I have read that the proper way to move on the tatami in judo is to have the balls of the feet slide along the mat, transferring weight gradually unlike 'normal' heel-to-toe walking. I think i understand the concept of this movement however in practice I just put all my weight on one leg and slide the other weightless foot forward and repeat. does anyone have any exercises to help develop the correct way of walking?
4 posters
How do I walk?
NBK- Posts : 1298
Join date : 2013-01-10
Location : Tokyo, Japan
- Post n°2
Re: How do I walk?
crap. Just lost 30 mins of typing.
Short version:
- First, learn how to stand in shizentai (natural position). This Japan Ministry of Education pg has a some decent photos, discussing the progression of teaching standing and walking.
http://lern-english-japanese.6te.net/SelfDefense/Judo/Judo_by_JMEXT/001/HTML/004-04.htm
Outside of feet no more than shoulder width apart.
Feet not splayed to outside or inside but stand naturally.
For migi shizentai (right standing position) the heel of the right foot is just forward of the toes of the left foot.
Weight is slightly forward, not balanced or rearward.
Anything else is jigotai, Kanô shihan wrote.
When you step,
- Drive forward off the rear leg, hips level, do not turn left-right (keep hips perpendicular to the direction of travel).
- Lift the forward knee enough to take the weight off the forward foot, but not enough that the ball of the foot loses contact with the surface. I liken the movement to skating - the weight stays forward of the rear driving leg (probably a horrid way to teach skating.... )
- A big step means a big recovery into shizentai. Never stop with the feet wide apart (that comes into play for specific judo motions such as yoko-sutemi-waza, etc.)
- Practice tsugi-ashi (shuffle step, the trail foot never becomes parallel or passes the forward foot), ayumi ashi (regular walking step L R L R....), forward, back, side to side, and diagonally.
There are diagrams at the bottom of the webpage above.
Good luck!
NBK
Short version:
- First, learn how to stand in shizentai (natural position). This Japan Ministry of Education pg has a some decent photos, discussing the progression of teaching standing and walking.
http://lern-english-japanese.6te.net/SelfDefense/Judo/Judo_by_JMEXT/001/HTML/004-04.htm
Outside of feet no more than shoulder width apart.
Feet not splayed to outside or inside but stand naturally.
For migi shizentai (right standing position) the heel of the right foot is just forward of the toes of the left foot.
Weight is slightly forward, not balanced or rearward.
Anything else is jigotai, Kanô shihan wrote.
When you step,
- Drive forward off the rear leg, hips level, do not turn left-right (keep hips perpendicular to the direction of travel).
- Lift the forward knee enough to take the weight off the forward foot, but not enough that the ball of the foot loses contact with the surface. I liken the movement to skating - the weight stays forward of the rear driving leg (probably a horrid way to teach skating.... )
- A big step means a big recovery into shizentai. Never stop with the feet wide apart (that comes into play for specific judo motions such as yoko-sutemi-waza, etc.)
- Practice tsugi-ashi (shuffle step, the trail foot never becomes parallel or passes the forward foot), ayumi ashi (regular walking step L R L R....), forward, back, side to side, and diagonally.
There are diagrams at the bottom of the webpage above.
Good luck!
NBK
Ben Reinhardt- Posts : 794
Join date : 2012-12-28
Location : Bonners Ferry, Idaho, USA
- Post n°3
Re: How do I walk?
classicschmosby wrote:I have read that the proper way to move on the tatami in judo is to have the balls of the feet slide along the mat, transferring weight gradually unlike 'normal' heel-to-toe walking. I think i understand the concept of this movement however in practice I just put all my weight on one leg and slide the other weightless foot forward and repeat. does anyone have any exercises to help develop the correct way of walking?
You need to practice with supervision, solo and with a partner.
It takes quite a while to get it down to the point you do it automatically, in randori and shiai.
Keep practicing...
Ryvai- Posts : 159
Join date : 2013-07-16
Location : Norway
- Post n°4
Re: How do I walk?
Ayumi-ashi is the normal walking pattern, tsugi-ashi is where one foot leads up to the other, but does not cross it. Suri-ashi is where you "slide" your feet, slightly contacting the ground. You often see it in kata. Both ayumi-ashi and tsugi-ashi can done either with or without suri-ashi.
Ben Reinhardt- Posts : 794
Join date : 2012-12-28
Location : Bonners Ferry, Idaho, USA
- Post n°5
Re: How do I walk?
You can use the lines of intersection of the tatami to help you space your feet correctly, or put tape down as well in different directions of movement. Having some sort of visual and tactile reference is helpful. Be sure to keep your head up and use your peripheral vision and sense of feel in your feet.
A cone or other soft object is good as a point of reference for circular movement.
Cones, other soft objects are good to maneuver around...set up an obstacle course, objects in a line.
Practice the movement around the objects. Do that solo and with a partner. Eventually you want to do it mainly with a partner.
You can make a game of it too, in which each person tries to maneuver the other hit one of the objects with their feet. You can use obi (belts) stretched out or thrown randomly on the tatami, too. To make it even more interesting, add in staying inside a certain area of the tatami, as in avoiding getting maneuvered out of bounds.
If you have multiple people in class, you can all move about solo, then in pairs, and do the above games/drills as noted above...without touching each other, and staying in bounds (if you have an "out of bounds" delineated.
Another fun one is for each pair to try to touch another pair as you move about the practice area. Note I said touch, not smash into, although with kids that often escalates, LOL. Add in objects to avoid on the tatami, out of bounds, and the reward for getting your partner or another pair to touch/go out of bounds/hit an object with their feet, and it gets pretty interesting...
Do all that for 10 minutes or so and you you will be pretty well warmed up.
A cone or other soft object is good as a point of reference for circular movement.
Cones, other soft objects are good to maneuver around...set up an obstacle course, objects in a line.
Practice the movement around the objects. Do that solo and with a partner. Eventually you want to do it mainly with a partner.
You can make a game of it too, in which each person tries to maneuver the other hit one of the objects with their feet. You can use obi (belts) stretched out or thrown randomly on the tatami, too. To make it even more interesting, add in staying inside a certain area of the tatami, as in avoiding getting maneuvered out of bounds.
If you have multiple people in class, you can all move about solo, then in pairs, and do the above games/drills as noted above...without touching each other, and staying in bounds (if you have an "out of bounds" delineated.
Another fun one is for each pair to try to touch another pair as you move about the practice area. Note I said touch, not smash into, although with kids that often escalates, LOL. Add in objects to avoid on the tatami, out of bounds, and the reward for getting your partner or another pair to touch/go out of bounds/hit an object with their feet, and it gets pretty interesting...
Do all that for 10 minutes or so and you you will be pretty well warmed up.
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