By Neil Ohlenkamp I was teaching my Judo class the other
day, and I tried to explain the principal of kuzushi, or breaking balance.
The reason I was explaining kuzushi is because during practice that evening
most of the students were focusing on how to get their bodies into the proper
position to apply the technique we were studying. Very little attention was
being focused on placing the partner's body into the proper position. As I
explained the importance of breaking the opponent's balance I could see that
everyone understood that it is easier to knock down another person when he or
she is off-balance. In fact I've noticed that is quite common for the
principles of Judo to be understood long before they can be applied
effectively. It is obvious, even to someone who has never studied Judo, that
a throw will be more effective and require less strength when applied to an
opponent who is in a weakened state of balance.
One of the things that distinguishes a
beginner from a more advanced student is the ability to focus attention on
your opponent's balance. It is one of the differences between learning a
throw, and being able to effectively apply a throw. Many martial artists tell
me that they know how to do basic Judo throws like seoinage (one arm shoulder
throw) or osotogari (leg outer reaping throw) for example. However, learning
to get your body into the proper position to effectively apply your strength
is only part of learning a Judo throw. The real trick to making Judo
techniques work easily is to find a way to catch your opponent off-balance or
to force your opponent off-balance. Most people do a fine job of getting
off-balance by themselves. One way to apply Judo throws is simply to catch
the opponent at every opportunity that he or she gives you. It is just not
possible to move without some degree of imbalance. It is certainly not easy
for your opponent to attack you without a force and movement that makes him
or her vulnerable to your counter attack. However learning to take advantage
of your opponent's imbalance requires a finely tuned sense of timing. In
order to be at the right place at the right time, you generally have to
anticipate the opponent's movements, a skill that requires a great deal of
experience. Another way to apply kuzushi is to set
up or force your opponent into a weak position. There are many ways of moving
that will result in your opponent responding in a predictable way so that you
can anticipate it and take advantage of it. It can be as simple as stepping
forward and pushing on your opponent, which usually results in the opponent
stepping back, bracing, and pushing back. This in turn gives you the
opportunity to throw them forward in the direction of their push. The most
common way to force your opponent off-balance is to use combination throws,
where the first throw attempted puts the opponent into an unstable position
so that a subsequent attack can be successful. Kuzushi is very often thought of as
simply pushing or pulling. At more advanced levels however it is much more
than that. For example, kuzushi can also be achieved by breaking the
opponent's rhythm, fake attacks, strikes, changes of body position or grip,
kiai (a shout), or a sudden change in speed or tempo. A critical element in
kuzushi is that it should disrupt more than the body. Kuzushi is very much a
mental thing. Kuzushi should always disrupt the opponent's concentration,
resulting in a momentary opportunity for an attack. This is one of the
reasons confidence is such an important factor in Judo. A strong and positive
mental attitude can often dominate a weaker state of mind, resulting in
effective kuzushi. Regardless of the physical size and
strength of the opponent, kuzushi will always make a throw work more
efficiently. Of course the same principle applies to any technique, including
grappling techniques such as chokes and joint locks. Jigoro Kano, the founder
of Judo, made the principle of kuzushi one of the fundamental elements of
Judo, distinguishing it from old schools of jujitsu. The principle of kuzushi
is still considered to be one of his major contributions to the study of
martial arts. Don't neglect it in your study of Judo. "The Study of Kuzushi" is
copyright © 2000 by Neil Ohlenkamp, JudoInfo.com, California, USA. All rights
reserved. Published August 1, 2000. Reproduced with permission. Drawings by Oscar Ratti - Reproduced
with permission of the artist. About
The Author: Ohlenkamp is a martial arts writer and
founder of www.judoinfo.com. He is a certified United States Judo Association
instructor, referee, master rank examiner, and master coach (the highest
level of certification), and he was awarded United States Judo Coach of the
Year for 1999. He holds a fifth degree black belt in Judo and a sixth degree
black belt in jujitsu and has over 31 years of training and experience in
various martial arts as a competitor, instructor, team coach, and tournament
official. |
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