Steve Blass, the former major league pitcher, often speaks
about a syndrome for which he has unwanted fame. One night, after years of being very successful, he came
into a game and could not throw a strike for anything. He struggled to regain his ability for
a couple more years, but in essence his career was mysteriously over.
Recently
I was training with fellow Sempai and it came to light that I was not capturing
center. The technique was Morote
Dori Kokyu Nage and for some reason, I just wasn’t getting it. Was I having a moment like Steve Blass’s? Something wasn’t right. Working with sempai to find the glitch
I was shocked when he pointed out my elbow positioning. It was elevating in exactly the way
I’ve coached people not to elevate.
My question was, “Why am I doing that?” It’s likely because of a new weight
training exercise I added to my workout. The exercise requires the elbow to
elevate in exactly the manner of my unsuccessful Kokyu Nage. This has happened before when my tennis
game has invaded my technique or my baseball swing overtakes Aiki Ken.
That’s why knowing it all is never my goal on the mat. I always focus on doing my best (the
spirit of Bushido) while remaining open to the fact that my best can be better. Feeling and feedback help to sort out
my tennis game and baseball swing from effective technique.
