The Fearsome Secret Of Chinese Monk

In 1650, a Chinese monk settled in the region of Edo (now Tokyo) to Kokushoji temple. Fine scholar, Chen Young Ping was proposing to educate the Japanese cultivated calligraphy, and Chinese philosophy. Living alone in a withdrawn dependence of the temple, this curious monk was visible only for hours where he taught.

At that time, Edo was considered the military capital of the Empire and, therefore, the area was very popular with the samurai, equivalent of our famous knights of the Middle Ages. Lily excelled in all arts warriors and continually perfected their fighting techniques. Among them, a lower class was responsible for often playing the role of «police force» and thus to indulge in many battles body to body.

One evening in 1658, three kachis (lower samurai with two swords, but do not amount horse) escorting in the dark alleys of Edo, Chen Young Ping. The latter had to give lessons to a senior official of the Shogun. For his return, he had been forced to accept an escort so that nothing untoward. not happened to him during his night journey. But precisely it happened to him an unusual adventure. While the small group crossed the city walls, armed bandits attacked. Our three kachis, at an exponential rate, unsheathed their swords and surrounded the monk. A pitched battle ensued. Some attackers were armed with sticks, others with knives. After a fight desperately, the kachis were disarms, you had to go in close combat, That's when the unbelievable happened. Quick as a flash, our peaceful and studious, Chinese rushed towards the aggressors. With incredible skill, he began to hurt a first bandit; in seconds, a second, a third was knocked out before realizing what was happening. Surprised, then terrorized, the other robbers escaped. 

Shocked, the three samurai could not believe their eyes.

Full of admiration for the monk, they returned him to the temple and asked him to give them the secret of his strength. But, along the path, Chen Young Ping kept silent Made a good port, he saluted ceremoniously his guards and retreated for the night. The three kachis decided to learn more and slept at the door of the temple, The next day, addressing the monk, they renewed their prayer, The wise man smiled and told them that his art was not for simple minds, but for strong souls, The samurais enlisted as soon to do what it takes to learn this amazing technique that they had witnessed. Seeing their enthusiasm, Chen Young Ping decided to take them to the disciples. After a long period of education, he took each kachi apart and in the greatest secrecy, taught him some formidable taken. each kachi studied a different method: one specialized in projected, the other in dislocations and bottlenecks and the third in the strikes blows to vital points. Everyone soon went across Japan to teach.

The Vision Of Takenuchi

This story seems, at first sight, have less to do with the ju-jitsu. Nevertheless information the origin of an important school that influenced the ancient jujitsu. His teaching was transmitted to the present day by oral tradition. 

The founder of this school is called Takenuchi Hisamori.

He excelled in the art of jo-jitsu (stick). Desiring to improve, he made a retreat in a temple lost in ua mountain, and he applied himself to the study of the stick attack technique and practiced it without stopping by hitting a large tree. Standing, weapon has its side, he concentrated, then brandishing a stick while moving with flexibly to the tree's prices to strike him with power and speed. The attack was to last a fraction of a second. This form of uchi-komi (see pr. « Training ») was a physical and mental exercise. After learning how to move correctly, how to hit accurately, combining the speed and strength, he managed to do his exercises in a mental state of perfect emptiness.

The man was engaged in this exercise for hours without rest. One evening, completely exhausted, he slid to the foot of the tree and fell asleep. immediately went out no one knows or mysterious wandering monk, who explained the sleeper that it should reduce the length of the stick to win speed and accuracy. He showed her how to move more easily, take advantage of errors of the opponent and use either a short stick, or a short sword. Finally, he taught her five ways to immobilize an opponent.

Then the strange personage disappeared. In reality, the brain Takenuchi had performed the synthesis of all reflexes accumulated through experience. the man was not long to apply their knowledge and created the gokusoku or « Art of fighting and scantily dressed » (underwear of the armor of war). These techniques allowed to develop martial arts, such as Aiki-Jitsu, the tom-bo, etc. the influence of this school on the jujitsu was undeniable.

Tai Sabaki

The biggest current master of Judo, Kyuzo Mifune has repeatedly stated: « Tai sabakl is the first and last step of judo. » This extraordinary expert who extended the same concept of Tai Sabaki, considers this art as gasoline. even judo and all human action. Tai Sabaki literally 

means «dodge the body, turning movement body, defending the body by turning », 

1. Theory, to easily understand the basics of Tai Sabaki, consider the plan as a body axis (shoulder line) pivotable about its center of gravity (fig.1). If an opponent

pushes on one end of the shoulders, the body will pivot on its center. It will respond in the same manner when pulled to the one end. To be able to disrupt the balance of the body and disturbing the position, It would apply the push or pull the center of the body. This is why the 

old masters teach: « Always face your opponent, but never to his face attack.» 

The center, the hub of rotation, therefore becomes the vulnerable point. 

But it is perfectly possible to move this and wear it for example at the ends (Fig.2). In this case, the body rotates around the axis passing through the shoulder and the left hip, for example, and ending on the left foot. This is what happens in judo during a projection. Under the principle of greatest lever arm, These techniques use the end of the body as the axis. Thus in a projection as ippon-seoi-nage, Tori pivots on his right foot around the axis of the shoulder and right hip, by launching the other end to his back left, the body, that is to say, shoulder, hip and left leg. This powerful rotary motion transmits its energy to the left arm that pulls Uke around the pivot axis. As soon as the left foot is placed on the ground, the kinetic energy is transmitted to the right shoulder and in part to the right hip will move to the new axis of the shoulder and left hip. 

This long explanation, we can see that if the projection was made with the center of the body as the axis of rotation during the entire movement, Tori would have got that half of effectiveness for the same expenditure of energy. Indeed, the pivot located centrally between the ends, the lever arm is two times smaller than if it was placed at one end. Thus we see that Tai Sabaki is not a dodge technique. Certainly allows of render vain every attack an opponent but its intelligent use renders great service in the attack.

2. Practice. To quickly assimilate the basis of Tai Sabaki, must be exercised successively three incremental forms. The first, and simplest, consists from the Snizen-Hontai position (aeux feet on the same line) and pivot on the left foot by turning the whole body to the right and largely backing the right foot half-circle (Fig.1). This is a basic Tai Sabaki right, quite common defense. For dodging to the left, it is quite simply to reverse the operating mode. But this way of moving is not using all the resources of the body.

A second manner consists more efficient to move the left foot in a semicircle in front of the right foot, 

while turning the body to the right and pivoting on the right foot, (Fig.2). Thereof generally back a little in the end of movement in order to accentuate the rotation of the body.

Which brings us full Tai Sabaki which consists of a small feint no appeal right foot to the right and launch largely left foot a big step forward left. As soon as the body turns to the right and the right foot is pulled back towards the location where was the left foot (Figure 3). The study of these movements should be repeated without a partner until obtaining the correct automation of the movement. It should then progressively apply each technique to specific cases.

FOR EXAMPLE:

• Tai Sabaki 1st: dodge attack on on hip movement; attack on de-ashi-barai to right. • 2nd taisabaki: dodge on ko-soto-gake, tal-otoshi to right; attack left tsuri-kumi-goshi • 3rd Tai Sabaki: dodge any generally; attack ko-soto-gake right, ashi-guruma left. 

After this form of study, the judoka must strive to apply Tai Sabaki moving for all attacks and all defenses. It will avoid too big, against accidental shifting of its center of gravity, sudden movements. His mind will be vigilant, so as to never be blatant failure « bad use of his body » and promptly use any inaccurate movement of the opponent. This training is very difficult, but rich in teaching, because the whole science of better use of energy is revealed in the practice of Tai sabaki. 

This is indeed steal at any instant his body to the grip of the adversary and control incessantly hers in order to detect the slightest flaw position. To achieve this, it is imperative to bridle the natural tendency to use force. The speed of movement of the whole body and in particular of its center of gravity is more important than the energy used by the arms.

The promptness with which is detected the opening of an attack is more efficient than, muscle strength. For if these points so precious, are acquired, the energy required to control the opponent will be less, The training to the quiet relaxation of the mind, sincerity and ardor combat lead the student serious about this goal, which is a major judo.

Attack Speed

This one, like all the important points. of this section, contributes to better use of energy. In any action, execution speed can generally be divided into two phases:

• the preparation phase (perception, judgment and decision)

• the execution phase (transmission and mobilization).

The preparation phase is composed (in a conscious act):

• the perception of an external or internal signal (opponent's attack or the desire to win);

• its interpretation (of disequilibrium analysis and research of a position or taking against);

• the choice and the decision of the response (such a technique to execute so for ...).

The execution phase is composed it, of:

• neuromuscular transmission (the chosen technique);

• neuromuscular contraction departure and adaptation during the action;

By analyzing these various parts of the conscious act we find that the three phases of preparation go through it. brain that transmits by intermediary from the spinal cord the necessary orders to act.

Proper training can reduce the time perception in a satisfactory proportion. Analysis time, choice and decision can be reduced to almost nothing by the acquisition of a conditioned reflex. That is to say, it creates a string of nerve cells from the organs RECEPTO analyzers the drive members, without involving consciousness. To achieve this, intensive training is essential. But thus created string (always complex) can be very long ... or much shorter structure. This structure depends paths and detours that all these nerve cells interested in the perceived signal (traction, push, shot, etc ...).

will do it (during the performance, the choice and the decision) to the motor nerves. Some will act as a green light and the message will pass quickly; others will be red light and message, arrested, will be diverted. These green and red lights are all conscious or unconscious thoughts that run our lives. It is thus clear that the role of the mental mind is important, even if the judoka turns most of his technical background in conditioned reflexes. They always play and even very rapidly, but they will have optimum performance when the mental state, Physical similar to the State will be well-trained, flexible, fast and away from any disability (inhibitions, fears, complexes, etc.) Here the role of the teacher will be very tricky, but preponderant. As regards the implementation phases properly so called, physical training and « form » contribute in a large firstly reducing the time to nerve transmission and muscle contraction time.

Finish with a few specific numbers: from an untrained subject, it takes nearly 80 hundredths of a second to respond to a given signal. With a well trained about this time goes down below 40 cents.