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Thread: Samurai walking methods

  1. #31
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    I apologize for not having anything substantial to add to this topic, but after spending a summer in Tokyo/Chiba, I noticed myself developing peculiar samurai-like walking habits. It seemed to be related to humidity and heat, a phenomenon I call "chafing."

    We discovered a substance called "Johnson's Baby Powder" that, applied in liberal quantities, temporarily alleviated the condition.

    Jack Bieler

  2. #32
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    I apologize for not having anything substantial to add to this topic, but after spending a summer in Tokyo/Chiba, I noticed myself developing peculiar samurai-like walking habits. It seemed to be related to humidity and heat, a phenomenon I call "chafing."

    We discovered a substance called "Johnson's Baby Powder" that, applied in liberal quantities, temporarily alleviated the condition.
    Jack Bieler

    ___________________________________________________________________
    (pisses self with chuckles)
    Jack,
    I find that if I one wears only a fundoshi (like the ones they wear in festivals) and thongs around town, the humidity is really no problem at all. Oh, Oh......I gotcha. You mean you were in Japan during the summer wearing WESTERN CLOTHES not suitable for this type of climate! Gotcha! Well, that's your problem right there.
    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.

  3. #33
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    I apologize for not having anything substantial to add to this topic, but after spending a summer in Tokyo/Chiba, I noticed myself developing peculiar samurai-like walking habits. It seemed to be related to humidity and heat, a phenomenon I call "chafing."

    We discovered a substance called "Johnson's Baby Powder" that, applied in liberal quantities, temporarily alleviated the condition.
    Jack Bieler

    ___________________________________________________________________
    (pisses self with chuckles)
    Jack,
    I find that if I one wears only a fundoshi (like the ones they wear in festivals) and thongs around town, the humidity is really no problem at all. Oh, Oh......I gotcha. You mean you were in Japan during the summer wearing WESTERN CLOTHES not suitable for this type of climate! Gotcha! Well, that's your problem right there.
    ........
    Yes that and the "What do people wear under a hakama" question.

    Also can the history eating white rice be connected to Koryu? Predominant bad cases of haemorroids definately play a big part in the way a lot of Japanese walk.

    Hyakutake Colin

  4. #34
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    Soulend-

    The walking style is known as "namba-aruki" and is a highly contested topic between traditionalists and reformers.

    Robert-

    The guy at the seminar (Kono) wasn't knocked on his ass as I recall. He said he could make anybody grabbing his wrist go down (kinda like an Aiki-thing. Kono did get 3rd in Aikido) and the one guy who volunteered was a huge American (I cannot remember his name right now) who reminds me of Bob Sapp but with much less muscle. Pretty hard feat. The other situation was the "I'm gonna touch your face" thing when our distinguished MC (Randy) touched his face.

    Kono also had some wild historical theories that most of the people there (including me) were not impressed with. I was the one he drew the shinken on so I was impressed. He may be lacking in more ways than one, but he sure can move.

    CK

  5. #35
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    Originally posted by CKohalyk
    Soulend-

    The walking style is known as "namba-aruki" and is a highly contested topic between traditionalists and reformers.

    Robert-

    The guy at the seminar (Kono) wasn't knocked on his ass as I recall. He said he could make anybody grabbing his wrist go down (kinda like an Aiki-thing. Kono did get 3rd in Aikido) and the one guy who volunteered was a huge American (I cannot remember his name right now) who reminds me of Bob Sapp but with much less muscle. Pretty hard feat. The other situation was the "I'm gonna touch your face" thing when our distinguished MC (Randy) touched his face.

    Kono also had some wild historical theories that most of the people there (including me) were not impressed with. I was the one he drew the shinken on so I was impressed. He may be lacking in more ways than one, but he sure can move.

    CK

    That would have been Randy Channel....

  6. #36
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    Yup

  7. #37
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    Default Interesting topic

    Hello all,

    I don't know much about this type of "samurai walking" outside of a few random references.

    I don't think that the "nanba aruki" method ("to walk about under difficult circumstances?"), which is the term used at least in Yagyu Shingan ryu, is really related to the wearing of nagabakama. There is a method of stepping while wearing nagabakama, but to my recollection it has a different name and is a slightly different method.

    Suriashi does mean "gliding/sliding step", but is a common aspect to many of the various Japanese styles of footwork, not really a method in itself. Suriashi is the method of sliding the foot while keeping the toes down (or in some cases the balls of the feet) - in other words, not heel-to-toe/ toe-to-heel.

    As far as nanba aruki, Shimazu Sensei of YSgR stated in a video taped demonstration that, at least one of the main reasons for using this walk was that the sword could be drawn most effectively if the right arm were to swing forward at the same time as the right leg. To demonstrate this, he had a volunteer from the audience who practiced iai come up and walk across the stage, insisting that those that practiced swordsmanship already had this habit from drawing the sword repeatedly.

    I don't know if this is exactly true of all swordsman that practice drawing techniques, but I can say that quite a bit of sword drawing technique involves drawing with the right hand while the right foot is forward. In fact, a great deal of Japanese warrior etiquette is related to the desire of keeping the right side free/forward in case the need to draw a weapon is suddenly required.

    The employment of weapons mounted in the obi seems to be the most overt practical reason for this walk. While this method would also minimize twisting of the torso, which reduces the amount that your kimono gets pulled out of shape, most of the other methods of traditional walking also seem to take this into account as well, so I'm not sure that this idea is unique to nanba aruki.

    I'll have to see if I can dig out that YSgR video again...

    HTH,
    Last edited by Nathan Scott; 18th September 2002 at 09:02.
    Nathan Scott
    Nichigetsukai

    "Put strength into your practice, and avoid conceit. It is easy enough to understand a strategy and guard against it after the matter has already been settled, but the reason an opponent becomes defeated is because they didn't learn of it ahead of time. This is the nature of secret matters. That which is kept hidden is what we call the Flower."

    - Zeami Motokiyo, 1418 (Fūshikaden)

  8. #38
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    Default Oh yeah...

    I think this walking method was not necessarily overt, and was used at a walking pace - not for running.

    Also, "nanba" is a term used to refer to Osaka. Hence, the term could mean "Osaka-style of walking". People in Osaka have their own ways of doing things, so it wouldn't surprise me to hear that a method such as this originated there.

    Anybody have any insight?
    Nathan Scott
    Nichigetsukai

    "Put strength into your practice, and avoid conceit. It is easy enough to understand a strategy and guard against it after the matter has already been settled, but the reason an opponent becomes defeated is because they didn't learn of it ahead of time. This is the nature of secret matters. That which is kept hidden is what we call the Flower."

    - Zeami Motokiyo, 1418 (Fūshikaden)

  9. #39
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    It's probably worth mentioning that Hatsumi Sensei discusses this walking method and has his students demonstrate it on the Kukishinden Ryu Yoroi Kumiuchi video from Quest. He attributes it to being a special way of walking when wearing armour. This argument makes a great deal of sense when you consider that many koryu styles practice ipsolateral punching (same foot forward as fist) such as the Bujinkan Dojo's tsuki.

    When I first saw this method of walking, it looked to me sort of like the way you would walk if you were carrying an extremely heavy object. Interestingly, Hatsumi Sensei states on the video:

    ”Just as it is considered important to walk rhythmically when carrying heavy objects, so the armoured warrior walks keeping a rhythm.”

    Just a point.

    Alex

  10. #40
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    Mr. Scott,

    Thanks for keeping me on track, I totally forgot some people were talking about nagabakama. Nanba-aruki (which is what Kono demonstrated at the Budo Seminar) has nothing to do with hakama, and everything to do with the sword as you posted. Also, your "running" comment is good. This was one of the faults with Kono's lecture, leading to his unpopularity.

    CK

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    BTW, are you guys talking about someone named Kono Yoshinori? He wrote every now and then in Aikido Journal, and I suspect he may have experience or relations with Daito ryu.

    Just curious,
    Nathan Scott
    Nichigetsukai

    "Put strength into your practice, and avoid conceit. It is easy enough to understand a strategy and guard against it after the matter has already been settled, but the reason an opponent becomes defeated is because they didn't learn of it ahead of time. This is the nature of secret matters. That which is kept hidden is what we call the Flower."

    - Zeami Motokiyo, 1418 (Fūshikaden)

  12. #42
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    Interesting thread.

    My teacher had also mentioned this method of walking to us quite awhile back and I asked him about it last night.

    He concurs with it being done for the ease of drawing a sword. He said that they didn’t necessarily walk like that constantly but more when they were on their guard or feeling a bit paranoid. He said that it was also the reason when entering a room or stepping on the mat one was expected to step with the left foot first. If the hands and feet are moving in preparation for a draw they would move together and you would therefore have to take an additional step before making an effective draw.

    He also mentioned a few “tricks” or techniques, if you will, to achieve “the walk” without too much difficulty and to make it more natural. He said they would tighten their left elbow locking it to their side and just let their right arm hand relaxed. Since the left is locked in it moves with the leg and left side of the body, and since our right side and left side are connected it takes most of the swing out of the right side. By only controlling the left side and leaving the right relaxed it could be more easily and quickly brought into play for the draw. He added a few other ways that they would make it less obvious were to tuck the left thumb into the obi or straps of the hakama to secure the left side of the body, or drape the left arm over the saya, wrist bent on top of the tsuba. Sometimes they would also place their right hand just inside the side vent of the hakama, or inside the opening of the kimono, this along with the left arm draped over the sword makes “the walk” look natural. He has also said that regularly paced strides were important, his teacher used to tie a string between his ankles to make sure that he both his left and right sides stepped the same distance.
    Richard Elias
    Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin ryu
    Yanagi Ryu

  13. #43
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    Originally posted by Nathan Scott
    BTW, are you guys talking about someone named Kono Yoshinori? He wrote every now and then in Aikido Journal, and I suspect he may have experience or relations with Daito ryu.

    Just curious,
    That's our boy. He got his 3rd in Aikido back in the day, and has rank in Negishi Ryu (and is REALLY good. He can stick a shuriken anywhere from any position. Amazing.) I don't recall him having any D-Ryu connections (and being ex-Takumakai myself, I would have been listening) but I think he has rank in something else modern. Although, besides the Negishi Ryu, I know he has no Koryu background (aside from academic). He split off from everyone and started his own thing, kind of a research group, using his experience both academic and physical. There is a French guy (if I recall) that is with him. Kono does all kinds of seminars all over Japan. He was sorta knocked outta the limelight when Tetchan (Kuroda Tetsuya) came on the scene and started whoopin' everybody. I also heard (a rumour) that Kono was dropped (ie defeated) sometime last year, which made a lot off bandwagon-jumpers lose respect for him.

    Hope this helps,

    CK

  14. #44
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    Post nanban-aruki, perhaps?

    like Mssrs. Kohalyk & Rousselot, i was at The Seminar the year that Kono-sensei did his demo and lecture. while i could see some merit in some of what he showed us (e.g. hiding okori, or "the beginning of movement"), the majority of the teaching faculty found some of his theories contentious, to say the least. some of our fellow seminar participants also perceived a distinct scent of the ol' Nihonjinron, which usually just doesn't bear up under proper scrutiny.

    as i recall, the gentleman who rather ruined Kono-sensei's demonstration of his amazing aiki wasn't Randy (i don't remember the face-touching antics, though they probably happened), but another participant of even greater physical stature. sadly, his name escapes.

    as for the nanba-aruki issue, i suspect the term might be nanban-aruki, none other than "Southern Barbarian Walking". Kono was very keen on this "japanese-style vs. western style" issue, and it wouldn't surprise me if such a term actually existed before Kono began his research. suri-ashi is just the sliding step employed most commonly in traditional japanese theatre, tea, and of course many martial arts settings. i believe this was the standard indoor walking style for japanese.
    Jeff Hamacher
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    Those who know will not speak ...
    So I guess that means I don't know a thing!

  15. #45
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    For someone who hasn't studied a combative koryu, this Kono twirp sure writes prolificly on the topic. Go to a bookstore here and you'll see this gaunt dude's picture or name on some book on bushido and kobudo and the like. I took one look inside one, read the table of content and with an "Oh brother" duly closed it and put it back. Seeing his pictures of some "deadly" waza or "scaary" pose are also a good chuckle. I believe I stopped reading Hiden within 3 months after discovering it because this clown and some other weirdo Tai Chi/New Age fruits (no offense to legitimate Tai Chi with practical combat applications) were constantly appearing in it. But then, there are only so many things you can say about koryu and budo in general for a monthly magazine before you have to start phoning up the lunatic asylum looking for topics for articles.
    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.

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