A hundred hanasu happiness hints

As before with tegatana, here is a list of 100 hints for your practice of hanasu no kata - the wrist releases. As before, your mileage may vary. Try 1-2 of these hints each time you practice hanasu and let me know if you see anything new and interesting. Enjoy...

1. all ideas from tegatana apply
2. uke and tori are connected (ki musubi, metsuke) before contact
3. metsuke occurs before contact and throughout
4. tori get in synch with uke as he approaches before h crosses ma-ai
5. feel uke’s motion
6. think about using your arms as “feelers” instead of “pushers”
7. match and use uke’s rise and fall
8. measure ma-ai before each technique in practice
9. when you measure, notice what you can see with peripheral vision
10. tori presents the arm low near the belt
11. uke’s attack should be equidistant from tori’s face and hand
12. at maai, tori can’t tell if uke is doing shomenuchi or katatedori
13. notice that tori is initially stepping over the hill
14. try the kata with tori rocking and uke attacking at the worst time
15. uke takes 1 step through maai to grasp tori’s wrist on the otoshi
16. uke: throw a shomenuchi attack occasionally to keep tori honest
17. tori: do a nijusan offbalance occasionally to keep uke honest
18. uke: use katatedori+shomenuchi occasionally to keep tori honest
19. perhaps uke’s attack should always be katatedori+shomenuchi
20. uke must attack in one efficient, ballistic motion from just outside ma-ai
21. try the kata with uke trying to sneak into ma-ai and tori moving to maintain ma-ai
22. try the kata with a knife in uke’s free hand
23. uke wants to get both feet back under him
24. uke uses proper grasping fingers
25. uke: relax to feel where you’re offbalance
26. uke responds to all offbalances by stepping to fix them
27. uke tries to step to a balanced place where facing tori
28. metsuke helps with uke’s attack intent and recovery
29. notice that uke’s functional reach is shorter to the side than to the front
30. tori presents the hand slightly facing uke’s attacking hand
31. metsuke defines the centerline
32. drifting eye focus creates a drifting sense of center and maai
33. tori tries to get to a place where uke can’t easily establish metsuke
34. tori tries to get to a place where uke can’t easily center his arm
35. when uke is behind tori, tori turns to reestablish metsuke and center
36. correct palm directions: duud duud
37. try the kata “uddu uddu”
38. palms all the way turned
39. Try neutral palms – in “relaxed” posture
40. Try eyes closed
41. Try limited and exaggerated attacks
42. try releases as escapes from wrist twists
43. try alternate grips (elbow, sleeve, collar, etc…)
44. try tori holding/pushing uke’s wrist
45. try with tori holding a short stick in the lead hand
46. start evading as uke crosses ma-ai
47. pay attention to the time uke’s front foot lands
48. synchronize stepping 1-for-1 with uke
49. get off the line of attack
50. move away from uke’s free hand
51. front hand and foot end up near the line of uke’s feet
52. try moving your center toward uke’s offbalance line
53. make sure you finish your ‘down’ as uke’s front foot touches.
54. ki-bump as uke is stepping on his little toe.
55. turn to face uke
56. tori’s free hand stays between uke and tori
57. don’t predetermine your step or your turn
58. attack tension decides the time and place to put the front foot down
59. hands up between your face and uke’s
60. don’t track uke’s arms, track his center
61. control uke’s center, then find his arms
62. minimize all pull at the shoulder
63. tori stays “in the technique” until uke taps
64. uke, tap after each technique
65. tori turns to center on wherever uke puts tori’s hand
66. same hand same foot for stability & strength
67. stuck hand stuck foot for mobility
68. move with uke 1-2 steps to maintain the released relationship
69. move with uke in order to stay in shikaku
70. releases don’t make uke let go of tori
71. releases release built-up tension
72. don’t release then step. Let the step release
73. don’t allow uke enough balance to let go
74. walk down the line when going front to back or vise versa
75. look for sidesteps during direction changes
76. look for nodes of neutrality between techniques
77. there are only 3 kinds of releases: walk-arounds, bypasses, and under-arms
78. these 8 releases are ways of getting behind uke & turning to face.
79. all motions should be reversible
80. extra effort shortens the encounter space
81. Try this kata close into a corner or beside a table
82. try #1 stepping out and down the line with the left foot.
83. try #1 stepping in to body drop uke on the far front corner
84. try #1 with uke randomly stiffarming vs. retracting the arm.
85. use hands to elbows as a measuring stick
86. How can a small person make small steps and still get kuzushi?
87. step through uke instead of around him on #2 and #4
88. use #3 as a prototype for the proper “releasing” feel of #1
89. notice the upward pushing motion at the end of the line in #1
90. is #4 harder to do properly than #2
91. try #2, #4, #6, and #8 after 2-3 body drops instead of after the first
92. move 2-3 steps with uke before executing #2, #4, #6, and #8
93. try #2 as response to failed #1, etc…
94. try #1-8 stepping the wrong way (inside) as in the nijusan paths
95. try the kata from suwari
96. Try the techniques in random order
97. tori, if you screw up, release from the situation you find yourself in
98. see if you can get all techniques to have that “release” feeling
99. try doing randori with both players constantly naming the releases as they happen
100. remember – these are not the only 8 releases