Balance Standing Walking
Balance and Posture – Standing and Walking
Weak and strong directions of posture
Make the following experiment. Get somebody to stand with their feet about shoulder-width apart. Instruct them to resist your push without moving their feet. First try pushing him from one side to the other. It will be seen that he can brace his legs against this sideways push and that a lot of energy is required to unbalance him. This is his strong direction of posture.
Next place a hand on his chest and push him backwards (or pull forwards). With almost no effort at all on your part, he will topple backwards (or forwards) and have to regain balance by stepping. This is his weak direction of posture. Thus it is much easier to move a person with his legs apart/astride directly forwards or backwards than it is directly sideways.
However, many people take up a stance in defence by standing at an angle with one foot and side forwards, this changes their weak / strong directions. By quick observation these can be assessed by taking a line between the two big toes, then taking a ninety degree line through the centre of it.
A person can be moved/thrown along his strong direction if he is moving in that direction sufficiently fast or if you can make him react strongly into it. Similarly when attacking the stationary or barely moving opponent with a view to knocking them down – the weakest diagonal line behind them is the one to take their body.
Body Management ‘tai sabaki’
The more years I spend doing martial arts the more I appreciate the importance to be paid to body position, balance and manoeuvring during protection and counterattack. Here in the West we are usually standing or seated at furniture, so we do not have to spend a lot of time looking at the method of moving about and defending from kneeling or being seated on the floor – strictly required in traditional jujutsu.
Distance evaluation. ‘ma ai ‘
Part of distance evaluation is dictated by the situation. At any distance up to being cornered you must try and escape to safety. When the confrontation has become close and physical action is inevitable – then move in to the extent of the attackers reach in a strong offset fence position ready to strike to take down the attacker and make your escape.
Bear this in mind even when stopped on the street to be asked for the time, create some space and be aware as you answer. In pulling your sleeve back you effectively look down at your wrist and cross your arms – Small weapons such as knives and sharpened screwdrivers can be concealed by the attacker around the body or in the palm, under a paper until the last moment!
Malcolm Keith
Chief Instructor
Youshiki Goshinjutsu
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