| Almost everyone who knows anything about the | | | | The Japanese word for "stance" is tachi. It can |
| martial arts is familiar with the idea of "stances." | | | | also be pronounced dachi as the second syllable in |
| And, to the average person who tends to call | | | | a word, phrase, or term. |
| every martial art, regardless of actual name, | | | | The word tachi or dachi typically refers to the |
| "ka-roddy," these stances are nothing more than | | | | position of the body from the waist down. It |
| the static body poses that you will fight from. | | | | usually represents or implies a starting position. |
| Hence, the commonly referred to term of, | | | | While the word kamae literally means "posture." |
| "Fighting stances." | | | | The kanji itself means, "base." Where tachi |
| And while, to the untrained eye of the beginner or | | | | pointed to the "starting position" and the position |
| casual observer, they may look the same, what | | | | of the lower body, kamae points to the posture |
| few people understand is that the body postures | | | | of the "entire body." This includes not only the |
| of Ninjutsu are, in reality, very different from the | | | | physical posture, but also the posture of the mind, |
| conventional "stances" used in almost all of the | | | | spirit, and attitude of the Ninja defender. |
| commonly available fighting styles out there today. | | | | The easiest way to understand kamae is by |
| In fact, most people, including students new to | | | | understanding that you are never NOT in kamae. |
| the art of ninjutsu, tend to see these "poses" as | | | | And, while I talk about this in other related |
| merely "necessary evils" to be gone through and | | | | articles, suffice it to say here that, while a tachi is |
| learned so that they can get to the really "cool | | | | something to be "taken up," to be "constructed"... |
| stuff." And, it's only after years of training, or | | | | Your kamae is something that comes from the |
| making the breakthrough to the level of | | | | inside - out. It is not something arbitrarily chosen. |
| understanding that is required for Mastery, does | | | | But rather, your kamae - the physical position of |
| the student realize that these basic pieces of the | | | | your body that is visible to the world - is a |
| art... | | | | reflection of what is going on in your head and in |
| ARE the "cool stuff." | | | | your heart. |
| To understand the difference between the | | | | So, we could say that the difference between |
| "karate stance" and the Ninja's "kamae" | | | | the stances of "karate," and the postures of the |
| (pronounced "kah-mah-eh" or sometimes, | | | | Ninja's self defense arts is that: |
| "kah-my"), we only need to look at the Japanese | | | | 1)The tachi (dashi) is something taken up as a |
| word used to describe each, and the | | | | starting point, while... |
| Sino-Japanese kanji character used to write it out. | | | | 2)The Ninja's kamae are "states of being" - |
| This is a good place to begin a deep level | | | | singular unifications of the body, mind, and spirit |
| understanding of almost any of the concepts, | | | | aligned in the same direction - to be recognized |
| principles, and exotic skills found in the martial arts | | | | and used as tools for the successful |
| of Japan. | | | | accomplishment of the task at hand. |
| And, Ninjutsu is no exception. | | | | |