In class last week I was teaching a variety of knife techniques & noticed that people really got too focused on the knife. Now, it's a good thing to know where that knife is when it's coming toward you, but like so many things, the more you concentrate on it, the more it slips away.
As with tai jutsu, if the attack is coming from uke's center, then that is what has to be controlled.
A good blend, tenkan, followed by good entry, irimi, is still what is needed.
What needs to be different is how we think about the blend when there is a weapon involved... . Going inside may suddenly be more dangerous than going outside, and vice versa, using ikkyo instead of gokkyo, etc.
I guess that I have enough time on the mat (but nowhere near enough!) that I don't think conciously about those changes too much in the middle of technique. I suppose it's good that they're becoming second nature, & getting into my muscle memory, but it takes more thoughtfulness to remember those details and to teach them now.
No comments:
Post a Comment