Less is more

I sometimes feel very fortunate that as a practitioner of Goju Ryu I don’t have so much to practise when compared to practitioners from other ryuha with extremely large kata syllabus.  In fact, the little amount that I have to manage in Goju is often quite daunting and I feel at times that I’m unable to provide an equal attention to all the different areas of practise and each individual kata.

You see, karatedo is a very important part of my life, but it is not everything in my life.  I also have a family, a job, and also other areas of interest such as playing guitar.  To devote any more time than I currently do to my karate would greatly affect other areas of my life and my relationships with those people who I care about.

Regular practise is something I see as vitally important, and I believe little and often is the key.  I am lucky in that my job involves me getting in the dojo for 2 hours a day to train.  Most people do not have this privelage, and I realise how fortunate I am in this way.  Despite this 2 hours a day, and the few days a week I also train at my own dojo, I still do not have enough time to become proficient at everything, or even devote an equal amount of time to all areas of my practise.  I have to be quite selective to what areas apply most to my particular circumstances in life.  I can easily see how Higaonna Morio sensei fills his day up with 6 hours daily training, and even wonder if this would be enough?

I think how lucky practitioners used to be to only have Sanchin and one other kata to devote their time to.  What a great understanding they must have had of that one kata.

With this in mind I find it quite bizarre that practitioners still feel the need to add more to their art.  The mentality is that if it can’t be seen in the art immediately, I’ll add it!  Goju doesn’t have Naihanchi, I’ll add it.  Goju doesn’t have groundfighting, I’ll add it.  Goju doesn’t have filipino stick fighting, I’ll add it.  I’ll take up another art, because this will help me understand my goju better.

The one thing you can’t add is hours onto the 24 hour day!  Where are people finding the time to devote to all these seperate arts?

The other day while hitting the machiwara I allowed my mind to drift for a while.  I wondered ‘how many times over the years must I have hit this thing, yet still I’m not very good at it’.  I seem to recall a story about Funakoshi Gichin sensei on his death bed saying ’shame I’m about to die, I was just staring to understand the basic punch’.  At first I thought he was being his usual humble self, but I now think he was most likely being very genuine in his observation of himself. 

Basic chudan tsuki.  One technique.  A lifetime of training, yet still he wasn’t happy with it!!!  I wonder if Funakoshi sensei would have been in such a hurry to add more on top of his workload?

Junbi Undo – The hips

The hips can be likened to the engine of a car which provides the power needed to initiate movement in the vehicle. Good hip movement is considered vitally important in all schools of karatedo, as well as the vast majority of all other martial arts. In the western world we often relate a persons physical strength to the size of their shoulders or arms, but in the east it is the hips that are considered to reveal a persons strength. In order to initiate movement three things must happen. First there is the intention in the mind. This intention then leads the movement of the tanden and the breath, which then generates the hip movement required to deliver the technique. All three components occur together with minimal gap in-between. In Goju Ryu, the hips are held square as in Sanchin kata. As you deliver a strike, the hips move sharply to provide the inertia which either pulls or thrusts the striking limb, the hips then immediately pull back to their original square position. All the while we work toward lowering the shoulders, and concentrating upon the tanden in an effort to lower our centre of balance. More will be discussed about the tanden at a later stage, but for now it is sufficient to know developing a feeling in the hips should be considered vitally important as it is in this region that the lower tanden can be found.

In junbi undo we perform various exercises which are used to stretch and open up the muscles and tendons surrounding the hip joints. It is important to develop flexibility in this area as any tightness will cause restriction of movement. The same exercises will also stretch out the area of the lower back and hamstrings which bear a direct relation to any movement made in the hips. Again, tightness in these areas will restrict the free movement of the hips. The initial exercises found in junbi undo serve this purpose, concentrating mainly upon stretching and developmental exercises for the hip flexors and hamstrings.

Following this we move onto two exercises which concentrate upon developing the twitch motion in the hips which is required to initiate any movement in the limbs. Firstly whilst standing in zenkutsu dachi we sharply twitch our hips from a 45 degree angle, back to a square position as the feet remain stationary. Initially we will find that the stance collapses under the movement, this can be seen in the movement of the knee in the lead leg. The movement of the knee should be directly back and forth along the same line as the lead foot, rather than side to side. It may assist to imagine the feet and knees being on train tracks which prevent any sideways movement, allowing the practitioner to realise the linear movement required. This exercise relates directly to striking techniques such as the gyaku tsuki found in Gekisai kata.

Following this, we stand in zenkutsu dachi on a 45 degree angle. If the head is facing North, the body and hips should be facing North West. The hips then twist sharply to the opposite 45 degree angle, so with the head still facing North, our body and hips twist to face North East, with the opposite leg now leading. It is important that the practitioners height does not rise or fall during this motion. The hips must remain low, and you will notice that the centre of gravity shifts slightly between the feet, as the intention is to move the entire mass of the body across, rather than simply shifting on the spot. The tanden should be firmly engaged throughout, and the pull of the tanden and hips should drag the legs around into position. This exercise relates directly to the arm bar technique found in Shisochin kata, as well as the shuto uchi in Seipai as you shift from kokotsu dachi into zenkutsu dachi; but in general the same feeling should be used to initiate any movement in the arms.

This same exercise can be performed whilst holding the Tan in order to add resistance which can assist with developing a better feel for which muscles should be tightened in order to initiate the technique. When a good feeling has been developed for both of the above exercises, the practitioner will see this feeling manifest itself in their striking techniques, leading the movement of the hands from the movement of the hips and tanden. In this way, junbi undo can be likened to connecting the dots. We endeavour to connect the striking tool of the body to the ground, and junbi undo provides us with a systematic way of developing each dot (joint) of the body so that each one can be linked together from the ground to the target. In order to help us connect the dots of the hips to the ones found in the legs and feet we have additional exercises.

Most people, whether martial artists or not, will be familiar with the exercise of circling the hips. With the hands placed against the lower back we circle the hips around in both a clockwise, and anti-clockwise direction. For us Goju Ryu practitioners it is vitally important that we hold the ground firmly with our feet whilst performing this exercise or else we lose a vital component. Whilst standing in heiko dachi, as we are gripping the ground with our toes we should also pull the feet in toward each other. This dynamic tension in the feet provides the grip upon the floor which roots our posture into the ground. As the hips circle widely, we must take the hips out to the very limits of our range of movement, all the while maintaining our hold upon the floor with our feet. We find that as the movement of the hips changes our centre of balance from front to back, left to right; we have to engage different muscles in the legs and feet in order to maintain our hold upon the ground. You may notice that this bears a direct relation to the same things that happen in our legs and feet during the practice of kakie or sanchin shime?

This same firmness and rooting in the legs and feet should be maintained throughout the exercises that follow as we work our way up the body to prepare the torso.

 

Junbi Undo – The knees

As mentioned previously, if the gripping action of the toes and feet can be described as Go, the pliability of the ankles characterises Ju. Likewise, the muscles of the legs maintain a state of firmness throughout Sanchin kata, and this can be considered Go, whereas the Ju partner to this applies to the knees.

The knee joints can be considered the shock absorbers of the human body, as can the ankles. If the knee joints are locked out and held rigid in your stance, you will find that any power travelling down into your feet will be immediately bounced back up into your upper body as it has nowhere else to disperse. This is particularly evident during sanchin shime, and this is what the sensei is checking for when he slaps down upon the practitioners shoulders. Alternatively, if the knee joints are held too relaxed, the downward force will cause the practitioners structure to collapse from the ground up. There has to be a healthy balance, not too hard, not too soft; just goju.

The various knee exercises found in junbi undo work to promote flexibility and mobility in the joints, as well as developing the method of explosive power generation for kicking techniques.

In the exercise where we strike the hiza geri up into the palms of our hands, it is important to initiate the movement with the toes of the striking leg. The toes push down into the ground to initiate the movement of the ankle joint. As this happens you should sharply thrust your foot to point downwards, fully extending the calf muscle and stretching out the ankle. The toes continue to push off against the ground during this movement. As the knee is shot quickly upward toward its target, put power into the palm of the hand, linking it with the muscles of the back and the tanden. As the hiza geri connects with the palm, feel the circuit from your striking knee into the palm, through the arm and over the back, into the tanden and finally down the supporting leg into the ground. Repeating this exercise often will allow the practitioner to develop a feeling for the correct initiation of movement which applies to the majority of kicking techniques in Goju Ryu. In addition to this, the practitioner will begin to learn how to channel power down through the body and into the ground in relation to kicking techniques. More will be discussed in relation to this concept when we look at Sanchin kata at a later stage.

Why am I making such a big deal about beginning all kicking movements with this downward action of the toes and ankles? Have you ever wondered why a point is made of pointing the toes downward when striking with hiza geri? Why bother doing this, when you’re only going to have to change the angle of the ankle and toes when kicking mae geri or kansetsu geri anyway? This is particularly evident in saifa kata. I firmly believe that this method enables the practitioner to kick with more speed and power.

Higaonna Kanryo sensei was particularly famous for his fast footwork and kicking ability, hence his nickname Ashi no To‘onna (legs Higaonna). Considering that we do not have any spectacular kicking methods within the kata of Goju Ryu, Higaonna sensei must have been quite something in this regard! The leg is a big cumbersome, heavy old unit, and to move it with any great speed is quite difficult when we rely solely upon the muscles of the upper leg and hips. Pushing off with the toes and ankles as I have described gives the larger muscles a head start and takes away some of the load. Like trying to roll a heavy great rock, once its already moving its fairly easy, but it’s getting it moving that is the problem. Initiating the movement as described might be just the thing to start the rock rolling.

In our junbi undo, in addition to striking upward with hiza geri, we also perform an exercise where we strike backward with the heel into our palms which are held to or rear, level with the buttocks. It is obvious to draw similarities between this technique, and the similar technique found in seisan kata, and we can visualise striking backward into the groin of an opponent who has seized us from behind. This is of course entirely relevant, however it is equally important to consider the relationship between this movement and the method of withdrawing a leg which has performed mae geri.

Like uraken uchi, when striking with mae geri equal importance should be placed upon both the extension of the kick as well as the retraction. Like flicking a towel, it is the sharp withdrawal that puts the sting into the kick and leaves the power inside the opponent as opposed to through the opponent. Mae geri is not the same as a Thai push kick. We are not trying to force an opponent backward to make ground, this will only serve to take us back to square one in that he will immediately resume coming toward us. When striking mae geri we are intending to finish the opponent there and then by causing significant trauma to their internal organs or the skeletal structure surrounding them.

In addition to this, the fast withdrawal of the kick is vitally important should our kick not be as effective as we had hoped, after all, things rarely go according to plan. The longer our kick remains extended, the more likely it is that an opponent will trap our leg. Our intention must be to have our leg off the ground for as little amount of time as possible. The kata of Goju Ryu are quite reserved with regards to kicking, and rightfully so, for our balance is obviously severely compromised whilst standing on one leg.

Back to the exercise, as we strike backward with the heel, concentrate upon leading the movement with the contraction of the hamstring. You should endeavour to perform the movement as fast as possible with a view of developing a feeling that can be applied to the withdrawal of your kicking techniques. On occasion it may be helpful to your practise to perform a number of repetitions of this exercise, and then immediately begin a number of repetitions of mae geri with a view of developing the feeling of quickly withdrawing the kick by bringing the heel back to the buttock.

From the two basic junbi undo exercises explained above you should hopefully notice that two things are happening at once. Not only are the knee joints being exercised by the various bends and extensions of the legs during the movements, but in addition to this, basic methods of technique delivery and retrieval are also being practised. Combined with the refinement of the striking tools used in our kicking methods as described in the section dedicated to the ankles, we can now begin to link the chain together from ground to target and back to the ground. All that is missing now are the hips.

Junbi undo – The ankles

Maintaining flexibility in the ankle joints is essential in order to promote mobility in the body. The feet must grip the floor tightly in order to root the body into the ground during blocking and striking movements, however, with we know that with every Go(hard, firm) there has to be a supporting Ju (soft, pliable) in order to maintain a balance. The Go in this case is the gripping action of the feet, whereas the Ju is the pliability of the ankle joints. If the ankle joints are held rigid, the bodies centre of balance is easily pulled past the limitations of the feet and we are uprooted. This can be likened to the pine tree which is firmly anchored to the ground by its strong roots, yet the trunk and branches have the flexibility to blend with a strong wind. If the branches were too rigid, the tree would most likely be toppled no matter how strong the roots.

The ankle joints must be pliable enough to be able to shift the bodies centre of gravity around the circle of the feet. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the practice of kakie.

The circle of the feet which I mention is the limit which the tanden can travel around the position of the feet. In order to feel this, stand in Sanchin dachi and grip the floor tightly with the feet pulling in toward each other. Now move the tanden and your centre of gravity in a circle around the position of the feet, and feel at what point your feet begin to lose their connection with the ground. This is the limitation of your circle of movement. If your centre of gravity is pulled past this circle you will be pulled off balance. The flexibility of the ankle joints is essential in order to promote fluid movement around this circle. This same feeling can also developed by using the kongoken in the exercise where the kongoken is held vertically, standing upright on one end, and spun in a circle using one hand.

In addition to this, flexibility of the ankles is vitally important with regards to ashi and tai sabaki. If the ankle joints lack flexibility, they will be unable to generate the spring needed in order to initiate the fast evasive stepping movements required during combat.

During the various exercises relating to the ankles in junbi undo we raise up onto the balls of the feet. This movement relates directly to mae geri in that the weight is concentrated upon the ball of the foot, directly over the big toe, pushing forward with the calf muscles to their natural limit. When striking with mae geri it is essential that the foot position makes contact with the opponent in this same position. It is common to see mae geri being performed with the foot still travelling in an upward arc as it strikes the target. By regularly practising junbi undo, we build the habit of fully pushing out the calf muscle prior to impact, ensuring that the kick is travelling directly toward the opponent along a horizontal plane upon impact.

In addition to this, the exercise also promotes the method of initiating all of the kicking techniques found in Goju Ryu. Prior to kicking we always raise up the knee. If we use only quadriceps and hip flexors to do this we find that the movement is slow and sluggish, giving away our intentions to the opponent. To make the movement faster and more dynamic we must engage the hips in order to throw the leg forward, but prior to this, the knee is lifted by using the calf muscle to sharply push the ball of the kicking foot against the ground, effectively shooting the knee upward toward the hip. The kick then flows off of this initial trigger. This is the reason why we find the toes pointing down toward the ground when we perform hiza geri, the common denominator of all kicking techniques of Goju Ryu with the exception of furi geri.

In the next part of this same exercise in junbi undo, following rising up onto the balls of the feet, we then shift back sharply onto the heels, pulling the toes up from the ground, this time stretching out the calf muscle and placing our weight directly over the heel. This exercise relates to kansetsu geri and develops the leg and foot position required at the point of impact during this technique. In addition to this, we can also relate this exercise to the unique kicking method found in Seisan kata where we find our mae geri is caught by our opponent. As this happens we immediately respond by thrusting forward with the heel of the foot into his abdomen in order to create the distraction required to then retrieve our foot. Again this feeling is developed through this same exercise.

As well as maintaining the flexibility of the ankles forwards and backwards, we also must balance this with pliability to the inner and outer aspect of the joints.

As we roll our weight over onto the outside edge of the feet, raising the big toes, we find the foot position directly corresponds with the striking position of the foot in both ashi barai and the furi geri found in suparinpei. Immediately following this, we pull the feet back in toward each other, pinning the big toes whilst raising the remaining toes off of the ground. We then roll our weight over the inner aspect of the feet. This action corresponds to the position of the foot during the circular stepping motion of Sanchin kata.

These two exercises promote pliability in the joint through all 4 compass directions. In addition to the circular rotations we practise with the foot raised off of the ground, we find that the ankle joint is exercised in every direction it is likely to find itself being twisted during the course of kata. In addition to this, the exercises promote the correct foot positions required during common kicking techniques found within the kata of Goju Ryu.