Darts and Martial Arts

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What! Darts and martial arts, that is a stretch don't you think? Not really, there are certain aspects of the physical and meant all that parallel martial arts. 

Background: about twenty years ago I played the game. Local pubs, bowling alleys and local tournaments. I guess looking back I would consider myself an average player.

I managed to win a few for money purses and I lost a whole lot more. It turns out to be a real mental-physical game.

There are other discipline similar like golf but comparatively speaking expense investments darts is way less costly in gear and in playing.

Background: I decided on this as a topic because I am taking up the game once again and tossing my first day was enlightening and triggered my thoughts to my practice of karate and martial arts.

What does it take to throw a dart, precision! It takes balance, structure, alignment, focus, awareness, rhythm, cadence, mindfulness of the moment, immovable mind, etc., sound familiar to you?

Call up a dart tourney on YouTube and take a look, it isn't just tossing a dart at a board but after the first view go back and apply that critical eye to the game and the players - think about the psychological aspects as well.

Dart Kamae: you need to root, 80% on the lead foot while 20% to steady and balance the body on the trailing foot.

Dart Mushin: Immovable mind, a mind that is not distracted by things; a mind that is focused on one single moment in the ebb and flow of time and space; a mind that controls the entire body and mind without resorting to any focus of attachment of that body and mind. Dart mushin is just that, a focus and attentive mind that is only in the moment, the moment leading to the release of the dart guiding it to its final destination chosen without attachment to anything other than that targeting at that moment in that situation. The only way to achieve that mind is to train long and hard to reach such mental and physical freedom that your mind does not need to attenuate and attend to any one aspect but to flood and drive a concerted wholehearted effort in that one moment of release. The mind is everywhere, it does not focus on the feet, the dart kamae, the structure and alignment, the arm and hand and the final release to the target - you forget everything, you attain the void, you shed eve the thought of void so that the mind is not taken by the void - the essence of mushin, the essence of dart mushin. 

Immovable Mind: “Immovable does not imply the immobility or insensibility of such objects as a piece of wood or a rock The mind itself moves freely, i.e., the complex composition of neuron connections makes it possible for data to transfer freely and without obstacles if the mind-set and mind-state allow, in all directions. The mind never stays identified with one object or one thing. This is fudo-chi or immovable wisdom.” To achieve efficient proficient tossing of darts, much like applying methods, techniques and principles in karate, one must first program the mind then free the mind from such attachments allowing the primal conditioned response to freely arise from procedural memory so that one may toss the dart through a state of mushin - thereby affecting not just the mind but the natural movement of a trained body to toss darts, to achieve mastery.

As can be readily seen, such connections can be made to demonstrate the mutual beneficial principles and methodologies toward any discipline and as will be demonstrated hereafter that darts conveys a sense of the complexities and simplicities that make for a difficult art discipline of darts symbolizing the methods and types of critical atomistic things that make for mastery in either discipline.

A slight deviation in the way you hold each dart in the process of tossing to the target. A slight variation in the rhythm of the arm tossing the dart. A change in the alignment of any single part of the entire body from the floor and up to the very finger tips holding the dart before, during and after the process of the throw all have an effect on how that dart, at that moment, in that situation arrives at its designated target from a very small target just and only 3/8” wide and just a couple of inches long. Precision is the name of the game through a variety of physical and mental gymnastics the end at the very fingertips touching the barrel of a dart. 

In order to conceive of the complexities of darts in example to the complexities of karate and martial arts just take a look at the processes to master the very basics of tossing darts as follows:

GRIP:

How to grip the dart; how to stand properly; how to throw; and when to move along the throw line.

Hold the dart between the thumb, the index finger, and the second finger. The thumb will sit naturally under the darts center of gravity. Using the center of gravity, the weight of the dart is evenly distributed and you will be ‘flighting’ the dart properly and, theoretically, having better control of the dart.

The fingers and thumb should apply pressure to the barrel to establish a firm grip - yet a grip as light as possible - without causing the dart to drop out of your hand. Change the grip to compensate for poor accuracy; by moving the thumb and/or fingers up and down the barrel; and experiment with different flights, shafts, and dart weights, to zero in on a comfortable and satisfactory grip.

Make sure you check the darts after each throw and check your hands for warmth and cleanliness, especially hand oils and sweat. 

STANCE:

First and critically important: NOTHING is supposed to move except your throwing arm. Any movement of any other part of the body while throwing - such as one leg swinging about, the raising of the heel, the involuntary sticking out of the tongue or deliberately leaning forward or sideways - will result in inaccuracy. 

Imagine a line from the point where the plumb line from the center of the board hits the floor and then runs along the floor in a straight line to the ochre line, throw line, diddle line, etc. Place your right foot against it, with the big toe pointing directly along that line to the dartboard. Place your left foot slightly behind your right foot at an outward angle (see figure 11). At this position, dart kamae, rotate your trunk slightly so that when you raise your right arm to throw, your right elbow points at the dartboard and is also directly over your right toe. Your weight will sit mostly on your right leg and foot, the left will sit and bring balance and stability to help keep your body from moving.

As with the grip, trial and error and change will eventually customize your stance to suit your own style of darting. The BOTTOM LINE: If your stance is balanced and comfortable, with no superfluous movement, your darts will likely fly true. 

THE THROW:

I can see no other part of the darting process that holds more importance than the throw. The throw involves a good deal of variable just from the shoulder, upper arm, elbow, forearm and especially the wrist, hand and fingers of the throw. As long as the rest of your body is static, stationary, and unmoving then you can get the throw right by the following recommendations.

• When performing your throw, you practice, practice, practice and then practice some more.
• Perfect your smooth, fluent, single action arm to propel the dart precisely to its intended target.
• Achieve mushin before stepping up to the throw line, immovable mind is critical.
• Concentrate and focus on the intended target. 
• Come to the line relaxed and confident.
• Check your stance and grip.
• Take hold of the first dart.
• Check your stance and grip.
• Bring your arm up so the dart is at a good sighting position level to the right eye.
• The dart should almost but not actually touch your cheek.
• The closer to the cheek without touching the better increasing the accuracy of alignment of the eye with the intended target.
• Never lose sight of your dart by pulling it back to far.
• You should see the dart out of your peripheral vision while still focused on the intended target. 
• Make certain your elbow is pointing at the dart board.
• Make sure your arm and elbow stays pointing at the dart board throughout the dart toss.
• Bring the forearm back to the face, ensure your upper arm remains horizontal.
• The wrist is a pivot point, allow the hand to bring the dart a little further back to the right ear without losing sight of the dart.
• With the target and dart in sight, take careful aim.
• Elbow still pointing at the dart board.
• No other movement, move the forearm forward and, at the top of the arc prescribed by that action, release the dart with a light, smooth, fluid motion.
• The dart should fly toward the target along the sight line.
• Your focus should not wonder at any point in the throw and remains on the intended target.
• Keep the elbow tucked in, and move only with the forearm and wrist.
• Follow through, follow through, follow through; release the dart smoothly and complete the follow through!
• Maintain the exact same speed and rhythm of your throw consistently. 
• At each time of a toss, throw each dart at the same speed with the same smooth, confident action. 

As you can see now darting is not just a kids game and it takes a good deal of concentration, focus and mindfulness coupled and connected to proper physiokinetics to achieve a good, consistent throw every time. 

MOVEMENT: 

Moving and change are the hallmarks and cornerstones of support of life itself. Change is movement and movement is health and movement is the way of life for humans move constantly. In darts both movement and stasis are compatible and mutually beneficial. We assume a static dart kamae, our bodies assume a certain position and then become static, set in a stasis of non-movement so that our shoulder, arms and hands can move properly to hit the target.

One such movement necessary for success in darts is the movement of the body to move the stance to a position on the ockey line to properly position the body and arm to toss a good dart. 

First, throwing all three darts from a set position, dart kamae, ensures conformity of the throws and that is true and yet that is also not true. In short you have to position yourself on that ockey line so that the static dart kamae is lined up by sight to the intended target on the board. This means you may need to move your entire body left or right accordingly on that ockey, throw, line. 

When you do move, go back through the process you use to settle into position, gain the immovable mushin mind and then proceed through the procedures you use to toss a consistent and accurate dart. Always settle down your mind and body into that toss comfort for that new position on the ockey line.

IMPORTANT: Only move along the ockey line if it is absolutely necessary for every move during a set of three tosses means a change to that toss position and process, it changes things and therefore has the potential to change how that dart will fly.

Now, as an aside, there is a way to gain proficiency and accuracy in your throws. Someone has created a device that will help a player get that position and properly aim and hit an intended target with consistency, rhythm and cadence so that every toss can be as identical as the last as humanly possible, it is called a “SightRight” device. You can view the material on this device here: http://www.winmau.com/det/909/SightRight_2/

You can also do a google search to see how others feel about this device before buying and also how the latest version also marks a line to each side that will help in moving back and forth on the throw line to sight-right for doubling out, etc.

Bibliography:

Chaplin, Patrick, PhD. “The Official Bar Guide to Darts.” Sterling Publishing. New York. 2010.

If you note similarities then you are getting the importance of how such disciplines are practiced, studied, understood and mastered. The correlations and similarities speak to the very rudiments of all disciplines, those principles both major and minor that are universal in nature yet contribute to the practice and application of such diverse yet similar disciplines. 

Note: for those who are in darts or interested in taking up the discipline I have a blog on the subject HERE. http://bayareadartenthusiast.blogspot.com (Yes, a shameless plug and yet still relevant in understand the processes involved in these disciplines, yes?

Bibliography (Click the link)

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