![]() Let this remind you to do your best to pay attention to how your footwork and body positioning are keeping you safe and placing you in a position of advantage. So the point in sharing that little part of my personal story is to remind you how important, and challenging, it is to remember tai sabaki first. I felt like someone who had just been told that the world is actually round. Same question, different answer…“oh, just get out of the way.” Three and a half decades ago when An-shu Hayes first introduced me to the concept it was completely mind blowing revolutionary for me back then I would say. ![]() Of course, I didn’t dare say so.įast forward to a future where I fortuitously cross paths with a young Stephen K. The response was “just train harder!” OK, I will, because back then maximum exertion and physical challenge felt great –‘but I still see splinters happening,’ is what I was thinking. I got up the nerve to ask this question of my teacher. So…I’m practicing these rising blocks, and in my head I’m thinking “what if that’s Conan the Barbarian clubbing down on my head?” His forearm vs my forearm…I was seeing splinters happening. Second, I was into the character Conan the Barbarian at the time read all those comic books I could get my hands on. First, I am not a big guy, and was even less so back then. Now, at that time we were working on what we called rising blocks. I was training hard and giving it my all. Many, many years ago as a young marital artist I recall an experience that now seems entertainingly ridiculous. For example, the idea of just getting out of the way of a strike or kick is still, in my observation, fairly uncommon. Conversely, those of us who are instructors may often say that much of what we practice is counterintuitive. This is frequently seen in movies as well, and therefore embedded in the public psyche. Tenkan, basic hanmi, pivot the hips and step straight back, pivot the hips and step straight back. I myself have, in the past, studied arts where the fundamental approach was to stand toe to toe with and adversary and exchange blows and blocks. The next set of tai sabaki or body movement that were gonna see is tenkan. There is so much to learn, and in many cases, unlearn. Particularly as a student who is new to the art this critical concept can be easily overlooked. ![]() More specifically, using your footwork to position your body in a safe place, and/or a position of advantage. In its basic interpretation it is often referred to simply as footwork. TAI-SABAKI (BODY MANAGEMENT) LIMITED - Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts. “Tai sabaki first!” I can frequently be heard in my dojo reminding my students of this. By Mark Sentoshi Russo on Januin Featured, Teacher Insights, Warrior Philosophy
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