Permit me to
play with the words a bit, allow me the license to do so for a moment.
Something I have
not thought about for a long time is the use of Replacement Stepping.
In the past I
defined it thusly.
Replacement
Stepping is
used to step away from a line of attack.
The stepping leg moves first alongside the
other leg, then perhaps because of the attacker moving forward too fast, the
other leg steps back to conclude the crescent step. An alternate version
has the 2nd leg kick out to form the stance on a different angle,
across the line of attack. This can be accomplished by a slide shift if
straight stepping is used.
The replacement stepping also moves your
center line from where the opponent desires to strike. This creates a new line
to counter-attack.
This also works as a force
multiplier.
Of course this
is just a lot of words. Let’s look at them more closely.
The normal
method of moving forward in Isshinryu is the Crescent Step.
That is where
the back leg moves in along side the lead leg then moves forward stepping to
the outside, the entire stepping motion can be seen as a “C” shape on the
floor.
When the
crescent step is used it can be thought of using the stepping foot to compress
one’s energy into the supporting leg to then explode the gathered energy into
the remainder of the step. Thus it can be a force multiplier to increase the
energy delivered with a strike at the same time. Or the motion can be used to
attack the attackers moving leg in a wide range of options.
But there are
other possibilities.
Say the attack
is moving faster than you expected, when the foot moves alongside the
supporting foot, it can also return from where it came. Thus not stepping as a defense.
Allowing you to respond from the original position. There might be tactical
reasons for this.
However you are
now in a different stance than you originally intended. Now you are in a
crescent stance of the opposite shape from your original intention. Likely
requiring another response to make that effective.
But another
option can be the employment of Replacement Stepping.
The attack moving on you is faster than you anticipated, or perhaps you wish to
move your center to another location. Either tactical choice can be
accomplished with Replacement Stepping.
Thus when your
moving leg moves alongside the supporting foot, instead your moving leg now
becomes your supporting leg, and the former supporting leg steps back
completing the crescent step.
You have gained
an immense tactical advantage. For their attack was focused on where they
expected you to be. They have moved their center forward anticipating striking
you. However, you are not there. Instead you are further back than they
expected and the limb they chose to attack with and their body center are
forward, perhaps more available for your response.
On the other
hand you are in the exact position you wished to be in. and you have moved back
in the process. There are a vast number of tactical possibilities that have
opened.
The interesting
thing is you can practice your kata with Replacement Stepping and not change a
movement. Essentially you stay in place for the practice. Also worthy when
space to practice is at a premium.
Of course
practice of the concept is necessary too. You can do so with any of your kata,
without exception. The choice is yours.
I would suggest
that only one practice kata is necessary.
I wish I had
filmed this, but this is one of thousands of things I never got around to
filming.
It if of course
up to you to work out whether you can do this.
But it adds an
entirely different dimentson to your possibilities.
