Showing posts from 2010

Extract #2 from "Essential Jo"

Here is the second extract from my forthcoming book "Essential Jo". Informal grip As with golf, tennis, or any other activity which requires using a stick-like object, your grip is one of the most important features. The “informal grip” is one you adopt when you are not actively engaged in training. We use the traditional method also seen in other Japanese and Chinese weapons arts: the weapon is held palm down and behind your shoulder. This is not only subtle and non-confrontational; it also provides an element of concealment and surprise, should you need it against would-be assailants. Surprisingly, the hold is also quite effective in allowing a “quick draw” for defence. The key to this “quick draw” is to hold the jo slighly off-centre, palm closer to the end facing downwards. I’ve found that the ideal point is approximately one palm width from the centre (or slightly less than that). What this means is that when you drop the jo naturally it slopes upwards at a

Crescent stepping

A colleague at the Traditional Fighting Arts Forums recently posed this question: The only explanation i've ever heard for the crescent stepping (other than just being able to generally move in various ways) comes from George Mattson's "The Way of Karate" where he states that it represents protecting the groin as you move into the opponent's range. Any other explanations? Surely there's more to it than that..? My answer is: not really. To my mind, the crescent step is the way one should perform basic ayumi ashi (natural stepping) when there is no initial lunge with the front foot (more on this in a minute). This is primarily so as to protect your groin (which the crescent step achieves by bringing your knees together during the step). There is very little "time loss" because the arc drawn by your knee inwards does not significantly alter the path taken by your hip. So crescent stepping is quite useful for general movement because it is inherentl

Mathematical dimensions and martial arts analysis

Introduction The other night I dreamt I was back at university, in a mathematics lecture. The lecturer writes up Pierre de Fermat's last theorem 1 on the board as follows: c n = a n + b n , where n = 3 or greater, has no possible solution. Instead of asking us to prove the theorem, he simply says: "How many variables are there?" I woke up and wondered about that piece of cheese I'd eaten the night before. Then I started thinking about the substance of the dream: How many "variables" are there in, say, c 3 = a 3 + b 3 ? And how does this compare with the number of "variables" in Pythagoras' theorem c 2 = a 2 + b 2 ? Pure mathematics relating to number theory arguably has no practical application. Yet I realised that maybe, just maybe, my subconscious was telling me something "useful" in martial terms. Flawed dimensional analysis It seems to me that when marital artists analyse techniques, they often do so in eithe

Another award for The Way of Least Resistance!

I just received word that this blog has received the honour of another award - this time selected by Home Alarm Monitoring as one of the " Top 40 Tae Kwon Do Re Mi Blogs ". This is especially an honour since I don't practise taekwondo. I'm glad it has been of some use and interest to those who practice this fine art. I'd like to thank Allen Wright and Home Alarm Monitoring for this honour. Copyright © 2010 Dejan Djurdjevic

Dojo kun or con?

Many karate schools have a "dojo kun" or a set of rules or mottoes by which the schools are said to function. These are usually traditional, inherited from the original dojos in Japan or Okinawa. More recently, Western-based karate schools have started to develop their own. What is the function of the dojo kun? Rob Redmond of 24 Fighting Chickens argues that it is nothing more than a "con": it purports to preach a set of "moral" guidelines, and to elevate the status of karate instructors beyond that to which they are entitled. He makes a good point. Arguably the most well-known dojo kun is that of Gichin Funakoshi, founder of shotokan karate. It is this dojo kun that Mr Redmond has particularly in mind in his blog article. The shotokan dojo kun is commonly translated as follows: Seek perfection of character Protect the way of the truth Foster the spirit of effort Respect the principles of etiquette and respect others Guard against impetuous courage an

Dan interviewed on the Demzley Show

I thought I'd break from tradition and have a "video only" blog entry today. This is in an interview conducted by my friend Duane Emsley who runs the Youtube-based "Demzley Show" - a great idea and heaps of fun. If you haven't caught Duane's show before, please do. He is a very able and talented martial artist and a highly creative individual who brings his own quirky style and colour to Youtube. It was an honour to be asked on his show. In the interview I cover my thoughts on a wide range of martial matters including kata, the origins and evolution of karate, conflict management and resolution and much, much more. I hope you enjoy it! Copyright © 2010 Dejan Djurdjevic

Stopping techniques at a pre-determined point


Simultaneous techniques: Part 3 - a case study


Simultaneous techniques: Part 2 - seizing initiative
