義鑑流 Gikan Ryū 其の二 Sono Ni Preview

From https://www.rojodojo.com A preview of my #bujinkan video exploring 義鑑流 Gikan Ryū from my notes of my classes with Noguchi Sensei. In the basic form of 其の二 Sono Ni, the second waza, 骨法術 Koppōjutsu is the key feeling. But it is not just blunt striking, there are subtle aspects for us to explore.

After evading the initial attack, you counter with a shuto to nagare. This quickly bounces off the target and becomes 虚実 kyojitsu. This illusion holds the space for your kicks.

Noguchi Sensei emphasized doing the kyojitsu at just the right distance. Too far, and your opponent is not threatened. Too close, and he will continue attacking or grappling.

Noguchi was casual with the kamae. But Hatsumi Sensei taught us the narrow kamae of Gikan ryu and the idea of hiraku (開く or 披く or 空く) which is to open up, or to be empty and free. Then your counters come from the side angles which is a specialty of Gikan Ryu.

Noguchi Sensei showed us the ura waza as well. It isn’t that different except that the way you express the kyojitsu can have a larger impact. Kyojitsu plays with your opponent’s expectations. And you use his expectation to hide your actual attack.

Next we looked at the feeling of 十方折衝 juppō sesshō. Noguchi Sensei gave us a speech about how when he teaches he is giving us hints. These hints tell us how to train when we go back home to our own dojos. So for juppō sesshō, he said that if you attack up you also attack down. If something goes to the right, it also goes to the left.

I added the 半棒 hanbō to strike down on nagare. Then I used 八文字振りhachimonji furi to create the kyojitsu. And, as i learned from Noguchi Sensei, the flow of kyojitsu is continuous. So the furi gata can create many opportunities.

We finished by using the 鎖分銅 kusarifundō. I release the chain across his field of vision for the kyojitsu. The sound and sight of it will be very distracting. Then, while I kick, the opponent is snared and wrapped up with the chain or struck with the weights.