******************************************************************** Blocking or parrying atemi's ******************************************************************** From: "Julian M. Frost" ------------------------------------------------ James Acker writes: > I am uncomfortable staying in the line, I have a desire to > move off as I "block" and to deflect instead of just holding > a hand up in front of my face. My teacher makes a point of showing that holding a hand in front of your face (or wherever) in an attempt to "block" an atemi is a futile thing to do! :=) Like you said, we try to deflect the incoming strike by parrying it off the line. We don't move our body off the line (strange that!)... I guess the idea is that if the strike has missed, then there's no danger. Hmmm!! Food for thought there! :-) > Does moving off the line screw up the technique for nage? I don't think so, it can often help nage as it has forced uke to do something he didn't really want to do in the first place, and therefore, the atemi has had the desired effect -- to affect your WHOLE body. From pam Tue Jul 11 12:34:45 1995 ----------------------------------- re atemi's and blocking/parrying or moving off line. Maybe it's a case that uke's movement is meant to mimic what would happen in a real attack? (just rambling here). In a 'real' situation you'd hope that your attacker doesnt get to block the atemi and it connects - enough to distract them if not to knock them down. In the dojo you dont want to hit uke as you would 'outside' but uke should still react as if you were going to (and the more experienced the uke the more real it can get). For example if nage makes an atemi to uke's face it's natural for uke to move his head back out of reach of the blow as well as trying to ward it off with his hand. If another part of uke's anatomy is currently attatched to nage :-) this may just mean that uke ends up leaning back off balance ? I find it really difficult reacting to what is happening rather than what I expect to happen since I know what technique we're meant to be doing. If there is an atemi I often react before it happens as I am expecting it. I guess I will learn or die as everytime I do this with my sensei goes and changes the technique or where he atemi's - progress is painful for us slow learners! From: Brian Swan ----------------------------------------- On Tue, 11 Jul 1995, James Acker wrote: > As nage I guess I should slowly make a point to my uke that I > AM hitting, and end up gently making the point > by touching face with fist. As I undersatnd it the purpose of atemi is to move nages mind so the important point is the intention behind the atemi rather than the speed or power of the strike. I know that this is difficult however, particularly when you don't know how uke will respond, i.e. block, move of the line or stand there and get hit, but with lots of intention the stand there and get hit option doesn't usually come into play :-) > AS uke I'm not sure if my moving off the line (not much, but > enough to avoid the blow) is appropriate. Again intention is important here, as uke your part of the technique is to provide a sincere attack and not worry about nages response, if you are preparing for the atemi then you are not attacking nage. The responses tend to vary as I have mentioned above but are what comes naturally to uke when their intention to attack is cut by the atemi, and it depends on the attack as to which response is most common. From katatori the most common response I find is leaning back away from nages atemi and/or blocking The stand there and get hit option usually results from a "dead" attack where uke is not providing a sincere attack. From: Laura Hague ------------------------------------------- I've been told that part of the expected response to nage's atemi to the uke's face is that uke will try to move out of the way, even just a little. Nage then takes advantage of uke's motion. So, "moving off the line" is exactly what nage wants uke to do. If nage's atemi was sincere, then not moving off the line also spoils uke's good looks. :) Either from self-protection or pain, uke will move. From: David Carpenter ----------------------------------------------- "The best way to avoid being hit is to not be there." That is what my sensi always says. Utilizing your stance turning is proper in my way of thinking. It shows that your applying the techniques you learn in training in your sparring. It also creats the situation that you do the stance turn without thinking about it thus making it instinctive.