The Second Top Ten Principles Of Yachigusa Ryu Aiki Bugei - #5 Push When Pulled/ Pull When Pushed, Enter When Pulled/ Turn When Pushed
Since I first stated that the techniques taught at my school were based on principles, and that we focus more on understanding the principles that makes things work than the techniques themselves, people have e-mailed me asking me if I could explain these principles in more detail.
Last year I spent several months writing about the “Top Ten Principles of Yachigusa Ryu Aiki Bugei.” Now it is time to cover the next ten most important principles. Of course, one must keep in mind that while these principles are officially less important than first ten, in actuality they are just as important. The truth is that in many cases understanding and executing them properly is essential in order to make the “top ten” fully effective. In other words, they are just another piece of a very complex puzzle illustrating how sceintific martial techniques really are.
Unfortunately, trying to explain many of these principals in writing is very difficult, since many can’t be explained in words alone. However, I will try my best to describe these principles for the “blog” readers, using words, charts and pictures.
Keep in mind though, that in order to sometimes fully understand a principle you have to also understand other principles that relate to it. Most principles aren’t fully useable on their own, and have to be integrated with others.
Clearly, these four principles are not unique to the Yachigusa Ryu Aiki Bugei system. In fact these four principles are utilized in numerous martial art systems, and they form the foundation of the techniques utilized in the arts of Judo and Aikido.
The same can be said for the system I teach, though these principles are often only associated to methods of projecting one's opponent. When it comes to striking, or the use of weaponry, we often do the opposite. For example, when an attacker punches or cuts at us with a sword (a forward push like motion), we will enter. Of course, this is done for specific strategic reasons I wont go into here.
For the most part though, we utilize these four principles in the same manner as the other styles listed above, simply because they are the best method to instill and teach practitioners the proper way to react to specific forces that can occur when one is attacked.
Basically, these four principles teach the concept of embracing and accepting an attacker’s energy to use it against them. Instead of opposing the attacker’s force (their “flow of energy”), one increases it by entering, or extends it by pulling away. By doing so, the attacker’s balance and focus is disrupted making follow-up attacks almost impossible to achieve.
Many years ago during a seminar with Don Angier, he made the statement that “every fight is a contest to control the centerline.” At first, this statement didn’t completely resonate in my brain, but with further explanation on his part, and some introspection I believe I have a better grasp on what he meant. (Although putting it into actual application is another thing.)
Furthermore, I’ve come to discover that when I employ any of the above four principles, I am in fact controlling the centerline. By moving with the force of my opponent, I prevent him from placing himself where he intended to be. This makes it hard for him to properly step and/or maintain his equilibrium. I have taken him off the centerline; and because I have accomplished that, he is in a weakened state. He is in a state where I can now launch my counter attack with relative safety
Since there is so much information on these four principles on the Internet I don’t feel the necessity to explain them any further. Furthermore, the principles themselves are pretty self-descriptive.
All one has to remember is that these four principles are intended to teach a martial arts practitioner how to react and move when facing force. Instead of moving in the opposite direction--the ways our bodies are hardwired to behave--one must allow themselves to flow with it.
Last year I spent several months writing about the “Top Ten Principles of Yachigusa Ryu Aiki Bugei.” Now it is time to cover the next ten most important principles. Of course, one must keep in mind that while these principles are officially less important than first ten, in actuality they are just as important. The truth is that in many cases understanding and executing them properly is essential in order to make the “top ten” fully effective. In other words, they are just another piece of a very complex puzzle illustrating how sceintific martial techniques really are.
Unfortunately, trying to explain many of these principals in writing is very difficult, since many can’t be explained in words alone. However, I will try my best to describe these principles for the “blog” readers, using words, charts and pictures.
Keep in mind though, that in order to sometimes fully understand a principle you have to also understand other principles that relate to it. Most principles aren’t fully useable on their own, and have to be integrated with others.
Push When Pulled/ Pull When Pushed, Enter When Pulled/ Turn When Pushed
“Softness triumphs over hardness, feebleness over strength. What is more malleable is always superior over that which is immoveable. This is the principle of controlling things by going along with them, of mastery through adaptation.”Laozi (Lao-tzu) Taoist Philosopher
Clearly, these four principles are not unique to the Yachigusa Ryu Aiki Bugei system. In fact these four principles are utilized in numerous martial art systems, and they form the foundation of the techniques utilized in the arts of Judo and Aikido.
The same can be said for the system I teach, though these principles are often only associated to methods of projecting one's opponent. When it comes to striking, or the use of weaponry, we often do the opposite. For example, when an attacker punches or cuts at us with a sword (a forward push like motion), we will enter. Of course, this is done for specific strategic reasons I wont go into here.
For the most part though, we utilize these four principles in the same manner as the other styles listed above, simply because they are the best method to instill and teach practitioners the proper way to react to specific forces that can occur when one is attacked.
Basically, these four principles teach the concept of embracing and accepting an attacker’s energy to use it against them. Instead of opposing the attacker’s force (their “flow of energy”), one increases it by entering, or extends it by pulling away. By doing so, the attacker’s balance and focus is disrupted making follow-up attacks almost impossible to achieve.
Many years ago during a seminar with Don Angier, he made the statement that “every fight is a contest to control the centerline.” At first, this statement didn’t completely resonate in my brain, but with further explanation on his part, and some introspection I believe I have a better grasp on what he meant. (Although putting it into actual application is another thing.)
Furthermore, I’ve come to discover that when I employ any of the above four principles, I am in fact controlling the centerline. By moving with the force of my opponent, I prevent him from placing himself where he intended to be. This makes it hard for him to properly step and/or maintain his equilibrium. I have taken him off the centerline; and because I have accomplished that, he is in a weakened state. He is in a state where I can now launch my counter attack with relative safety
Since there is so much information on these four principles on the Internet I don’t feel the necessity to explain them any further. Furthermore, the principles themselves are pretty self-descriptive.
All one has to remember is that these four principles are intended to teach a martial arts practitioner how to react and move when facing force. Instead of moving in the opposite direction--the ways our bodies are hardwired to behave--one must allow themselves to flow with it.
Labels: Essays, Principles, Technical
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