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Old 08-12-2014, 11:38 AM   #10
Keith Larman
Dojo: AIA, Los Angeles, CA
Location: California
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,604
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Re: How essential is timing, and how do you develop it?

To hopefully be as clear as possible, there is a bit of semantic sleight of hand going on with these discussions. And I'm trying to point out that there are subtle meanings involved and if we're not careful we can find ourselves wandering off in the wrong direction in pursuit of something that was never there.

Mary, I like your statement about "being prepared". And you started with the right time and right place. Okay, no question about it. So *how* do we know the right time? *How* do we know the right place? I think if we drill down a bit to specifics (again using the leg sweep as an example) I can yell "sweep the leg" so loudly my forehead will furrow in to the cobra kai logo. We agree it has to be done at the right time, in the right place, with proper form. But that seems almost tautological to me -- the correct way to do it is to do it correctly. Yeah, that and $5 will get you a cup at starbucks (BTW, I don't drink that crap -- just took my kid out and she wanted something -- good lord, do people buy that stuff all the time? I was going to have some tea but man... Sorry, I digress...). So we start to talk about doing it with the right timing. And I think the danger is that people think of timing much like they think of "correct" timing in the sense of the beat of a song, or the timing from a metronome. So "click, click, click, CLICK!". So we go on the fourth click. We try to find some sort of rhythm to the movement yet we don't do a good job of explaining where that rhythm comes from and what "drives" the rhythm.

It seems to me one solution is what I see in styles like demonstrated by Tissier. Large, sweeping movements that essentially "enforce" the timing. That I understand more or less on the same level I understood Judo way back when. But if I think of the Judo those older guys were doing, well, they were old school. And it wasn't about strength (although have no question -- they were strong). Their timing seemed to be related not to what they were doing but an exquisite sensitivity to what was going on in the body of their competitor. And this was done through a vastly more relaxed, soft touch because at the same time they were trying to hide the same information from the other. When we start to think of this type of thing, this type of subtle kuzushi and control, is "timing" really the issue any longer? I would argue that timing is actually the wrong word entirely because it's more about control. To those watching it *looks* like timing. Sometimes it even looks bogus. But I can guarantee you that those older guys could put me on the ground time and time again even though I had 30 fewer years of mileage and probably 20-30 pounds more muscle.

I try to avoid the word. Because I think if you're doing things correctly then there is no issue of timing. Yeah, again, a bit of semantic juggling here, and certainly "timing" it wrong is deadly. But I don't want to look at it as an issue of timing, but one of openings, closings, entering, turning, moving, all while feeling everything going on with the attacker so I can get all those things right. Then it's not really timing. Just doing it. And in the highest levels being able to do it when you want. By affecting them by your touch, movement, whatever and leaving them nothing to work with.

And when I talk about that sort of thing I'm reminded of stories of great martial artists going on the mat with people like O-sensei, Mifune, Takeda, et al. And their comments that they didn't have opening, they *knew* on the touch that they had already lost. I think that's where stories like that come from. Two people who are atuned to these things. One realizing they're outmatched already.

Insert obligatory scene from 7 Samurai here of the swordsman going up against the ruffian in the beginning of the movie. "It's obvious".

Enough from me.

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