Picture a martial arts fight in your mind; what you are prone to “see” are loads of kicks, punches and blocks, perhaps locks and throws, too; but what you’ll likely miss are the underlying principles that make each of those techniques and moves practical and effective. Considered one of the basic principles of Ninjutsu is easy to explain, difficult to perfect, but potentially devastating once it’s mastered: the principle of Breaking Balance, or because it is understood in Japanese, Kuzushi.
Why is it so effective?
Simply answered…
Because breaking balance limits your attacker’s mobility.
So? What’s going to that do for you when he’s attempting to beat, break, or kill you?
Good query.
Listed below are three (of many!) the explanation why balance breaking is vitally vital within the ninja’s self-defense method:
1) Breaking balance severely limits the power of an opponent to defend against a follow-up, possibly conflict-ending counter-attack from you.
2) Breaking balance effectively limits the reactive options, possible defense or counter-attack options, that an opponent might decide to employ.
3) Breaking balance can shock or disorient an opponent right into a momentary lapse of focus, allowing the victim – you – to flee from the situation.
This doesn’t mean that breaking the balance of an opponent is just a set-up for further actions. No, breaking the balance of an opponent can itself be the end-goal of a violent encounter because it might be enough to interrupt the boldness of an assailant, causing them to flee the scene reasonably than you!
Considered one of the interesting things concerning the principal of Breaking Balance is that it underlines the wealthy vein of strategy that runs throughout Ninjutsu. Ninjutsu doesn’t aim to pit strength against strength, reasonably it seeks to undermine the benefits of the opponent and create openings that play to the strengths of the victim. In this fashion, a “weaker” opponent can beat a “stronger” one!
Imagine a thug’s surprise when he finds himself losing control of his own balance and unable to do anything about it as every move he makes brings him closer to defeat!
But how will you break the balance of an opponent?
Imagine that there’s a line drawn between his heels; for those who move him perpendicular to this line, he can be forced right into a desperate backwards stagger, fighting to regain his balance!
Sounds great, huh? But perhaps difficult, too?
YOU can learn this theory and how you can effectively apply it through the study of Ninjutsu. But, within the words of an awesome martial arts master…
“Learning is straightforward, but motion is difficult. And motion is straightforward, but true understanding is difficult!”
The query is: