(583 posts)
May 13, 2009 2:15 pm
Technical considerations in Balance Break
Our standard 23 kata (and the 17 before it) functions off of a strong preference for a particular type of step and orientation in making the standard balance break (as used in techniques #3 through #13 possibly excluding some forms of ushiroate and the inside pick up to classical waki-gatame) -- in general we can say that it is a forward step and a cross handed position of orientation, further we can say that it is concerned with the descending part of the foot cycle--a falling step (falling into the front foot) and also that in its most basic form, the step has a neutral axis of rotation in the hip (the lead hip is neither turning in nor out-- we are stepping down the line of the foot).Later when we look into the beginning techniques of the Owaza JuPon (big 10) we see that that now we are doing a different set of preferences; noteably in the first four techniques, we are in the rising action of the foot cycle (back foot lifting), still going forward, still oriented in a cross handed position realtive to uke's attack, but now also using an inward turning hip rotation to effect garuma function.
This set of four basic conditions (Direction--forward or back; Foot cycle -- rise or fall; Rotation
-- in, out or neutral; and Orientation to Attack --mirror or cross) can be used to define all of the possible conditions of a tori's body in motion, at the moment of the encounter at ma-ai. We should note that all of this presupposes a frontal attack-- attacks from behind and attacks that take place while tori is at rest require separate consideration.
I am looking into these four conditions because if we make a premise that tori is in motion as he is being attacked, then it may be fruitful to explore the rest of the options -- what direction is he traveling?--is he rising or falling?--are his hips opening or closing or neither?, and how is he getting hooked onto uke in general?
By mapping out these options we find we have grid of 24 potential states or combinations of conditions -- some of which are quite familiar, other much less so. My theory is that balance breaks and aikido applications arise in all the conditional states-- though I have yet to test this hypothesis-- i will report more later after I have conducted some experiments.....