Skip to main content

Lähitaistelu (Close Combat) Part 2 - Vartalon Hallinta (Body Management) - Stances and Falls



In the work published as All In Fighting, Fairbairn says that there was little point in teaching soldiers how to fall - for their purposes it wasn't worth the time.  In more regular times, however, falling is one of the skills that will genuinely help most people at some point in their lives.  For all the taking of swords and guns I've practised, the thing I can categorically say has saved me from serious injury at least twice is being able to fall well (no doubt I will trip over and hurt myself tomorrow now).

Here a full range of falling/rolling is taught.   Interestingly, getting up is also taught - a weakness of many syllabi is the teaching of falling down followed by lackadaisical getting up -  a practical example of a lack of Zanshin.

Here we start to see the foundation of the system through the 'kamae' which is used for all situations/weapons.  It may be a simple stance but it runs through the entire curriculum - the stance or approach does not really change at all.  Note the forward roll is shown single-handed with the left hand down - this is the same position as if a rifle is held.  Throughout the film, after every action, the demonstrator returns to the default position.

One of the problems of many combative systems is that they will import modules they deem to be missing without modification to match the existing system (probably because there isn't one, or it isn't understood).  The classic example is arts that have been cobbled together from sports realising they do not deal with knives.  They then import a branch of Phillipino martial arts and suddenly have two very different approaches with the end user effectively being asked to change approach completely based on particular scenarios.


Vartalon Hallinta (Body Management)



The default stance:




Getting up, often overlooked:






Falling:












Rolling:










I'd encourage anyone with a knowledge of the unique Finnish language to comment corrections to the translation of the titles in this series.

Popular posts from this blog

Spear (Yari) in Owari Kan Ryu 尾張貫流 (Kudayari & others)

Owari Kan ryū is known for its use of the kuda-yari (tube spear). The e (shaft) is run through a kuda (metal pipe) that’s in the front hand of the practitioner.  Interestingly the school’s students start training by doing shiai (competition) and only after considerable training they learn the school's kata (forms). Most classical schools that practice shiai do so after learning kata. Thrusting using the kuda. Cross-stepping.                           Thrusting attack with kuda. Wide stance.   Shiai. Shiai using a spear with a cross piece. The original demonstration from which these stills were taken is here:

The Structure Of The Shindo Muso Ryu Syllabus

The Shindo Muso Ryu system is well known and well documented since the time of Shimizu Takaji post-Meiji restoration.  As such it is quite easy to get hold of the syllabus information and the following is compiled mainly from Wikipedia entries and other Jodo sources, none of the notes or descriptions are my own.  Note the basics can be seen in the Seitei Jodo post.  Another good source of information can be found here . Twelve basics The twelve basic techniques are used in both Shintō Musō-ryū and in the Seitei jōdō of the All Japan Kendō Federation (Zen Nihon Kendō Renmei, ZNKR, 全日本剣道連盟), although the latter uses a slightly modified version.  1 Honte uchi (本手打 main strike)  2 Gyakute uchi (逆手打 reverse-grip strike)  3 Hikiotoshi uchi (引落打 downward-pulling strike)  4 Kaeshi tsuki (返突 counterthrust)  5 Gyakute tsuki (逆手突 reverse-grip thrust)  6 Maki otoshi (巻落 downward twist)  7 Kuri tsuke (繰付 spin and attach)  8 Kuri hanashi (繰放 spin...

New Practical Jujitsu Page & Videos

 A new page has been added to the site: "Practical Jujitsu". To begin, a number of videos covering the basic parameters and principles of practical Jujitsu will be added, recorded live from the dojo whiteboard. Check it out here .