拏振 Dashin with Kodachi Kihon

From https://www.rojodojo.com my #bujinkan #martialarts video exploring the kata 拏振 dashin and 小太刀 kodachi kihon. Warmed up with 小太刀 kodachi kihon that I learned from Hatsumi Sensei. The rhythm and kamae here teach you the proper distance for cutting or thrusting with the short sword. This kihon also teaches how to find suki on your opponent. I finished by allowing the opponent to counter with a hanbo. We began class with 拏振 dashin. This kata is very important for understanding this level of Gyokko ryu. And learning to survive while unarmed against a kodachi is a critical self defense skill. The first important point is to evade “by the width of a piece of paper” as Soke often reminds us. Against this weapon this becomes really important. It is short and the opponent can easily use his hand, wrist, or elbow to change the thrust or cutting angle very quickly. Don’t give him the space to do that. Next, I shared how Hatsumi Sensei captures the arm. It starts soft and slides down toward the wrist. The styloid process of the radial bone allows this grip to lock in as it slides down the arm. You grip the radial bone with a similar grip that you would use on the mune of a katana for control. These details allow for very precise targeting of the kyusho that causes the opponent to drop the weapon. Then he kicks. I use his own wrist against him to direct the kick. When I kick his kick it is a counterattack, not a block or defense. I even showed how to use sutemi to slam his wrist into the ground as your own roll carries his kick through the air. This is a hard fall for him and a definite wrist break. By this point he is definitely disarmed. You capture the energy of his first attack, and redirect the second. You actually use the opponent’s own efforts as a shield! Hatsumi Sensei has explained for years how we should use the kukan as a shield, and I think this is one aspect of that idea. The strike to remove the opponent’s weapon works well as it is, but I added the kusari fundo to the fist. The end of the weight hammers into the kyusho on his hand. It would take someone who is dead to pain to continue holding his weapon. Then this striking motion unfurls the chain into the space. I showed how it can be used to strip the kodachi from the opponent’s grip. I also used it to apply an oni kudaki. I even redirected the opponent’s kodachi so he cuts himself. more from Gyokko Ryu:    • Gyokko Ryu