a blueprint or scaffolding for the techniques themselves. When I commit to using serious atemi (meaning that I put myself in a position to really hit and that I'm not just waving my hand ineffectually) then technique can happen by itself.
Lining up for good atemi by default lines me up for good nage. If I am lined up on your center in a position advantageous for me and disadvantageous for you and my distance is the right distance for atemi, then I am also in the right position for throwing. Conversely, if I am not in a place to hit you, how can I possibly be in the right place to throw you.
So what I am working on now is ALWAYS nailing the atemi. I mean good aiki atemi that gets its power from the hips like cutting suburi. Usually I am cutting yokomen, close and strong or else I'm using some variation of the chin jab, bringing my palm up from under the jaw line like an open handed uppercut, again, powering from the hip. Doing this I get the benefit of taking uke's attention and balance and I also know that my body positon and the placement of my feet are both going to be correct without having to think about it.
I see two meanings. First is the obvious meaning. We need a convincing atemi to interrupt uke's attack, to take his attention, his balance, so that we can more easily execute technique. But there is a second meaning, I think.
I'm looking at atemi as a blueprint or scaffolding for the techniques themselves. When I commit to using serious atemi (meaning that I put myself in a position to really hit and that I'm not just waving my hand ineffectually) then technique can happen by itself.
Lining up for good atemi by default lines me up for good nage. If I am lined up on your center in a position advantageous for me and disadvantageous for you and my distance is the right distance for atemi, then I am also in the right position for throwing. Conversely, if I am not in a place to hit you, how can I possibly be in the right place to throw you.
So what I am working on now is ALWAYS nailing the atemi. I mean good aiki atemi that gets its power from the hips like cutting suburi. Usually I am cutting yokomen, close and strong or else I'm using some variation of the chin jab, bringing my palm up from under the jaw line like an open handed uppercut, again, powering from the hip. Doing this I get the benefit of taking uke's attention and balance and I also know that my body positon and the placement of my feet are both going to be correct without having to think about it.
Same Same But Different
I've been struggling a bit with koshi nage. Here in Saigon we typically practice eleven versions. Some are easier than others.
Right now I am thinking of those koshi that require a really deep entry, particularly in response to a strike like shomen, yokomen or tsuki. I need to enter deep and quick with at least 180 degrees of turn. When the mat is in rough shape (as it is here) that turn is problematic.
These types of koshi are very fast and simple and it is my goal to incorporate them heavily into randori. But I have to get the turn down. I have to get my feet to where I need them.
I figure judo players as going to be specialists in koshi, so I have been looking at some judo videos. I'm looking at a series by Mike Swain called Complete Judo.
I noticed something. Aside from the fact that there is definitely a different flavor and feel to judo style koshi, I noticed that they classify them very differently.
At my dojo here in Saigon, we practice eleven versions. All of them are simply labeled koshi nage, presumably because they all share a certain set of features, and I have tried to practice them as if they are all ultimately the same. But looking at the judo videos, I saw that while they practice pretty much the same techniques, they classify them quite differently. They are not all lumped in as koshi nage. If I could remember offhand how they did group them, I'd mention that here, but my point is that I can only conclude that they group them separately because they see distinct differences among them.
One thing I saw was that when the judoka employed a koshi like the kind I described above (fast, deep entry with full turn), he achieved the turn by hopping. He hopped in and landed where he needed to be to execute (as opposed to trying to pivot on a disagreeable surface). Almost like a big, loose irimi tenkan. Additionally, he let his momentum carry his hips back and through uke.
Now I have a plan. I want to experiment. I want to take a little more hop so I can plant my foot 180 degrees around and right where I need it. Then, instead of drawing my hip around in a neat little circle and trying to drop my center at the same time, I want to draw my hip straight back following the natural momentum and let it displace uke's center. As the hip goes back, so do the leg and foot attached to it, and my center follows along, dropping naturally without straining the knees.
I've tried the footwork out a few times today. It feels very natural. I'm hoping to put my idea to the test tomorrow.
Right now I am thinking of those koshi that require a really deep entry, particularly in response to a strike like shomen, yokomen or tsuki. I need to enter deep and quick with at least 180 degrees of turn. When the mat is in rough shape (as it is here) that turn is problematic.
These types of koshi are very fast and simple and it is my goal to incorporate them heavily into randori. But I have to get the turn down. I have to get my feet to where I need them.
I figure judo players as going to be specialists in koshi, so I have been looking at some judo videos. I'm looking at a series by Mike Swain called Complete Judo.
I noticed something. Aside from the fact that there is definitely a different flavor and feel to judo style koshi, I noticed that they classify them very differently.
At my dojo here in Saigon, we practice eleven versions. All of them are simply labeled koshi nage, presumably because they all share a certain set of features, and I have tried to practice them as if they are all ultimately the same. But looking at the judo videos, I saw that while they practice pretty much the same techniques, they classify them quite differently. They are not all lumped in as koshi nage. If I could remember offhand how they did group them, I'd mention that here, but my point is that I can only conclude that they group them separately because they see distinct differences among them.
One thing I saw was that when the judoka employed a koshi like the kind I described above (fast, deep entry with full turn), he achieved the turn by hopping. He hopped in and landed where he needed to be to execute (as opposed to trying to pivot on a disagreeable surface). Almost like a big, loose irimi tenkan. Additionally, he let his momentum carry his hips back and through uke.
Now I have a plan. I want to experiment. I want to take a little more hop so I can plant my foot 180 degrees around and right where I need it. Then, instead of drawing my hip around in a neat little circle and trying to drop my center at the same time, I want to draw my hip straight back following the natural momentum and let it displace uke's center. As the hip goes back, so do the leg and foot attached to it, and my center follows along, dropping naturally without straining the knees.
I've tried the footwork out a few times today. It feels very natural. I'm hoping to put my idea to the test tomorrow.
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