We were doing some techniques in class and a guy told me I noticed a lot of details when my sensei was showing it. And I started thinking - what am I looking at when I'm watching a technique being done? When I started in the Bujinkan a year ago, I believe I mainly just looked at the end and outcome of the technique. Then as time went by I started looking more at the arms and hips. Of course I took notice of legs as well, and I knew it was important, but I never "understood" or saw the "basics" in the leg movements. At a seminar with Norman Smithers, Normski said that one should look at the first movement, and focus on the legs (if I remember correctly - it's not a direct quote ). I took that to heart, and it greatly increased my perception of techniques. And the more I learn basic body movements, the more I notice them being done. I don't really have a question regarding this, I'm just interested as to how others see this subject. How did you develop your "sense" of seeing and 'understanding' techniques? I can only imagine (and hope ) how much better I will be at it in ten years
He told me that as well, then proceeded with punching me in the face!! I was told to watch the beginning and middle and the end would come together.
I think in the beginning, watching what's going on with the legs is probably the most useful starting point. What I do myself is watch the shape of the space between the two people.
Our sensei normally runs through things 3-4 times. So I always look at footwork the first two times then what he's actually doing (kata-wise) in the next few times. The biggest mistake most people make is that they look at their instructors face when he/she is talking...a natural thing to do as it is human nature...
I try to look for kamae. I tend to find that when we are being shown a technique the movement is from one kamae to another (arms and legs wise). then I start looking for the subtleties and nuances. Still miss loads though.
i try and move to get a view of whats being shown from different angles, and also watch the demo'd technique from standing up and then crouching down, it seems to help make the images more 'three dimensional'.
disadvantage: you don't get to see all of what is happening advantage: you get to understand what the tori is trying to achieve and how they take your balance etc...
Would the advantage : disadvantage ratio differ depending on the uke's level of training/understanding?
I'm always well chuffed to be uke for a good instructor. I think sometimes the uke is the only one who gets to be taught. even though it hurts like hell, its worth it to feel it first hand.
Both.. Being the Uke you can't see from the outside what happening but you do get the internal view and the responses/contact on your body tell a story that sometimes can't be seen from the outside. I undertsand techniques so much more when i feel them and its so much more fun.
I first started to look at the legs and footwork then that gradually evolved into looking at the kamae. To some degree I still do it now, when I struggle to get the technique correct I try and relate it to kamae. Next it involved looking at the not so obvious, what wasn't done in a technique. By this I mean more about what the not so obvious hand is doing etc. Now I just tend to look at the technique as a whole and just pick up the technique by absorbing everything I can about it.
Same here, although you might miss the large dynamics of the technique, you get to feel whats happening inside, the twists to the body that people cant see.
I think it is more an advantage than disadvantage. After being on the recieving end of the technique, you are in a great position to help your own training partner who hopefully saw enough to be able to go through the basics. You can then help each other fine tune the results. Jon.
I think I look at different things differently depending on how much experience I have had with the technique. If it is something I have never seen before, I am hard pressed to just get what limb moves at one time. But if I get something like Koku I may be able to pay attention to whether the arm is straight or bent, the legs wide or narrow. And maybe as I see more of the same thing, I will get into even smaller detail.
