01 Aug 2004

Yeah, once again I relearned the same thing all over again: moving you center really makes a difference. We were studying the techniques for the sankyu (三級) test, ryote-dori kokyu ho (両手取り 呼吸法) to be specific. I more or less know what to do in that particular technique, I can more or less make it work. But only when you try and teach someone else something about a given technique, you really see the differents parts and flows of the whole.

What I managed to show my partners was how the technique becomes a lot lighter, more flowing, when you simply turn from your center, instead of trying to push the uke (受け) with you center. The way they first went about it, was that they stepped side off the attack line, moved closer to the uke, constantly turned towards the uke, and pushed through. When they changed the way they positioned themselves before the actual “throw”, i.e. turned to about a 90° angle to the attack line and maintained the circle their hands created, kept holding the big beach ball in hands, as opposed to leaning to the uke and flattening the circle, letting their to be pushed against their torso. And when they at that point just turned towards the uke, not leaned and pushed against, the “throw” suddenly became effortless. Just turn and that’s it. And, to top it all off, when they kept close to the uke, stepping back into the attack line, into the empty corner of the “triangle”, they were able to prevent the uke from taking a step back. Fun.