Tai Sabaki

[shinobitribe]

Hi guys...

I have been training for 6 months now so I am relatively new. I am struggling with side ways movements that are essential to move off the line during sparring.

I was wondering if anyone could suggest any training methods to improve Tai Sabaki and movements that we use during sparring?I want to know some training methods that I can do by myself

Thanks in advance

[Kuma]

You can try out something we do from time to time in my dojo we call the "Eight Directions Drill." Inside the dojo or room you're training in, assign north-south-east-west in the room. From here you will then take a step in each of the eight directions, using whatever stances and techniques you like (start off with zenkutsu dachi and one of the four basic blocks, with a gyaku tsuki as a counter):

(1) Northwest

(2) Southeast

(3) Northeast

(4) Southwest

(5) East

(6) West

(7) South

( North

Each time you turn in stance, you'll improve your agility and stepping as well as stance shifting and a number of other nice little benefits. So once you step towards NW, you would then turn around SE, for example. Hard to explain, but I hope you get the gist.

[sensei8]

Hi guys...

I have been training for 6 months now so I am relatively new. I am struggling with side ways movements that are essential to move off the line during sparring.

I was wondering if anyone could suggest any training methods to improve Tai Sabaki and movements that we use during sparring?I want to know some training methods that I can do by myself

Thanks in advance

Please don't hate my obvious answer, well it's obvious to me that I'd use this answer, seeing I'm a staunch proponent of it...

Kata. After all, Kata is imbued with Tai Sabaki.

[Dobbersky]

Hi guys...

I have been training for 6 months now so I am relatively new. I am struggling with side ways movements that are essential to move off the line during sparring.

I was wondering if anyone could suggest any training methods to improve Tai Sabaki and movements that we use during sparring?I want to know some training methods that I can do by myself

Thanks in advance

Please don't hate my obvious answer, well it's obvious to me that I'd use this answer, seeing I'm a staunch proponent of it...

Kata. After all, Kata is imbued with Tai Sabaki.

Totally agree

Kata is full of body movements, not too knowledgeable on Goju Kata but I am sure there's plenty of direction changes etc in the kata that you already know

To add to Kuma's post

[sensei8]

Nice video Dobbersky. Even though I didn't understand what he was saying, I completely understood his meanings.

Thanks for the video Dobbersky!

[Dobbersky]

Nice video Dobbersky. Even though I didn't understand what he was saying, I completely understood his meanings.

Thanks for the video Dobbersky!

I couldn't listen to it as i was at work and they don't have speakers on this computer I'm using

But as you said the meaning was there

[bushido_man96]

Another way to put it to practice is to have a partner practice the movements slowly with you, so you can get a better feel in reacting to someone else's stimuli.

[sensei8]

Another way to put it to practice is to have a partner practice the movements slowly with you, so you can get a better feel in reacting to someone else's stimuli.

Good point Brian.

[shinobitribe]

Thanks for all your help guys.Will definitely try out your advice.

[Wuwei]

Hi, first non-introduction post.

I just wanted to step in because I also struggled with tai sabaki for a long time. A couple of drills helped me. I also want to reiterate an above poster by saying kata, espicially certain kata, are great for developing an understanding of taisabaki if you practice them correctly and with that in mind. (Naihanchin in paticular helped me).

Two things we did at my dojo that helped me:

1) The stick drill

Part of my problem with Tai sabaki wasn't even the movement itself as it was predicting when to step. I needed a better understanding of distance and where my centerline actually was. Our sensei took bo and jo staffs of varrying length and had two karateka balance them between eachother dandien. Then we would start to move. At first simple stuff, just seisan stance back and forth, then more complex sideways movements, almost pa kua like circle walking, etc. We had to do pushups if we dropped the stick. It takes a while to get used to this but learning when the centers of two people were alligned helped establish when they were broken.

2) close in sparring.

Probably the most controversial thing about me thats not going to make me many friends on here is that I'm not at all for free form free sparing. Thats another story. But I find it useful with context. We used to tape off a very small square of the mat we were not allowed to leave, and then give one combatant only the ability to block or evade, he could not attack. His tai sabaki had to be on point to avoid getting hit. He didn't have the option of making the common mistake of constantly stepping backwards to avoid a strike, he or she basically had to advance and reach the side. Necissety became the mother of invention. Doing this while utilizing the techniques taught in kata proved effective for me.

These may be worth a try. There is some solo stuff too. In Pa Kua Zhang they use a technique called circle walking that almost kind of acts like their kata. It may be worth looking at how they do this to get better practice at home or when you have no partner. I find every artist is different though and you have to find out whats going to make it click for you before it will build into your muscle memory. Good luck and please keep me posted! This isn't the easiest skill to learn but its so useful.