Armor and Tachi

[Dale Seago]

As most of you will know (I hope!), the training theme at Daikomyosai was armored combat, both unarmed and with the tachi and yoroi-doshi. The entire first half of each day, Sensei and some of the shihan were demonstrating everything while wearing full yoroi and their weapons, with Sensei wearing a different set of armor each day. Even though I've worked on armored stuff before -- in at least a couple of different phases over the years -- this was different because of the way the concepts of jutaijutsu, juppou-sesshou, and roppou kuji no biken (the "conceptual themes" of the past 3 years of training) all came together around the use of armor. Fascinating kyojitsu as well, showing how the strengths of the opponent's armor -- and on a psychological level, his assumptions/beliefs about them -- can be used by you as weaknesses which can destroy him. This is a very different concept from attacking weak points/vulnerabilities in the armor (I'd call those the "omote" suki or openings): A skillful fighter knows what and where they are and will protect them if he can. While still using those, the focus now was on recognizing/adding the "ura" suki.

So, how to convey "the feeling" back home? After a couple of weeks of trying to get it across, we decided to actually wear armor; and not having proper yoroi, we're just using the modern stuff. In the pics below from last Tuesday, I'm actually wearing more weight -- and less well-balanced, because of the pack -- than the yoroi would provide. I'm wearing a Level II vest; a level IIIA vest over that; a backpack with 30 pounds of books in it; kevlar helmet; and 5-lb. ankle weights on each leg -- total aggregate weight between 65-70 pounds.

We happened to have a guy visiting us that evening who isn't regular, just drops in occasionally, and fancies himself a boxer -- and he was trying to bob and weave and box when he was all armored up, while trying to keep from falling over; just didn't get the concept of working WITH the gear and making use of its characteristics. It was one of the most hysterically funny things to watch I've seen in a long time, and he was totally exhausted within about a minute.

These also show how important it is to maintain good form and posture -- if you don't, you waste energy and quickly tire yourself out "fighting the armor".

In the use of the tachi, Sensei was showing a lot of stuff looking eerily like medieval Western armored "half-sword" grappling with the knightly longsword. There also was a lot of one-handed, very "saber-like" application, perhaps not so surprising when you think of Sengoku-era upper-class bushi as cavalry archers carrying the tachi as a "backup" close combat weapon.

I did a seminar on December 11 where I was presenting some of the latter methods, and someone in the dojo snapped a few pics. The first two below, I think, are good examples of that "use of space" thing I talk about on my website FAQ, and in fact Sensei was talking specifically at Daikomyosai about "using space as a weapon". The bit from my site:

Much more significant, however, is the fact that the physical training is approached via a completely different conceptual paradigm from that of other martial arts. In other systems the focus is on learning particular techniques and applying them against an opponent. In Bujinkan budo as Hatsumi sensei is teaching it, there is a very different way of viewing one’s relationship with the opponent. Just as in a Japanese Zen garden the shapes of the spaces between objects are every bit as important as the nature and positions of the objects themselves in the overall composition, so in our martial art perceiving and controlling the shape of the space between yourself and the opponent is critical to mastery.

One way of thinking about this is that if you try to deal with an opponent’s weapon (fist, knife, gun, etc.) the person himself may still kill you. It is more effective to try to control the opponent himself, because then you control the weapon also; but in that case you still will have a fight on your hands and the outcome is still in doubt. If you control the space your opponent wishes to use, however, he is totally neutralized and all his efforts are ineffective. Senior U.S. Bujinkan instructor and former Marine officer Jack Hoban, has expressed this idea eloquently in military terms: Your unit can try to outshoot an enemy force, but it can be a grueling ordeal with heavy casualties on both sides. . .and you may be defeated. But if you control the terrain around the enemy so that you can reach him easily, while he cannot fire on you and cannot maneuver without exposing himself to your own fire, his defeat is inevitable. . .and you may save lives on the “enemy” side as well as your own. Whether the opponent lives or dies thus becomes, in a very profound sense, his own decision.

Another way of expressing the concept is that where other arts tend to operate from left-brain hemisphere processes (linear, logical, focused on performance of technique), Bujinkan budo draws more on right-brain hemisphere intuition and perception of shape, pattern, and the total context of the situation.

 

[Cryozombie]

Awesome Dale!

We have a bunch of bikers in our group, we talked about do somthing like this in biker leathers and motorcycle helmets...

Its cool to see other modern applications!

 

[Dale Seago]

. . .we talked about do somthing like this in biker leathers and motorcycle helmets...

I'd say go for it! For that, though, I definitely recommend loading up a backpack with something or other to be appropriately top-heavy.

 

[Don Roley]

I expect that the URL for this thread is going to be posted a lot around the internet. Everytime someone makes a nasty comment about "traditional" training methods and how old arts have no relevence for the modern battlefield, I think this thread will be held up as a counter.

 

[stephen]

Even though I've worked on armored stuff before -- in at least a couple of different phases over the years -- this was different because of the way the concepts of jutaijutsu, juppou-sesshou, and roppou kuji no biken (the "conceptual themes" of the past 3 years of training) all came together around the use of armor.

Dale,

First, thanks for posting, your posts are always excellent.

Could you talk a bit more about the quote above. Particularly about your view of roppou kuji no biken.

Thanks,
Steve Kovalcik


...Don, since this is a quote from Dale's post I directed it to him. However, I value your input as well and am very interested in where this discussion could go with the two of you being in the same thread.

 

[Grey Eyed Bandit]

Particularly about your view of roppou kuji no biken.

You mean the noble art of the party elbow? :roflmao:

(internal joke at my dojo, tee hee)

 

[althaur]

Awesome pics, Dale. I wish I could have been there for that. The guys and gals in my unit love the armored stuff.

Dale is the one that got me thinking about the relevance of this stuff for modern soldiers. Not only does the armored fighting transfer, but also sojutsu, knife fighting, and even the kenjutsu.

 

[Dale Seago]

Could you talk a bit more about the quote above. Particularly about your view of roppou kuji no biken.

Steve, keeping in mind that each of those has been the primary training theme for an entire year, I really can't verbally describe them effectively.

Nonetheless, I'll comment briefly (and oversimplistically) on jutaijutsu and armor.

One of the most salient features -- to me, others' mileage may vary -- of jutaijutsu as it was presented in 2002 is the concept of "using no power". Basically, if you're doing it correctly, then nothing you do should require any more effort than just moving your body and limbs lightly around without a partner or opponent to deal with.

This feeling is definitely critical in armored work; and paradoxically, training with armor may be a better/faster way to "get it" than unarmored training. Armored movement is light, minimal, and yet maximally efficient.

Look at it this way for a minute. Let's say you've loaded up your pack and provisions, tent, and sleeping bag for a weekend of camping in a wilderness area that you have to hike into. . .Or, for us military types, you're setting off with your unit on a forced march in full battle-rattle.

If you're new to it, you may hit the trail with a swaggering stride and a spring in your step. But I guarandangtee you that within a few klicks you're going to be moving very differently. Your steps will shorten to better keep your feet and hips under your shoulders and head for better structural support of your load. You'll "glide" along the ground rather than pushing briskly off with each step. You'll change direction more by relaxing and shifting your weight than by "pushing" yourself onto a new vector. You'll quickly learn to move as efficiently as possible without wasting energy and strength.

At least, this will happen if you listen to what your body is telling you. :wink2: If you don't, you're just going to get very tired, very fast. Make sense?

And guess what? Moving with this sort of feeling is also more efficient when all you're carrying is your own body.

Everytime someone makes a nasty comment about "traditional" training methods and how old arts have no relevence for the modern battlefield. . .

By the way, "traditional techniques" work in this context too. In the photo below, my partner was trying to grab me to do a takedown of some sort, and he ended up in a classic musha dori.

Something else: In this photo and the ones above, notice how tense I am. . .not!. . .and how much I appear to be "fighting". You can see a blur of movement in the first two tachi-training pics; but I look so relaxed that I could just be standing still and posing for the photos, which actually were all taken in the midst of movement.

 

[stephen]

Thanks for the reply, Dale.


Steve

 

[Dale Seago]

Couple of great photos posted by Jack Hoban with his New Year's Message for 2005.

The letter itself is worth reading too. . .

 

[Tgace]

Almost makes me want to load up ruck and go for a hump.....NOT!!

Good stuff. Great SWAT application for civ.LEO.

 

[kroh]

Great application and unity of the new and old way of doing things...

Thanks for the great posts...

Regards,
Walt