tatsujin

Today, someone was asking me (not here) about Chenshi Taijiqan Silk Reeling and fajing. It prompted me to remember this video. If you ever get a chance to train with Chen Xaiowang (regardless of whatever style you train in), DO IT!!!

Thanks for the kind words! I am an "information" kind of guy, so I can drone on in postings! LOL! But, I am the kind of person where too much information is better than not enough. And, I don't have a social life...so there is that.... Thanks again!

Another potential can o' worms and something else that can be a book of a response. So, first of all, let's make sure we are all on the same page... Japanese is a fun, fun language to learn. Gyaku-zuki is most often translated as "reverse punch" (more on that in a second). What we are actually talking about here is a "tsuki". Please do note that when used in a compound word where tsuki does not come first, its pronunciation and writing changes slightly and it is pronounced as "zuki" (and is usually transliterated that way). FUN SIDE NOTE: If you are ever in a Japanese or some Okinawan dojo, you may thiink people are yelling "SKI!" at you. They are not. They are saying tsuki. So, why is the above important other than me seeming to be nitpicking? (LOL?). Because tsuki (zuki) derives from the verb tsuku and means "to thrust". A punch can be implied. But, what we are talking about is a thrust. So, for the vast majority of karatekas out there they will think along the lines of being in a zenkutsu-dachi or hanzenkutsu-dachi, steping forward and then (generally) executing a chudan or jodan level gyaku-zuki. OK. Great. More or less, that's it. Jeez, that's awfully limiting, eh? As a thrust, I can use it as an escape from a wrist grab. Depending on what the hikite is doing (just define it as the off side pullback hand to avoid another can of worms and another book), I can use the tsuki/zuki as a joint dislocation or break. As a "punch" I have pretty much one technique. As a "thrust", a virtual plethora of techniques and uses open up to me. Looking at boxing for the moment, you are in the same situation as really having just the one punching technique. OK, fine...let's just deal with that for a moment. Problem #1 is the elbow (and this is found in a TON of martial arts as well...think Shotokan to start with and then run from there). When the cross is thrown, the elbow is at least 90 degrees to the body. Up and out. And, for boxing that is totally fine. For me, not so much. Boxing is a rules based sport than can be used for self-defense. I don't box. Therefore, I don't have any rules. In the ring (unless you are fighting a younger and ticked off Mike Tyson), you have about a zero percent chance that someone may angle off and/or check the punch, grab your arm or wrist and execute an elbow break or dislocation. Do that against me, I am going to be doing my best to make your elbow bend the OTHER way! LOL! And, you know what is really "funny"? I could use a tsuki/zuki to do it! Anyway... How would "I" do it? Leaving the more esoteric stuff aside for now (happy to discuss it any time though), the key here would be using the kinetic chains of the body, ending in the transference of force through the first two knuckles of the hand. What do I mean? A quick example: 1. You step forward with your left (could be the right, just accommodate accordingly) leg, driving your body forward with your back (right) leg [posterior kinetic chain]. 2. You stiffen your front leg (to create a pivot point) and, using your back leg and hips, twist your right hip forward [hip turn kinetic chain]. 3. You use the stiffening muscles of your legs, hips, and torso as a base, twist your shoulders to drive your right shoulder forward and your left shoulder back [shoulder turn kinetic chain]. Just as a side note, there is a whole other "book" that can be written on how the hips and shoulders should be connected, but a another topic for a different day. 4. You use the now-stiff muscles as a base, straighten and twist your right arm to deliver the punch [arm extension kinetic chain]. Note that many styles teach the turning of the palm of your right fist down effectively twists the two bones of the forearm (ulna and radius) together to make a stiffer arm. which is more efficient at transferring the strike’s energy to the target. At that, I disagree slightly. Use a 3/4 turn punch. If you have ever boxed much or been around or watch boxing, you hear about them breaking their hand. Typically known as a boxer's fracture, this means they did not land the punch correctly and broke some bones. Usually, it means a break in the neck of the 5th metacarpal bone in the hand (sometimes the 4th, sometimes both). When you do a 3/4 twist, that puts the first two knuckles of the fist as the primary striking surface and greatly reduces the risk of breaking anything in your hand. Also, remember that pesky elbow I mentioned earlier? With a 3/4 twist punch, the elbow itself is pointed almost straight down and largely negates any sort of counter attack happening there. Lastly, I don't want the entire arm out straight, rigid and "locked". I want a structural line running from the shoulder to the elbow. Another running from the elbow to the wrist. Another running from the wrist to the two striking knuckles. This is much more efficient for a smooth transfer of power from the ground to the knuckles. I'll leave it there...at least for now. This is already another book. Feet, stepping (if involved), the use of the kua as a means of loading and releasing and a few other things come into play. All the way to the placement (tilt/angle) of the feet. Hopefully that all made sense and someone finds it remotely helpful.

It would probably help for me to not assume that everyone knows what is being discussed! LOL! Sorry about that. This could turn into a long topic and it is well known in some circles that I love to "talk". So, I will keep it as simple as possible and generalized to a large degree. However, I am happy to answer any questions at all or get into discussions based on what is here. In many Japanese and Okinawan based martial arts, there are specific "rituals" that are followed when bowing into and out of class. So, at the front of the dojo (referring to the floor or workout area) you will quite often find a kamidana. Some people call it the "god shelf". I think that interpretation is technically incorrect and gives off the wrong expectation as to what it really is. Using "spirit shelf" would be, in my opinion, more correct. This would usually be placed on the north wall and if that is not possible the west wall. It will typically be 5" to 6" off of the ground The kamiadana is the little shrine looking object that is often accompanied by other items. They can come in various configurations, but the following image is a good representation. The large "roofed" focal point in the rear is called the Jinja and is a shrine. Inside of the jinja is often found an ofuda. This is typically paper and is a charm or amulet that comes from an actual Shinto temple in Japan. Different types of ofuda can be displayed without a kamidana, but that is a topic for a different day. Displayed in the image above are: Shinkyo - this is the mirror on the stand. To an actual Shinto practitioner, this is where the kami (spirit) actually resides. If you are not a follower of Shinto (and especially for Western martial artists), we should see that all of the qualities that are represented in a visual way on the shrine are actually a reflection of those that we should, hopefully, find within ourselves. Shingu - these are the while (almost always white) porcelain "offering" dishes and vases. Sakaki Date - these are vases that hold leaves from the Sakaki tree, an indigenous Evergreen in Japan. Nowadays, plastic greenery is used as it is usually changed out on an almost daily basis and finding or growing a Sakaki tree in the US in very, very tough. This is used to represent nature and our place/role in it. Mizutama - this is a small rounded vessel that contains fresh water, an offering to the kami. Tokkuri - these are small covered bottles filled with O-miki, a ritually purified sake or rice wine. Sanpo - this is a small offering plate that is made of wood. The shingu set (defined above) sits on this tray. You don't always find this component being used. In this image it is, so I included it. Sara - these are the two round offering saucers that hold Oshio (salt) and Okome (washed rice). Daruma Ningyo - this is not pictured, but for a reason. This is a small personal item that the head of the dojo would place there. Many times what you will find there is a small red and round doll which represents the founder of Zen Buddhism (Daruma). This is supposed to represents the setting and then achieving of one’s goals in Japanese culture. Sometimes you will see just one eye painted on the doll. This is to mean that a goal has been set. When you see both eyes are drawn or colored in, that means a goal has been achieved. Other than the doll, you might find a katana, a jo, etc. ***NOTE: Even though Buddhism is a totally and completely different philosophy from the religion or beliefs of Shinto, the Japanese do not raise issue with these elements sharing the same space as both of them are widely accepted practices. This is an example: There are a couple of other components that could be added, but I will leave them out for now. If anyone is interested, let me know. LASTLY (or FINALLY! LOL) The kamiza is the "place of honor". For martial artists, it is where we would have images of those from our legacy past. For instance, if I am a Goju-ryu dojo, I would probably have an image of Higaonna Kanryo, Miyagi Chojun and then someone like Higaonna Morio or Miyazato Eiichi, Yagi Meitoku (etc). Here is a higher level look at what I am referring to: Really, lastly....and this is really important...if you don't follow Shinto and are a good ole fashioned Southern Baptist or Roman Catholic or atheist, none of this is considered "worship" of anyone or anything. It is just a matter of of paying respects to our heritage and those that came before us and on whose shoulders we stand. It is nothing more than symbolic to most. And, really, it serves more as a focal point than anything else. Hope that helps and was informative.

I don't know if a kamidana is considered to be equipment or gear, but I will give it a shot. I was wondering if anyone has a good source for a reasonably price kamidana? An appropriate ofuda would be nice, but not a deal breaker. Maybe I will get lucky and someone actually in Japan will see this and we can work something out. Thanks for any potential help!

Since someone mention Bobby, please have a look at the following video. This is not a "you do A, so I do B" kind of drill. Most of these folks are high end students under Bobby. They do more in showing what I was referring to as "shortening the gap" than I could ever type on a keyboard....

Back in the day (very early 1990s?), Bobby was a killer (almost literally). Fortunately (especially for those training with him), he mellowed a little with age.

Yeesh! That is a whole potential can of worms! So, technically, when the term wushu is used, that does translate to military/martial art. Kung fu (or gongfu) would be translated as "hard work". Personally, whenever I start to hear "wushu", I begin to cringe a little. The reason for that is here recently, the term wushu is more and more often heard when referring to a combination of dance, gymnastics and martial arts. Meaning, something more modern and competition based, aesthetically pleasing as opposed to practical. So, it would, (in large part) depend upon the person using the term and what they actually do. I have seen wushu folks do baguazhang and I could tell that what they were supposed to be doing was bagua since they were walking in circles and doing something that vaguely looked like a palm change. But it was, as one of my sifu called it, "empty gongfu". Further defined, devoid of all martial components. Wushu Sanda (or Sanshou) is still modern, but more a form of kickboxing or Muay Thai...but has more grappling and take downs. Traditional? No. Based on traditional arts, yes (in most instances). But more effective than modern wushu. I would not call most of what is called wushu nowadays as being traditional. But, I am a fan of ONE and the fighters there are not doing "wushu" to look nice and score points. But, even then, I'd venture to say that most of them are not doing a "traditional" art. So, it's like someone that does Tae Kwon Do and saying that they do karate. Is it "traditional". To me, no...not as I would define a traditional martial art. Actually, TKD is a really good example as much of what you see nowadays for that are is also sport and competition based. Shoot, one of the TKD folks got disqualified in their fight for the gold medal. Traditional? No. MARTIAL art? No. https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/incapacitated-ganjzadeh-awarded-kumite-gold-opponent-dqd-kicking-too-hard Chinese arts are even tougher in the breakdown of internal vs. external, traditional vs modern, northern vs. southern, etc. Confused now? LOL! Does that help any?

Demura Sensei is a good instructor. Unfortunately, he has been going through alot of health issues over the last few years. I ment to mention something you may have already seen. It is a documentary called (I think) "The Real Miyagi". Either Netflix or Amazon Prime has it if I remember correctly. It is a nicely done documentary on Demura Sensei and his history. Would be of special interest to you and your boys and good general viewing for anyone interested in the martial arts.

Well...define how you are using the term kumite please... Do you mean open style karate tournaments where all different types of styles compete (usually "fighting" or "sparring" for points, weapons kata and empty handed katas) or more traditional "fighting". Normally, if you are speaking of open style tournaments, then they are typically state or regional based. For instance, when I lived in TX, the big "organization" then was the AOK or Amatuer Organization of Karate. I would reach out to some local or semi-local martial arts schools and supply stores (physical supply stores). The latter, in particular, usually has flyer information on all sorts of tournaments. You should be able to lock something like that up. By the same token, if you are looking for a more traditional type of kumite, do a web search for your style or similar ones and give them a call. I am sure most of them would love to be able to pass along any information. Lastly, I would look to asking these similar schools if they would be interested in creating a more informal type of inter-school competition. This was something that we were able to do fairly successful in TX. Meaning, your school meets with another to compete against one another in a rules based and FRIENDLY (sometimes this has to be explained, re-explained and then explained again! LOL) competition. Have some fun with it and good luck!

For those that may not be aware, many Japanese/Okinawan based styles, dojo and/or organizations do practice a kind of hierarchy when it comes to opening a school. It generally goes from Hombu Dojo to Shibu Dojo to Fuku Shibu Dojo. And also in the mix is a Jun Shibu Dojo. Each type of dojo generally has a specific set of requirements that have to be met. This is for using the name of the art/style/organization and what they teach. Sure, you could open your own dojo and essentially call it what you want and go from there. But, if you want to use their resources and maintain all of those contacts and resources, you would need to permission of the hombu dojo. I have been involved in such a situation (a few times) and have no problem with it. This is a part of the process to ensure what is being taught and how. For instance, I have met sandans through hachidan that I would not want teaching a room full of empty chairs! Good people all. Excellent martial artists. But, they could not "teach their way out of a wet bag". They did not have the requisite skill set to teach nor the patience to teach. This helps prevent that. Usually, a fuku shibu dojo "reports" up through a shibu dojo. I would think that you could be given that status....even if it is considered to be a "probationary" status. Or, even give you the jin shibu status to see how things go. There are not many traditionalists (depending on how you define that term) left out there, so I do commend you on that and wish you good luck in your endeavors.

Pastor: First of all, I congratulate you for taking on such a [potentially] difficult task of having martial arts in a religious environment! At a very young age (thanks to my step-mother), I was raised as a Southern Baptist. To them, pretty much everything I did was anathema to them. Bowing into class and out of class was considered "praying" to dead people. They automatically assumed that I/we were being taught a non-Christ centered religion, etc. They felt that meditation opened the mind to the influences of evil, etc. Ignorance no matter how well intentioned can make life very difficult. My path of being involved in the martial arts is rapidly approaching 50 years. In that course of time, it has been a long and often winding road. Different than yours overall, but still being a part of a school or organization and then leaving that school or organization...sometimes in situations that "were not good" and sometimes situations where it was. Or the leader/founder dies and then the organization splits due to the power vacuum left behind, and the personalities of the people that wanted the power, etc. It sounds, to me, that you are on the right path. You recognize where you are deficient and are taking steps to work on those areas. It seems like your ego is in check and you are not trying to become the Sho-dai Soke of "whatever you want to call what you are doing", etc. Bravo! Demura Sensei has some good stuff out there (empty handed and kobudo). So, you could do much worse! LOL! Along those lines, have you look at Hayashi-ha Shito-ryu? They have quite an extensive set of kata that you might be interested in. Enjoy the path that you find yourself on! I would be willing to bet that the path you are on will be more valuable to your children than you! If you ever run into the religious based "hater" (again, they will probably be well intentioned), don't hesitate to reach out to me privately if you'd like. As I said, I have been there and done that (and got the t-shirt!) a few times. I may be of help to you in explaining martial arts in terms that they will understand. Keep us updated as to how things progress!

My main background in kali/escrima/arnis comes from the late Remy Presas. In addition to that, Bobby Taboada of Balintawak. Latosa Escrima and also Bruce Chiu from Arnis (one of the best teachers I have ever seen). Also, to some degree, Michael Janich. But with him it is knife based work mostly, but it does come from kali/escrima/arnis systems. And, lastly, Arnis (and other things) from Datu Kelly Worden. I should say that I have learned some very nice things from the works of Datu Dieter Knuettel, but never had the opportunity to train under him personally. You are 100% correct that kali/escrima/arnis does center or key in on flows or flow drills. To quote the late great Remy Presas, "Go with de plow" (for those that know Remy get the inside joke) But, I would venture to say that whomever you did your kali training with did not do a good job of explaining flow drills and why they are used. In a nutshell, the flow drills are designed to shorten and fix the "gap" that all of we humans have. An example... Patty Cake...yes, patty cake...the old game that some or at least most of us played as kids. Try this in your school...with your students or training partners. If you take a set of known (to both participants) patty cake "drills", what you will find is that when a "move" is missed or messed up, at least one of the participants "freezes". They missed the hand, they used the wrong hand, the hand hit in the wrong place, etc. Regardless of what happened specifically, they "glitch". They stop. They break the "flow". The point of these drills are not so much that you are going to do A because the guy did B. It is to get to the point where when something like that happens, you keep going and don't "glitch". Or, at least in the beginning, you don't glitch as much. As you continue to work on all of these flow drills, the glitch becomes smaller and smaller so that it becomes virtually non-existent. The main objective here is to learn the drills to reduce this gap and internalize them such that you can get to a point of "free flow". So, if someone uses a #1 strike (forehand right hand strike to the head), I can then block it two (2) different ways stick on stick, I can check with the off hand and then strike to numerous different targets with my stick, using a hard "block" or stop, I can do a stick disarm or I can use my stick to attack the attacking hand or arm (defanging the snake). Just as a short list... And, just so you know, this "patty cake" style drill is the first thing I teach people in Arnis classes (as a precursor to learning single sinawali). I also use it as a teaching method in Ryukyu Kempo. Well, a gun is a better weapon than both a stick AND a baseball bat. And, it is easier (in many places) to carry. For instance, my state has open carry laws. And, regardless of training, I pretty much carry a pistol on me every time I leave the house. But...back to your comment... If you go on the interwebs and try to find something definitive as to how much force is necessary to fracture the human skull, you will find 20 bazillion different answers (which plate is being hit, newtons, PSI, etc.). Make it simple and use an imaginary scale of 1 to 10. 1 being just a "love tap" that basically does nothing to 10 being a major skull fracture and causing near immediate or immediate death. And 5 would be a knockout. Let's say that a baseball bat can, indeed, cause a "level 10 trauma". And then let's say that an arnis stick can cause a "level 7 trauma". Is the difference here really all that important? It's like folks on gun forums arguing about the stopping power of a .45 as compared to a 9mm. If you land 2 center mass with either, is the difference all that important at the end of the day? Additionally, look at the limitations of the bat. How well can you wield a bat one handed? To deliver a "level 10" type of strike, how many ways are there to do that with a bat? And what kind of disadvantageous positions does that put you into? Compare that to how many different ways your can do a "level 7 strike" with an arnis/kali/excrima stick. And you can do it one handed, leaving you the other hand to still bring into play...and there would be (easily) dozens of different ways to deliver it. At the end of the day, if you took someone reasonably trained in escrima/kali/arnis and pitted them against someone handed a bat, I am going to put my money on the escrima/kali/arnis guy. Your mileage may vary...

advfhorn: As politely and nicely as I can say it, if there is one truism I have learned in almost a half century of being in the martial arts...it is that just because someone has been an instructor for 50 years, it does not necessarily mean that they are any good at it. Suffice it to say, how your sensei handles this particular issue might be a good indication for you as to whether you should continue to be a part of that school. Just a little food for thought... As to the issue at hand, I am probably a little different in the fact that I don't run a commercial dojo. I don't have to retain students to pay the bills and keep the lights on. And, I am in no way afraid to tell someone that this is not the dojo for them and then show them the door. You say that the both of you are going to be testing for shodan...or at least a dan grade. If she performs during the test the way you say she performs in class when training, then whether or not she gets a passing grade and the rank should tell you alot too. I recognize that she may have some sort of issues. That's really too bad. BUT, it should not mean that she gets special treatment because of it. Look at it this way, if you and she both were to pass and she performed the way you say she does in class, what is your newly acquired grade really worth? For me, that would be the last class or time I went to that particular dojo. But, you have to make that decision for yourself. I personally take the instructor/student relationship VERY seriously. I don't dp tournaments, sparring competitions, kata competitions or anything like that (although I have been asked to demonstrate at tournaments and have agreed to do so). What I teach my students is life preserving and life taking skills. There is no room for specialized treatment. If you walked into my dojo one night and ran into two of my shodans, by and large (excluding any difference in time in grade), they are going to know the same things and be able to perform those things at at least a minimally acceptable level. So, what can your instructor do? If he feels he must promote her (for whatever reason), I would get her a shodan-ho belt (for those that may not know, that is a black belt with a white line through the middle of it). Typically, that belt signifies someone below the age of 18 that has passed a shodan test OR someone who was given a shodan grade but is (for whatever reason) on some sort of probationary status. If she asks why it is "different", he can have something prepared to tell her. But, she gets the rank and it does not necessarily equate to a "real" shodan and can be explained to others (privately) what the deal is. If promotions for her continue, just add stripes to the belt and then be done with it. What you can do in the short term is this....tell her that you came from a different school and style where things were done differently and you are working hard to overcome that. And, it would be best moving forward (until you are able to get that bad habit corrected and/or under control) it would be best for her to work with and be paired up with other people. Add a comment about how you look forward to working with her in the future when your personal shortcomings don't make her uncomfortable. Additionally, if you know anyone else at the school that you can let know what's going on, if you get paired with her, spend a little time with her and then go grab that other person and tell them that it would be best to switch partners because you are just doing things too aggressively and it would be better for this other person to work with someone else less aggressive as well. If your instructor is the only one that can change these pairings, then put him on the spot. Spend a few minutes with her and then straight up tell him you can't help be be too aggressive and maybe it might be better for you to switch out with someone else. He knows you are not being aggressive. So, if he refuses, start doing sloppy and weak drills, asking him very specifically in front of everyone else on the floor if that is "better" and how you should be doing the techniques. MAKE him tell you in front of everyone else that you should be doing something that is junk. You, him and all of them are then going to know what's going on. Don't let the fact that he is an instructor throw you off. YOU are not there to make this other person's life easier. YOU are there and paying money for him to teach you and put you into a good learning environment. Again, I am one of those people that do not really care about stepping on the toes of others. He has a responsibility to you just as much as he does to that other person. If he wants to be treated with respect and does not want to loose face, then he does need to earn that and continue to earn it to keep it. Best of luck with your issue and sorry to be so long winded...those types of things irk me.

In my organization, everything through Rokudan (6th dan) is a technical grade. Past that, Shichidan and Hachidan were basically time in grade and more honorific than anything else. I am fine with that. In my organization, the time in grade requirements would take 25 years minimum for you to get to 6th dan. I am a Godan and have been at it for 45 years. If you have been legitimately at it for a quarter to a half century, I personally think you are going to get 99% of what it is that you need to know. But, if other organizations want to do it differently, that's fine too. When it is a 30 year old Hachidan, that is when I kinda scratch my head! LOL Thanks.

Ashley: Thank you very much for the warm welcome and kind words. They are very much appreciated! One of the great things about being old and having been around for so long is that you get to meet lots of interesting folks and pick up alot of (sometimes seemingly useless) information. I look forward to being able to share where I can. Thank you again.

Wow...a book could literally be written on either qigong or kuji-kiri (and they have!). When looking at them both at the same time, it is a massively deep subject. My apologies in advance for what I am sure is going to be a book of a response... If I may, before digging into what the OP says and asks, I’d like to take the time to backtrack a bit and do a slight bit to establish my bona fides as to kuji-kiri. This could come off the wrong way (at least to some) and I hope that no one takes this effort as a means of trying to “toot my own horn”. It is just that there is an absolute ton of bovine excrement out there concerning kuji-kiri (kuji-in) and, to be honest, qigong. I just want to show that I do have a bit of a background in what I am saying here. It in no way should be taken that I am trying to say that I am 100% right. Back in, I believe, 1978 or 1979 (shortly after I began my official martial arts training) Black Belt magazine did an article on Stephen K. Hayes and how he is living in Japan and training with Hatsumi Soke in ninjutsu. I was absolutely fascinated. While they did not give a specific address to the location of the dojo, they did state it was in Noda, Chiba Prefecture. So, I wrote Stephen a letter (obviously years before email would even start to begin to be a thing) and addressed it to him in care of Hatsumi Masaki using the city, prefecture and country. Off I went to the post office and got an international envelope and with the appropriate postage. It has been so long ago that I really don’t even remember specifically what I wrote. Something along the lines of how cool I thought ninjutsu was and what he was doing as well as how I would like to meet him one day and train with him. Lo and behold, a few months later, I got a response from him! A personal response at that. I really don’t remember what all he said (it was, actually, a rather lengthy response). But, one thing that he did say was that if we were ever able to make it happen, he would be happen to “train me”. How cool is that? Flash forward to the winter of 1982 (I think). It just so happened that at the time, Stephen happened to have a dojo in Kettering, OH. It was in a pretty run down shopping center in the basement level. I don’t remember specifically if they were all partners in the dojo, but it was Stephen along with Bud Malmstrom and Larry Beaver (what ever happened to Larry?). Anyway, I showed up one night and asked Stephen if he remembered getting a letter from a kid in Texas while he was in Japan. He said he did. I told him that I was that kid and, as the letter had stated, I was here to train. LOL! Really funny looking back on it! Later, I ended up in an Atlanta suburb and hooked up with Bud Malmstrom for a bit as his dojo was there and spent some time there. Not even sure if Bud would really remember me...I am not a remarkable person in most circumstances. Fast forward to the early to mid 1990’s and I was in the Houston area. In, I believe, the 3rd of the late Dr. Glenn Morris’ books, it mentioned him living in Houston. I managed to track him down, called him, we met and really hit it off. We became fast friends and training partners. At the time, I believe, Glenn was a 7th dan in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu. He was also teaching some of his own mix of arts called Hoshinroshi-ryu Jutaijutsu. I ended up getting a sandan from Glenn in Hoshin. Glenn and I hit it off so well, he passed along a student of his from the UK that ended up living with me as an type of uchi-deshi. Glenn also sent me off to meet and do some work with Dr. Ed Sones in Wimberly, TX. Another 7th dan (I think) in the Booj at the time. Glenn was a really interesting character. Much of what he said, did and wrote was taken too literally...especially by some hardcore Booj folks. Glenn was also very into the esoteric side of things and that is alot of the training and discussion we did. Anyway, why all of the above? Like I said earlier...just an attempt to establish some bona fides with regards to ninjutsu since they are the ones that seem to be the most well known when it comes to kuji-kiri/kuji-in. As to the above comment...when it comes to qigong, I think that it needs to be established what qigong actually is. Some may disagree with the following and I would be happy to have that discussion as well. Put as simply as I can, you have neigong (inner work) and qigong. They are not the same. Qigong starts outside the body and works inwards. Neigong starts inside the body and works outwards. By way of example, Yiquan (I-Chuan) is neigong. 5 Element Qigong (wuxing) is...well...as the name implies...is qigong. This is a very simplistic way of looking at it. Just remember outside in or inside out. More discussions can be had on this. To say that qigong is not for combat and is geared towards the cultivation of spirit and or vitality is not correct. Think of neigong as a pie. Qigong are slices of that pie. So, you can have qigong that are strictly health related. You can have qigong for enlightenment or spiritual development. You can also have qigong for longevity. While that is certainly health related, I am defining health related as a specific qigong set dealing with a specific issue and qigong for longevity as general qigong to help live a longer and healthier life that is not trying to deal with a specific ailment. And, yes, you can have qigong for martial benefit as well. I am going to leave kuji-kiri/kuji-in alone for the moment and get into that below. Suffice it to say that the comments above by the OP in regards to kuji are, essentially, incorrect as well. So, both disciplines are not necessarily rooted in yoga. When it comes to qigong, yes...that term is Chinese. And, yes, there are some similar aspects from yoga to qigong. But that hand seals of kuji-kiri/kuji-in are also found in Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga. And they are also found in the traditional Indian martial art of Kalaripayattu (or Kalari). The key is that it is ALL based on the intrinsic internal energy prana (qi), pranayama (breath or energy work), nadis (meridians and channels or jing luo) and marmas (xue). Side note: Even in Kalari they had a sub-art or method of striking the marmas the have an effect on the prana, killing the person being struck! Hello Dim Mak/dian xue! LOL! The key here is that all of this ties to Hinduism. So, not necessarily yoga itself per se. Was yoga (hatha and raja) a part of this? Yes, absolutely! But did qigong derive from yoga? No. Yoga is a root. When Bodhidharma gave us 18 Monk Hands (Shiba Luohan Shou), the Sinew Change Classic (Yijin Jing) and the Marrow Washing Classic (Xi Sui Jing), ALL of the above reference items were roots of this training. Remember, Bodhidharma (due to his caste) would have knowledge and training in ALL of the above and all of these would be incorporated in what was taught to the monks. The key takeaway to all of this is that the base is Hinduism and NOT yoga alone. FINALLY! The really good stuff! Kuji-kiri/kuji-in! So, yes...the term kuji-kiri (and kuji-in) is Japanese. And yes, it is a part of ninjutsu. No, it is NOT a stand alone practice. It is a part of or a sub-art of a number of different practices. Remember at the very beginning of this when you said that kuji is not for martial arts? Well, isn’t ninjutsu a martial art? Aside from that, you can also find kuji in other Japanese koryu martial arts.An example of this is Otake Risuke Sensei (Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū bujutsu) in his book “The Deity and the Sword” references kuji. And, to different degrees, you will find kuji referenced in the densho (scrolls...documents of transmission) in both Toda-ha Buko-ryu and Araki-ryu. So, kuji-kiri/kuji-in is absolutely a part of martial arts. As to more on the being a stand alone practice, kuji is actually a part of a specific ritual derived from Shingon mikkyo...which is an esoteric sect of Buddhism (Mìzong in Chinese and Vajrayana in Tibet...and, by the way, there is also a line of thought that kuji came from Tibet and not India...but that is a topic for a different time). So, if you were initiated into and adept of Shugendo and/or Shingon Mikkyo, you would have not only been trained in the ritual of kuji-kiri, but also the ritual of Hannya Shin Gyo (Heart of Transcendental Wisdom) and many others. Kuji-kiri could be taught nowadays as a stand alone art (and probably is by someone). But, speaking from a historical and traditional sense, it is not. Using the reference that I used above, kuji-kiri is a slice of the larger pie. Circling back to the comment by the OP that this comes from yoga, no...Are there mudra (the hand seals) in yoga the look very similar to the mudra of kuji-kiri? Absolutely yes. A very good example of this is the Vajra mudra from yoga and the Zai mudra in kuji-kiri. But remember that there are a number of different schools of yoga. You can literally find hundreds of different mudras in yoga. The Nātyaśāstra scripture from the Indian traditions lists 24 asaṁyuta ("separated" and/or "one-hand") and 13 saṁyuta ("joined" and/or "two-hand") mudras. I have to break your question(s) into different parts to answer them the best way that I, personally, can. As to qigong (moreso neigong) and the above question, yes. Use taijiquan (pick your favorite flavor) and use press (ji) as an example. If I can outwardly express peng jin and with a small movement bounce your 5 or 10 feet backwards, is that a great capability? As to kuji-kiri/kuji-in, also yes...but not the way that you think. Especially in light of the rest of your comment below. So keep reading...I really am almost done here! So kuji-kiri/kuji-in first... Kuji is actually known for “super powers”. Especially with the bovine excrement your find in modern popular media nowadays. For example, “hearing the thoughts of another” is one of the capabilities that kuji is supposed to bestow upon you. The problem here is that we are looking at this from a Western perspective and meaning. When you say hearing or listening in English, the usually means something that is actually auditory. Sound waves being emitted by someone or something that causes the mechanisms of our ear to vibrate and transmit to our brains as “sound”. Now, look at things from an Asian (specifically Chinese and Japanese in this particular instance). If I am showing your Taijiquan push hands (tuishou) and I tell you that you need to develop listening energy (ting jin), does that mean that I am telling you to listen or hear (using the auditory system) for some sort of energy emitting from your opponent? No. The same thing applies to kuji. You are not getting some telepathic connection to your opponent...although I suppose there is at least one person out there trying to actually teach that! So, in answering this last part of your question, just what the heck is kuji-kiri? In a brief nutshell, kuji is an esoteric teaching that purports to show how one can almost instantaneously switch to a state of muga (no self) for a number of specific reasons through the use of the following mechanisms: A hand position (mudra) A spoken expression (mantra) A mental visualization or actual object (mandala) SIDE NOTE: I am already way out in the tall grass, so I am not going to go even further at this point in this post, but there are those that also teach that a focus point on the body and/or a philosophical concept or problem...think like a Zen koan as a basic example of this. A topic for another day. There has been little and I do mean VERY little Western scientific study into this. But there was one that I know of. There is alot that they were able to measure, but the TLDR version of it is that meditation is a state that takes a bit to achieve (meaning the measurable effects). The the people that did kuji, the effects were virtually instantaneous. FINALLY, back to qigong and the last part of your question. For me, the answer is yes. There are qigong sets that can help you with all of the ailments your reference. If someone does not believe in the existence of some sort of intrinsic internal energy that we have a means of controlling and enhancing, then their answer would probably be no. And...really lastly....not only is there kuji, there is also juji! LOL! Don't worry, I will save that for another post. Man...that made my own head hurt! LOL! I hope the OP is still around to read this or someone got at least a little something from this book that I have written! I’ll stop my old man ramblings now. I am happy to discuss any of the above with anyone that has an interest. For those that made it to the end, I thank you and appreciate you.

I have met the owners instructor in Okinawa as I do Matayoshi kobudo as well. He was a very high ranked student of Matayoshi Sensei. All of their weapons they make are available in the US, so you should be able to get the same or better quality without the shipping charges. The only thing that might not apply there are the tekko as those can be a pain in the butt to find in the US for some reason. Was there anything in particular that you were looking at buying? I know I am late to the game here...sorry...

New guy late to the game again, but wanted to jump in here... First off, you do know that Judo has kata too right? Are people going to throw out Ju-no-Kata because they don't want to be "soft"? Or are they going to throw out all of them just because they are kata? To the OP, I would really need to ask you two very specific things to give your the best answer or opinion. That would be, why are you doing martial arts (whatever particular flavor it may be) in the first place? Sport? Self-perfection? Or as a life preserving art? Next, I would ask your why it is that you do kata? Because someone showed them to you and told you that you had to do them? Or are you doing them because you understand the original purpose behind them. Let me give you an example of two arts that I do now due to age and health issues. One is Baguazhang where you "walk in circles". For the most part, for quite some time, all you do is learn how to walk in a circle correctly, how to turn directions and walk the other way and do a "single palm change" when turning. And when I say "quite some time", I mean like years. The other is Yiquan. In this case your just stand (as in zhan zhuang or standing stake). That's it. Just stand. Eight different poses or postures. But you just stand. But, there are reasons for doing both of the above. I won't get into them all here, but am happy to talk about it if anyone is interested. But, the point is that doing the above is done for very specific reasons. Highly technical reasons. Kata is much the same way. But, the caveat I have to throw in here is that I am talking about the "old" katas. Not the "school yard kata" of modern karate. I guess one other thing I would throw in here is...when you are taught and learn the kata that you do, are you taught the bunkai? The oyo? The henka? Again, my opinion, with out those three things, you are just essentially doing a dance and might as well toss them out. Learning the kata and memorizing the moves in order and the embusen is just level 1 out of 10 that you can and should be doing (numbers made up to emphasize the point). Anyway, would be interesting to see where this goes as the topic has some real potential for good discussion.

I have got a pretty strong background in Shotokan from back in the day and I don't recognize the name or the kata from the video clip.

Thought of something else...and it might be of interest to you (or someone)... Have you read the Bubishi? In it, one of the things that are shown are the "6 ji hands". Look familiar at all? Might be especially familiar for anyone that knows the Tensho kata. These are, as the story goes, from Monk Fist Boxing or Luohanquan.

My only nitpick with you would be that "typically" the ultimate small target area would be ippon nukite or the single finger spear hand...also the katas Unsu and Gojushiho. Also, if I may, nukite is often looked at only one way and it should not be. Folks forget the thumb in this strike. There are a variety of different ways you can use the thumb as the striking surface or weapon and NOT the extended fingers. Remember, the nukite hand formation in the older Okinawan arts was done differently than the Japanese do. It is less esthetically pleasing to look at. But, in my opinion, much more effective.

I can tell you that WAAAAYYYY back in the day when I did Shotokan, you could get black belt rankings from at least one of the Korean associations equal to your Shotokan rank. Honestly, I forget whether it was TKD or TSD. They are all in a drawer some place. But, my shodan through yondan in Shotokan (Kenneth Funakoshi, Karate Association of Hawaii) got me the equivalent rank from the Koreans (for what it was worth). I have to admit that I kind of skimmed through some of the responses, so someone else may have mentioned it. Yong Sul Choi that developed Hapkido was a student of Sokaku Takeda in Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu the same as O'Sensei Ueshiba did...

I trained for a while in a dojo where they taught three (3) different koryu styles. They used a licensing system (Okuiri, Mokuroku, Menkyo, Menkyo Kaiden, etc.) as opposed to that more modern dan system. So, you rank was based on individual arts even they they were connected...and sometimes blended. But, at the end of the day, I would assume that it is up to the person issuing the rank and signing the certificates.

As a few other people have mentioned, Ryukyu Kempo (or just te if you prefer) had all of that and much more. As folks like Itosu and Funakoshi were working to get "karate" (empty hand) into the school systems and mainland Japan, they changed the kata and bunkai and removed everything (for the most part) other than strikes and kicks. Sure, a few takedowns/sweeps/throws and a bit of standing grappling here and there. But at that point that art basically devolved and was then set on a new evolutionary track from there. But, there are still those that do ground work/grappling and much more.