PersonalNinjutsu

Pistons

In the world of taijutsu, legs are like pistons. You let the pressure out of them to lower yourself to the ground, and increase the pressure to lift yourself up. Take Morote Gari. You drop to a sprinters stance - releasing the pressure in your knees (performed by the calves and thighs) and position yourself at the knees of uke, then increase the pressure in your knees to take uke to the mat.

Hokojutsu is the same thing. The key to moving my bulk around silently is to not place my leg, but lower it, and then lower my weight onto it. If I just place it, I thump. If I lower it, I don't. It's a totally different way of thinking.

There are a bunch of examples. When I perform Oni Kudaki, for example (in the classical way) I slide into uke with my back foot and lower by center of gravity on my pistons to take balance. Then I raise myself after I get the lock on the elbow. The legs work just like hydraulics to lower and raise my body.

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