崩し Kuzushi comes from the verb 崩す (Kuzusu) meaning…many things : destroy, tear down, pull apart, sit at ease, lose one’s balance, write in cursive style, break a big bill in small bills, get sick.
作る Tsukuru can mean : Make, build, produce, establish, set-up, found, form, write, compose, etc.
掛ける Kakeru also has multipel uses, most relevant ones here would be : start (an engine), turn (a switch on), put ( a burden) on someone, catch (a fish in a net, a bear in a trap)
「崩し」imbalance (the opponent) | Break | Disrupt
「作り」set-up (your own body) | Set | Prepare
「掛け」perform (the technique) | Do | Execute
From the Kodokan Judo website :
「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。
互いに、精力善用・自他共栄の根本原理に即した作りと掛けを競い合う間に、自然とこの根本原理を理解し、体得して、社会百般の実生活に生かそうとしています。
「技から道に入る」わけです。
The principle of Waza
(www.kuzushi.xyz translation)
The “optimal use of body and mind” is a foundational principle of Judo, which comes to life 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 (perform) is what we call the culmination of that one instant which we set-up.
We can call Tsukuri and Kake the technical principles that follow the basic principles of Judo.
Break (the other), Set (oneself), Catch (in our trap)
Break (the other), Set (oneself), do (the technique)
Break (the other), Set (oneself), execute
Therefore I propose these mnemonics :
break – set – catch
[break~set] – do
[set~break] – execute
(the order of the first two is interchangeable)
There are three ways, traditionally, of making kuzushi happen:
direct action (e.g. pulling or pushing while entering for a throw);
inducing opponent’s action (e.g. a feint or combination attack);
direct action by opponent (e.g. a counter throw).