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Postures
The posture of your body and the way of moving your body in space are the key to every martial art. Aikido is known for specific circular movements (tai-sabaki). By moving, we are escaping an attacker’s energy and directing it back towards him. The posture in Aikido (Kamae or Hanmi) is a modification of a person’s natural posture (shizentai gamae). You can find differences between left (hidari hanmi) and right (migi hanmi) postures depending on whether it is the left or right foot in the front respectively.
Pic.1 - Migi kamae In the Aikido posture, the weight is evenly spread on both feet. Our knees are slightly bent all the time and our hips are lowered. The back is straight, the shoulders are relaxed and the hands are usually extended in front of our body with the arms slightly bent at the elbow. The back foot is almost at right angles to the front foot and together they make a triangle of stability. This posture is a compromise between mobility and stability. The basic ‘safe’ distance between an attacker and defender is a distance (ma-ai) where the attacker must take one step forward in order to attack. The advantage of keeping ‘ma-ai’ in combat is obvious. Exact understanding of distance and a situation in general are of the highest importance in martial arts. The position where attacker and defender are standing facing each other, both in the right posture, we call ai hanmi. The situation where both are standing in different postures (one in left, the other in right posture) is gyaku hanmi. A good understanding of these situations is essential for self-defence.
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Pic.2 - Hidari kamae
Pic.3 - Ai Hanmi Further more we make a difference between the postures where our hands are in a different position or height. The posture can be low (gedan), middle (chudan) or high (jodan). This depends on the expected attack and on the technique that we want to apply. The middle (or central) posture is used the most. In your training your posture is very important. At a higher level of your skill development, your physical posture will be enhanced by your mental attitude which is not visible from the outside to somebody who is not trained in martial arts. In all martial arts it is important to make your everyday posture, a combat posture; and your combat posture, your everyday posture.
Small School of Sturi Aikido |
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