Break some eggs

We warmed up with the jūtaijutsu shuffle training drill combined with 半棒術 hanbōjutsu kihon. We did 附入 tsuke iri, 腰折 kosshi ori, 鬼砕 oni kudaki, and 巌石落 ganseki otoshi. Mixing weapons into your grappling practice is always a challenge, and this was definitely an advanced warmup.

I began class with 玉砕 tama kudaki. This is a ball crusher. But another reading of these kanji is gyokusai, which means an honorable death.

The opponent comes in with a 本締め hon jime. You counter with boshi into 脇つぼ wakitsubo, and Hatsumi Sensei suggests that we “remember how to break his ribs here if you can”. Then, since this is 潜型 moguri gata, you drop to throw.

The Japanese text doesn’t include the kuden that I’ve always been taught with this kata. This is where you kick him in the “tama.” Soke told us, “In the kukan here is where you learn how to kick. This is where you break the 玉 tama. Like eggs sunny-side up.”

I shared more lessons from Japan when I controlled the opponent by his jacket. You trap them in their own clothing. Wrapping their arms or their head. My students were a bit surprised when I slid my hand down their lapel to throw.

This is also an important moment for 探型 saguri-gata. You probe for weakness or hidden weapons. I discovered knives and shuriken which I offered to hold for my opponent. The lesson here is that this happens in the movement itself.

Of Note: shirts and skins