Too bad the Koryu vets don't pipe in on e-budo anymore. This is getting to be an interesting post.
Greg Ellis
I like autumn best of all, because its tone is mellower, its colors are richer and it is tinged with a little sorrow. Its golden richness speaks not of the innocence of spring, nor the power of summer, but of the mellowness and kindly wisdom of approaching age. It knows the limitations of life and it is content.
This walking method was lectured on at the Budo Seminar held every year in Chiba and is sponsored by the Nippon Budokan and Board of Education.
It seems the walking method was an affected walking method rather than a natural walking method for Japanese. If I am not mistaken the lecturer also tried to give some of martial arts demo and wound up getting knocked on his ass by one of the participants of the seminar.
Just another case of someone that can't "walk it the way they talk it" I guess.
I found the walking method to be rather ridiculous and use less.
Originally posted by Neil Yamamoto
Open the door, get on your knees, everyone walk like Japanese?
Oh, wait, sorry, I'm confusing things here, that's "Everyone walk the dinosaur." My bad.
Shouldn't that be "I think I'm turning Japanese" by the Vapors?
Originally posted by Robert Rousselot
This walking method was lectured on at the Budo Seminar held every year in Chiba and is sponsored by the Nippon Budokan and Board of Education.
It seems the walking method was an affected walking method rather than a natural walking method for Japanese.
.........
In that case please disregard my post. Hyoho Niten Ichiryu is based on a more normal Japanese walking method. I wouldnt say it was affected as much as blending in so as not to show ones intentions.
Is saying its rather easy to pick out a walking foreigner a very large crowd of Japanese or visa versa.
Lower body movement is one of the essentials of budo. That top heavy gait and Johanshin is one of the main things Westerners have to overcome to become proficient. In regards to Budo it brings to mind the saying "Learning to run before you can walk".
Looking at the way someone walks is one of the first things I notice. "Walking with hara" as they say.
Hyakutake Colin
"If I am not mistaken the lecturer also tried to give some of martial arts demo and wound up getting knocked on his ass by one of the participants of the seminar."
I don't suppose that might say more about the particular lecturer's own level of understanding of the method, and it's appropriate applications, than the method itself and it's usefulness now would it?
At any rate, it seems to me somebody was moving/acting inappropriately.
Brently Keen
The guy was billed as an "expert" in his field....so I don't.Originally posted by Brently Keen
I don't suppose that might say more about the particular lecturer's own level of understanding of the method, and it's appropriate applications, than the method itself and it's usefulness now would it?
Originally posted by Brently Keen
At any rate, it seems to me somebody was moving/acting inappropriately.
Which one would that be?
You don't know? Seems pretty obvious to me.
Brently Keen
Originally posted by Brently Keen
You don't know? Seems pretty obvious to me.
Brently Keen
No I guess I don't.
You mean obvious to you because you were not there and have basically no idea what transpired...........why don't you enlighten me.
Really? Can you give some examples?Originally posted by Brently Keen
I would suggest that what comes naturally is not always what is most appropriate, beneficial or efficient.
What reasons would that be?Originally posted by Brently Keen
I also think that there were some very good reasons why the samurai developed this sort of method of walking.
No problem, and it won't be. I think smart ass remarks given by someone that was not privy to witness the event are not called for. So if Mr. Keen would like to continue he can PM me.Originally posted by Yobina
Firstly, Mr Rousselot and Mr Keen, please don't turn this into an argument. I am thankful to all the people who have posted with their opinions and various takes on this method of walking.
The lecture I attended pretty much said the same thing. This was a common walking style independent of the clothing worn. A friend of mine has a book that lists many of the rules that governed the Shizoka class (samurai) over different periods. It is rather interesting and gives many of the sometimes bizarre rules that they had to live by. In the Samurai class there were several levels and much like the modern army of today with lowly privates all the way up to generals.Originally posted by Yobina
I think the teacher who explained this walking method to me said that it was used at all times no matter what the clothing worn. Any thoughts?
Depending on the level you were restricted to wear a certain type of cloth and in some cases a certain color.
Andrew, I've no intention of arguing, I'm simply stating my opinons and sharing things I've been taught and/or have discovered throughout a few years of training, and studying these things.
Robert wrote: "why don't you enlighten me."
Like I said, I think it's fairly obvious, why should I spell out what should be clearly evident from what you told us, and should have been even more clear to you since you were apparently there? Surely you're capable of discerning for yourself, no? Seems to me you've already decided such walking is inappropriate anyway "ridiculous and useless" as I think you put it - what good would it do for me to further explain otherwise, or in more detail?
"Really? Can you give some examples?"
"What reasons would that be?"
"I think smart ass remarks given by someone that was not privy to witness the event are not called for. So if Mr. Keen would like to continue he can PM me."
I could give a number of examples and reasons, but why bother? You can clearly deem what is inappropriate for me, but can't see for yourself what might have been inappropriate in a situation that you witnessed? Obviously you haven't much respect for me or what I've contributed to the thread, so why should I indulge you here or in PM? I'll just bow out and let you explain everything to the rest of us.
Brently Keen
Yes it was fairly obvious when the lecturer basically said I am going to do this technique and you won't be able to do anything. Sounded like he threw down a challange and got called on it. Probably wasn't very wise of him to make such a statement.Originally posted by Brently Keen
Robert wrote: "why don't you enlighten me."
Like I said, I think it's fairly obvious, why should I spell out what should be clearly evident from what you told us, and should have been even more clear to you since you were apparently there? Surely you're capable of discerning for yourself, no? Seems to me you've already decided such walking is inappropriate anyway "ridiculous and useless" as I think you put it - what good would it do for me to further explain otherwise, or in more detail?
Why don't you.........I for one would like to read them.Originally posted by Brently Keen
I could give a number of examples and reasons, but why bother?
This discussion is pretty interesting. Does the style of walking have a particular name? I remember that Funakoshi once wrote that when he was young, a type of walking called suriashi was "in fashion", and he walked like that even as he got on in years. Don't know if it relates to the "samurai walk" though, as suriashi seems to have been more like a gliding kind of step. But I figure if they had a name for that type of walk they would have a name for the other as well. I'm more familiar with chidori-ashi personally.
Could it be that this type of walk was affected in order to maintain control of the daisho on the left and the inro on the right? Just a thought..
David F. Craik
Actually I wondered about that myself, however Funakoshi didn't go into much detail so it is impossible to say.