Student

New students should make themselves familiar with this page and Reishiki.

KIHON (fundamentals of all techniques)

1. Stance – The ability to use natural body positioning and weight distribution to accomplish more work with less effort.

  • Shizentai – natural body standing position 50-50.
  • Renoji-dachi – a sort of “L” stance 60-40.
  • Senpenbanka-dachi – forward stance 70-30.
  • Tachi – standing. To stand is “Tachi-ni.”
  • Han-tachi – half-standing.
  • Suware – sitting. The command to sit is “Suwate.”
  • Kiza – chair sitting. Kneeling and on balls of feet.
  • Seiza – correct sitting: kneeling, sitting on legs.

2. Balance – Understanding what is required to maintain your own good balance and to destroy your opponents balance.

3. Yielding – Giving way to strength in order to double your own or finding a way to win that does not oppose an attackers strength or guarded areas.

4. Atemi – Touches or strikes to keiraku nerve meridians that allow further manipulation or dissuade an attacker from further action.

5. Gakun – A specific grip of our art.

UKEMI – Receiving Body (Falling and Rolling)

  • Zempo Ukemi – front fall (turning head, diamond to cheek)
  • Sokuho Ukemi – side fall (right or left)
  • Koho Ukemi – back fall (tucking head to chest)
  • Zempo Kaiten Ukemi – front roll (right or left shoulder roll)
  • Sokuho Kaiten Ukemi – side roll (right or left shoulder roll)
  • Koho Kaiten Ukemi – back roll (right or left shoulder roll)
  • Chugari Ukemi – air roll (right or left, rolling in the air with side fall)

TAI SABAKI – Body Manipulation

  • Shikko sabaki – knee walking
  • Tsugi Ashi – sliding feet (like shuffling with a band around your ankles)
  • Ayumi Ashi – alternating feet (walking)
  • Senpenbanka Dachi – moving in the forward stance
  • Tenkai – (avoid) hip pivot, forward and back
  • Tenshin –  (turn) slide forward, hip turn

WAZA – Art, Skill (techniques that illustrate a principle, done in standard form)

HENKA – Variations. A change in the waza;

  • Changes necessary to move from static to dynamic
  • Changes necessary for increased resistance
  • Changes necessary for differing reactions
  • Changes to the ending of a technique
  • Changes of any other nature

TEKIYO – Applications. Principled self-defense;

  • A self-defense maneuver using one or more principles (Gensuoku).

GENSUOKU – Principles

Shodan – First Level

  1.   Suimon – an indirect manipulation.
  2.   Atemi – any nerve touches or light strikes along the keiraku meridians.
  3.   Nage – any throwing techniques using trips, pushes, or joint manipulations.
  4.   Kote Gaeshi – an inner flexion, outward wrist bend.
  5.   Osae – using the body weight or dynamics to press against a leverage point.
  6.   NihoNage – a two or four directional throw.
  7.   Otoshi – any throwing technique that uses your body as a fulcrum.