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Cataphract
Cataphract's picture
Mochimi?

There seem to be several interpretations of the word "mochimi".

http://ryukyu-bugei.com/?p=4809

The Naha Te interpretation seems to be that tightening the antagonist muscle somehow helps to generate additional force. I'm probably mistaken about that. The Shorin Ryu people seem to call this the loose, whipping "wigglyness" (for the lack of a better word).

http://asaikarate.com/what-are-chinkuchi-gamaku-and-muchimi-part-1/

Whatever mochimi is, it seems to be on the opposite end of the typical "snappiness". I'm totally confused. Is there one unifying concept of mochimi in Karate?

Wastelander
Wastelander's picture

Well, both Andreas' article and Yokota Sensei's article explain that muchimi is different depending on the spelling--homonyms like "pair," "pare," and "pear" in English. Unless you know which character is being used, you have to pick up which definition it is by context. Most often, I see it used to describe a "heaviness" or "stickiness" when applying techniques. This can often be in regards to grappling methods, but it also applies to striking methods, and yes, it does not look "snappy" at all--the "snappiness" people often strive for in karate comes from kime, which is when you STOP all of your energy from moving any further, which is the opposite of what muchimi intends to do. The "whip" component comes into play when you alter the direction of a "heavy" or "sticky" technique, because the body doesn't tense the way it does with kime.

The muchimi "body" idea is referred to less often, in my experience. Personally, I do not believe Yokota Sensei's article is accurate in regards to the "rice body" idea. It isn't about generating power, but absorbing impact--it is part of kiko and body conditioning practices. Now, it could be that he had it explained to him differently, or perhaps he is merely explaining it in a way I am misinterpreting.

Cataphract
Cataphract's picture

Thank you for the explanation. So which way is more effective, and which one is authentic? Snappy or sticky?

Could it be that Hangetsu is the Shotokan way to train mochimi?

It just occurred to me that Japanese arts have a very different concept of "kime", btw. Mental rather than physical. It is more "..." than ".". The mind stays focused and the body relaxed but not slack, ready to strike again, or so I've been told.

Wastelander
Wastelander's picture

Yes to both. Some methods are more effective when done in a "snappy" fashion, while some are more effective done in a "sticky" fashion, and I doubt karate masters of old would have been all that concerned with the purity of one method over another. Interestingly, the techniques done with the most "snap" in old-style karate applications, in my experience, are joint locks :P

I'm afraid I can't really speak to Hangetsu or the Shotokan approach too much, but since it is their version of Seisan, which is practiced in Shuri, Naha, and Tomari based styles of karate, it's certainly possible that it is meant to transmit muchimi. That said, I tend to think ALL kata can do that, if the Sensei teaches it. As far as kime, I'm aware that it is both a mental concept and physical action, but for the purposes of this discussion, I was only concerned with the physical aspect.