Range Of Movements

[sensei8]

MAists, when they are younger, their range of movements are wide open. Then, as they become older, their range of movements become narrower. Then, as they become more advanced in age, their range of movements become quite compact.

In each change to their range of movements, they never lose their core style; still effective...even more so. Their core, over the many decades, have only been dialed down, so to speak.

Looking at the videos of the fore-fathers of the MA. For example, watch videos of Gichin Funakoshi, Hidetaka Nishiyama, and Morihei Ueshiba, to name just a few. If you study them closely enough, you'll begin to see their range of movements slowly become more narrower as the years pass to their finality when their compactness is more noted. Still the effective core still remains intact.

Why should a MAist wait decades to achieve that compactness? They shouldn't!

That compactness in range of movements is the essence of the MA. Everyone has witnessed the sweeping downward blocks by young black belts. Insomuch, we've also witnessed that same block as done by well seasoned black belts, however, that same block is no longer that wide sweeping motion; it's quite compact, much more short and powerful.

That shore straight line is indeed the shortest/quickest path between two points.

Chisel away, fine tune, and dial down the extra and unneeded motion now before age forces one to.

That compactness IS at the center of every core of every MA!!

Your thoughts...let the discussion begin.

Edited July 14, 2012 by sensei8

[sensei8]

[Wastelander]

Interestingly enough, my instructor was just talking about this on Wednesday, and he's not even 30 years old yet. He mentioned that a TKD blackbelt who trains with us commented on his hook kick, specifically, and said that my instructor doesn't do it the way that blackbelt does it. The main difference he pointed out was the he kicks the foot out to the side, then hooks it across to the head, which is the way pretty much everyone learns to throw a hook kick to the head, but my instructor brings the kick straight to where it needs to be with no "cocking" motion, so to speak. He elaborated by explaining that the ideal thing is to fine tune your techniques over time so that they become as efficient as possible, which will end up making the motions smaller, faster and more direct as well as being easier on your body as you age. He demonstrated the differences between the way chudan-uke is taught and how he does it, as an example, and explained that he is still working on it and will be for as long as he can still train.

[yamesu]

This is a very interesting topic, and I think that entire books could be written on the concept.

I agree that this is a true refinement of technique over time. In a perhaps similar vein, I have found my individual style change as the years go on, from standing back and throwing longer ranged full cup techniques, to moving in and firing off close range compact punches.

I believe this as refinement of not just my techniques, but my Ma-Ai also.

[JusticeZero]

If you teach the movements small, the student shrinks down to ineffective twitches. You need to enunciate the mechanics, structure, and dynamics first before you start trying to shrink and simplify.

[DWx]

If you teach the movements small, the student shrinks down to ineffective twitches. You need to enunciate the mechanics, structure, and dynamics first before you start trying to shrink and simplify.

Well said.

Why should a MAist wait decades to achieve that compactness? They shouldn't!

Compactness is what you should aim for but you still want a good technique.

With colour belt students we emphasize big blocks and strikes because it does teach you the proper mechanics. Higher kup grades and blackbelts start making their movements more compact and efficient once they understand how to generate power.

[sensei8]

I'm extremely compact and in that, my techniques are great; that's Shindokan...compact through and through.

JusticeZero wrote:

If you teach the movements small, the student shrinks down to ineffective twitches. You need to enunciate the mechanics, structure, and dynamics first before you start trying to shrink and simplify.

However, all of the big wind-up stuff to enunciate the mechanics, structure, and dynamics aren't necessary in teaching compactness right out of the gate because our model of Tuite needs/demands the compactness form initiation to completion; again, that's Shindokan.

[JusticeZero]

Well that depends on what parts you think of as "small". Our movements are, in ways, huge, but they have a lot of elements where they have been compacted to be tighter than other movements that look smaller at first glance. Conservation of angular momentum, lines and so on are important, but they have to be taught. If the movement is too subtle, it is hard to communicate the important parts.

[sensei8]

A lot of things depend on a lot of things.

[JusticeZero]

unfortunately, I can't work with an answer that vague and lacking in ideas that I can understand from my viwpoint that does not contain a lot of study in your style. Neither can the students who are trying to learn it. the movements are often taught large simply so that the teacher is kinesthetically en-nun-ci-at-ing the parts that are important so that the student can start by doing the techniques in a functional, albeit verbose and expansive, way. They are learning our kinesthetic language. We are en-nun-ci-at-ing e-ver-y syl-la-ble of our mo-ve-men-t so that they can clearly hear the words of our muscles and joints, rather'n slur'n 'thing mmgether 'nmak'n'll "c'mpac" 'n'speccn'm un'stan'.