What are the Basics and Fundamentals of the martial arts?
Notice I did not say, “what are the basics and fundamentals of Aikido?” or Karate, Boxing, Wing Chun, Jujutsu, etc. Instead, I’m referencing all martial arts because, as you will discover, the basics and fundamentals of any one art are universal. Briefly, the main differences between arts are style, historical context, and purpose. However they are all used to manipulate a human body. For example, when twisting a wrist, it hurts no matter what “art” you learned it in…
Now, you’ve read the list of just a few of the many martial arts that exist today and let’s cover the basics and fundamentals. Will touch on these in more detail in future blogs. These are not in any particular order.
1. Movement
Movement is obvious. In order to do anything, we must move our body. But how? We should be aiming for efficiency AND efficacy of movement. This means we should be achieving the most movement with the least amount of effort or energy as well as making our movements effective by giving them purpose. Movement is best practiced slow at first. Every martial art specializes in forms of movement, mainly to avoid getting hit or getting taken down, but also to strike or grapple from an offensive standpoint as well as moving to properly deploy a technique or throw. Efficiency and efficacy go hand-in-hand but let’s break them down…
Efficiency is getting the most effect with the least amount of effort. For perspective, what’s easier to move, a car with wheels or without? As Bruce Lee put it, “Be water, my friend”. This is huge! Water flows and takes the path of least resistance. So when, for example, someone pushes you, it’s less efficient to push back directly into the oncoming energy and more efficient to get out of the way. But since it’s a fight, you want to get close enough to strike back or tackle them, therefore you don’t just move away, you move towards them on a diagonal so that, simultaneously, the push is avoided and you get closer to your opponent. If you move back to avoid the push, you now have to use more energy to cover the increased distance.
Efficacy is making your movement effective… essentially, moving with purpose. Make your movement count. Every movement you make should be to aid you in achieving your goal. So you’re efficient at moving but is it effective? Ask what your effect your movement is having on the situation. Is it promoting off-balance? Is it giving me a good stance or advantageous positioning? If you complete a movement and nothing happens, then it may have been performed incorrectly. Every movement you make should have an effect on the situation at hand.
2. Kuzushi (Off-Balance)
When someone’s balance or equilibrium is disrupted, their brain goes into the “re-balancing” mode. During this time, a person is distracted and very vulnerable to attack. It is incredibly difficult to defend yourself while fighting for your balance. Something as simple as being on one foot is considered “off-balance” This is because while on one foot, the body is constantly fighting for equilibrium since being pushed over is now very easy. Now is it easier to strike someone while they’re standing upright and ready or while they are leaning backwards after avoiding the jab or if they are banding over from a leg kick? For throwing arts such as Aikido or Judo, I guarantee you if someone is standing fully upright, your throw attempt will be very difficult and dangerous to perform.
Often, strikes and body manipulation is key to promoting off-balance. However, kuzushi can also be mental. Getting in someone’s head to distract them from their goal can be super effective. When we are distracted and lose focus even for an instant, we lose control. In essence, kuzushi is important to recognize in martial arts and an excellent tool in combat.
3. Centerline
Even if the martial art in question never mentions anything about a “centerline”, it is still taught. What is the centerline? Draw a line down the center of your body both in front of you and from your side. Where they intersect in the middle of your body is centerline. Controlling the centerline is very important. This is where you have the most control. This is where your power comes from. This is stability. When this centerline is out of alignment, you are off-balance, cannot generate as much power, and coordination diminishes. The principle is that you want your centerline towards your opponent while staying offline from their centerline.
4. Safety
Learning to train safely. Often, especially in the beginning, we humans tend to get overzealous, excited, and enthusiastic about learning “all this cool stuff”. What this can do is cause injuries to yourself or your partner. If you went to the gym for the first time and tried to deadlift 100 pounds, could you do it? Maybe if you’re someone who lifts heavy things all day at work… but could you do it correctly? Just because you “can” lift the 100 pounds off the floor does not mean you know how to do it safely. A deadlift with poor technique can cause a disc to herniate and now you’re not going back for a long time. You rushed it. Instead, even though it’s simple enough to do, learn how to be safe, work up to it, and be patient.
In martial arts, especially, Aikido and Ju-jutsu, we are performing hundreds of techniques and although many seem simple enough, one wrong move could mean a twisted ankle, strained neck, torn shoulder, or broken wrist for either the person giving or receiving a technique. Same with Karate, Boxing, Muay Thai, etc, anybody can throw a punch, but will the punch land properly and accurately or will your wrist bend and strain because you hit the bag too hard? Or your hook punch or kick was so hard that you twisted your knee? Maybe your falling technique (ukemi waza) is not up to par yet and you say, “just throw me” and bam, there goes a rib… now you are out for a while and one less person to train with. No Bueno for everyone. Take the time to develop good posture, communicate with your partners, and perform the technique the instructor shows and mimic it as much as possible. Crawl before you walk.
Techniques play a huge role in injury occurrences and it’s often because students will try to get them to work by either using strength or speed. These two factors are merely compensating for lack of technique. Instructors should focus on great technique so that everything is done properly and safely. Strength and speed with enhance good technique, but alone, they are detrimental to learning.
5. Ma-Ai (Distance)
Ma-Ai is the distance between you and your attacker or partner. This distance will change according to the objective. Distance management is key to safety, developing reaction time, and situational control. In Aikido, Jujutsu, Judo, and BJJ, distance is important because in order to throw or be thrown, the opponent has to be within a certain range of you. If you do not wish to be grabbed, they stay out of grabbing-distance. If a wrestler shoots-in for a takedown, proper ma-ai will give better reaction time to evade and counter.
In Samurai Sword, Weapons training, Boxing, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and Muay Thai, you’d want to maintain and specific distance in order to utilize your tools (sword, sai, knife, fists, legs, feet, etc) properly to inflict the most damage while maintaining enough distance to prevent takedowns and throws. Weapons, whether hands and feet or extension such as blades or staffs, are most effective at appropriate distances. If you’re four feet away from someone, a knife will do you no good, but a sword or staff will work wonders. Conversely a knife is best up-close while a sword is less effective.
