I didn’t have time for any tourist stuff today because I was doing three classes in a row. I only include two of them in the video so that it can be a reasonable length. First up was Nagase Sensei and he surprised us with 距跋渉毛 Kyoketsu Shōge.
I was really surprised that there were only three of us students in Nagase’s class. But he maintained a great spirit and we got to study obscure things that don’t often come up in Bujinkan training. He began with taijutsu against two punches, with a focus on control of the second punch. But then he transitioned quickly to 十手 jūtte and connected these techniques to using your tsuka for control.
Nagase Sensei will check or stop the second attack. But he really is preventing any future attack. He will check the foot, check the other hand, or check the opponent’s weapon. He uses his own feet and hands to do this, but also his position.
Next, he focused on 隠剣術 onken jutsu. He explained to the translator that this was 隠す剣 kakusu ken, or hidden blade techniques. He focused on two special kamae for hiding blades. But if you have ever trained with him, you know he loves to use hidden shuriken.
距跋渉毛 Kyoketsu Shōge with Nagase Sensei
Since the dojo was empty we had the space to study 距跋渉毛 Kyoketsu Shōge. He began to teach 投げ縄術 nage nawa jutsu. I have done this plenty at home, but he shared some details that I had never heard before. He even took off his obi and showed us how we can solo train nage nawa! Nagase Sensei said that was our homework. I can’t wait to try that at home.
He showed us how to do the 振型 furi gata with rope and ring of the Kyoketsu Shōge using the proper grip. Then he taught us how to spin and pivot in all directions. And during the furi he held the blade in his left hand, and the coils of rope with only his little finger.
Nagase Sensei shot the iron ring out to strike the opponent. Then he whipped it back and caught it with his foot. I was very surprised when he used his foot to shoot it back out as the opponent tried to close distance. Then he looped the Kyoketsu Shōge around the attacker’s head and did a 頸投 kubi nage.
Noguchi Sensei does 人略の巻 jin ryaku no maki
After a coffee break, I returned to the dojo for class with Noguchi Sensei. I arrived early to meditate and work on my training notes. Yes, I still use pen and paper to write out the details of my training in Japan. I find this is good for my own memory because the act of writing makes me think about the training more deeply. A strange side effect of this is that I can remember the pages even without having to open the notebook!
Noguchi Sensei’s class was also on the small side, with about ten students. But he still gave us his full energy. He decided to teach from the 人略の巻 jin ryaku no maki.
I don’t know if it’s his knees or his hips, but something kept him from doing the 坐り型 suwari gata, so he did standing variations of 一撃 ichi geki, 抑込 osae komi, and 腕折 ude ori.
Next during 金縛 Kanashibari, he demonstrated an often overlooked, but critical aspect of this choke defense. This is known as 眼光⼀閃 gankō issen, which is sudden flash of the eyes to freeze the attacker. Hatsumi Sensei once told us,
The eyes emit 殺気 sakki. You’ve got to be able to stare him down. Looks very simple as a technique, but you’ve got to have a lot of spiritual power (精神 seishin) to carry it off.
He continued to say that it’s only once you can do things like this that you can do 不動金縛 Fudō Kanashibari. And it is the entrance into 遠当之術 tōate no jutsu. It is rare to train this type of kiai, so I appreciate Noguchi Sensei for that.
He continued to show very painful details for 天狗捕 Tengu Dori, 締脈 Ketsumyaku, 体締 Tai Jime, 地獄落 Jigoku Otoshi. These are battlefield techniques and my training partner and I took great care to not cause injury.
When he got to 虚倒 Kyotō, he showed a terrible henka driving the opponent’s knee straight down into the ground. He did this by first striking sai with his elbow. Then putting his own knee on the back of the opponent’s knee to drop to the ground. Devastating.
伏虎一 Huko ichi, and 伏虎二 Huko ni are variations of the same principle. You pummel the opponent with rapid strikes. One right up the middle to 鈴 suzu or 金的 kinteki. But the implication of the kata being named tiger is that you claw, rip, and tear. Not a fun feeling when Noguchi Sensei comes up from underneath like that.
I think we finished with 押虚 Ōgyaku, and 頭捕 Zu Dori. But that was my third class in a row so I was sore and sweaty. My head was swimming from all of the great details from each teacher.
Right at the end of class, after we vacuumed and cleaned the dojo, Noguchi Sensei awarded a menkyo. I won’t say who he gave it to because it’s not for me to announce that. But I’m not sure I’ve ever witnessed Noguchi Sensei giving menkyo before. Maybe it signals more signs of change going forward in the Bujinkan.
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