Most people find walking on one tooth geta to be not especially difficult, but standing in one place is quite a challenge.
I recently received email from one of our visitors, Marc V. In his message he describes his way of standing in one spot on one tooth geta.
“I have been a fan of Geta for a long time and have had a pair since 1983. I have always wanted Ippon ba and as I found myself in Tokyo I bought a pair.
I tried them right away and found I was a natural. Many people I have let try them out have had big problems which I found strange. My first time in Tengu felt natural, I could walk and even run in them. The only thing I had trouble with was standing still.
Well today I mastered the technique and wish to pass it on to you and your readers.
To stand still or to be stationary in Ippon Ba…
First I will say that Tengu are not normal shoes and you can in no way expect them to behave in the same way.
The secret to standing still is firstly to do with the brain and secondly understanding what your body is giving in feedback. The brain is used to standing on feet or in normal shoes so the messages it requires are defeated with tengu.
The way around this is to take your dominant foot (the one you kick with) and angle the toe forward, your passive foot should be just ahead of the dominant with the heel angled down.
I am right footed so… Right is / and left is \ but only at a slight angle with the left foot slightly ahead of the right.At first you will need a steep angle but as time goes by the angle and distance of the feet will decrease and soon it will look very natural.
I have been able to stand still like this for over 1/2 hour tonight speaking to people while not tottering around and looking off balance.
i hope this helps.
Marc.”
First of all, Marc, thank you for writing with your suggestion. I put on my tengu geta this morning to try it, and it is a very stable position.
Thinking of my own experience, I was always looking for that magic way to stand. Occasionally, I’d find a post that worked, but I think it was more luck than skill because the next day, that same arrangement became a candidate for today’s most unstable.
Eventually they all worked, because I had developed the balance needed.
I think it took me about 2 weeks of daily 15-20 minute sessions to get the knack of standing. The question is, how long would it have taken me if I knew the best foot postion when I started?
Would anyone else like to share their experiences mastering tengu geta? Please comment below, or use the contact form linked on the left of the page.