“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” - Sun Tzu
Every good martial artist strives to be surefooted. In the past, a traditional martial arts dojo would display a banner with a sickle or kama, a rice bowl or chawan and the Japanese character nu (ぬ). This was a pun that was supposed to mean kamawanu or “You better watch your step!” Students and visitors were warned to watch their step because how they move or step shows not only how well trained they are physically or on the outside, but also how well they are trained mentally on the inside. To be surefooted is defined as “unlikely to stumble or slip” or “confident and competent.” Reading these definitions for surefooted, we see that there are two ways to look at being surefooted. In one way it is about how we physically move. In swordsmanship it is said, “80% with our lower body or footwork and 20% with our hands or sword.” Therefore, being surefooted from an outside or physical standpoint means that we pay attention to how we are moving or more importantly how we are stepping. How we move or step is referred to as ashisabaki (足捌き) or “footwork.” In olden times, footwork was considered a secret and so students were always taught footwork last. That was because every style, clan, or martial system had a particular set of techniques or way of moving. It was thought that if a person knew someone’s footwork, then they could figure out the technique. If they could figure out the technique or how someone moved, then they could either out maneuver them or come up with a counter to defeat them. Nowadays, we are not at war, and we understand the importance of footwork and so that is why we teach or emphasize footwork early on. Another way to look at surefooted is from an internal point of view. In order to be surefooted internally or have confidence in ourselves, we must first know ourselves. Carl Jung said, “Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people.” What Jung’s quote means is that the true enemy lies within and once we know ourselves, no enemy will be able to truly defeat us. A quote from Sun Tzu can help us to better understand this point: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” Being surefooted demonstrates our true level ability because it shows not only how well we are trained physically but also how well we are mentally trained as well and that is why every good martial artist strives to be surefooted.
Today’s goal: In everything you do, make sure you are surefooted.
Watch one of our first 2 minute videos on footwork