The martial arts are about moving the body in a certain way, a martial way. And while every school, style, and disciple has its own way of moving and doing things there are certain fundamentals found across every art and style. Distance, timing, balance, and rhythm are examples of these martial arts movements found in every discipline of martial movement.
Building on this there are also elements of good
self-defense practice to be found in every movement and at the start of one’s
martial journey these are always emphasized as a way to build good movement habit.
The aim is not thinking and just acting- in the Japanese martial arts this
movement concept is called mushin- no mind.
An excellent first concept of this movement is the idea of
keeping the hands up and in front of oneself as a form of protection. Movement
is happening- get your hands up and at the ready. Naturally every school with
have its own method, idea, and reasons of how the hands are raised, but for
self-defense they are the same. Hands up as a physical barrier to control the
distance, hands up as a way to begin martial arts techniques.
Cultivating the good martial habit of getting the hands up,
and keeping them up as you move as one of the ten martial arts basics that one
wants to work on making second nature as quickly as possible.
See you on the mat!