(Approx 1 minute 55 second read)
Balance and stability are just as important as strength and endurance in the martial arts. It can make the difference between landing an effective punch or kick, evading a strike, or avoiding being taken to the ground, where in the real-world you don’t want to be.
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Balance directly impacts your techniques – you will generate much more force and power when your balance is stable. However, this doesn’t mean you need to be in a rigid, unmovable stance.
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Beginning students are often taught numerous blocks and stances while being attacked, usually by an ‘Oi zuki’, and are instructed to lock their stance in place. You may feel balanced and stable but this is not an efficient use of those ‘stances’.
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So what’s missing?
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Let’s take one element from the scenario above, your stance. Remember the ‘stances’ that everyone practices to become inch perfect in them, are snapshots, they are not designed to be held in position. While maintaining good balance yourself, it’s crucial to disrupt your opponent’s balance. You do not want to be on an equal footing, and you can do this with placement of your feet, your legs etc, this is one use of your ‘stance’.
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Balance in Japanese is usually described as “Kuzushi” (崩し), it’s widely used in many martial arts to describe off-balancing another person. The term comes from the verb “Kuzusu” (崩す), meaning to break down, destroy, pull down, or make change.
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Achieving kuzushi is a key component and core principle in training and execution, as getting your opponent off-balance typically needs to happen before executing many techniques.
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Physically, kuzushi is about compromising an opponent’s posture and equilibrium, leading to confusion or disorientation. Once this happens, the opponent needs time to re-position, re-center, or reorient themselves, often overlooking other aspects of the situation.
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Even a brief moment of distraction can create an opening. Anytime an attacker is not fully focused on you, an advantage is gained, opening up vulnerabilities in their defense.
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It can be subtle – by the use of ‘stances’, moving their posture enough to destabilize them. If you make someone unstable, they can’t respond fully to what you’re doing, giving you the upper hand.
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When we talk about being “off-balance”, the first thought is often about physical stability. However, kuzushi can be applied both physically and mentally.
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Mentally, it involves disrupting an opponent’s focus or emotions. Misdirection, or subtle psychological tactics can cause them to lose concentration, perhaps reacting prematurely and creating an opening for you to act.
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Kuzushi then is a key principle, because without first applying some form of pre-emption alongside the act of unbalancing, executing throws, locks, and many other techniques is extremely difficult, making it unwise to even attempt them.
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Written by AC.
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Photo Credit: Hironori Otsuka Sensei founder of Wado-Ryu