Kuzushi — Off-Balancing and Upsetting

Sun Tsu wrote, "The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable." There is certainty in the fact that it is complicated and risky to besiege an opponent who is poised and prepared for conflict. In such a case, a direct attack would ultimately lead to a struggle of speed and strength, and that is only efficient when one's own martial faculties substantially outclass the rival's. Thus it stands that in order to mount an intelligent offensive against a coordinated adversary, one must fist aggravate the opposing position in order to generate a vulnerability. 

This general strategy may be factored down from large-scale military operations to one-on-one contests and adapted to dojo settings for study. In an open area uncluttered by environmental elements or other structural impediments, we can further simplify the strategy by referring to one's position as one's posture. 

In the martial arts, a formidable posture is one that is relaxed, mobile, and adaptable to capricious circumstance. It's fundamental prerequisite is that the body's center of balance is maintained and focally coordinated by the hips and waist.  

In the Japanese martial arts, affecting the opponent's posture is known as kuzushi — literally, it is upsetting or disturbing balance. A skillful implementation of kuzushi is the gateway to clean and successful technique, especially in grappling and throwing martial arts like judo, jujutsu and aikido. The idea is to displace the opponent's physical center away from the hips and waist to instigate a moment of postural discordance that frustrates the opponent's ability to competently respond. It is within this interval of weakness that the martial artist may effectually attack.

The interval is usually small, and a skillful opponent will reorganize swiftly. For this reason, countless opportunities presented by kuzushi are lost in practice, especially when both parties are intent on maintaing proper form. An intricate exchange in judo or jujutsu randori may even seem dull to onlookers when neither contestant is attempting to submit or throw — but this is because the adroit martial artist knows that a burst of effort without the advantage of kuzushi will likely result in energy spent on failure. But when kuzushi is fully realized and plied, a match can end abruptly in an exciting moment of decision.  

So kuzushi is often a ploy used to lure the opponent to his own demise. It is called hando no kuzushi when engineered as a consequence of an overreaction or a miscalculated response. A typical grappling example would be if I push, then pull suddenly to upset my opponent as he pushes back. In striking martial arts like karate, tae kwon do, and boxing, hando no kuzushi tends to manifest as a feint — ie, I sham a powerful blow to entice the opponent to block, then pull the attack before contact. The opponent, expecting considerable impact, overreacts and stumbles into an interval of vulnerability. 

One final and important note is that kuzushi is not strictly confined to the physical domain. The most devious and potent application of off-balancing occurs within the opponent's mind. To truly disorient, baffle, or mislead the opposition is the shortest route to victory. Sun Tzu also writes, "All warfare is based on deception."