Sports Japan - 2013/02/24

Feb. 24, Sun.

Kobujutsu, the precursor to modern martial arts
[Focus]
1. What are the Old Martial Arts?
The Kashima Shrine in Ibaraki Prefecture is regarded as the birthplace of Japanese martial arts. Takemikazuchi, a god of battle, is worshipped there. The priests of the shrine are said to have received sword skills from the god some 1,500 years ago and those techniques are still passed down today. The martial arts developed with the later emergence of the samurai and, in due course, were devised for many other battle skills as well, including archery, horsemanship, spearmanship and eventually musketry too. The various skills are still pursued today, now grouped under the common name of kobujutsu - the old martial arts.
The martial arts have since been transformed into the modern sports of kendo, judo and karate. The sporting martial arts differ fundamentally, however, from the old battle-use martial arts which preceded them. Yoshinori Kono has been studying the old martial arts for many years, interpreting the writings of the old sword masters and learning for himself the distinctive ways the body was used in their practice. We introduce the efficient, minimalist movement of a number of techniques, including one for unsheathing a sword while avoiding the attack of an onrushing swordsman.
2. The Astonishing Moves of the Old Martial Arts
The movements taught in the old martial arts were all devised for the purpose of survival and include several which seem incredible today. There are techniques for floating an opponent upwards with your whole body when he has gripped your sword arm with both arms and you cannot lift him by the power of your arm alone, or for turning over an opponent who is face-down on the floor, which were both considered impossible in the world of judo. The forces acting in Kono's body in that turning over technique are measured at a University of Tokyo lab and found to act almost simultaneously throughout the body to achieve the lift.
Rather than lifting by sheer force, the lift is accompanied by a kind of jump in the most efficient body motion. These moves of the old martial arts which minimize the force applied are also attracting keen attention in the worlds of robotics and care services. Applications have begun in contemporary sport training as well.
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Kayaking - Experience the Rapids!
You become one with the river when paddling downstream in the thrilling sport of kayaking. The super camera observes such acrobatic skills as descending waterfalls and turns in utterly compelling images.
[Guest]
Nicholas Pettas

Martial arts practitioner from Denmark. Besides karate, also does various other arts such as kick boxing and K1. Covers old martial arts for the SAMURAI SPIRIT program on NHK WORLD TV and keenly interested in the full range of Japanese martial arts.

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