Kaze Uta Budo Kai Forum Archive

Dr. Clif Norgaard showed this really slick drill when he was in this week. I had never bothered to consider the bottom side of the pin cycle drill from clinic.

Work the pin cycle as normal ():
[starting on side, working toward head]
kesa-gatame
mune-gatame
(reverse) ushiro-kesa-gatame
(broken) kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame
ura-kesa-gatame (pillow lock)
[At the peak]
kami-shiho-gatame
[Working from head back to side]
ura-kesa-gatame (pillow lock)
(broken) kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame
(reverse) ushiro-kesa-gatame
mune-gatame
kesa-gatame
[Go back toward the top]
mune-gatame
(reverse) ushiro-kesa-gatame
[Then step over]
tate-shiho-gatame
[Then step back]
(reverse) ushiro-kesa-gatame

The top-side partner moves around, keeping weight on his partner as he transitions.

Clif's drill is the same except next time through the top partner sets a position; now, the bottom partner feels for a natural "hole" or weakness in the hold. Make sure you use your legs to exploit an escape, not just your upper body. You don't need to go to a full escape, simply to discover where the weakness is. At this point, the top partner moves to the next position. Repeat.

This reminds me a lot of the back-to-back, just sit there until motion happens, follow the motion drill Nick developed last year.

I guess where I'm still struggling is how, exactly, to exploit those holes. I assume it has to do with "lines" which I've heard a lot about, but I guess I've never truly understood. And that may be something one can't really demonstrate with words. I imagine there should be some sort of control (holding the man to you) or they would be free to move about? I dunno. I definitely need help on my ground-work, though. Any thoughts on that side of the matter from anyone would be appreciated.

You are right in that the holes largely have to do with lines of off-balance. All the lines that exist standing up exist on the ground too. It's the same, just a little different 😉

I'll use mune-gatame because I think it demonstrates the line idea most easily.

To begin, your partner is holding on your your right side. At this point, uke's left elbow, left hip and most likely left knee are all roughly in a line. Reach down with your free right hand, touch uke's left knee. This becomes a prop. Now, using your legs to drive the action, bridge to attack the perpendicular of uke's body. As you bridge, you can sweep with your hand (much like kouchi gari), keeping right hand on the floor, sweeping uke's knee toward his body.

The main thing to think about is uke's body position. Points in contact with the mat will make a line. Geometry teaches us that connecting two points makes a line. The hard part is figuring out what two points to connect. I think about where I am going to bridge uke, and try to determine a line I can affect.

Also, I basic kesa-gatame escape. I often do a sit-up at uke. If uke isn't dedicated to holding me down, this will often lead to an escape almost immediately. But, let's assume uke's not a newbie at the game. He counters my sit-up action by pressing me back down to the mat. He is exerting a line of force. Now, your initial bridge entry (hand not being held, goes across uke's back, bridges toward his toes on his advanced foot), is perpendicular to his attack action down.

Does this make sense?