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RULES & OBJECTIVES?

In the last article 'Double Hand Grappling as a Social Art', Double Hand Grappling was described as an ancient sport. In Double Hand Grappling , as in all sports, there are rules and as in all sports the objective is to win. There are three different ways of winning, these are: 1) pinning a player, 2) rolling a player onto their back and not letting them back onto their feet, 3) keeping a players arms tied up so that they are unable to respond. The rules are simple, 1) grappling techniques must be restricted to the arms, 2) leg techniques must be restricted to the legs, 3) no ballistics. As a result of this set of rules players can be in a double hand grappling configuration, a single hand grappling configuration, or in contact via the arms without gripping (a.k.a. a pushing hands or a sticking hands configuration). Players can use trips, throws, leg presses any other non-ballistic leg techniques to disrupt the balance of the other player.

HARMONY & DISCORD

Although Double Hand Grappling could be described as a sport, it is much more than that. Double Hand Grappling is an art. Even though the rules are simple this art can be complex and frustrating. In order to make the art work players must fully appreciate how it is played by studying free-play¹ and its many variants. This can be difficult for the new comer, although Double Hand Grappling has simple rules, developing skill takes time. Practitioners of arts similar to Double Hand Grappling for example Judo will know that in order for things to work there are many principles to be considered. In Judo, players harmonise and comply with one another. It's different in Olympic Judo there is often more discord than harmony, but some harmony is still required. Double Hand Grappling combines the principles of harmony and discord² and can be miss-understood by someone who is watching. At times it seems like a dance and the person watching may believe that the players are complying with all the techniques. It is true that there is compliance (harmony), but there is also non-compliance (discord). Discord is a very important component and without it you would not be playing Double Hand Grappling . The inclusion of both harmony and discord is what makes the techniques of Double Hand Grappling workable. The techniques will work against a player who is being the antagonist if there is the correct balance of harmony and discord. This is the frustrating part, even for experienced players. The true art of Double Hand Grappling is getting a fifty-fifty balance of harmony and discord. This can prove difficult because some people have more of a competitive nature and some people have more of a passive nature. When we start a free-play match we have to 'kick-off' so compliance at the start of the match is likely. However, when discord starts to emerge the game becomes more of a balancing act. The art is in reading and feeling the players movements. For example:

Figure 1	Figure 2
Figure 3

In figure 1 player A applies a strong arm lock. In figure 2 player B reads the arm lock and starts to execute a responding technique, pushing players A's elbow in an upward direction creating discord. In figure 3 player A realises that the arm lock he is applying will fail. Player A then changes discord into harmony by starting to comply with player B's response in an attempt to respond with something else at a later point. So in this example we see harmony and discord working together. If player A is stubborn and attempts to continue with his arm lock the game will break down into a match of strength i.e. discord versus discord and the essence of Double Hand Grappling is lost. Having said that some discord must be present otherwise player A would not continue with his arm lock even though it might have worked, i.e. player B might have failed to respond.

PRACTISE MAKES PERFECT

Understanding the principles of harmony and discord is one thing but actually being able to harness them is another. It is not good enough to think about a technique and then perform it. Even if it does adhere to the principles of harmony and discord when you thought of it, the act of thinking about a technique takes time, and by the time you've put your technique into action it is usually too late. One must acquire an instinct so that one does not have to think. The only way to acquire an instinct is through practise, and preferably with someone better than yourself. Double Hand Grappling is here for anyone that wants it. So come and get it!

NOTES

1) Free-play is a term used to describe the playing of Double Hand Grappling separate from other practises involved in the art such as kata, drilling or drumming.
2) See article 4, 'Double Hand Grappling as a Social Art'.

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