Collin Hale. Switch frontside 360 heel flip. Photo: Tadashi.

Matt Fink. Frontside flip over the hip.
Photo:Eric Staniford.

Marques Devaughn. N

ollie bigspin bs lip to fakie.
Photo: Brad Bishop.

Words by Chris Long.

INVENTED: MORISHEI UESHIBA

IN THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY. THE PARALLELS BETWEEN AIKIDO AND SKATEBOARDING ARE PROFOUND. BY THE END OF THIS LITTLE JUaNT YOU MAY JUST FIND A NEW INTERPRETATION OF THIS THING WE CALL SKATEBOARDING, ONE THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO UNLOCK NEW LEVELS ON THE FOUR-WHEELED PATH.

Skateboarding can be much more than the usual hammers and bangers, fashion arguments and the obligatory celebrity circus. I’ve always defined skateboarding as a form of Budo (Martial Arts) and to me it has all the elements: movement training, conditioning and flexibility, ukemi (falling practice), technique, the development of internal and external power and even the accessibility factor: people of all ages and all skill levels can practice together. In any good session you should find much laughter and just as much sweat. Shogo Kubo and Jay Adams both studied Judo and it showed in their styles.
Like any other martial art, skateboarding is a form of physical exercise and progress requires dedication and daily practice for optimal results. All martial arts utilize progressive skill development allowing simpler techniques to be grafted into more difficult ones, sort of like how an ollie, backside 180, kickflip and tailslide all come together to form a kickflip backside tailslide. Like skateboarding, the forms and techniques in both Judo and Aikido must be loose so they are able to adapt to an ever-changing environment. Just as there are many techniques, body movements and styles one may utilize to throw an opponent or apply a painful wristlock, there are also several techniques, body movements and styles one may use to execute moves on their skateboard.

In martial arts there are two basic classifications of form: external and internal. Choy Lay Fut Gung Fu and other external martial arts rely heavily upon physical power to produce their efficiency, in stark contrast to the looseness and relaxation of Wing Chun Gung Fu and other internal styles. In skateboarding, the modern handrail and hubba style seems to be more external, while the manny-techincal skateboarding expression definitely displays the characteristics of an internal form. The two different types of physical power are very distinct; even the most untrained observer can detect the differences between the exaggerated, bombing right hook of Mike Tyson and the subtle, pointed jab of Bruce Lee. Both leave you equally reeling and wanting to get your ass out of dodge quick.

Martial arts in general and Aikido and Judo specifically are excellent cross-training for skateboarding. When I was training in Aikido regularly, aside from encouraging a looser, more free-flowing style the instruction allowed me to fall more easily and gracefully, which in turn decreased the fear of falling and supplied more confidence to take tricks across longer gaps or wherever else they might want to go. Perhaps the most important thing I’ve learned from this exploration is the importance of keeping one’s weight settled in the tan-tien area located just below the navel. This is the true center of gravity for a human being and in Aikido or advanced Ki training, keeping one’s weight settled in the lower part of the body is an essential factor in proficiency and ease of movement. If you carry tension or if you carry your weight in your chest or shoulders, the effects of gravity on your body change and your natural balance is upset.

In Budo one’s training must extend beyond the mere physicality of movement and technique; Budo is a framework for life development and personal growth, and in skateboarding this opportunity presents itself through our interaction with other people on the streets, at the spot or in the skatepark.

The real secret to becoming an expert in skateboarding or any of the physical arts is the awareness that training is a process of self-discovery. Should we approach our sacred art with the mindset of a Budo practitioner in feudal Japan, we will find that skateboarding can be a means of modifying one’s personality to make oneself a healthier, more well balanced and more efficient human being.

Whatever approach you subscribe to, awareness is key and always remember that you can find Animal Chin on many different streets in the City of Skateboarding.