Class Log: Ninjutsu + Psychological Experience

                  

Greetings to all who journeys to this blog!

 Training at the Koteki dojo of late mainly has been focused on kamae (hachimonji) from the kurai dori of Togakure ryu.  I have been demostrating many directions using this kamae and how important the legs are used more so then relying on upper body strength. We have so far went through afew of the “santo tonko no gata” forms. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve studied techniques from the Gyokko & Koto ryu schools (distance,timing, flow, space, disappearing and deception). Other then the obvious, these schools has given us reason to study more of our basics with the shuko, senban shuriken and kyoketsu shoge.  We have not limited ourselves to these weapons. Anything and everything is a weapon. In class this past friday, I talked about not to think of your weapon as being a weapon but, merely a way to express your taijutsu. There was discussion about the nature of the psyche and  it’s philosophy perhaps to much to list here.

Also of interest was the application of joint manipulation & using the whole body to lock your opponent once they have fell into an empty space that was presented to them as an opportunity to attack. For the record, this class was very hard on the psyche as well as the joints. Included was the attacking of nerves as in kosshijutsu and small joints with koppojutsu in mind. I talked about once the lock is on, how you can either attack the nerves or simply use your larger bone to strike your opponents smaller bone structure to create maxium damage. In real time training, this is real painful. I could’nt help but notice the frustration on the faces of everyone training. Please use caution when practicing the forms demostrated friday night.

I’ll leave you again with another favorite quote of mines:

Consciousness is, among other things, a spontaneous exercise in creativity. You are learning now, in a three-dimensional context, the ways in which your emotional and psychic existence can create varieties of physical form. You manipulate within the psychic environment, and these manipulations are then automatically impressed upon the physical mold.

                                                         “Seth”

In a friendly way,

Anthony Lucas, Bujinkan Shidoshi

Class Log: Ninpo Taijutsu + Happo Hiken

        

Good Morning – Classes at the Koteki Dojo has offically resume for 2008.  The year of the rat means (change & challenge yourself , examine your perceptions for what it perceives as well as your beliefs).

Our last session was interesting -  What normally takes about 20 to 30 mins for everyone to get their groove on took about 15 mins of intensed ninjato drills with emphasis on using the legs with subtle movement.  I spoke about the ninjato being almost half the size of the sword from last year and how we can use the ninjato with one hand as well as change hands as needed. I used the ninjato to show henka from ”ate komi” of santo tonko no gata (its probably hard to imagine, those who were present knows what I’m talking about).  Twirling the ninjato was’nt as hard as everyone made it out to be this past friday. We did a couple more techniques like this til we went into afew muto waza’s. From muto dori we explored stepping in and dropping to one knee at the same time striking to suigetsu of our opponent.  Everyone seemed to play very well, so I moved on to the next technique “koku” from Gyokko ryu. Before I went into the form & henka I wanted to show everyone how I came to link the feeling of gyokko ryu to togakure ryu. In order to do so, I talked alittle about gyokko ryu and koto ryu and their roles in laying down the foundation for Togakure ryu (physically and psychologically or taijutsu & strategy). Everywhere on the internet you see “koppo-jutsu” as the art of bone smashing. I’ve been researching up on this lately and came across an interpretation from my experience in training made sense. Koppo can also mean “method of the bone” which involves controlling your opponent using his bone structure (i.e. muso dori, ganseki, etc) which is common among all of us. Yeah!  Controlling your opponent’s body using his skeleton via your whole body including your larger bone structure to effectively strike his smaller bones actually break and severely damage their bone. Imagine with the Kosshi which can mean the finger connected to the bone “bone finger”.  This implies using the hands, fingers and feet to attack your opponent weak point or cut off their circulation of energy. The Chinese refer to these energy circuits as Meridians. Most of them (energy circuits) start or end at an extremity such as the fingers or toes/feet.  Locking the joints with the body while my feet/legs move around the joint to suffocate (pain interfers w/ circulation of oxygen) my opponent is finished from the feeling of kosshi. Of course there is nerve strikes as your opponent falls into an empty space with various kinds of budo taijutsu secret fist. This was a very painful experience as I demostrated this technique on everyone. Off of a jodan tsuki and kick, I did koho tobi and at the same time, while leaping back, I lightly grab the non punching hand of my opponent as he was landing with his kick as I was leaping back with a twist of my whole body which threw off his balance and easily I applied sokki ken to his midsection. I was asked to show the movement again, this time I slowed it down with no fancy stuff and there was ”iso arashi” I then asked everyone about this technique. This was the needed link.  The form I showed was from the shoden level of kukishin ryu. It was and is evident that this school like all the others cannot be forgotton. Togakure Ryu is like your undergraduate studies. With that said I then showed “migi tonso no gata” + “ate komi tonso no gata” to end then night.

Please honor yourselves and take the time to examine your conscious thoughts & beliefs therefore arrive to that place of openmindness.  Here is one of my favorite passages I wish to share in closing.

“I consider the positions of Kings and Rulers as that of dust mites. I observe treasures of gold and gems as so many bricks and pebbles. I look upon the finest silken robes as tattered rags. I see myriad worlds of the universe as small seeds of fruit, and the greatest lake in India as a drop of oil on my foot.  I perceive the teachings of the world to be the illusion of magicians. I discern the highest conception of emancipation as a golden brocade in a dream, and I view the holy path of the illuminated ones as flowers appearing in one’s eyes. I see meditation as a pillar of a mountain, Nirvana as a nightmare of daytime. I look upon the judgment of right and wrong as the serpentine Dance of a dragon, and the rise and fall of beliefs as but traces left by the four seasons”.   ~Buddha~

Anthony Lucas, Bujinkan Shidoshi

Class Log: To hide is the defense + 1st class of 2008

        

          Happy New Year 2008 (omedetougozaimasu) – “Year of the rat”

It’s good to be back after a whole month of renewel. New year, new goals, new idea’s.  The school of the hidden door, I like the sound of that.

Last night was our first class of the year. We started off with a nice warm up with some basic combinations (kamae, tsuki waza, hiken juroppo, ukemi, push-ups & set-ups).

        

                 (Jermaine, Merridith, Mike, Larry, Blaise and Ken)

After the initial warm-up drills, I proceeded with a welcoming lecture. This is the year of the rat – which means to work hard in your training, stay up to date with Sensei’s teachings. Most importantly, this is the year for renewel of self (i.e. how you treat others, are you honestly helping people -by doing so your learning the spirit of altruism) this reflects your kokoro (heart). Community with eachother is the very essence of trust and fellowship that must be established in the koteki , shinkan gata and tokon dojo’s. The atmosphere last night in class was of a family. Everyone worked really hard and helped eachother to learn and understand what was happening. This is community spirit.

Following this talk we went into some “keri ni taisuru uke” (counters against kicks) with some buki waza ( Shuko, kyoketsu shoge, kusari fudo, kunai, senban shuriken). Emphasis was placed on timing with the idea to resist the temptation to take action. Rather let uke fall into what appeared to them as a target only to experience the feeling of kicking and falling into space.

Prior before we packed it in for the evening. We had about 45mins to go, so I showed the first three katas from the “santo tonko no gata”. From the Shu Ha Ri I purposely wanted to stay in the “ri” part of the three because we were’nt outside to grapse the feeling. Everyone had ample time to practice the base technique. Discussion was on the principles of these forms and how to give them life. The santo tonko no gata forms involves escaping from grabs. I had everyone do a couple techniques from tehodoki to get the feeling of kyojitsu tenkan ho. The gotonpo (5 ways of escaping) from what I researched was the most secretive of all the ninja arts.  In my notes and the tenchijin there is only 9 katas – I found in the tonko no jutsu 12 (possibility I could be wrong, dont take this as truth). The gotonpo’s tonko no jutsu  is divided into the ura (inside) and the omote (outside). I found after this the tento juppo no jutsu (10 ways of heavenly escape). Last night we talked about the “sanpo hiden” (the three secret treasures of togakure ryu). Gyokko ryu and Koto ryu was discussed as we took some techniques from these schools to explore the feeling of escaping (i.e. disappearing out of sight). Class ended with countless variations of these escaping forms.

                     Sanpo wo uyamae – respect of the three treasures of self.

         May the year of togakure ryu 2008 show you the true path of oneself.

In a friendly way,

Anthony Lucas – Bujinkan Shidoshi