Ikken hissatsu-To kill with one blow

[bushido_man96]

Good show, James. I figured you had something like that in mind.

[Kajukenbopr]

i think the founder of Kyokushin made it become literal. He became a fighting machine that could not be blocked and would render anyone impotent against such force.

But, we also have to remember the harsh training a karate-ha had to overcome so that when he found someone without martial arts skill, one blow could kill them.

you train to become hard and hit even harder. you become sword-like, a breathing weapon that has the potential to kill with a single strike.

[ShoriKid]

For me it has always meantto enter into a fight as if you only get one technique And, in that one technique, you have to finish the fight, so it must be perfectly exicuted, on target and maximum power meant to end the fight. If you are so blessed as to get a follow up, that is the last technique you'll have the chance to use.

So, I feel it's a level of commitment in fighting, but also a level of commitment in training, where maximum effort and focus is put into everything you do as it may be the last thing you do.

[bushido_man96]

Level of committment in training...good analogy there. Train as hard as you can to make things as easy as possible for yourself.

[joesteph]

So, I feel it's a level of commitment in fighting, but also a level of commitment in training . . .

I feel that if you've prepared yourself as best you could by training, you can even choose the degree or level of combat in the fight you're in, because you know what to do, how far to go, and are adept at delivery. This is why a martial artist who's demonstrating techniques might say that a certain technique would not be used against a drunk, but it would be used in another situation.

I've found that the more home training I do, the more confident I feel about an altercation. It's even interesting to look at an upcoming situation (this large guy is passing me in the street; I'm in a seated position in a diner; I have to pass this group of teens who are mock-fighting one another) and determine what you would do to defend yourself. You can only have ideas of what to do if you've been training faithfully.

[Traymond]

When I was in Tokyo last summer, I noticed some teenagers going around speaking japanese saying things like "One hit one kill no luck just skill". I believe that for everything in martial arts, their is only one thing that is applicable, and that is the mind, if the mind is strong then the warrior is strong. Takuan a famous swordsman once wrote and spoke.

"It is not the warrior that kills, it is the Way of the sword that kills".

With this in through interpretation, it goes to say that the warrior does not kill with his mind, but he trains hard enough to put his mind away and to be able to defend and offend freely not by using his mind, but just by using his body, and thats where the real strength comes from.

[sensei8]

What does this maxim mean to you? How do you interpret it? How does this idea affect your training?

To me, it means to strike hard, but to not assume that one strike will end the altercation.

For me, Ikken hissatsu means to execute each and every technique with every part of ones being as fast/hard as one can. Don't execute any technique without putting oneself into each and every technique with the force and the fire of hell itself.

I don't train to just go through motions because this is a waste of time! I perform/execute each and every technique as though my life depended on it, even during training, because one day, my technique might depend on the way I train. I believe that the way one trains is the way one fights. One can be lackadasical while someone else can allow Ikken hissatsu to embody ones entire being...in everything that's of the Martial Arts.

To me, it means to strike hard, but to not assume that one strike will end the altercation.

To me...it means that I DO believe in that one strike will/can end the altercation. To believe any other way is to have already cast a shadow of doubt; one's already lost! I can't/won't subscribe to that mind-set because I can't afford it.

[bushido_man96]

I don't view it as a negative or defeatist mindset, but more of the need to be ready to deliver that next blow. Not doubting, but being extra pepared.

[tonydee]

To end an altercation, as quickly as possible, with as little effort as possible...

Does not necessarily refer to the killing of your opponent, but rather the killing of the attack, or the spirit to continue fighting...

Quoting this as it's a good point of departure. Quite agree about the importance of seeing if their will to fight can be broken, but if not...

I don't think the amount of physical effort matters as much as the certainty of the outcome: movements should be chosen to effectively exploit weaknesses in the most statistically safe and effective fashion, even if that's through brute force. So perhaps less mental effort, as you look to exploit the weaknesses that are there even if it takes a bit more physical effort, as long as that's well within your capabilities.

For me, perhaps the core skill in martial arts is being able to move towards a waiting opponent, having sized up his/her guard and any movements he/she is making, and consistently penetrate that guard to place a decisive strike. This is crucial for fighting multiple opponents - you must be able to change directions unexpectedly and plough through the people in your way, moving towards them in a way that covers all their potential avenues of attack while creating one of your own. As you close, whether you have to use an unbalancing tap to their front leg, grasp their front hand to pull them out of position or keep them in position, feint, block or dodge just doesn't matter, as long as by the time you get to them the path is clear for that incapacitating strike, break, sweep or throw. It must be a seamless flow that doesn't compromise your footwork and mobility, as maintaining that is essential for avoiding other opponents who may be trying to close in from behind. It's easy in sparring to sit back and take your time, picking off an opponent as they make mistakes. It's harder to attack them decisively at times that are largely predictable to them (though with multiple-opponents your footwork should be used to try to catch them unexpectedly), but it's something martial artists really should force themselves to attempt, despite the risks of coping a few extra blows while learning the craft.

As for the strike itself, I see no big issue in whether a single strike can be sufficient for the job. Many strikes have enormous power and should be sufficient, but when/if they're not you keep fighting. I train my strikes to maximise the power, consciously checking all aspects of their power generation, testing them on various targets. There is nothing more I can do, and I don't lose any sleep over it.

Is this what ikken hissatsu means/meant to those that employ the phrase? I've no idea, but it's all that's important to me in considering how to deliver a decisive strike. To talk of striking without talking of neutralising and penetrating the guard is meaningless.

Cheers,

Tony

[Okami]

It means to kill with one blow, not nessarly the dim mak but certainly can be done if you train for it. Do you forget the armour of the samuri that was penatrated by the human hand. Funny how they forget.