Nick Thorpe meets a Hungarian judoka who has returned to competition after a string of serious injuries - and a family tragedy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7511259.stm
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
The Broader Meaning of Kuzushi
The first and most important step in applying a throwing technique [ideally: any technique] is to first employ kuzushi. Usually, I would explain kuzushi as "unbalancing", but delving a little deeper we find that kuzushi derives from the verb kuzusu, meaning "to level, pull down, or demolish".
Looking more broadly at the problem of "leveling" an aggressor, any or all of the following means can contribute to the cause:
By practicing cooperatively we can learn to sense when our (or our partner's) balance is lost, and where our (or our partner's) alignment is compromised. Developing sensitivity, and an acute feeling for the interplay of these factors can help to make the application of kuzushi elegant and irresistible.
Looking more broadly at the problem of "leveling" an aggressor, any or all of the following means can contribute to the cause:
- Unbalancing: Bringing the aggressor's center of gravity beyond his or her base of support
- Mis-alignment: Moving parts of the aggressor into an awkward configuration
- Distraction
- Pain (which can also be a distraction)
By practicing cooperatively we can learn to sense when our (or our partner's) balance is lost, and where our (or our partner's) alignment is compromised. Developing sensitivity, and an acute feeling for the interplay of these factors can help to make the application of kuzushi elegant and irresistible.
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