IMO, you need both to have a complete Uechi game.
Today Curt Schilling was masterful on the mound. This 41-year-old pitched 8 shutout innings against the Angels. He could have had a complete game shutout, but it was cold and the bullpen needed the exercise.
Here was a shot I found on SI.com in an article about the game.
And there it is - SSM about halfway through its execution.
- Note that the rear leg has completely finished its explosion off the mound. The knee is locked and the foot is coming off the mound.
- Note now that the energy wave is in his torso. See how his trunk looks like a sail catching wind? His body doesn't normally go around that way. The trunk is transporting - and adding to - an enormous wave of energy.
- Note how the throwing arm now is in its "prestretch" mode. Here is the next place where the wave is going. With the prestretch comes an excitation of the dynamic stretch reflex. And that's what it's all about. It's not just muscular energy; it's neuromuscular energy.
- Note how the wrist and fingers haven't even come into play. Yet.
That's the crack on the end of the whip. The hand gives both direction and spin to the ball. Being a good pitcher isn't just about power. It's about putting the ball exactly where you want it to go. And if you use the body to generate most of your energy, the hand and wrist can concentrate more on placement as the energy wave courses through it.
Also, Nakamatsu and others use this SSM principle in Sanchin thrusts. It's another way to skin the Uechi cat. It's taken me a while to figure it out, but... I believe I finally have it down. Thanks in part to Dana.
Fun stuff!
SSM is in Uechi just like it's in the throwing of a baseball or the swinging of a bat. It's just that in Uechi Ryu, we make everything smaller. The finished product isn't a wave; it's more like a shiver.
- Bill
