Wa-No-Michi

My Ono Ha sensei also teaches Batto. In the version he does (Enshin I believe) we us a Kodachi placed in the Kaku Obi. I have only done a couple of Batto sessions, but if I remember correctly the Kodatch positioned where it is makes you reach underneath it and this imparts correct form in your right hand. Again the Kaku Obi is key here.

Joe, I know what you mean, I Just creased up at the point where he says "looky look here" as he slams his attackers head into a pillar end. Brilliant!!

I am totally loving this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3K-mrlYG7Y A friend of mine sent it to me. Ordinarily this sort of thing wouldn't interest me, but watching it I found Mr Rutten extremely entertaining. He reminded me of an old training colleague of mine a few years ago. It brought a smile to my face. What do you guys think. TG I bet this is right up your back alley as it were.

I see no reason why a traditional martial art can't be experimental from time to time and yet still remain within its intended framework. In fact I would say that any martial art worth its sorts would do this as a matter of course. A traditional style does not necessarily imply a limited style.

Haven't we been down this road before? I suppose the ultimate crux of the matter comes down to whether kata based systems like karate, TKD, Iaido etc, bear fruit for you, as opossed to kumite based systems like wrestling, judo and mma etc.

Yea, I've only had the chance to see a kenjutsu kata once before, and it was pretty interesting. My sensei dropped much of the kata when he came back to the U.S., which is when I began my training. Looks practical enough, but I've never trained in a system with kata included, so I don't really know when it comes to the speed. Did seem weird to me that all of the slashing strikes were done with a chopping motion. I've been taught that the katana is primarily a slashing, and when need be a stabbing weapon. We always make sure new students drag the blade along the point of impact to simulate slicing muscle and tendon. Maybe such a final action is unnecessary in a kata? If you do a YT search on Kuroda you will see some of his Iai/batto-Jutsu. Maybe this will show his "cuts" better. As far as Kata in Kenjutsu; TBH I do not have a lot of time to train kenjutsu at the moment, and I am an absolute beginner also. In addition, quality instructors are rare, but when I can train the system my instructor teaches is Ono ha Itto ryu, and there are quite a few kata to get a grip of including kendo-no kata. They are really hard as well I can tell you. Mind you my sensei is a monster for precision. We seem to have drifted way off topic here, sorry guys

Yes, Like most traditional schools it would seem that kata is integral to the Kuroda Kenjutsu family system. Super fast though. wow!!

hmm, interesting. I don't even know if thats how it really works for us. Throughout 10th to 4th kyu we wear standard belts/white judo gi. at 4th kyu you have to pass your kenjutsu test, and you can then wear your green tasuki. Shodans wear black top, black hakama, and black tasuki After that they usually wear white tops, black hakama, and red tasuki Our former top student, who went on to open a Shiden'issen Jujutsu school in Phoenix. I remember he used to like wearing a white top, white hakama, and red tasuki.... but I was pretty new then, and don't know what rank dan he was. Actually, just remembered this. They Guy on the right is of course the legend that is Kuroda Sensei, and as you will see he wears a dark top, with lighter Hakama. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVuGDcggm44&feature=related

But when you do Kenjutsu, do you wear Kaku obi?

Although not observed by my Itto Ryu group, I undestand that in some Koryu groups up to a certain level you must wear darker hakama than top. After you have reached this grade you can wear matching Hakama and top (My Senseis does and his is very dark blue). At the very highest level, the sensei can wear lighter Hakama than top. Cooool!

If they did it the other way round it would suggest they were dead, as this how the garment is presented on corpse. So always best to get that bit right.

Why is everyone in such a hurry to teach?

For what its worth, all your sites are too "wordy" not enough pictures and images imo, but then I do come from the advertising /brand design industry, so I tend to pick up on this sort of thing.

We have a written exam for Dan gradings only. Seija, Is your Wado Group part of the Renmei?

This video is an interesting demonstration of the art of karate, if your into that kind of thing. However, it has nothing to do with actual combat. Consider it your lucky day if an armed attacker tries to stab you in the same way that the attacker does in this video. Have a look around the net at videos of actual knife attacks if you want an idea of how people actually attack each other. Whenever i watch self defense demo's i always keep an eye on the attacker, is he/she actually attacking with real intent, and using an attacking method that is based in reality? If not then any technique shown against the attacker probably has no base in reality either. Just to be clear, I didn't post this as an example of a self deffence drill against a knife, it isn't, and so therefore as I said, it should not be taken literally. Joe had mentioned the point about keeping the hands up as barrier, and I know that in classical Tanto dori, the hands are kept down out of harms way. Tanto Dori are kata, just like Sanbon Kumite or Pinan Nidan, and such they are designed to be used as part of a bigger process. They exist to help instill some basic principles for dealing with an attacker with a blade, ie correct distance, body movement, and control/management. Thats all, but that said, I would not be too hasty to relegate them into the realms of antiquity just because they form part of the "art" of Karate!

Hi Fish, Actually I would say that there are at least four catstances that can be found in Wado. But that said, I remember reading an article by a JKF 7th Dan who explained how in Japan, there is not so much emphasis on labelling and quantifying stance types and measurements etc. It would seem that this is more of Western thing to do.

As far as I understand it, Neko Ashi can be performed in a number of different positions ranging from High to Low (or short or long if you like) stances. Naturally, as you change the length of the stance the weight distribution will change, so a high (short) cat stance could have a 10/90 distribution and a low (long) stance 40/60. Important thing is the majority of the weight is on the back foot

Hi Traymond. The two expressions virtually mean the same thing and are often used to describe the same thing depending on where you train. Neko=Cat in Japanese and is generally used with reference to a stance where the front foot (heel) is lifted off the floor - in order to show that the majority of the weight is being supported by the back foot. Ko-Kotsu dachi is very close to the same thing, but usually the heel of the front foot is on floor and often the front leg is straighter. In many styles Kotsu implies a backward lean of the spine as part of the technique also. But in any case they are both back stances really so there is no wonder the confusion occurs. They may look the same, but the weight distribution is different, as is the application.

What post are you referring to here?

Hi Joe, This may interest you. In Wado we have a set paired Kata called "Tanto-Dori". Tanto=Dagger, Dori=Take. The following vid shows some of these. Like all other katas they are not to be taken literally, but contain the key principles of technique and movement on which to build. You will see that Tori (ie you / deffender) does not raise his hands, he moves off the center line (or chu-sen) to avoid the blade, and then contains/controls it - either by restraining the hand or making it "mechanically" impossible for the assailant to do further damage. The action doesn't kick in for about a minute into the vid. Sorry, but if you spoke Japanese, I am sure the preamble would be most informative. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QslwdN2mz_Q

Its a no no with me really as well. Wear Gi outside where I live and you may as well paint a huge Target on yourself. Plus as tg says you look like a numpty.

In the forms I perform at my level, there are a number of punches, for example, in which I've been instructed to have the non-punching hand extended forward to where I'm punching, the hand in the form of a fist, and then, when punching, pull back the non-punching hand as fast as the punching one while throwing my hip into it. It's not an exaggerated hip movement; I like SlowHands' reference to "a little more 'snap' to the rotation." Some postings have referred to breathing. I've had to learn to let that air out, to expel it when striking, and I can feel the greater power. Hi Joe, The "pull back" of the non punching hand is referred to as "Hiki-Te" in Japanese karate. Hike=elbow, Te=hand, to focus the fact that you pull your elbow back sharply, and your hand will follow. Be careful though, not to over egg this in combination with the hip rotation thing. Often students mis-understand the importance and Hike-Te and think that it exists in order to facilitate a rotation of the hips around the spine. It doesn't and anyway, from a bio mechanical structure we should not be training to generate power through rotation of the hips in this way. Its not correct. Breathing?, well some styles emphasis this more than others (Naha-Te based styles), whilst others tend to shy away from it and prefer their breathing patterns to be more natural.

This might be right up your back alley as it were. https://www.woma.tv/movies/J/beyond-technique---enter-a-small-door.html Made me smile anyway.

Hmm!, could be, although the cynic in me says its more about money and power in the most part. I see things differently to my sensei, and I hope my students will see things that I haven't, thats healthy evolution but we still practice the same karate in the same group. Mind you, I have no plans for global domination just yet

Dang, You beat me by one minute Bushi. Still, I guess we are on the same wavelength.