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Body Mechanics

Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 12:58 pm
by claas
Since the Kuroda-thread shows us that there is an interest for body mechanics in general I think it is a good idea to start a separate thread for body mechanics in general.

I'll start with Minoru Akuzawa and his Aunkai. Have you people come across to this guy or his videos & texts? Judging by those, the stuff seems to be really good. If I understand correctly his approach is highly based on training body mechanics and awareness of it. Fortunately he shares a lot on the internet.

Here is a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbvipmVYGzA


And two links:
http://www.aikidojournal.com/article?articleID=699
(About Aunkai)
http://www.aikidojournal.com/article?articleID=701
(Akuzawa interview)
A lot to read, so I suggest starting with the first one and continue to the other one if interested.

Re: Body Mechanics

Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 6:55 pm
by jacob
I think this is excellent. it reminds me of being in the Dojo at one of Shiomitsu Sensei seminars..... Relax, natural position is the strongest.. it's so true, makes perfect sense and yet i can't get it through my thick head to do it!!!

Re: Body Mechanics

Posted: Wed May 11, 2011 11:23 am
by claas
Guess we are just having this conversation in two threads now. ;)
From the other one:
wadoka wrote:The Akuzawa footage particularly interests me as he makes impact. For the junzuki gyakuzuki pair the movement is very reminiscent of Takamizawa sensei's shorter range gyakuzuki. He makes tsugi ashi for the junzuki which could mean for forward body mass transfer than just leading with the front foot.
Which clip are you referring to? How does he do the tsugiashi? Do you mean something like the opposite foot advances during both punches? I think that is one good way to do it. Perhaps it has something to do with what he calls the X-connection?

From the interview in the second link:
Layered on top of this is a physical connection, referred to as the X-Connection that runs from the left hand to right foot, and right hand to left foot is developed.

jacob wrote:I think this is excellent. it reminds me of being in the Dojo at one of Shiomitsu Sensei seminars..... Relax, natural position is the strongest.. it's so true, makes perfect sense and yet i can't get it through my thick head to do it!!!
What I think is interesting in Akuzawa's approach is that he doesn't seem to advice on relaxing from the beginning like it is done in many other styles that also have a strong body mechanics approach. He says that Aunkai practitioners tend to first become a little more tensed and then find relaxation. Also this is very well said:
"You have to put hard into your body. So by putting hard into your body, it creates pathways to make hard and soft."
Still I guess the outcome is the same: Relaxation and tension find the right places. Many times relaxation is not an easy word. Sometimes "to relax" means that the tension should be in the right places and not elsewhere.
Anyway, some teachers use the opposite way that the students first try to relax completely and then later the necessary tension comes to the right places.

I also like the idea of the six directions. It parallels teachings in Wado, which of course is no miracle. A very well known idea universally is that one has to "explode" in all directions when punching. Perhaps the idea of six directions parallels this. Also the stuff about "Ten Chi Jin" might be interesting for us Wado people.

Re: Body Mechanics

Posted: Wed May 11, 2011 11:37 am
by WadoAJ
Hi Claas,

I see you use the term tension a lot. Although not being incorrect, in my opinion it would be better to say weighted. There are several soft striking and controlling techniques which are weighted at the same time.

I wrote more but decided to delete it, if you want I can send you by PM. by the way, are you from Holland or have Dutch blood? Your name is quite oldschool here.


AJ

Re: Body Mechanics

Posted: Wed May 11, 2011 12:11 pm
by claas
You shouldn't have deleted anything. :)
The words tension and relaxation are not always simple. Sometimes for example connection means the outcome of some kind of combination of these two and good allignment.
I however used the word because Akuzawa used it. Or the translator used it. It is a curse word when someone makes part of his/her body so hard that those parts no longer generate functional force and the whole body is not used... When the tension makes other parts collapse and the chain has stronger and weaker links. On the other hand when alive tension is put to the parts that are too soft in relation to the task, it is a good thing. This is when all the links become equally strong or weak, so to say. Many times we have to advice to relax the arms and shoulders in the right way, so tension is most of the times a curse word. We usually do not need to encourage tension because there is too much of it anyway and in the wrong places. Strictly however, I don't think this should be the case when analysing. The case should be correct tension and relaxation in the right places in relation to the task.


I have no relatives in Holland as far as I know. :) claas is not my real name but it has to do with one inside joke and a nickname that I haven't heard used in a long time. It is not so far away from my real name either, which of course was the reason for the inside joke and for me choosing it as a nickname here.
And I am very interested in what you had to say, so please pm. :)

Re: Body Mechanics

Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 2:45 pm
by claas
Hello everyone,
Long time no see... :)

From the thread Teaching Wado Ryu?
viewtopic.php?p=4990#p4990
Gusei21 wrote:Don't we all have to 'rearrange our balance' before we move?
I know I do.
The challenge is to do it in the most efficient manner.

Any time we are in a 'correct' junzuki stance we have to deal with inertia. We have to learn how to overcome it in order to move.
In order to overcome inertia we have to put our body in a state of unbalance otherwise you will be stuck there forever.
If you feel you are in balance then that means you are stuck. That's what 'in balance' means.

(...)

One of the learnings of junzuki is the art of unbalancing yourself in such a manner that you can move as quick as possible.
This is a good text and reminded me about thoughts I have had...

Mechanical equilibrium is a good starting point for this study, in regards to physics. Likewise of course inertia (= the property of mass that gives resistance against acceleration).

There is a state that, you could say, doesn't separate motion from stillness. That state is called neutral equilibrium, which is between stability and unstability. In my understanding this is an example of what "floating body" (ukimi) means in terms of basic physics. That is the state from which you can either move or create stability quickly.

(Typically stable equilibrium is demonstrated with something you cannot tilt, such as a low box on a table.
Unstable equilibrium is like a pen standing on the table so that once you let go, it tilts by itself
Neutral equilibrium is many times demonstrated with a ball on a flat surface, so that it can either be in rest or in motion.)

Of course this is rigid body dynamics and, being that, a simplification. In practice the state of "neutral equilibrium" can be created by taking away the stability. The stability in junzukidachi comes from bodyparts that do not allow motion (being stuck "in a hole") and from the condition where the performer has friction between the feet and the ground in the starting point (which leads to a force directed from the front foot in the ground towards the body and as such is resisting motion). In order to be able to "roll" like the ball in neutral equilibrium, that has inertia (=mass) as it's only resistance for acceleration, the performer has to stand in such a way that even on very slippery ice the feet would not slide. Both of these mean certain tension (especially in the hip area).

Also one thing that in reality has to be taken into cosideration is falling in the beginning. If you don't fall at all, the only accelerating force will be friction in the feet. By falling, you can tilt a little and so gravity will be one of the accelerating forces. This happens by taking away some of the force in the front leg. Of course also this is finally friction when it comes to horizontal acceleration, but the muscles do not need to be that strong if you fall a little. Falling allows you to use your structure for accelerating as well. Already one inch is a lot and it's also almost invisible.


I have heard in Yi Quan they do not separate motion from stillness. Physically speaking that makes sense. Acceleration is adding or subtracting speed or changing direction. It doesn't matter if you're moving or not, if you have "neutral equilibrium" and hence gravity is not your enemy. Accelerating is as easy or difficult. In Chinese arts the Taoist ideal of "stillness in motion" is interpreted physically like this. They also say "motion in stillness". This state can be seen in most of the really good masters, regardless of the art. With different teaching terminology, in my opinion the same concept is also present in Wado movement. Physically speaking "neutral equilibrium" is a good explanation. The challenge is to find a good state of tension/relaxation in your body. Not allowing stability to occur.

Re: Body Mechanics

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:04 am
by Gusei21
Lasse,

Here you go...you don't push off the back leg...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRRrKPZTDvc

Re: Body Mechanics

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2014 12:46 am
by oneya
As you wrote somewhere else and I agree with you Bob, Inoue sensei is terrific, his forte is certainly his charm. What I find remarkable is in these seminar vids he is only ‘teaching fundamentals'.

This thread started with some pretty appalling karate lite vids under the banner of Wado ryu and has followed on with positive mention of Akuzawa, Kuroda, Taoism and Inoue sensei. All great but all really beyond the wado pale.

A broken wado ryu connection from Heiwado and the ‘why’ of it is evident from Hirano’s history but it is the dearth of wado ‘suchness’ relieved only by a couple of warm voices for the Toru Takamizawa and Shiomitsu Masafumi connection that made me wonder if people find something missing in their wado practice..??

oneya

Re: Body Mechanics

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 2:11 am
by Gusei21
There is a lot more of Wado suchness displayed here by Rika Usami than in most Wado videos I see...
Another student of Inoue Sensei.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws6pvyXpWH8

So what is interesting for me is that (I spent several years cross training in shitoryu) is that in Wado we do our stuff during transition. In Shitoryu we did it after we stopped moving. In other words we were posing.

But when you get to Inoue Sensei or in this particular case Rika Usami, the lines start to blur.
Yes she is still waiting until she gets there - sort of - but again...the line starts to blur.

You can't do Wado if you are slow. And you can't do Inoue's Shitoryu if you are slow either.

Bob

Re: Body Mechanics

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 4:40 pm
by KarateREF
During the WKF Junior&Cadet World Championships 2013, in Spain I stayed at the same hotel as Inoue sensei, he is a very friendly and open minded man.
We talked a lot, breakfast, dinner, breakfast, dinner….

He has a very, very high respect for Arakawa sensei and has also done some Shito&Wado seminars in Sweden together, Arakawa/Inoue.

For me Rika Usami was the best in the kata-competitions WKF (men´s included!!). I have refereed her some times and saw her in a kata seminar some years ago, so fast…

KarateREF
Ove Viggedal