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<DIV><FONT face="Book Antiqua" color=#0000ff>
<DIV><SPAN class=395263014-12072007><FONT face="Book Antiqua"
color=#0000ff>Bruce, </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=395263014-12072007></SPAN><BR><SPAN
class=395263014-12072007><FONT face="Book Antiqua" color=#0000ff>No doubt you're
right <SPAN class=534213914-12072007>that</SPAN> Nakadai's lindy-like foot
movement <SPAN class=534213914-12072007>(in <EM>Seppuku) </EM></SPAN>comes
out of a martial-arts context<SPAN class=534213914-12072007>. I
</SPAN>don't know <SPAN class=534213914-12072007>much about martial arts
coreography and terminology and can't help you with
that. </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=395263014-12072007><FONT face="Book Antiqua"
color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=395263014-12072007><FONT face="Book Antiqua" color=#0000ff>But
it is also very similar to a characteristic traditional Japanese theatrical
movement -- seen often in kabuki, and also in buyo --- where it<SPAN
class=534213914-12072007> is part of a
<EM>mie </EM>and</SPAN> underscores a moment of dramatic
intensity. At such dramatic moments, the foot movement you describe is
often accompanied by highly exaggerated hand gestures<SPAN
class=534213914-12072007>, crossed eyes</SPAN> and a guttural throat sound
(almost like the actor is choking on his own blood). In kabuki, the
same foot movement also occurs constantly in <EM>tachimawari </EM>fight
scenes, and that's why I expect there's also a martial-arts
application.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=395263014-12072007><FONT face="Book Antiqua"
color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=395263014-12072007><FONT face="Book Antiqua"
color=#0000ff>There must be a term for this movement. I don't know what
the word is, but will try to find out from kabuki-actor friends and let you
know.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=395263014-12072007><FONT face="Book Antiqua"
color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=395263014-12072007><FONT face="Book Antiqua"
color=#0000ff>Peter Grilli</FONT></SPAN></DIV></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
owner-KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
[mailto:owner-KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Bruce
Baird<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, July 12, 2007 9:53 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu<BR><B>Subject:</B> Martial arts technique
like the Lindy Hop Tick-Tock<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>Colleagues (with apologies
for cross posting),
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>In the Kobayashi Masaki's _Seppuku_, towards the end of the movie during
the final fight scene, Nakadai Tatsuya's character Tsugumo Hanshiro
does a sliding movement across the room which looks like the lindy-hop tick
tock (tic toc). In lindy, you put your hands on your knees and then
point your knees and feet out and then point them in, and repeat for several
counts (and you remain in one place during this--its an accent you add to your
dance). In the movie, Tsugumo is wielding a sword so obviously his hands
are not on his knees, but he slides across the floor by means of pointing his
feet simultaneously both out and then both in and then both out again, and
alternating weight from the heel to the ball of the foot as a means of lateral
locomotion across the floor. </DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>I assume this is a known sword fighting technique to allow you to move
laterally without having to cross your legs and experience of moment of
unbalance. But can anyone picture what I am talking about and
corroborate my assumption and tell me what this technique is called?</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>Best,</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>Bruce</DIV><BR>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT class=Apple-style-span face=Helvetica><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Bruce
Baird</SPAN></FONT></P>
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Japanese Theater, Intellectual History</SPAN></FONT></P>
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