The Shindokan Deflection

[sensei8]

Key factors about Shindokan:

1) We never block an attack

2) We want to get behind our attackers

3) We want to be very close to our attacker

4) We don’t back up

Today, I briefly want to address key factor #1: We never block an attack; we deflect said attack.

Dai-Soke describes how we execute our Uke, deflection, in an interesting analysis. He says the Shindokan Deflection is similar to catching a football.

A) Position Your Body Correctly!! 

Poor body position will greatly affect your effectiveness. Therefore, one’s focus should be towards improving your position. 

Your position should be facing directly towards your attacker. Why?? Shortest answer: Shortest path between two points is a straight line; anything else is unnecessary.

B) Position Your Hands Correctly!!

With your arms in front of you at a 45 degree angle network. Network for us means that your upper body and hands are in agreement. Whether you’re in a front facing, half-front facing, or side facing posture.

In short, your position and hands should not be like you’re playing a game of Twister. 

C) Catch The Attack!!

Hand usages are not arbitrary nor are they suggestions. Rather they’re directives towards to either accepting said deflection or seizing said attack.

When deflecting, ones directing said attacking force where you want it to finish. Therefore you’re hands aide you to catch said attack. 

When thereafter, you seize the attack immediately either by with your hand(s) or your arm(s) or with your hand(s) and arm(s). Our strong desire is to not use our hands to seize said attack because a free hand is unlimited, while a engaged hand is limited; we hate to seize ourselves while we’re trying to seize said attacker.

D) Tuck The Attack!!

To control our attacker during a close range attack, we must tuck the attack like a football player would after they catch/receive the football. 

A football player doesn’t want that football to get away because if they do, either a incompletion or fumble will result.

Well, once we deflect, we want to control, and to control we must tuck said attack into me, not away from me but making said attack a part of my body so my attacker doesn’t get away from me.

All of those factors take minuscule amounts of time to execute. Our goal in any Uke for us is the setup that helps us to get behind our attacker.

Shortly, I’ll briefly address key factor #2 about Shindokan: Getting Behind Our Attacker.

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by sensei8

[sensei8]

In addition, in Shindokan, we move when the attacker moves. We don’t wait for the attack to reach us because, in our opinion, that’s not the proper way to control the fight.

>A+B= Ineffective/A waits for B to reach A

>AXB=Effectiveness/A moves whenever B moves