Protective Arts

RESPONSES IN TIME

With the two basic ranges understood, let us focus again on shomen. The step-cut is ‘long range’ and the slide-cut is ‘short range’ but the ranges are also examples of time. Meaning the longer the range the more time tori has to respond. In order to train the correct response, we focus first on the longer range. With a proper and decisive shomen, the correct response is not to use a cross-block arm and focus on the distal part of the arm, but rather to use the opposite (usually the back) hand to stop uke’s striking arm at the triceps. Simply stated, gokyo’s entry. However the refinements are as follows.

For simplicity – focus on a right handed shomen. Arrest the strike in proper time with your left hand from below on the triceps. Tori’s right hand is focused on the counter strike to uke’s head (which is always a viable target). Respecting the threat, uke’s attack is firmly stopped which allows tori the time (beat) to replace the left-hand control of uke’s strike to transfer to the right hand. This can look similar to ikkyo. However, rather than focus on uke’s arm, once the right-to-right contact is established, tori’s left hand then drops to strike uke’s femoral. In short, tori executes a reverse “c” cut hitting first uke’s offending (striking) hand then to the groin. Tori’s right hand game is a simple counter cut. Either of tori’s actions could succeed – and really it is immaterial which does. The idea of technique is a fine heuristic for teaching, but we are trying to move beyond techniques to derive principles.

To emphasize the principle, I will point out a long-taught fallacy regarding ikkyo omote. The focus on the control of the weapon (the invisible katana) and the wielding arm leads many students off the true path for years. Students struggle to control uke’s arm, which is free to move at the shoulder and contains the least amount of mass. Remember – the real weapon is your opponent, what they wield is a tool. Given that reminder, ikkyo omote is a secondary response when tori fails to simply strike uke first. Ikkyo is a back-up play, not a primary response. As a secondary response that doesn’t mean it is of lesser importance. Just like the old adage that “two is one, and one is none” when it comes to preparation, we all need to have programed back-up scripts to play when our primary ones fail to achieve the necessary results. So if the primary goal is to counter-cut, and the secondary is ikkyo, the tertiary play is the reverse c-cut I described above. These are all permutations on a timed response to an overhead strike (or even a properly delivered yokomen – remember we are at close range here).

Another principle to derive from the reverse-c is to remember that tori’s control over uke is on the vertical axis, not on the horizontal line. At close range, uke largely dictates the horizontal line of play: uke attacks which closes the horizontal distance. Tori however has full freedom on the vertical line of play (hence passata-sotto among other ‘techniques’). Wherefrom these concepts? Armed combat, which was the origin of the gamut of Aikido techniques, but as I have stressed so often: no one art, culture or time has the monopoly on the universals. Technique is derived from principles. Principles are delimited by the human body and its responses to physics and physiological limits.

After exploring the ikkyo inside line, I then introduced kokyu-ho but from the inside line. How does this work? Again for simplicity, let us review uke delivering a right hand shomen strike. Tori responds at first with a right hand cross but the left hand will quickly become ‘primary’ as a finger spear to the eyes (combatively) or a palm cover (in training) that effectively blinds uke to the lower body’s play. The lower body stays on the inside line, which means tori’s groin is exposed to uke’s lead leg. But is it? Remember tori is closing the gap by advancing also which puts tori’s left leg on the outside of uke’s right. As tori’s left hand ‘rakes’ uke’s head, tori’s left leg can either reap or brace for a leveraged throw. The threat of a kick is largely nullified by uke’s strong intention to strike (you cannot execute a genuine cut and kick simultaneously) or if the strike is a ploy, tori can always ‘cover’ his crotch with a quick closing-cross of his legs. Most males do this instinctively anyways. The effect of a cross will be to buckle uke’s lead leg in most instances. Add the bunkai of a foot trap to the encounter and uke’s ankle will break.

Please note that this ‘technique’ is a genuine form of kokyu-ho. Just one played from the inside line and not the outside. So the primary difference will be that tori’s hand will be palm down and elbow up, whereas kokyu-ho on the traditional outside line is performed palm up and elbow down. So, please keep training the ‘basics.’ The traditional form of gyaku-hanmi, tenkan, kokyu-ho with its correct emphasis on lower body control, soft shoulders, dual-vectoring of forces to instill proper tension, and diaphragm controlled breathing and foundational skills to develop. These are the necessary forms of individual and internal development necessary to execute techniques and deploy the derivatives that form the compass of principled movement.

SHOMEN VS YOKOMEN

We are now moving to the specifics of attack with the focus on shomen vs yokomen. Shomen should be an easy attack. Nothing could be more visually clear than a direct overhead attack. However the mechanics deserve a close internal read and we used the sword as that feedback devise. An iaito makes it easier to achieve and hear but even with a bokken one should be able to create a smooth “swish” with each cut.

Achieving the sound isn’t a goal per se but rather is a tool to tell you that your cut is at the proper angle with sufficient acceleration and arc. Really the only way to achieve this is repetition. Correct repetition. Once you learn to do it correctly you can maintain this perishable skill with solo training at home.

We then explored the two basic distances. The first is a strike delivered with the front foot advancing (a slide cut with the power initiated from the back leg) and the second is a step cut with the back leg in movement. The first is a closer range the latter is longer range attack. As a training device the step attack is the basic form only because it is longer range and longer in time allowing for a longer response time. The slide attack is not as frequent because it forces a faster response. At the more advanced level it is important to change up tempo and distance so that advanced students get used to the different proximity and times which have a different visual appearance on feel. With shomen clearly understood and achieved the next distinction to learn is yokomen.

Most of the time yokomen is presented as a pathetically open and oblique attack that has only suicidal combative value. It infuriates me because what should be an eminently effective attack makes our art look inept to a trained fighter. That is not the fault of the art but of its practitioners.

So how should yokomen be delivered? A fast feedback mechanism is to practice tamashigiri – because it is manifestly obvious that the angle of delivery must be sharp to cut effectively. Unarmed it is still possible to learn to attack properly. I had the great benefit of having Shibata sensei as a training partner at a seminar once. Intimidating as that was to begin with, the attack was yokomen and his delivery was fast and much sharper than I had ever experienced before. That made a profound impact on me because it crystallized two challenges: first that the amount of visual distinction between shomen and yokomen is, and should, be small – revealing themselves only at the last moment and with little preemptive cues; second, given the limited distinction, how can there be one set of responses (techniques) to contend with shomen and yet another set for yokomen? The processing time to make a conscious choice isn’t sufficient. It would either have to be instinctively executed (meaning the skill, reactionary and perception speed is unique to the practitioner) or there must be a universal response mechanism (meaning the art has contained within it a logical counter that is effective). While skill is always manifest at an individual proficiency level, the art contains a counter to each delivery. The problem is that to make it easier to understand the art, techniques are still taught in the “if this then that- but if that then this” manner. This may be necessary pedagogy to show a beginner, but that manner of thinking is a structural limitation that must be destroyed to progress. To move beyond the basic we experimented with contending with uke moving between shomen and yokomen. When uke is delivering a proper attack this is a challenging exercise at first. However with proper stimulus nage soon exhibits “correct” responses. I watched students reflexively catching the attacking arm at the tricep (gokyo) and using a “prayer/split entry” response. But gokyo is a “knife” response – why yes it is. Yes, insights into universal responses.

Over the month of March we will continue to explore shomen and yokomen The goals are to ensure a proper and effective attack and to understand the necessary differences in angle and purpose. Another goal is to train with sufficient authenticity that students learn the subtle visual cues and distance games so as not to become flustered by the chaos of contest. Then we can overlay the refinement of techniques and show the connections by destroying distinctions.

224718_201193526585812_8256432_n — Yokomen defeated by showmen / thrust

Control the center – always.

SELF-PRESERVATION

In the realm of armed (meaning fire arms) self-defense, the most frequent categorization of the population is a three-part segmentation: sheep, wolves and sheepdogs. (Reminds me of Bloch’s segmentation of Feudal society.) A sheep is a productive member of society – the ‘normal’ people who would only hurt one another by accident. Violence has little or no part in the decent lives of sheep, most of whom live in denial that violence is possible. Sheep do not want to believe in the existence of a class of individuals who actively use violence to fulfill their needs. Those who predate on sheep are designated ‘wolves’ – those criminals who are the repeat offenders living off and exploiting sheep. Fortunately, these criminals are statistically infrequent but violence is their primary tool.[1] They may be rare, but they undeniably exist. (I loathe the ‘wolf’ label as a pejorative since I am quite fond of wolves and respect their social structure, but the label serves to distinguish the groups.)

The final group is a relatively uncommon group – ‘sheepdogs’ [2] who know that wolves are real threats and have taken an active role to acquire training to defend themselves and protect the sheep. Law enforcement and military personnel are the most obvious members of the class, but there are trained civilians who have the ‘gift of aggression’ as LTC Grossman calls it.[3] The existence and presence of a sheepdog can often make sheep uncomfortable because their mere presence is a reminder that wolves are real.

I remember when my father first lectured me that a gin and tonic is a gin and tonic because the gin is the most important part of the drink. I would suggest the same emphasis should be on our art: we are training in a Martial art, not a martial Art. Chiba sensei would evoke (promote/create) an atmosphere of fear in his classes because he was one of the few who emphasized the seriousness of the stakes. That ability to present the seriousness of training is a regrettably rare skill. I would further suggest to anyone who starts training in a martial art that they have stepped off the comfortable grazing pasture and are becoming a sheepdog.

Sheepdogs are protectors – of themselves and their flock. Sheepdogs understand that they have the moral imperative to survive.

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Peter van Uhm is the Netherlands’ Chief of Defense but that does not mean he is pro-war. In his TEDx Amsterdam talk, he explains how his career is shaped by the love of and the pursuit of peace, and why we need armies if we want peace: