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 shock or stun a human body which allows further manipulation or to 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
- Suimon (the Flood-gate Lock) – an indirect manipulation.
- Atemi – any nerve touches or light strikes along the keiraku meridians.
- Nage – any throwing techniques using trips, pushes, or joint manipulations.
- Kote Gaeshi – an inner flexion, outward wrist bend.
- Osae – using the body weight or dynamics to press against a leverage point.
- NihoNage – a two or four directional throw.
- Otoshi – any throwing technique that uses your body as a fulcrum.