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Old 02-10-2008, 09:07 PM   #21
KIT
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 140
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Re: Modern Army Combatives

Which is fascinating.

To draw a classical combative parallel, I don't know about Daito-ryu as the progenitor of aikido, but I know some other early combat grappling koryu, swords and armor clinch stuff, have numerous kata where tori starts on the losing end of an encounter in terms of initiative, positional dominance, armament or what have you.

I think they knew that in the wide open contexts of armed men really trying to kill each other, all sorts of bad things can and did happen, and regardless of skill you might find yourself laying on your back, in the mud, having had your primary weapon break or otherwise be inoperable, and that someone on the opposing side may have taken just that gap he needed to gain an advantage, be straddling you or crushing down on your back, as you both fight over your own or each other's weapon to get some telling damage on the other guy before he gets some on you.

Things that make you go hmmm...
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