GET UP, SIT DOWN

 by Phillip Starr

When I remind students to “move from your One-Point” (dantien, or tanden in Japanese), I mean ALL the time...including when you sit down or stand up. That includes sitting down on a chair and getting back up as well as kneeling (which the Chinese rarely did although it was once very common in Japan). And there's a good reason for it. It's a safety precaution. And it used to be fairly common in the martial arts community of generations past...

The next time you're in a restaurant or any place where people typically sit down, watch how they do it; most people lean forward, stick their backsides out behind them a bit, and then basically fall the last few inches onto the seat of the chair. They're extremely vulnerable to attack at this time and the martial arts practitioners of the past recognized this...leaning and sticking your head out, making it a tempting and easy target. They're incapable of adequately defending themselves against a surprise attack.

They do the same things when they rise up from the chair; lean forward (making their heads and necks easy targets) and then standing. Their posture is untenable. Moreover, sitting and standing in this way places unnecessary strain on the lower back.

Instead, they should move from the One-Point, lowering themselves straight down from the dantien as they sit, and rising directly upwards from the dantien when they stand. This is much safer. No leaning whatsoever is involved and one can readily defend oneself should the need suddenly arise.

The Japanese use the same idea when kneeling (in seiza) and again when standing up. Watch skilled practitioners of iaido as they kneel down prior to performance of one of the kneeling katas. Turning slightly to the right, they go straight down on the left knee first. This is followed by the right knee, after which they turn forward and sit is seiza. When they get up, the whole process is reversed. They avoid leaning (and thereby offering their necks to imaginary foes who would happily remove their heads with a quick stroke of the three-foot razor blade known as a katana). They stand up...all without leaning and “breaking the posture”, which leaves them momentarily defenseless. Its very efficient and clean.

To sit and stand from the “One-Point” is something that, although it's not particularly difficult to do, requires a good deal of practice. It must become an unconscious habit. The martial arts practitioner isn't being paranoid (as some might think); he's simply moving in the most efficient way, which also happens to foster stability. It also happens to assist him in maintaining a proper posture, from which he can more easily responds to aggression. That's not being paranoid...it's being wise and proactive.

This is shown and explained in my book, MARTIAL ARTS AND THE MIRROR IMAGE )available on Amazon.com).