{"id":2922,"date":"2026-04-20T16:42:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T07:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/budobooks.jp\/?p=2922"},"modified":"2026-04-20T16:42:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T07:42:24","slug":"budo-bite-60-the-goldilocks-problem-of-strength-thoughts-on-ju-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/budobooks.jp\/?p=2922","title":{"rendered":"Budo Bite 60: The Goldilocks Problem of Strength ~ Thoughts on J\u016b & G\u014d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The \u201cBudo Beat\u201d Blog features a collection of short reflections, musings, and anecdotes on a wide range of budo topics by Professor <\/em>Alex Bennett<\/em><\/a>, a seasoned budo scholar and practitioner. Dive into digestible and diverse discussions on all things budo\u2014from the philosophy and history to the practice and culture that shape the martial Way.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I head into another 8th Dan attempt, one of my senseis at keiko<\/em> recently took me aside and emphasised the following theme to me again. Certainly not for the first time, and probably not for the last. Still, it\u2019s the sort of reminder that is always worth hearing. What was it? Of course, there\u2019s an old verse that\u2019ll give you a clue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The bamboo that has been bent down gradually rises again; the snow that bent it leaves no trace<\/em>.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Snow piles up and forces the bamboo down. The bamboo bends. Then, as the snow melts, it comes back up as if nothing happened. The snow, which did all the pushing, disappears without a trace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People often take this as some kind of moral lesson about endurance. Stick it out, weather the storm, blah blah. That\u2019s all fine, but it\u2019s not the most useful way to read it for budo. I think the interesting angle is more technical. This is all about the idea of j\u016b & g\u014d<\/em> (\u67d4\u3068\u525b) = \u201csoftness and hardness\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In judo, you hear about this idea constantly with the old maxim \u201cj\u016b yoku g\u014d o seisu<\/em>\u201d \u2014 \u201csoftness controls hardness\u201d. This is exactly what Kan\u014d Jigor\u014d was getting at when he established judo in the first place. Don\u2019t waste energy fighting force with force when you can redirect it. You don\u2019t just overpower people; you learn to use what\u2019s already there, including your opponent\u2019s intent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The whole business of kuzushi<\/em>, breaking balance, sits right in the middle of this. You yield just enough to create instability, then apply structure at exactly the right moment. It follows a very simple logic: use what comes at you, and don\u2019t argue with it. This is why, in theory, a smaller, weaker person can overcome someone bigger and stronger. Not by matching strength, but by refusing to play that game in the first place. My kendo teacher puts it in a way that\u2019s a bit more blunt. \u201cGet your opponent to strike at your head with 100% force\u201d, he says, \u201cand then if you hit their wrist with 1%. That makes 101%.\u201d In other words, you are adding your strike to the full weight of their<\/em><\/strong> intention and movement. But you have to make them want to strike you in the first place. That\u2019s essentially what it means to \u201cstrike their heart\u201d. I think I\u2019ve written about this before.<\/p>\n\n\n

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You can tell that these two kendoka are pretty much beginner level. Beginners tend to go at it with g\u014d<\/em> only, shoulders tight and full of power, everything a bit rigid. Advanced kenshi look almost casual by comparison, relaxed and settled with no wasted effort. That is where j\u016b<\/em> starts to show, and where kendo actually begins.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

If someone pushes you and you push back, you\u2019ve made it a strength contest. Sometimes that works, but sometimes it doesn\u2019t, especially if the other fella is bigger or stronger. Judo and aikido avoid that problem. If someone comes in hard, you don\u2019t meet it head-on. You give way, just enough to break their balance, and then you take it. Their force becomes the thing that throws them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what j\u016b<\/em> is. It\u2019s not weakness, and it\u2019s not the sort of limp surrender that leaves you looking like a burst beanbag. It\u2019s controlled adjustment. In fact, the translation \u201csoftness\u201d is a bit misleading. J\u016b<\/em> doesn\u2019t really mean weak or mushy. It means adaptable, yielding with purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, of course, it doesn\u2019t pay to be soft all the time. You\u2019ve got to have balance. Soft when you need to be soft. Hard when you need to be hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kendo talks about this kind of thing with different expressions. For example,<\/p>\n\n\n\n