Flying Ambush

Michael applies an ankle lock

We warmed up with a variation of 括飛 kappi. The hard part is learning to blend with the opponent’s walking rhythm to be able to execute this ambush. He should neither see, nor expect your attack. We did both right and left, as well as forward and back leaping.

I began class with 飛搾 hisaku. This kata is awkward for many students. It is like “pulling guard” in the air if you are familiar with that term from BJJ.

First, you strike to the opponent’s 雨戸 uko or amedo (same kanji, but I’ve heard both pronunciations). This is to properly shock, soften up, or reposition him. Then you deliver a flying or leaping torso choke with your legs.

One trick for this that I learned from Hatsumi Sensei is how to leap. You leap up and hang. But the leap should be light. It as if you make yourself lighter. Once you have the body choke in place, you make yourself heavy to bring the opponent down. It is all very controlled.

Once he is down, you use a leg or ankle lock that Hatsumi Sensei describes as 編み締め ami shime. You encircle his ankle/calf with your arm. This is a wrenching lock that uses the shape of the foot as you flatten it out. I usually do this by laying my own body back as I apply it.

Since everyone tires quickly while studying this kata, I moved into some henka that work with recent themes from Soke in Japan. First, I walked by using a very light control on the opponent’s walking gait. Then with a sutemi, I lock out his leg and drop him.

Next, I used this walk by to do a type of 編み締め ami shime to the upper arm. This applies pressure to his shoulder and leaves him vulnerable to other attacks. I finished this with a form of kyojitsu that uses 遠当之術 tōate no jutsu like I describe here: The 虚実 Kyojitsu of Control: Bujinkan Strategies of Control Part 3

Several students were surprised at their own reactions to this. The mechanism that causes this is hidden from their minds because you remove your own intention from the kukan. This is a very important secret of Hatsumi Sensei’s recent teachings.

Of Note: muddied up