I’ve lived in Japan over half my life and now nearing fifty years old, I love this place and its people, but let’s be brutally honest and state that English is not a national forte*.

Hence my alternative translation of a key passage on the Kodokan homepage, Kano Jigoro’s take on Kuzushi, Tsukuri, Kake.

http://kodokanjudoinstitu[...]e/purpose/
[English from the current Kodokan homepage]
Principle of technique
"Moving the body and mind to the maximum effect" is the fundamental principle of judo, and the theory of "tsukuri" and "kake" is the application of this principle to techniques.
“Tsukuri” consists of “Kuzushi”, which makes the opponent’s body unstable, and “Make yourself”, which is the best position and posture for your body to perform the technique. "Kake" is the act of making the final decision in the moment of creation.

[Original Japanese]
技の原理
「身体と精神を最も有効に働かせる」、これが柔道の根本原理で、この原理を技の上に生かしたのが「作り」と「掛け」の理論となります。
「作り」は、相手の体を不安定にする「くずし」と、自分の体が技を施すのに最も良い位置と姿勢をとる「自分を作る」ことから成り立っています。 「掛け」は、この作られた一瞬に最後の決め手を施すことをいいます。
この「作り」と「掛け」は、柔道の根本原理に従った技術原理ということができます。


[Gerald’s alternative translation]
The principles of Waza

The "optimal use of body and mind” is a foundational principle of Judo, which comes to life in techniques through the theories of Tsukuri (set-up) and Kake (performing the technique).

Tsukuri is made of both breaking the balance of the other (Kuzushi) and setting up one’s own body with the best position and posture (Jibun wo tsukuru - Building oneself).

Kake (execution) is what we call the decisive culmination of that one instant which we set-up.

We can call Tsukuri and Kake the technical principles that are in accordance with the foundational principles of Judo.


Let's look at the key terms
「崩し」Kuzushi : imbalance (the opponent) | Break | Disrupt
「作り」Tsukuri : set-up (your own body) | Set | Prepare | Build
「掛け」Kake : perform (the technique) | Do | Execute

Possible translations
Disrupt (the other), Set (oneself), Catch (in our trap)
Break (the other), Build (oneself), do (the technique)
Break (the other), Prepare (oneself), execute

Shorter mnemonics :
break - set - catch
[break~set] - do
[set~disrupt] - execute
[disrupt~build] - execute

It’s also notable that in English we mostly refer to Kuzushi as “just” disrupting/offbalancing the other, but rarely with the crucial emphasis on “Tsukuri”, which is rectifying or building-up our own body. Kuzushi of the other should ideally be a consequence of our perfect alignment, weight distribution and connection.

Also notable that it’s not necessarily a linear process of 1-2-3, it can be 2-1-3, or [1-2] together and 3.

so yeah, before you go on Kuzushi-ing the other, put your own damn house in order first son! or make your own bed, or something ^^


* Exhibit A your honor, average TOEFL Scores in 2022, Japan clearly underperforms in this respect
https://collegedunia.com/[...]rage-score

64 Saudi Arabia
71 Japan
75 Ethiopia
78 Nigeria
78 Thailand
78 Turkey
79 China
79 Jordan
79 United Arab Emirates
80 Uganda
82 Kenya
83 Panama
83 Iran
85 Egypt
86 Mexico
87 Brazil
87 France
89 United States
89 Spain
91 Argentina
91 Australia
93 India
95 Finland
96 Singapore
96 New Zealand
97 Germany
99 South Africa