Nanba Walking: the Art of the Samurai Walk

Here we demonstrate the concept of Nanba walking, also known as the Samurai walk, which focuses on being centered, graceful, and restoring balance to the body and clarity to the mind through walking. Nanba provides techniques to improve the quality of walking using Nanba, such as standing up straight and aligning the body correctly. Nanba walking emphasizes that the first body part to move when walking is the tanden, or lower abdomen, which helps achieve a smoother and more balanced walking motion. Nanba walking differs from modern walking by avoiding a heel strike, swinging of the arms, and a rocking motion. I encourage you to try both styles of walking to experience the qualitative difference. Nanba walking can also be applied when walking with a friend to improve communication and connection. Overall, Nanba walking offers benefits such as synchronizing and balancing various aspects of life and improving relationships and well-being.

What is Nanba Walking

Nanba Walking is best understood in contrast to modern walking. Nanba Walking Is the traditional style of walking practiced by the samurai and other classes in Japan before the modern period. The body moves smoothly from the center, without swinging side to side or bouncing up and down in the stride. Moreover, Nanba Walking involves short strides with the legs under the pelvis, without swinging the arms. The head is held straight with the eyes focused on the distant horizon. It is well suited to long distance walking with minimum fatigue because it is so efficient.

Modern walking by contrast begins with the foot extended and the heel striking the ground. The body twists or sways side to side and the arms swing widely to match the wide stride. Many people walk looking at the ground, partly from overuse of the smart phone. It looks hurried and can be quite tiring because it is so inefficient.

Standing up straight and aligning the body correctly

The best way to determine if your posture is straight is to use the wall to gain correct alignment. Place the heels, the sacrum, the shoulders, and the back of the head against the wall and you will be standing straight. While it feels a bit strange to stand against the wall, it feels quite comfortable when you simply take half a step forward and maintain the same straight posture. This should be done before you start walking. Otherwise you may tend to lean forward as you walk. Once you have captured the feeling you can do it without using a wall.

Using the Tanden

The Tanden is your mental and physical center, located in the lower abdomen. It is where movement initiates. Therefore the proper sequence for taking a step is to move the Tanden forward until the body starts to lose balance, at which point the legs engage and remain under the pelvis with relatively small steps.

The Tanden Acts as a ballast to help keep your center low and your body balanced. It is also a resting place for the weight of the upper body. Think of it as a small ball that can be rotated in different directions to initiate your movements.

William Reed