Godan

YellowHatGuy — Sat, 14 Nov 2026 02:42:20 GMT

Bubishi

YellowHatGuy — Fri, 13 Nov 2026 04:29:48 GMT

Bubishi

YellowHatGuy — Thu, 12 Nov 2026 21:34:59 GMT

Created page with "{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto" text-align:left;" | !colspan="4"| Lessons from ''The Bubishi'' |- ! # !! Attacker's Losing Technique !! Defender's Winning Technique !..."

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{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto" text-align:left;" |
!colspan="4"| Lessons from ''The Bubishi''
|-
! # !! Attacker's Losing Technique !! Defender's Winning Technique !! Core Lesson
|-
|1
||'''Ring the Bell and Sound the Drum'''
Enter with a bear hug over the arms
||'''Drop 1,000 lbs.'''
Step back and turn, sinking into a low horseback stance with a double scooping block.
|| Lowering your center counters bear hugs.
|-
|2
||White Monkey Steals Fruit
Lunge forward with a double rising ridge-hand strike to the defender’s groin.
||Black Tiger Rushes from its Cave
Pull back into a cat stance with a spearhand guard.
||Counter all lunging attacks by jamming them once the enemy commits.
|-
|3
||Try to Scoop Fish from the Water
Vigorously enter with any two-handed grab, tackle, or punching combination.
||Trim the Hem
Side or rear breakfall. Hook the enemy’s ankle with your inside leg’s shin or instep. Hook of the enemy’s knee with your outside leg. Push their knee back and pull their ankle forward to topple them with a kami-basami variant.
||A drop leg-scissors counters all grabs.
|-
|4
||Child Holds a Lotus
Attack with a bear hug under the defender’s arms.
||General Holds the Approving Seal/Stamp
Step forward between the enemy’s legs. Simultaneously grab their hair and pull it back with your left hand, and place your right hand on their chin, pushing it up and to the right. When combined, these actions will break the enemy’s neck.
||Head manipulations can counter grabs, especially from a smaller attacker.
|-
|5
||Climb a Mountain to Hunt Tigers
Attack with a high left front kick, followed by a right downward hammerfist strike.
||Pull Onions from the Ground
Catch the enemy’s kick from below. Pull their leg to off-balance them, then raise their leg overhead to topple them.
||Catching kicks is a generally good idea -- especially high kicks, where the enemy is easier to off-balance.
|}

6 Breaking Bamboo
Attack with long, highly-telegraphed swinging punches, like haymakers or drum punches. Gathering Around a Fire
Throw a double morote uke, twisting your waist with evasive footwork to deflect attacks as you maintain the maai, until an opportunity to counterattack presents itself. Evasion and maintaining distance is the main defense.
7 Arhat Opens the Door
Attack with a left downward hammer fist from overhead (a “windmill”). Little Demons Remove the Door Bar
Step forward with a simultaneous right rising block and left reverse punch. Straight techniques beat round techniques.

Defense and counterattacks can (and should) be simultaneous.

8 One Hand Holds Up a Golden Lion
While grappling with the defender, attempt to strike them with a haymaker, like a hockey player. Two Dragons Play in the Water
Trap or deflect in the attack with the sides of a rising X-block, then arm wrap the enemy’s arm and apply a standing arm bar. Seek arm wraps when grappling.
9 Play Cymbals
Attack with a front choke. Trim the Hem
Side or rear breakfall. Hook the enemy’s ankle with your inside leg’s shin or instep. Hook of the enemy’s knee with your outside leg. Push their knee back and pull their ankle forward to topple them with a kami-basami variant. A drop leg-scissors counters all grabs.
10 White Monkey Plays with a Stick
Lunge forward and attack with a single leg pick. Two Dragons Play with a Pearl
Strike the enemy’s temples, or slap their ears with kumade-uchi. Single-leg takedowns leave the head undefended; attack this immediately to counter such attacks.
11 Four Horses on the Loose
Punch and kick wildly. Tiger Catches the Boar
Step forward, between the enemy’s feet, and twist towards their kick. Underhook your far arm under the enemy’s knee, for a single leg pick. Push your near hand into the enemy’s hip, to dump them on their back.
This is an augmented kokyūhō variant performed from the inside. Kokyūhō and its variants counter most situations from grappling range.
12 Butterfly Flutters By
Attack with a combination or punches to the defender’s face. Bend Over to Pick Up Bamboo
7-3 outside and duck. Single leg pick, grabbing the inside of heir ankle with your outside hand and lifting. Palmheel strike the inside of their knee with your inside hand to topple them. A single leg pick counters boxers.
13 Phoenix Rises into the Sun
Feint with a jab to setup and uppercut. Blue Dragon Suddenly Appears
7-3 outside, simultaneously trapping their right wrist with your left hand, using your right hand to attack their throat with an eagle claw. Do not over-focus on a skilled fighter’s initial attack, since it is usually a feint.
14 Overreaching Forward
Try to grab, push, or punch from too far away. Flanking Maneuver
7-3 inside and apply ikkyō or gokkyō, augmenting the lock by pinching the nerve behind their elbow. Overextending sets up arm levers.
15 Holding a Nail in Place
Attack by pulling the defender’s hair back with your left hand, to set up a right downward hammer-fist strike to the face. Keep Something from Moving
Simultaneously attack the enemy’s throat and groin with eagle-claw strikes. Grabbing diminishes your ability to block.
16 Child Plays in the Grass
Begin a fighting stance with a tiger claw guard. Pretend to be Drunk
Acting intoxicated, weak, or cowardly deceives the enemy into dropping their guard. Immediately attack the opening this creates. Deception creates openings.
17 Golden Carp Climbs a Waterfall
When grappling, pull your arm back to chamber a strike. Beautiful Woman Combs Her Soft Hair
Use your same-side hand to push their chin up and towards their punching hand. Pull their hair with your other hand to augment your head control or snap their neck. Once someone commits to an attack they can no longer defend.

Don’t “wind up” strikes.
18 Lion Plays with a Ball
Attack with a low-level kick with your arms extended, as in Wing Chun Kung Fu Tiger Stalks its Prey
Lunge deeply to void the enemy’s hands and grab their leg with both hand for a single-leg pick. Push on the inside of their knee or hip and twist to the outside for a takedown. Single leg picks work on any attacker, regardless of their size or strength.
19 Child Holds a Lotus
Attack with a bear hug over the arms. Lose Spirit from Short Hits
If you are being grappled and have little maneuvering room, then spearhand strike soft, high-value targets-of-opportunity (e.g., eyes, ears, larynx). Striking soft targets is always an option; power generation is irrelevant.
20 Two Tigers Attack
Advance, pushing with both hands. Seize the Ox, Sweep the Leg.
Grab and twist the enemy’s wrists to break their balance, then sweep their leg, or kick their abdomen or other low target. Wrist-twists provide the balance-breaking needed to setup takedowns.
21 Palace Guard Kicks a Gate Closed
Attack with a front thrust kick. Bend Down to Pick Up Bamboo
7-3 outside, twist, and squat into a horse stance with a scooping block at their ankle, and a backfist to their groin. While the enemy is stunned, reap their other leg. Kick catches and single leg picks setup reaps, like ouchi-gari.
22 Start With One and Change to Another
Attack with a high front kick. Little Devils Take Their Shoes Off
Lunge deeply to evade the kick, and underhook the enemy’s leg for a single leg-pick as the advance or high kick, and raise their leg until they topple backwards. Kick catches and single leg picks setup simple backwards-pushes, which have no counter.

23 Iron Ox Claw Runs Into a Mountain
Push your all your might. Carp Swims Upstream Against the Current
7-3 outside and attack targets-of-opportunity. The enemy's advance will help you maneuver behind them and secure an advantageous angle. Deceive enemies into thinking that a you “mistakenly” left a target open, to bait them into attacking in easily-countered ways.
24 Carp Jumps into a Well
Squat and lunge with both arms extended, like a football tackle or a wrestler’s double-leg takedown. Cicada Removes its Shell
Grab the enemy’s arms or lapels and throw them with tamoe-nage. Tomoe-nage counters all push or lunge techniques.
25 Eye Poke
Attack with a spearhand strike to the defender’s eyes from close range. Use Cymbals
Cross-step outside. Use your outside hand to palmheel strike begin the enemy’s ear; this will deflect their attack. Simultaneously use your inside hand to palmheel strike their floating ribs.
This is an offensive application of knifu-kuniniku. Blocks can be counters.
Counters can be blocks.

Double attacks should target multiple levels to impede defense.
26 Simultaneous Hand and Foot
Attack with a simultaneous font kick and jab punch. Stepping Around Moving Objects
7-3 outside. Simultaneously performance pressing block with your outside hand. Use your inside hand to attack targets-of-opportunity.
This is a bunkai from Ugoku ni Roku Ho. Evasion defends against all of the attacks from a given side.
27 Sleeping Tiger
Attack with a bear hug over the arms from behind. Guardian Closes the Gate Behind Them
Step out and turn inward to create an opening to hammerfist the enemy’s groin. Grab their testicles and raise your other arm to break their balance. People connected to your center use your balance. Moving your center off-balances them.
28 Mountain Crushes an Egg
Attack with a downward hammerfist strike to the face. Carp Swims Upstream Through the Current
7-3 outside and deflect or trap the enemy’s attack with a rising X-block. Then grab the enemy’s wrist and apply ikkyō. Vertical strikes are easily evaded and countered.

29 Golden Turtle on its Back
Grapple with the defender. Child Holds a Lotus
Reach down and grab the enemy’s ankle. Hip check them to create space as you raise their leg to dump them backwards. Single leg pick is always an option when grappling.
30 Hungry Tiger Mauls its Prey
Attack with a repeated series of downward hammerfists (“the windmill”).
Monkey Threads a Needle
Maintain a safe maai until you have can simultaneously pull on or pressing block their arm to off-balance them, and spearhand strike under their armpit. Kūsankū techniques overwhelm, confuse, and instantly defeat inexperienced attackers.
31 Fighting Alone at the Gate of an Official's Home
Attack with a pursuit punch or grab. Fight with a Knife
7-3 outside and grab the enemy’s wrist with your closest hand, Pull their arm across your chest for a standing arm bar. Reach your other arm across their neck and twist into the enemy, to throw them with a simultaneous kokyūhō and leg sweep. All lunging attacks can be counted with takedowns (kokyūhō, leg sweeps, and reaps).
32 Dragons Spits Pearls
Attack with a close-range punch. Phoenix Spreads its Wings
Deflect the punch down and to the outside with a pressing block, and immediately spearhand strike their eyes using the same hand. Kūsankū techniques can be directed to the same side at different levels.
33 Unicorn Opens its Mouth to Eat
Attempt to take the enemy down with kosoto-kake. Golden Lion Shakes its Mane
Move your head to the outside to slip the enemy’s attack, attacking the enemy’s throat and groin with a spearhand version of yama-tsuki. Then grab the enemy‘s hair and groin, and pull them to the ground. Extend energy in the opposite direction needed for the enemy to complete a takedown.
34 White Crane Folds its Wings
Attack with a pursuit punch to the solar plexus. Phoenix Pecks at a Pearl
7-3 outside with an outside pressing block into a same-side wrist grab and simultaneously strike their solar plexus with a phoenix-eye fist (ippon-ken tsuki). You don’t need to redirect empty-handed attacks completely away from you; you only need to direct them away from kyūsho.
35 Thunder Shakes a Tree
Grab the defender’s wrists and pull them off-balance. Raindrop of Flower Pedals
Yield to the enemy’s action, using their momentum to add power to a spearhand strike to their eyes. Use the enemy’s momentum to augment your attacks.

36 Spirited Bragging Tiger
Attack with a haymaker. Buddha Sits of a Lotus Leaf and Prays
Kneel with a same-side groin grab. Use your free hand to check the enemy’s free hand. Evade vertically, especially against an overconfident attacker.
37 One-horned Ox
Attack with a reverse punch. Grabbing the Branch
7-3 outside with a morote uke, then grasp the nerve under their biceps. Evading to the outside is typically the safer option.
38 Child Shows His Hands to His Parents
Attack with a double lapel grab, to setup a takedown. Praying with Hands Raised to Buddha
Step back to off-balance the enemy with a kakiwake-uke. Arm wrap both arms for a double standing arm bar. If possible, perform a double spearhand strike under the enemy’s ribs as a bonus attack. Grabbing with both hands leaves you defenseless.
39 Raise Your Hand to Be Counted
Attack with a cross-hand wrist grab.

Pulling Your Plate Closer to Eat
Pull the enemy’s arm to the inside as you tenkan outside, forcing the enemy to run into your left rear elbow strike. Apply an over-the-shoulder armbar. Grabbing creates a mutual connection; it has the same effect as being grabbed.
40 Raising the Hands and Calling Out
Attempt a double lapel grab or double sleeve grab.
Pointing Out the Exact Spot
Void the grab by sinking into a lower stance, and deflecting it to the side with a pressing block, counter with a spearhand strike to the solar plexus or other vital targets-of-opportunity. Moving the intended target counters any attack.
41 Wind and Cloud Technique
Attack with inside hammerfist strikes to the ribs. The Opposing Sun and Moon
Retreat to maintain the maai, swatting attacks to the inside to over-rotate the enemy. Entering long-range counters all short-range attacks. Maintaining a safe distance is the ultimate defense.
42 Plum Branch Blossoms in the Sun
Attack with a pursuit uppercut. Striking the Branch makes Flowers Fall
Swat the attack aside as you retreat and sidestep to maintain the maai. Sidesteps allow evasion while maintaining attack distance.

43 Warrior’s Fighting Posture
Take on an overly-rigid fighting stance. Flags and Drums Direct Troops
Begin in a low-level fighting stance, with your left hand by your right ear. Smash the enemy’s hand with a downward elbow strike (from the inside) or a morote block (from the outside). Always create openings, since obvious openings may be the bait for a trap.
44 Tiger Jumps and Claws
Attack with an uncoordinated pursuit downward backfist. Leopard Shows its Fangs
Turn to the side to void the attack and grab the enemy’s hand, pulling them into a front thrust kick their ribs. Poor fighters can stun you with their stupidity. Don’t try to understand them, just sidestep and counter.
45 Twist to the Front and Back
Attack with an uppercut. White Crane Flaps its Wings
Deflect with an opposite-side downward block and simultaneously counter with a spearhand strike to the throat. The sweeping action of blocks to the outside can effectively defend your inside.
46 Nervous Soldier Enters Battle
Nervously attack with a reverse punch. White Monkey Steals Candy
Grab the enemy’s wrist to pull them off-balance, so your can grab their groin. Seize the opportunities created by enemies who lose their balance after missing their intended targets.
47 Iron Bull Charges Forward
Hesitantly attack with a reverse punch. Wave Goodbye and Run Away
Close in and counter with a downward palmheel strike. Immediately attack whenever the enemy hesitates to keep them mentally off-balanced.
48 White Crane Spreads its Wings
Inch your way into range to attack with Mr. Miyagi’s Crane Kick™. Your spread arms create the illusion of being open which baits the defender into walking into a front kick. If the defender reacts to the front kick, they’ll leave their head open in the process. Poisonous Snake Rises Up to Strike
Attack with a horizontal strike. As the enemy defends against this, immediate attack with a downward strike. Feints and follow-ups must be drastically different; and directed to different sides, angles, levels, and/or axes.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Godan''' (“Fifth Level”) was the fifth [[Kata|kata]] created by Grandmaster Durant. This is a complex form, which is reserved for black belts. Godan is the quintessential [[Goshin-Jutsu]] [[Karate]][[Dō|dō]] [[Kata|kata]], as it best exhibits the crisp techniques, fluid transitions, and inhuman brutality which define our art.
+'''Godan''' (“Fifth Level”) was the fifth [[Kata|kata]] created by Grandmaster Durant. This is a complex form, which is reserved for black belts. Godan is the exemplar of [[Goshin-Jutsu]] [[Karate]][[Dō|dō]] [[Kata|kata]], as it best exhibits the crisp techniques, fluid transitions, and inhuman brutality which define our art.
 ==Directions==
 [video of Godan, performed fast and slow, viewed from cameras at #1, 3, 7, 5. Be sure that you take up the whole frame. A lot of our old kata videos are from too far away, and it hides some detail.]
@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 #[[Twisting|Twist]] into a right [[Cat stance|cat stance]] facing #6 with a left [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]]-level [[Front-foot punch|front-foot punch]] to #6, to completing the [[Hip throw|hip throw]].
 #Jump into the air. Pull your knees up to your chest. Slide your left [[Shutō|shutō]] down your right arm as you chamber your right arm with [[Reciprocal_action|reciprocal action]]. Land feet-first. Do not lock your knees. End by [[Kneeling|kneeling]] on your right knee facing #6, with a right [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]] straight down.
-#Quickly look to #7. While still [[Kneeling|kneeling]] on your right knee, turn to #7 with a left [[Rising block|rising block]]. Execute a right [[Rising block|rising block]], and a left [[Gyaku-sukuite|gyaku-sukuite]].
+#Quickly look to #7. While still [[Kneeling|kneeling]] on your right knee, turn to #7 with a left [[Rising block|rising block]]. Execute a right [[Rising block|rising block]], followed by a left [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]] and a right [[Gyaku-sukuite|gyaku-sukuite]].
 #Quickly look to #3. Without standing up, twist clockwise to #3, until you are [[Kneeling|kneeling]] on your left knee, facing #3 with a right [[Rising block|rising block]]. Execute a left [[Gyaku-sukuite|gyaku-sukuite]].
 #Quickly look to #5. Rise up, sliding your right foot to #2, and entering a right [[Back stance|back stance]] facing #5 with a left [[Naifu-kinniku|naifu-kinniku]]. Look left, then look right.

Self-Defense Karate - Recent changes [en]

Godan

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