tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4327546950752767485.post3356109574221256587..comments2022-06-24T17:20:55.627-07:00Comments on a better karate: From Tachi Waza to Ashi Wazamegurohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01427322190084247080noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4327546950752767485.post-88608605665365944632012-08-16T13:10:44.078-07:002012-08-16T13:10:44.078-07:00Thank you for your detailed comment, Dan. I hesit...Thank you for your detailed comment, Dan. I hesitate to think of all the great things one can do from neko ashi dachi. For me, it is the midpoint between A and B rather than the starting point. <br /><br />I completely understand your condition (silatized).:-)megurohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01427322190084247080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4327546950752767485.post-32755476965046225762012-08-15T13:53:57.617-07:002012-08-15T13:53:57.617-07:00Think about walking. Whether you walk, run, jog, s...Think about walking. Whether you walk, run, jog, skip, advance like a fencer, step-and-slide like a boxer or kick it gangsta style with the Pimp Limp you do the same thing. You move from a double-weighted stance to balancing on one leg, move a leg and shift your weight. Walking is a kind of incremental falling where you throw out a leg and catch yourself.<br /><br />The single-weighted neko ashi dachi (under all its names) is a lousy stance to stand in statically and launch power shots from. But it's more than just a way to avoid having your front leg swept.<br /><br />When you are single-weighted the unweighted leg can move without moving the center of mass. And it isn't limited to moving in one direction over a set distance. If you understand angles and have good ma-ai you can play at the edge of your opponent's range. A slight change in where you put that front foot can shorten the distance and advance timing. Or it can lengthen the distance and retard the timing. It can change the relation between your body and your opponent's quickly and subtly with slight differences in placement and orientation.<br /><br />Step in front. Step behind. Move the center. Appear to move the center. "Chord the circle" on which the two of you are standing.<br /><br />You can mess with his perception of distance and time in some very useful ways if you know what you're doing. If you shorten the stance up and have good body mechanics you can shift the weight from one foot to the other without him being aware of it allowing you to move in unexpected directions and at unexpected times.<br /><br />(Disclaimer: My karate days were a long time ago. I got silatized years back, so the way I see things is heavily influenced by that experience) Dan Gambierahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04172075070150854447noreply@blogger.com