Theme of the month is back: August 2018 is Kuzushi

After a (gulp!) seven year hiatus, I'm bringing back theme of the month: a focus area for the class at Monash University Jiu-jitsu Caulfield class that will stretch across multiple classes.

As with last time we'll be starting with Kuzushi: the art of disrupting your partner or opponent's balance and alignment. Kuzushi is core to our martial art, and applies equally in stand-up and ground-work, when throwing, grappling or striking. When your foe is off-balance, contorted, or otherwise distracted their ability to exploit their advantages — e.g. size, strength, speed, skill — are greatly curtailed. By learning to apply kuzushi you learn how to gain and keep the initiative in self-defence.

Some other ideas I have for themes of the month are drawn from a seminar that I presented on the principles of jiu-jitsu, for which I singled out:

1. Technique (which we focus on all the time)
2. Kuzushi (see above)
3. Jiu (the principle of "gentleness" or non-resistance, from which both Jiu-jitsu & judo get their first syllable)
4. The principle of the sword (many of the movements of jiu-jitsu are derived from the Japanese sword-work of the Samurai)

And of course there are many possibilities!