Preparing the foundation: Beyond basics
Consider the strength of the ground
Language issues
One thing I don’t like about the English language is that there are a lot of words where the nuance is lost due to the presence of double meanings. This is probably true in other languages as well, but I don’t need to deal with the consequences of those being spoken on a daily basis.
Because of my science background I am very careful when I use the word, “significant.” It makes sense to say that an elephant is significantly bigger than a mouse, because in generally the term means, “to a much greater extent.” But when statistics are involved, “significant” can only be used when the numbers show that there is a statistical difference between two things. If I said to you that “Military conscripts from Denmark are significantly taller than military conscripts in Norway,” the general idea might be that the conscripts from Denmark are a lot taller than conscripts from Norway. In reality, the average height from the conscripts from Denmark is only 0.7 cm taller than the cohort from Norway. But there is a “significant” statistical difference between the populations, meaning that conscripts from Denmark are consistently a little bit taller than those from Norway. [1,2]
There are a lot of words in English that trip people up. Some people think they might need essential oils. They’re ESSENTIAL! But that essential means, derived from an essence. Not ‘cannot live without.’ I’ve seen people say that something is, “just a theory,” as a way to discredit a well supported explanatory framework in science, because they associate the word ‘theory’ with a guess or speculation. But one of the ones that I continue to revisit and fight over is the concept of “basic.”
Basics vs Foundations
When people think of the term “basic” they generally think of something that is simple or easy. But many things that are “basic” are actually not that simple or easy.
A good example of this is “basic science.” I spent many years in the lab doing “basic science” but that didn’t mean I was doing elementary school level science projects. It meant I was working on formulating things from the foundation. If you want to come up with a drug that cures a disease in humans you can’t just take a compound from nature, feed it to humans, and hope it works. You need to go “back to the basics” and start doing work in cells first. Once that “foundation” has been established, then you can start building on that foundation and working on more “advanced” applications.
In martial arts people say it is important to practice “basics.” The word for this in Japanese is 基本 (kihon). Personally, I don’t like translating this as “basics” because “foundations” (or even “fundamentals”) is a much better word. The 基 (ki) from kihon refers to “foundation” and the 本 (hon) represents the origin point. The first thing you need to work on is the “foundation.” That doesn’t mean it is easy (basic). It means that it’s what everything else is built on.
Once people understand that the foundation is what they need to build things on they get a lot better at whatever they are doing. However, I’ve recently been considering that there is a deeper layer to this and that a lot of people end up ignoring ignoring it. They are building a foundation, but are they doing what they need to prepare for that foundation to be laid?
A look at some foundational movements
When I practice iaidō there are certain foundational movements I practice every class. One of the movements is called 切り下ろし (kirioroshi), which is basically just a downward cut.
I have probably practiced this cut tens of thousands of times and it is often seen as one of the most fundamental movements in kenjutsu.
Karate also has a lot of these foundational movements. 正拳中段突き (Seiken chūdan dzuki: Mid level punch using the first two knuckles) comes to mind.
I will include running here as well because although running doesn’t have the kind of formalized line drills that is typically seen in martial arts, it is made up of a series of steps, all of which should be executed with good form (fundamentals) if you want to get the most out of it.
Each of the “foundational” movements in iaidō, karate, and running are not “easy.” Someone with no experience can brute force their way through sword swings, punches, and steps, but they will very quickly exhaust themselves and not be able to keep up. They will also look pretty terrible while executing these movements.
Once you understand the nuances of these movements they become more efficient and you expend less energy each time you do them. This can end up leading to something I like to call the “fat master” problem, where very experienced martial arts practitioner might have great technique that they can execute efficiently, but they don’t get the same calorie burn as people less accomplished in the martial arts, and as a result end up gaining a lot of weight. (You don’t see this in runners so much. So if you get in a fight with a “fat master” just run away from them. You won’t need to run far).
More and more I have come to realize that there is a deeper level to basics that sometimes people neglect, which is the main point I want to move onto here.
Preparing the foundation
補助運動 (hojo undō: supplementary exercise) is emphasized in some martial arts styles more than others. In some Japanese swordsmanship schools the use of heavy wooden swords called 素振り刀 (suburitō) are encouraged. If you practice downward cuts using a heavier (but not excessively heavy) sword, when you come to practice fundamental movements with your regular sword it will feel lighter in your hands and you’ll be able to do it with less effort.
Karate has similar practices. Okinawan karate especially employs some training tools like 握り甕 (nigirigame: gripping jars), which are heavy clay jars that are held at the top by karate practitioners to increase grip strength. This increased grip strength transfers into a lot of different techniques.
When it comes to runners, I don’t think I know any runners who have regretted supplementing their running with some strength training. I supplement my running training with strength work at home (mostly using kettlebells and some other weights for home workouts).
It can also be said that the martial arts I do are supplementary exercises that improve my running, and the running I do is supplementary exercise to improve my martial arts. Martial arts add stability to my running, and my running adds stamina to my martial arts.
In my personal opinion, you are supposed to build anything you do on a good foundation. But you also need to make sure you are laying a good foundation by preparing the ground first. You don’t just dig a hole anywhere and start building.
This whole way of thinking can be applied outside of sword based martial arts, but it is most easily analogized when thinking in this way.
You can’t swing a sword you aren’t strong enough to lift. But once the sword feels light, everything flows naturally.
If you are able to do supplemental training to the point you can cultivate enough strength to make practicing your fundamentals effortless, you will progress much more smoothly in everything that you do.
Don’t neglect your basics. But also make sure you prepare your foundation.
Final thoughts and take home messages
The English language is annoying. (I see no need to elaborate further on that point).
Basic things are not easy. They represent fundamentals and foundational concepts that should not be ignored.
A foundation is fundamental, but strong foundations require preparation. Don’t neglect preparing the ground.
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References:
1. Gunhild Tidemann Christensen, Sissel Skogstad, Lars Ravnborg Nissen, Merete Osler, Data Resource Profile: Danish Conscription Registry Data (DCRD), International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 47, Issue 4, August 2018, Pages 1023–1024e, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyy048
2. Bents D, Rybak A, Groth D. Spatial conscript body height correlation of Norwegian districts in the 19th century. Anthropol Anz. 2017 Apr 1;74(1):65-69. doi: 10.1127/anthranz/2017/0700. Epub 2017 Apr 4. PMID: 28375426.
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