| Even a black belt judo man sometimes makes | | | | right. I am afraid I have nothing more to teach |
| the mistake of trying to apply a throw before | | | | you. From now on, you should continue your |
| breaking his opponent's posture. If the opponent is | | | | study with younger men. I will no longer practice |
| also a black belt holder, he will react quickly to | | | | with you.' And he has refrained from practicing |
| prevent the other man from applying a throw | | | | with me since. Soon afterward, I was initiated in |
| directly. Therefore the problem of how to break | | | | the mystery of the Kito-ryu jujitsu and received |
| your opponent's posture is the first thing that | | | | all his books and manuscripts of the school." |
| must be studied. | | | | B. Take advantage of the waist and abdominal |
| A. Break your opponent's posture before applying | | | | region. |
| your throw: kuzushi (unbalancing opponent). | | | | To apply a throw successfully, you must break |
| It was Dr. Jigoro Kano who discovered this | | | | your opponent's posture. To do this, you must |
| principle. In reporting his discovery, he said: 'Mr. | | | | take advantage of his long reaction time. This is |
| Iikubo was over fifty years old at the time, but | | | | done by harmonizing your motion with his. You |
| he was still strong, and I used to work with him | | | | can develop this ability through long practice. You |
| often. Although I practiced my technique | | | | must harmonize your motion with his, making |
| industriously, I could never vie with him. I think it | | | | thorough use of the forces working on you and |
| was about 1885 that I found, while practicing | | | | your opponent. |
| randori (free practice) with him, that the | | | | You can break his posture and apply your throw |
| techniques I tried were extremely effective. | | | | with success. What is it that gives your actions |
| Usually it had been he who threw me. Now, | | | | vitality or life? It is the force of the waist and |
| instead of being thrown, I was throwing him with | | | | abdominal region, technically called the correct |
| increasing regularity. I could do this despite the | | | | centripetal pressure. |
| fact that he was of the Kito-ryu school and was | | | | C. Practice judo in a natural posture. |
| especially adept at throwing techniques. | | | | 1. The natural posture is best for practicing judo. |
| "The crux of my study was that a human body | | | | It is clear that the natural posture is the best |
| would lose its balance if it was only pushed | | | | position for practicing judo (in throwing techniques) |
| backward or pulled forward. A carelessly standing | | | | because it is the most convenient for a change in |
| man, however large and strong, leans backward if | | | | position and direction. This is a standing position |
| pushed from the front and forward if pulled to | | | | with feet forming a 90 degree angle. |
| the front; his posture is broken. A strong | | | | 2. Grappling techniques require a different type of |
| opponent, however, may be able to resist your | | | | posture. |
| pushing and pulling. Even so, you can easily break | | | | In throwing, you apply techniques by taking a |
| his posture backward if you push him backward | | | | standing posture. But grappling is done in a prone |
| when he pulls you forward, or pull him forward | | | | position, or at least with one knee placed on the |
| when he pushes you backward. It must be | | | | mat. Free and easy motions are largely limited for |
| emphasized that the throw to be applied is | | | | you as well as for your opponent. So "gentleness" |
| effective only when the opponent has lost his | | | | or "giving way" is not so evident as it is in |
| balance. | | | | throwing. A lower center of gravity and a large |
| "I told Mr. Iikubo about this, explaining that the | | | | base mean shackled motions. |
| throw should be applied after one has broken the | | | | These are the three very important principles in |
| opponent's posture. Then he said to me: 'This is | | | | the art and science of judo. |