A Proper Base

We approach the empty cup.

You have been patient while I addressed some of the preliminaries of training; such as the proper wearing of the uniform, the rudiments of fitness through running, and stretching. Although much more could be said at this point, I want to begin on the fundamentals of training. We shall return at some later date to the details of belts, or the advanced exercises of the Aiki Taiso and Judo conditioning. Now we turn to the essence of self-defense: kamae.

I pour tea into your cup.

Kamae is often translated as "posture" or "stance." As we shall see, this is a gloss on the meaning and can misdirect the student's attention. For the moment, however, it shall suffice. The image of an aggressive stance goes hand-in-glove with the proper image of martial arts. However, we shall see that proper kamae need not appear threatening in true Budo.

What is the proper way to stand? Fortunately, Budoka do not need to relearn how to stand so much as understand how to stand efficiently. There is no special way to stand.

Please follow with me as I describe. Get out of your chair and take to your feet. Breathe in deeply and exhale slowly. Relax; just let your arms hang naturally at your sides. Look straight ahead. This is a comfortable, natural stance for you. It is possible that like many Americans you have conditioned yourself to stand awkwardly and now feel comfortable in bad posture. Let us explore a proper stance in more detail and you may consider any differences.

Please balance yourself on your two feet. The weight should rest in your feet; that is, not on your heels or excessively in the toes. Your knees should remain flexed, not locked. If balanced correctly, you should find your feet about shoulder width apart.

Are your shoulders back? Push your chest out slightly and bring the shoulders back. This should create a shallow, inward curve in your lower back. Now, slightly tense your abdominals. Let the arms simply dangle to the sides.

Your neck should not be pitched forward. If it is, tilt your head back and very slightly tuck your chin.

You may feel like a soldier standing at attention. You'll want to maintain the confident feeling, but discard the tension that may accompany this posture. Relax; breathe in and out -- draw the air into your abdomen.

You are now standing in Shizen no Kamae -- our first posture. Hopefully, it is not too far off from the stance in which you began. Shizen is a natural posture. I consider it a neutral posture. Your shoulders are over your hips, which are over your knees, which are over your feet. You are on balance, but prepared to move in any direction. Yet you are not in any obvious state of attack or defence. Shizen is common to many Budo.

Let us take another neutral stance. Make a comfortable step forward with your right foot. Do not think too hard about this -- just step. Your foot should touch the ground somewhat closer to your centerline in order to maintain your balance. Now turn your left foot out so both feet form an "L"-shape. The heels should be in a line.

Turn your upper body so you are facing the same direction that your right foot is pointing. If you are comfortable and on balance, then you are standing in Migi Hanmi no Kamae. This posture can be made more active by bringing your hands into play.

This same posture, with the left foot forward is Hidari Hanmi no Kamae.

Please step back into Shizen no Kamae. Again, don't fret about shifting the feet any particular way; just step naturally. Now -- please humor me -- step back into Migi Hanmi no Kamae. Then return to Shizen.

It is important to understand that kamae are not static postures. Kamae are snapshots of the body in proper (i.e. balanced and protected) movement. Grasping the intimate relationship of kamae to movement will make the final point easier to understand.

Students will ask dozens of questions about kamae: how is my weight distributed? Where do my hands go? Where do my feet go? How deep do I bend my knees? Questions demand answers, and the teacher too often provides them. The teacher will describe the "perfect" kamae, when in reality, the student will never experience such a posture outside the controlled environment of the dojo.

Kamae vary with the situation. Kamae flow in response to the opponents. The more one practices, the more one recognizes that certain postures promote balance and protection and mobility. Also, the Budoka realizes there is no such thing as a perfect kamae.