Posture before Technique

Posture before technique: three simple words but incredibly important to get them in the right order. Last night was an excellent session; it was the first lesson since passing my blue belt grading and I was really excited to get on the mat. Yet as it turned out I was not allowed even one week to bask in my blue belt glory! There was a sensei from another Dentokan dojo visiting whom I had trained with before on a couple of seminars. Almost from the outset of the lesson as we warmed up and I was knee walking as is customary at the start of every session he pointed out that I wasn’t using my hara (roughly translated ‘core’) adequately enough. Then we began the session proper with practicing standing Uchi Komi Dori (overhead strike defence). He invited me to demonstrate the technique on him to which I obliged followed immediately by a critique. Then he intimated that it was my turn to uke as he became tori. I raised my arm to simulate the strike and he executed the technique. It was very apparent that his technique was superior to my own in every way; his carried with it power and control that mine lacked. Thankfully he is a very good teacher and took me step by step through the parts of the technique and where I was going wrong. Similar to the nuances I needed to make to my knee walking, this time I needed to apply more body weight propelling myself forward as I blocked his strike while keeping myself straight and centred. I mimicked his movement trying to get my body position right before attempting the technique again. After his tuition I performed the technique again feeling much more power this time and feeling far more confident I was in control.

Then his attention turned to critiquing the next part of the technique – the Shodan wrist lock. Once more he demonstrated on me allowing me to experience what it should feel like – his grip was powerful and firm but not to the point where he was crushing my hand and then he lifted my arm above my shoulder, driving his body weight through my shoulder and pinning me to the ground. My balance and strength had been completely broken and negated. In comparison my technique was weak and ineffective. His very simple advice to me was posture before technique: take the posture and then and only then execute the technique. Whereas before I had been trying to apply the technique without sufficiently taking my uke’s balance now I was able to see that this is bad practice. 

The rest of the night we trained in a few more techniques again following the same pattern of demonstration, deconstruction, critique and then reconstruction resulting in a much better technique.

It felt like a steep learning curve, especially the emphasis on the importance of hara in executing a technique; but it felt fantastic to be given so much attention. For a moment the thought passed through my mind “can’t I just enjoy being a blue belt for one week?!”  and then an even more profound and deeper truth dawned on me: at the end of the day, the reason his expectations were so high of me was because I was now a blue belt; that was the wonderfully empowering and reassuring truth behind all of his criticisms - I had reached the level in which the little mistakes can no longer be overlooked or tolerated because I am no longer still a beginner.  Now more is expected of me, more is asked of me, more is demanded of me and that feels good. Once I had realised this I didn’t want the lesson to end; I just wanted to continue learning. I want to be a good martial artist; a good Jujutsuka. The only way I am going to be able to achieve my ambition to become a Dan grade is to listen to my instructors, absorb their wisdom and to learn from my mistakes. Tonight I felt like a white belt – a complete novice compared to this visiting sensei and that is exactly the attitude I need to practice with week in week out.

Posture before technique.

Jujutsu as Budo

This may seem like an extremely obvious statement, but I believe it is so important to understand and practice Jujutsu as a pursuit of Budo. Last Wednesday at my Aiki-Jujutsu lesson I was practising for my imminent grading, focussing on my variations for the Hiji Dori techniques (elbow locks) and thought I was doing okay. I hadn’t spent much time working on my Hijis but was fairly confident I understood the mechanics. As I practised my sensei came over and inspected my form. Then he made a comment I wasn’t expecting – he said my technique looked “shit”! It was a humbling experience (and just a little disconcerting two days before my grading), but an important one. As I reflected upon his comment it opened my eyes to the importance of pursuing Jujutsu not just as a Martial Art for the dojo but as a Budo for self-protection. As my sensei stressed it must work on the street. If I am applying an atemi then I need to strike with a sense of conviction and power, not apathy. My technique should also be spontaneous, at the end of the day you can’t predict what happens on the street and an attacker is not always going to telegraph their attack or comply if your technique is too telegraphed.

           

 I have a long way to go before my Jujutsu becomes a fully practical Budo, but I now understand the path much more clearly. Mushin and Zanshin, the concepts of one-mindedness and alertness are two of the most fundamental principles in Martial Arts – they takes years of training, but are something to be developed for the improvement of one’s awareness and ability to react appropriately for your own safety. Ultimately you don’t want to over analyse the situation otherwise you will not be able to react in time: reaction is always slower than action. Jujutsu should flow naturally as an extension of yourself in response to the particular circumstances of the assault. Jujutsu means the art of yielding and so one’s self-defence should be in response to the attacker – their energy, their aggression and the nature of their attack. This at least is my current understanding of what it means to yield.

           

 The ability to yield and truly utilise the art of Jujutsu is the pursuit of Budo. Budo is the art of war – it is not sport, it is not about point scoring, competitions or medals; it is not for entertainment, it is about doing what is necessary for self-preservation. Jujutsu in its traditional Japanese form such as Aiki-Jujutsu whether a derivation of its Daito Ryu or Hakko Ryu form is Budo. Judo and BJJ have evolved into combat sports with rules and regulations. These have benefits in themselves but should not be mistaken for Budo. Budo is about living and dying in the moment – kill or be killed, there are no second chances, no tomorrow, no next week only the present.

             

And so I went to my grading trying to keep all this in perspective. I was far more nervous after my sensei’s comments two days before and was very self-conscious of my Hiji Dori techniques. The grading itself felt far more intense than I was anticipating, but I suspect that was because I felt very anxious. There were only six of us grading, four white belts and myself and a blue belt. After the Suware waza (sitting techniques) the white belts left the mat leaving just myself and the blue belt with our two ukes. Here was a perfect example of developing Mushin – the mat felt very empty as a dozen eyes scrutinized our form and technique. I did my best to block out the judges and the spectators and focus solely on my uke. Some techniques I struggled to remember more than others; as I was grading for my blue belt I had to perform a total of 30 variations (both left and right sided). I was very confident in my Kote-gaeshi wrist locks and in my Otoshi’s (throws) but my mind went blank on some of my Shodan wrist locks as well as my Aiki’s and my Hiji’s. Eventually they came to mind, but are not quite ingrained in the muscle memory as they need to be yet.

            

To my delight I passed my grading and again was given reassuring encouragement in my display and aptitude. What encouraged me the most was the most senior ranking Shihan took me to one side after the presentation of my certificate and told me that he was so impressed with my variations that he thought they were of a brown belt standard! I was blown away by such high praise after feeling so anxious about the whole evening. It feels great to make it to blue belt, I feel I have crossed a threshold on my path towards black belt but there is still a lot of room for improvement. I have achieved as much as I can physically achieve in my time in Jujutsu so far having made and passed every grading available to me; but it will take many more years of training to practice Jujutsu as Budo.

           

Practically what do I need to improve? My kata still needs refining; my foot movement needs much improvement and my centeredness - to be on-balance when executing a technique, finding my strength not from my limbs but from my core and taking my uke’s posture more are the priorities. It is exciting, even exhilarating to see my next steps to progress as a Jujutsuka and knowing how to reach my goals but it also requires humility and patience. Sometimes it’s hard not to get carried away with the culture of grading and obtaining your Dan grade but it is important to hold everything in perspective. Am I worthy of my rank? A black belt means nothing if you are not fit to wear it. I hope that when that day comes when I grade for my black belt that my Jujutsu will truly be Budo and not just a stylised art form that looks impressive but lacks real effectiveness.

Steven Seagal The Path Beyond Thought

Steven Seagal has become a controversial figure in the martial arts world since he took credit for teaching UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva 'that' Crane kick, which he spectacularly beat Vitor Belfort with. Whether or not Seagal is an MMA guru he is a bonafide Aikido master. Seagal is a 7th Dan Aikido black belt and holds the honorary title of Shihan meaning 'Master'. Steven Seagal's accolades in Aikido are even more impressive when one considers he was the first ever Westerner to run his own Aikido dojo in Japan.

The Path Beyond Thought is a documentary about Seagal as an Aikido instructor, as he was known in Japan as Take Sensei. The documentary features interviews with some of his former students both in Japan and America and their insights into his approach to teaching Aikido; as well as footage of Seagal's demonstrations and classes. The documentary covers many elements of Seagal's teaching as well as Aikido's fundamental techniques such as the importance of Ukemi (break falling) and Randori (three man attack). Of particular interest was their reflections on the Dan grading and Seagal's especially high expectations and pursuit of perfection. The very strong impression given from the documentary was the seriousness and commitment with which Seagal taught as one who strove to embody the true essence of Budo. Seagal's Aikido as testified by all his students was very practical and realistic. His classes were very physical and he pushed his students to their physical limits.

Seagal has his critics, some accuse him of abusing people, both stunt men in his films and his students on the matt. However, Aikido itself has its critics as being ineffective in real-life self-defence situations. Many observe that Aikido looks more like a dance than a fight. In contrast, the footage of Seagal demonstrating his Aikido techniques are incredibly inspirational as he executes each technique with the utmost conviction and puts 100% into them. Seagal's demonstrations are never sloppy, never half-hearted, never flowery - they always are effective, with an economy of movement. Basically Seagal practices his Aikido as if his life depended on it and truly captures how Aikido would work on the street. This is something to be admired about Seagal - he is a true martial artist.

After watching the documentary and footage of Seagal teaching, I have reflected upon my own experiences in Aiki-Jujutsu. Very often my Aiki-Jujutsu classes leave much to be desired, compared to Seagal's standards. Atemis are not performed with the proper conviction and there isn't the same emphasis on the importance of ukemi, not to mention the lack of real randori. One day I would like to teach my own Aiki-Jujutsu classes and Seagal's teaching model is one I am inclined to imitate. All I can do for now is continue to learn and do the best I can, making sure that I train to my own high standards and learn from masters such as Steven Seagal.

DVD review: Art of the Wristlock

Art of the Wristlock by Roy Dean Sensei is a very professionally put together instructional DVD. Roy Dean Sensei runs a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Oregon, America but also holds Dan Grades in Aikido, Judo and Seibukan Jujutsu. Thus Roy Dean is the complete package when it comes to the grappling arts of Japan and Brazil. It is this respect for and blending of both ancient and modern forms of Jujutsu that sets this DVD apart from other instructional DVDs I own. Disc 1 begins with Roy Dean’s own thoughts and philosophy on Jujutsu. This insight into the theory and application of Jujutsu from an instructor of Roy Dean’s experience and calibre is excellent and inspiring. A long time practitioner of Aikido, Roy Dean then began to explore the competitive world of grappling, namely through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, testing his Jujutsu techniques and skills, honing them to become both practical and applicable for both competition and self-defence.

               

The wrist lock techniques on Disc 1 cover the Aikido techniques of Ikkyo, Nikyo, Sankyo, Yonkyo and Gokyo. Very similar techniques are found in Dentokan Aiki Jujutsu such as Shodan and Nidan, which relate to Ikkyo and Nikyo with the other Aikido techniques featuring in the Dan grade syllabus of Sandan and Yondan. The techniques are performed by Roy Dean in a traditional Japanese style dojo, which helps create an air of authenticity and professionalism to the quality of the DVD. I always find it especially inspiring to learn and train in a traditional Japanese setting. Roy Dean clearly explains the mechanics of the technique before demonstrating them first at a slow pace and then at a faster, more realistic pace. Thus this DVD is excellent for beginners to Jujutsu or Aikido.  Disc 1 also covers Shihonage (known in Dentokan Aiki Jujutsu as Nihonage) and Kotegaeshi. What sets this DVD apart is the nuances Roy brings to the techniques from Seibukan Jujutsu, showing Jujutsu variations to the techniques. There is much greater emphasis on the use of atemi's in traditional Jujutsu than in Aikido and these variations feel far more 'street' ready as a form of self-defence. I believe it is important to have a knowledge of all such variations for the different wrist lock techniques so that the Jujutsuka can apply them when and where appropriate, should they become necessary.

              

However, one of the best features of this DVD is Roy Dean’s own BJJ style variations of the wrist lock techniques for ground fighting. Dean is an experienced grappler having competed in many grappling contests where wrist locks are legal and demonstrates many of the techniques that he has had success with. Dean is an exceptionally innovative Jujutsuka and his development and adaptation of traditional Jujutsu wrist locks for ground fighting are inventive and effective. Bonus features on Disc 1 include several demonstrations of Aikido and Seibukan Jujutsu as well as trailers to his other BJJ DVDs. Particularly impressive from my perspective was Dean’s Seibukan Jujutsu Sandan demonstration.

Disc 2 features three seminars from the Yosokan Dojo in Monterey, California. The first two deals with aspects of Aikido principles and how they relate to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the third is a seminar on leg locks and foot locks. The seminars all feature Roy Dean teaching and selected footage of his students training. Roy is a good communicator and his instructions are easy to follow. What makes Roy such a good instructor is his attention to the mechanics of the technique, breaking each technique down into their component parts and then reconstructing them to demonstrate the technique as it should be executed. His teaching style is also very incremental in as far as he starts with a basic technique and builds upon that technique to incorporate variations and adding more complex elements to the technique in line with the skill level and competency of the class. My only criticism (if you can call it that) is that the third seminar on leg locks seems strangely out of place for a wrist lock DVD and while having an overall ‘game’ is very important, I couldn’t help but feel it would have been better suited to a BJJ instructional DVD instead.

Overall I was very impressed with the quality and production of this DVD. Roy Dean is the epitome of the total Jujutsuka and his example is a strong source of inspiration to me in my Jujutsu journey. His dedication and commitment to Jujutsu in all its facets as well as his passion to teach and guide others in the wonderful art of Jujutsu is outstanding and highly motivational. I highly recommend this DVD for those practising a traditional form of Jujutsu/Aikido, especially for beginners and even for those studying BJJ who want to have an ‘edge’ over their friends and opponents in their club.

The Art of Yielding

Welcome to my new blog – my Jujutsu journey. The purpose of this blog is to share my thoughts and reflections as well as my triumphs and failures in my study and training in Jujutsu. I chose to dedicate an entire blog to this aspect of my life because 1. It is important to me and 2. I did not want my regular blog being overtaken with Jujutsu talk. The reason I have titled my blog ‘my Jujutsu journey’ is because I think it aptly reflects what martial arts are about – they say you learn something new every day and this is certainly true in Jujutsu. The martial arts are a life long journey of discovery. In many ways there is no end point – they are a path; a path to greater confidence, to finding greater harmony with your environment or circumstances and to self-discovery. Naturally there are goals and milestones you can reach and accomplish, the most obvious being your Dan Grade (black belt), but even then your journey continues, only then it takes on a new dimension having the added virtue of wisdom gleaned from experience and examination.

                 

Why Jujutsu? There are many martial arts from across the globe; some of a ‘hard’ style, while others ‘soft’, most being oriental in origin but not all. Some have evolved into combat sports; others remain very traditional in their philosophy and practice. Jujutsu has the advantage of being all these things – in its traditional Japanese form Jujutsu is a system of self-defence first created by the Samurai for the battlefields of Feudal Japan. In its modern form it has been exported across the globe namely to Brazil where it was adapted to become a ground based form of submission fighting. Judo and Aikido can also both claim to be modern evolutions of Jujutsu, Jigoro Kano founder of Judo originally calling his system Kano Jujutsu.

Jujutsu has a long and rich heritage being primarily a form of unarmed self-defence against an armed attacker. Due to the nature of Feudal warfare blocks and strikes were ineffective and unpractical for the battlefield, so the Samurai employed throws and joint locks/manipulation in order to unarm their attackers. Thus in Japanese the word Jujutsu means the gentle art, or the art of yielding. It is the latter definition that has captured my imagination and inspired me to practice Jujutsu. It is the philosophy of yielding that I find so powerful. To some people ‘yielding’ sounds like weakness and they may consider Jujutsu ineffective for this reason. But Jujutsu’s strength lies in this principle and its techniques and mechanics are all based on this central concept – it is the axis upon which Jujutsu operates. When one learns how to take someone’s posture and destroy a person’s balance then all strength is negated. Whether it is traditional Jujutsu, Aikido, Judo or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu all these arts are variations based on the same principles. Therefore this blog is not just about Aiki-Jujutsu - the particular style of Jujutsu I study - but about all things Jujutsu related.

Aiki-Jujutsu

I am currently a Green belt in Aiki-Jujutsu. Much time and ink could be spent defining what Aiki is and how it relates to Jujutsu, maybe someday I will write a more thorough blog exploring the connection between the two, but for now a short introduction will suffice. Aiki-Jujutsu is a traditional form of Jujutsu that was created by the Samurai of the Minamoto clan in the 11^th Century. Due to the social structure of Feudal Japan Samurai were divided into clans, each clan usually developing its own form of Jujutsu to be used on the battlefield. These forms were taught secretly to each member of the Samurai clan – the master passing on the art to his student. These forms later formed the different schools. The oldest school (or in Japanese ‘Ryu’) of Aiki-Jujutsu is Daito-Ryu. Later in the 20^th century two other influential forms of Aiki-Jujutsu were developed: Hakko Ryu and Aikido. Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba was a Daito-Ryu Aiki-Jujutsu master who, influenced by his Shinto beliefs, decided to create his own style developing the Aiki techniques further. But it was the Hakko-Ryu system, created by Okuyama Ryuho that remained truest to the traditional Daito-Ryu system of Aiki-Jujutsu. It is the Hakko-Ryu system that my Aiki-Jujutsu is based on. Thus Hakko-Ryu can be considered a modern form of a traditional art. In look and practice it is very traditional compared to Judo or BJJ.

I do not claim to be an expert just a dedicated student. There will be times when I make mistakes, but we all have to learn from our mistakes. So whether you are a Jujutsuka on your own Jujutsu journey or are just interested in martial arts I hope this blog will inform and inspire you.