In his book A Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi in the Ground Book, states, “Know the smallest thing and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things.” In other words, pay attention to all the details.
Small things (details)
Paying attention to the smallest things is most important. The subtle details of a technique can make or break the technique. Sometimes these details aren’t hard to grasp when a technique isn’t working. However, the exact reason why the technique isn’t working can be difficult to perceive. This difficulty in perception requires direct instruction. Just one small detail can make things work.
Sankyo
This technique twists the opponent’s hand inward when the lower arm is vertical. You grasp their open hand, keeping their fingers pointed downward and positioning your body in front of the opponent. From here there are different ways to throw or control the opponent.
One way is to increase the pain factor. (see blog post on circles) In sankyo, to make a more effective technique, apply a second rotation to the wrist. Another method is to slightly flex the hand sideways, away from the body, to increase the pain factor without an additional rotation. In doing so, you decrease the opponent’s desire to move backwards to relieve the pressure of the initial rotation.
Wrist lock throw
Two things make the wrist lock throw work. The first is keeping the opponent’s hand at your obi level. Because the opponent’s hand is down, the elbow points down. Keeping the elbow bent and pointed downward, towards the direction of the throw, is the second detail of importance.
When meeting both criteria, the throw works. If the hand is chest high the opponent easily resists the lock. If the elbow isn’t bent or point downward, the throw is impossible.
Fist Development
The angle of the wrist on the vertical and horizontal planes must be correct. If the bones are not correctly aligned, the punch damages the wrist or hand. (See the blog post on Fist Development)
Biggest things (details)
Total vision of technique
Even though all of the details are present, you must envision the full technique as if you were watching yourself doing the technique. Do this until the positions of both opponents in relation to one another is clear. In this way you can see the technique unfold.
Vision of the surroundings
Musashi also knew the importance of the big picture. You need to know if whatever you plan to do is appropriate for the surroundings. Looking at a confined space is different than an open outdoor space. Knowing the people around you could also make one technique more advisable than another.
Developing the ability to sense the unseen is important. Perhaps, someone is behind you or a car pulls up. Trust your gut instinct. This is similar to what you might learn in a self-defense class, however it is a more advanced skill. Use all of your five senses to detect danger. In this way you can form a total assessment from footing conditions to the possibility of a surprise attack.
You can practice developing this gut instinct by focusing on one sense at a time. For example, in a safe environment, close your eyes and focus on what you hear, what you smell or what you feel on your skin.
Knowledge of the small details and the big picture are essential for success in the martial arts.
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Network Rules: If you are reading this, you are a traditional martial artist and are the foundation of our Martial Way Network. We welcome your comments as we share thoughts, ideas and research on the traditional martial arts. We encourage open discussion that comes from a place of positivity. We believe the martial way is knowledge as a way to improve ones life and the life of others. To quote the great master Gichin Funakoshi, “Do not criticize any other martial arts or speak ill of others, as it will surely come back to you. The mountain does not laugh at the river because it is lowly, nor does the river speak ill of the mountain because it can not move. Each has its own emphasis and characteristics.“
