Being uke for Saotome Sensei last weekend really took me to the limits of my endurance (lack of sleep, lack of oxygen, lack of youth, lack of steroids, yada yada), but forced me to focus my attention and performance on an area which was at once new and seemed very important to my training. Thinking back on it, some thoughts occurred to me about levels of training.

Three levels of being nage:
1. learning to manipulate uke (mechanics, jutsu, waza, kihon)
2. learning to start the technique where the technique ends
3. technique of no technique

Three levels of being uke:
1. learning to feel the technique through the changes happening in yourself
2. learning to feel the technique as it is happening at the point of connection
3. learning to feel the technique through the changes happening deep inside nage

Three levels of self mastery:
1. learning to master your limits (endurance, flexibility, performance, focus)
2. learning to master breathing (kokyu)
3. learning to master your pulse (shin)

Sensei was really demonstrating the third level of being nage that day, especially with the "stopping uke's attack" training.

For the last few years, I've really been focused on the second level of self-mastery, through daily pranayama and other yoga breathing practices, through systema core training+ breathing exercises, and regulated breathing on the mat. I learned a lot, and got rid of some horrible advice given to me by martial arts teachers in my youth (my thanks to my yoga teacher Tony Nenov, Choate Sensei, and the other systema-savvy folks I have stolen knowledge from) and helped me compensate for some health limitations I have.

More importantly, Saturday was the first time I really had to (thus, was able to) focus on being uke without letting my pulse raise. Very hard to take breakfalls, and punch or kick with intent to destroy, while (a) keeping that internal monitor going and (b) not letting the heartbeat ripple. Of course I wasn't entirely successful, but successful enough to fascinate me.

This is all an extension of a conversation I had with Saotome Sensei at his ranch; he was telling me about kokyu, and how nage's breathing should always be strong and unaffected by uke. I had asked the question... "sensei, we spend half of our time as uke, and all of our time with you as uke; as uke we have to attack as hard and explosively as we can. What should be the goal for uke's breathing, when we have to attack like that?" Sensei's response was "Same. Same as nage, no change."

I'm getting pretty good (at least by past performance as comparison) at breath control, but my imagination is captured by the potential power represented by a state of mind where even your heartbeat doesn't ripple when people are trying to strike you and struggle with you, or where you yourself can strike or throw with intensity yet have it affect the core of your being no more than if you were strolling through flowers.

What amazing training!

Thank you for sharing this insight Sensei.

very insightful, thank you Sensei