First Breakthrough 一突挨法 Hitotsukiaihō Preview

From https://www.rojodojo.com a preview of the #bujinkan #martialarts 槍術 sōjutsu kata 一突挨法 Hitotsukiaihō AKA 一突挨 Ittotsuai. We warmed up with various tsuki drills from 流水之構 Ryūsui no kamae. The stirring of the waters with the tip of the spear creates deception for your tsuki. In Japanese mythology, 伊邪那岐命 Izanagi-no-Mikoto is a creator deity who wielded a spear, stirring the primordial waters. When he lifted the spear tip, drops fell and formed the islands of Japan. He is often depicted holding the spear like Ryūsui no kamae. While you stir from Ryūsui no kamae, the tip of the spear constantly shifts in the space. Then you might tsuki low, middle, or high. But each tsuki is a form of kyojitsu. The real attack might be the slice as you pull back. Hatsumi Sensei uses the phrase 槍繰り yarikuri, suggesting that these repeated, winding thrusts are a key feature of sōjutsu. Next, I showed how to use the spear’s rotation to clear the 中心線 chūshin-sen. You smack the sword aside to clear the center-line for your tsuki. It is critical that the tip of your spear takes over the center, never swinging past it. After this warm up, we began 一突挨法 Hitotsukiaihō. We launch from 差し上げる構え sashiageru kamae into 横しばき yokoshibaki. But you must consider the reason to start in this kamae. It is either a reaction to the opponent wielding the sword, or preparing to confront him. It can be part of an evasion or for deception. If your training partner is alive, he should act as an opponent would act. Any swordsman would have to close distance on a yari. So after he blocks your yokoshibaki, he quickly counters. But since this is the yari kata Hitotsukiaihō, the spear-man wins. During your opponent’s attempt to enter for a counter cut, he runs right into a 左 突き hidari tsuki. This is quick and painful. If by some miracle the opponent manages to evade, we spin into a 右突き migi tsuki. The spin is for deception, but also for clearing the space. Either end of the yari can hit him in kote, in the face, or simply clear the sword. After all of these wounds, if he somehow is still on his feet, you execute 石突きに て払い ishizuki nite harai. This sweeps him of his feet with the ishizuki. A final tsuki will pin him down. We finished with a 変化 henka of Hitotsukiaihō. During the spin, we keep to one side and tsuki with the ishizuki. Then row the yari to execute the harai. It is a quick finish to an effective kata. Poke around some more:    • Rojodojo Bujinkan