Enter the Dragon!

There are many ways to push and to pull. Firstly, you need a connection. Most obviously: If you have a grip -- usually with a hand -- on your partner or your partner has a grip on you (or both have a grip on each other) you can use the connection to pull or push. Note that if your partner has the grip they may elect to release, which is why in jiu-jitsu when grabbed, we often grab back (so that they can't get away). In principle it is possible to grip with your toes or your teeth, but I will disregard those possibilities for now. Use of the hands When gripping, especially when gripping clothing, it is good practice to grip tightly with smallest two fingers (the ring finger and the pinkie), and quite gently with the thumb and the remaining fingers. This prevents over-tensing, increases sensitivity to your partner's movements, and over time strengthens the smaller fingers. This is also the recommended way to grip a sword. Usually -- there are exceptions -- the shoulders shou...

As a postscript to my theme for March, beautiful breakfalls , I want to point out that although learning to breakfall greatly reduces the chances of injury, it is also up to the thrower ( tori ) to help perform safe throws, safely. For instance: Many jiu-jitsu and judo throws have been developed from battlefield techniques that culminate by dropping the opponent on his head or neck.  In the modern times these techniques are modified for safety: We do not drop them on their heads (or necks) .  Either we modify the technique so that our partner is not killed or crippled, or -- when demonstrating -- stop before the completion of the technique. An example: Here is the rice bale throw, executed in a safe, controlled form: And here is a related -- but incredibly dangerous throw -- that occurred when a Capoeira demonstration degenerated into a disgraceful brawl (throw begins at the 35 second mark): Fortunately the recipient appears to have evaded spinal injury.  Thanks to  ...

Despite a strong temptation to use April Foolishness as my theme for my class this April -- maybe next year! -- this month's theme is Push and Pull . We shall see that push and pull has many aspects and in exploring it we will use physics, bio-mechanics, and psychology to our advantage. In broad outline: Physics : By pushing and pulling simultaneously we generate turning forces (also known as torques). Bio-mechanics : We apply these torques to twist, turn, lock and/or throw our partners. Psychology : The majority of people when pushed, push back; when pulled, pull back. If instead you respond to a push with a pull; or initiate by pushing, get the expected push-back, and switch smoothly to a pull, you can begin to co-opt your partners force and use it against them. Etcetera. Some thing to whet your appetite: Physicist Jearl Walker explains the physics of a few judo and aikido techniques. Next up: Ways to push and pull .

Setting aside issues of technique and conditioning, training for self defence should include: An appreciation for the potential for violence and its consequences Some clues on how to recognize and avoid trouble Strategies to increase your chances of survival in dangerous situations Without this kind of training you may find yourself ill-equipped to deal with an encounter where-in society does not prove as civilized as one might hope. Witness this first-hand accoun t of a 53-year old man who bumbled into an unfortunate altercation in suburban Melbourne: It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, my wife and I pulled up directly outside the shop she wished to visit and, like the dutiful husband that I am, I waited patiently in the car for her return. As I sat there getting progressively more bored, I noticed two youths, obviously blind drunk, causing some commotion at a nearby shop. Their pockets were filled with stubbies and, as a result, one of the pair's trousers fell down. He continued ...

A very nice re-enactment of the classic "Ti Kwan Leap" sketch -- the original soundtrack is by the Canadian comedy troupe The Frantics -- that I spotted on Wim de Meere's blog : And if you think that "too much ti kwan leap is barely enough", here's a realization of the catchy follow-up song, "Boot to the Head": Now, "Let us meditate..."

I am not against the use of strength, rather I want to explore and develop its efficient use. When technique is refined and application is sensitive it can be surprising how little force is needed to execute a technique successfully.  Conversely, if you find yourself straining to perform a technique, there is usually a failure of technique or sensitivity that you are trying to compensate for with additional "brute" strength. Here are some inefficient uses of strength: Opposing a push with a push (as in an arm-wrestle) Opposing  a pull with a pull (as in a tug of war) Tensing up (so that our own muscles fight each other) Relying on isolated muscles groups (local strength) Mis-using levers (e.g. trying to open a door by pushing/pulling near the hinge) Unnecessary lifting Here are some ideas that can help increase efficiency: Accept a push, and use it to help power a pull or a turn When pulled, press forward on  a diagonal Use whole body strength to power movements: The larg...

A snippet of advice on randori (free practice) Judo founder Jigoro Kano: "In order to beat someone now, it is best for those who are strong to use that strength to overcome the other person's strength. However, with that method, if you encounter an opponent who is much stronger than you are, you will naturally lose. So, even if you lose for a while, the correct practice of randori is to learn to slip dexterously away from your opponent, adapt to his strength, cause him to lose his balance while stepping back, and then take advantage of that opportunity to perform a waza [technique]. If you do this kind of training for a while you will be twisted by the arm and held down, or pushed down by your opponent. But if you do not frequently engage in this kind of training you will never learn how to beat a stronger opponent." -- From Mind Over Muscle: Writings from the founder of Judo The person who wants to win at all costs (now!) is not going to learn much, if anything a...

One of my ideas for a theme of the month was "Groundhog month", a month where we focus almost exclusively on groundwork.  I have decided against it since I think that it is too much -- more on that below -- but tonight instead I tried out " Groundhog day ", an occasional session (maybe once a month) with a groundwork focus. After the warm-ups we skipped throws and did a few restraint-and-control techniques, most including a throwing component.  From there we went into a solid hour of groundwork: Offence : The first four immobilizations More offence : Immobilizations six through eight Theory : How control of the opponent's hips (and to a certain extent the shoulders) establishes dominance in groundwork Basic defence : A mount escape; two guard passes and a counter to a guard pass More defence : One-and-a-half counters to the first immobilization: kesa gatame (the scarf hold) All of this was interspersed with short sessions of groundwork randori. It went well.  ...

I have discussed breakfalling and related drills and motivations in previous posts this month. This time I turn to breakfalling from actual throws. These tips assume that you have basic competence in breakfalling. As usual, don't try this stuff without expert supervision. For example, in the image below we see uke being thrown in a hip throw. He is about to land on his side on the ground, and his whole body is curving in preparation, with his left hand and arm shaping to slap the mat to help dissipate the impact. His right hand is holding onto Tina's lapel to pull upwards against gravity, which will help take the edge off the throw; Tina holds his right sleeve with her left hand, which also helps. The 1st hip throw: Uke gosh i Notes These tips are best learned through cooperative throwing practice. The principles behind them apply in other situations, but I think that it is far better to internalize first, analyze later. For visualization purposes the Judo fundamental...

A post by Littlefair: Practice, practice, practice... has a great piece of advice: When I feel myself drifting off during lessons I like to focus using this idea of always checking form and movement, getting feedback from my body and knowing that I'm staying on the path. Like many people, once I have achieved basic competence in a skill, and can do it "without thinking", my mind tends to wander off as I go through the motions. I may even feel a little bored ... But what martial arts has taught me is that this is usually the first plateau in learning. Looking back, I struggled to get to this point, and am relieved to have gotten even this far. Perhaps I am a little drained from the effort, and need time to consolidate. Looking forward there are many more challenges to come. Littlefair's tip is one way to open up the training and to start exploring sensitivity, details and principles. Nowadays, with a busy life, going through the same routines that I have followed ...

In the dojo we practice our throws -- and breakfalls -- on a 5 cm (2 inch) thick rubberized mat. But do they work in real life? First, an illustration of what not to do: Now, can we do better than that?  Will good breakfalling technique help? Short answer Yes Long answer When an untrained person tries to break their fall -- like the unfortunate young skater in the video -- (s)he often tries to extend an arm with the hand bent back.  While this is an effective strategy in low impact situations -- e.g. if you are sitting on the floor and lean too far in any direction -- it is disastrous in any significant fall.  The wrist bends back too far, and -- if you are really unlucky -- the resulting shock wave can travel up your arm and also snap your collar bone (not shown!). I believe that most of us learn this "propping" reaction as babies first learn to sit, and they soon discover that propping is an effective method to help them keep seated.  It works, but it is not natur...

How do we acquire beautiful breakfalls? 1. System & practice In our system we are serious about breakfall practice. Rather than do calisthenics, running, etc. to warm-up, we do breakfalls! We spend at least 15 minutes practicing at the start of every class. Following the opening ceremony we almost invariably run through 12 standardized breakfalling exercises: 6 from a supine position with heads up, knees bent and feet flat on the floor: Slapping the mat; some with kicking; some with rolling side-to-side; some symmetric, some asymmetric 3 from the haunches: Side breakfalls, back breakfalls 3 from standing: Side breakfalls, back breakfalls These core exercises are often supplemented with a selection of additional exercises: e.g. front breakfalls (from knees, haunches and standing), or a few partner-assisted breakfalling exercises. Similarly, at the end of each class we go through many different kinds of rolls as a warm-down. This practice is technically demanding, and develops no...