Self-Defense Karate - User contributions [en]

Kobudō

2026-04-01T04:43:20Z

YellowHatGuy:

'''Kobudō''' (literally: "old martial way") is a weapon-based mêlée fighting system, which was developed in tandem with [[Karate|karate]] on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa_Island Okinawa].

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Ryukyu After being conquered by the Japanese], the Okinawans were forbidden to possess or carry weapons. [[Karate]] training allowed the body itself to be transformed into a weapon -- but this only mitigated this problem. The solution came from by discovering martial applications for tools and other household items. Since much of karate and kobudō overlap, the two arts are taught at the same time. As such, all [[Goshin-Jutsu]] Karateka are required to cross-train in kobudō by studying [[Kata|kata]] for the [[Bō|bō]], [[Sai|sai]], [[Nunchaku|nunchaku]], [[Tonfa|tonfa]], and [[Kama|kama]]. Additional opportunities exist for [[Black belts|black belts]] to train with other weapons (e.g. tanbō, eku, jō, and tekkō) in their leisure.

''The Goshin-Jutsu Karatedō Yudanshakai does not issue kobudō rankings.'' Instead, a basic kobudō course-of-study is integrated into our standard karate curriculum; one must become good at kobudō to become good at karate, and vice-versa. There are several reasons for this:
#'''Weapons magnify your mistakes.''' If you do not drive with the power of your legs, maintain perfect [[Stances|stances]], or focus your techniques (via extending the [[Ki#Unbendable_Arm|Unbendable Arm]]) through weapon), then none of these weapons will work. They will perform “wet noodle” blocks which will offer no defense, and thus, no opportunity to counterattack. Likewise, the length of the weapon amplifies your subtle biomechanics flaws, revealing the minor differences between love-taps and bone-shattering strikes. Weapons will force you to acknowledge where you are using muscle to compensate for technique.
#'''Weapons training is prerequisite for confronting armed opponents.''' By learning how to use weapons, you will also learn how weapons can be used against you.
#'''Weapons training builds a proper mindset.''' Weapons training have a special and tangible way of developing the warrior mentality, since you can’t ''kind of'' bludgeon someone with a large pole.
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Gojūshihō

2026-03-30T19:02:17Z

YellowHatGuy:

'''Gojūshihō''' (“54 Steps”) is a popular [[Kata|kata]] that is part of many karate curricula. Gojūshihō is long and technically complex, so it is typically reserved for black belts.

No one knows who created Gojūshihō, though its name suggests a Buddhist origin. Buddhists place an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/108_(number)#Buddhism intense numerological significance] on the number 108 and its factors; 108 ÷ 2 = 54. Gojūshihō may have been imported from China, as many of its movements appear in the ''Bubishi'' ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wubei_Zhi ''Wubei Zhi'']), a popular military textbook from 1620’s China. Excerpts from this book circulating around Okinawa influenced karate's development. The ''Bubishi'' mentioned a fighting system called “The 54 Steps of the Black Tiger;” which may be Gojūshihō, or one of its evolutionary ancestors.

==Directions==
[video of Gojūshihō, 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. ]
{{#ev:youtube|TCizFcxoVoI|800|center|}}
[[File:Points_of_Harmony.png|center]]

#Stand in an [[Attention stance|attention stance]] with open hands at [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]] level; you left hand overlaps your right hand, with your palms facing inward. With strong [[Nogare|nogare]] breathing, raise and rotate your hands into a palms-up position at [[Kyūsho#Solar_plexus|solar plexus]] level, and clench your right hand into a fist.
#Step your right foot out to #8, [[Kneeling|kneeling]] on your left knee, facing #1, with a downward [[X-block]].
#Rise up, [[Twisting|twisting]] into a right [[Cat stance|cat stance]] facing #3 with a left supported [[Chūdan uke|chūdan uke]].
#Immediately execute a [[Double punch|double]] [[Ridgehand block|ridge-hand block]], followed by a [[Double punch|double punch]].
#Step your left foot to #3, [[Transitional stance|transitioning]] into a left [[Sanchin dachi|sanchin dachi]], before [[Twisting|twisting]] into a left [[Cat stance|cat stance]] facing #7 with a right supported [[Chūdan uke|chūdan uke]].
#Immediately execute a [[Double punch|double]] [[Ridgehand block|ridge-hand block]], followed by a [[Double punch|double punch]].
#[[Cat_stance#Inverted cat stance|Invert your cat stance]], stepping your left foot to #3, entering a left [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #2 with a left [[Ridgehand block|ridge-hand block]], which immediately turns over into a left [[Grasping block|grasping block]].
#Execute a [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]], [[Front-foot punch|front-foot punch]], right [[Front kick|front kick]], and a [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]].
#Shift into a right [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #8, with a right [[Ridgehand block|ridge-hand block]], which immediately turns over into a [[Grasping block|grasping block]].
#Execute a [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]], [[Front-foot punch|front-foot punch]], right [[Front kick|front kick]], and a [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]].
#[[Twisting|Twist]] counter-clockwise into an [[Attention stance|attention stance]] facing #5 with a left [[Shutō_block#Outside_knife-hand_block|outside shutō block]], and then a right punch to the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Solar_plexus|solar plexus]].
#Slide your right leg back to #2, entering a left [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #5 with a right [[Shutō_block#Downward_knife-hand_block|downward shutō block]].
#Step your right foot to #4, entering a right [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #5, with a right [[Ridgehand block|ridgehand block]]. Execute a left four-fingered [[Spearhand strike|spearhand strike]] to the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Windpipe|throat]].
#Step your left foot to #6, entering a left [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #5, with a left [[Ridgehand block|ridgehand block]]. Execute a right four-fingered [[Spearhand strike|spearhand strike]] to the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Windpipe|throat]].
#Step your right foot to #4, entering a right [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #5, with a right [[Ridgehand block|ridgehand block]]. Execute a left four-fingered [[Spearhand strike|spearhand strike]] to the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Windpipe|throat]].
#Step your right foot to #7, [[Twisting|twisting]] and sinking into a right [[Cat stance|cat stance]] facing #3 with a left shutō guard.
#Execute a left [[Front kick|front kick]] to #3. Upon re-chambering, slide your left foot to #4, entering a left [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #3 with a left shutō guard.
#Immediately step your right foot to #3, with your toes pointing to #1, entering an extended right [[Hook stance|hook stance]] facing #3 with a left shutō guard.
#[[Twisting|Twist]] into a right sleeping [[Crane stance|crane stance]] facing #1. Quickly look to #7, while shooting your arms 45° upward to #7.
#Quickly look to #3. Drive your left foot down to #3, entering a [[Horse stance|horse stance]] facing #1 with a [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]]-level [[Double punch|double punch]] to #3.
#[[Twisting|Twist]] into a left [[Cat stance|cat stance]] facing #7 with a right shutō guard.
#Execute a right [[Front kick|front kick]] to #7. Upon re-chambering, slide your right foot to #6, entering a right [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #7 with a right shutō guard.
#Step your left foot to #7, with your toes pointing to #1, entering an extended left [[Hook stance|hook stance]] facing #7 with a right shutō guard.
#[[Twisting|Twist]] into a left sleeping [[Crane stance|crane stance]] facing #1. Quickly look to #3, while shooting your arms 45° upward to #3.
#Quickly look to #7. Drive your right foot down to #7, entering a [[Horse stance|horse stance]] facing #1 with a [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]]-level [[Double punch|double punch]] to #7.
#Slide your right foot to #1, entering a left [[Full-side-facing|full-side-facing]] to #3, with a [[Hammerfist_strike#Downward_hammerfist_strike|downward hammerfist strike]] to the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]] at #1. Your open left hand covers the right side of your face.
#[[Twisting|Twist]] into a left [[Cat stance|cat stance]] facing #1 with a right downward [[Backfist strike|backfist strike]]. Your open left hand is inside your right armpit, covering your exposed [[Kyūsho#Floating_ribs|ribs]].
#Step your right foot to #2, [[[[Twisting|twisting]] into a right [[Cat stance|cat stance]] facing #5 with a left shutō block.
#Execute a left [[Grasping block|grasping block]]. Step your right foot to #5, entering a left [[Full-side-facing|full-side-facing]] to #7, with a [[Hammerfist_strike#Downward_hammerfist_strike|downward hammerfist strike]] to the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]] at #5.
#Reset into a [[Horse stance|horse stance]] facing #7, with a left side shutō guard to #1.
#Slap the opponent’s hand down with your left hand. Reach across your chest to grab the opponent’s hand with your right hand.
#Step your right foot to #2, entering a left [[Hook stance|hook stance]] facing #1 with a left [[Uraken uchi|uraken uchi]], pulling your right hand to your left armpit.
#Step your right foot back to #6, entering a left [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #1 with a left [[Downward-fist block|downward-fist block]].
#Immediately execute a [[Double punch|double]] [[Ridgehand block|ridgehand block]].
#Reach forward and grab the opponent by both lapels, pulling them down into a left [[Knee kick|knee kick]].
#Step your right foot to #2, entering a right [[Hook stance|hook stance]] facing #1. Execute a left [[Side kick|side kick]] to #3.
#Upon re-chambering, step your right foot to #8, entering a left [[Hook stance|hook stance]] facing #1 with a right supported [[Chūdan uke|chūdan uke]].
#Step your right foot to #8, entering a right [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #1 with a left [[Downward-fist block|downward-fist block]].
#Step your left foot to #8, entering a right [[Hook stance|hook stance]] facing #1 with a left [[Uraken uchi|uraken uchi]], pulling you left hand into your right armpit.
#Step your right foot to #3, [[Twisting|twisting]] and sinking into a right [[Cat stance|cat stance]] facing #7 with a left shutō guard.
#[[Cat_stance#Inverted cat stance|Invert your cat stance]], stepping your right foot to #7, entering a right [[Hook stance|hook stance]] facing #6 with a right shutō block.
#Step your left foot to #7, entering a left front stance facing #6 with a left cross-body block. Execute a reverse punch.
#Twist and sink into a left cat stance facing #3 with a right shutō guard.
#Invert your cat stance, and step your left foot to #3, into a right hook stance facing #4 with a left shutō block.
#Step your right foot to #3, entering a right front stance facing #4 with a right cross-body block. Execute a reverse punch.
#Pull your left foot in, then immediately step your left foot out to #7, kneeling on your right knee, facing #6 with a downward X-block.
#Execute a right nami-ashi, stepping your right foot to #1, entering a kiba dachi facing #3.
#Execute a double reverse elbow strike.
#Execute a double hook punch.
#Step your right foot out to #6, entering a left hook stance facing #5 with a double hook punch.
#Step your right foot to #4, entering a right front stance facing #5 with a double chūdan-uke.
#Execute a right downward-fist block, and reverse punch.
#Look over your left shoulder. Pull your right foot in before stepping out to #5, entering a full-side-facing to #7, with a downward hammer-fist to #1.
#Pull your right foot up to an attention stance facing #1. Goshin-Jutsu bow.

==Notes==

==Bunkai==
Movement 1 mudra

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Dwai Gun Do

2026-03-30T18:52:38Z

YellowHatGuy:

This form's name is believed to be '''Dui Kwan Dao''' (對群道, "The [[Dō|Way]] of Facing Multiple Opponents"); the actual name, and its translation were never completely passed down, as this was always referred to as “the '''Shaolin Kung-Fu Kata''',” or as “'''Shaolin One'''” in the the [[Goshin-Jutsu]] schools which tought multiple kung-fu forms. This form was introduced to [[Goshin-Jutsu]] by Bill Burns, a Chinese Kempō instructor who was a friend and collaborator to Grandmaster Durant. This [[Kata|kata]] is reserved for [[Advanced students|advanced students]] because of its difficulty -- this form is the ultimate expression of fluidity, which must be performed as a single, continuous motion without ''any'' stops or pauses at ''any'' point.

[video of Dwai Gun Do, 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. ]

{{#ev:youtube|pDXgTzQTuIM|800|center|}}
[[File:Points_of_Harmony.png|center]]

#Step your right foot to #1, entering a left [[Cat_stance#Extended cat stance|extended cat stance]], and perform a kung-fu bow:
#*Extend both of your arms; your right hand resembles an [[Hammerfist_strike#Inside_hammerfist_strike|inside hammerfist]] to the palm of your open left hand.
#*Arc your hands back towards you, then arc them out again, so that they resemble a right punch with your thumb-side touching the palm of your open left hand.
#*Pull up into a left walking [[Crane stance|crane stance]] while opening, overlapping and [[Twisting|twisting]] your hands in front of your face, much like the [[Goshin-Jutsu bow]].
#*Set your left foot down into an [[Attention stance|attention stance]] with your knees slightly-bent, and pull your fists to your hips.
#Left [[Nami-ashi uke|nami-ashi]], sliding your left foot out to #3, entering a [[Horse stance|horse stance]] facing #1 with a simultaneous ([[Kūsankū]]) left [[Shutō_block#Outside_knife-hand_block|outside shutō block]] and a right [[Hook punch|hook punch]].
#Perform a left [[Grasping block|grasping block]], and pull your right hand to your right hip.
#Perform a right [[Grasping block|grasping block]], with an emphasis on the [[Reciprocal action|reciprocal action]] of pulling your left hand to your left hip.
#Step your right foot to #8, entering a right [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #1 with a right [[Naifu-kinniku|naifu-kinniku]].
#Step your left foot to #2, entering a left [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #1. Reach behind the opponent’s head and perform a left [[Scooping block|scooping block]] into your left knee for a satisfying clap. Simulate grabbing the opponent’s hair with your left hand, and pull your hand up to chest level for a right [[Elbow_strikes#Inside_elbow_strike]], for another satisfying clap.
#[[Twisting|Twist]] into a left [[Cat stance|cat stance]] facing #7, with a simultaneous ([[Kūsankū]]) [[Shutō_block#Rising_knife-hand_block|rising shutō block]] with your palm facing #1, and a right [[Ridgehand strike|ridgehand strike]], with your palm facing up. Right [[Front kick|front kick]] to #7.
#Upon re-chambering, slide your left foot out to #5, entering a right [[Hook stance|hook stance]] facing #8, with a right [[Backfist strike|backfist strike]] to #7.
#Step your right foot to #6, entering a right [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #7, with a left [[Tate-shutō_uchi|tate-shutō]] to #7.
#Quickly look to #5. Slide your left foot up to #6, entering a right [[Hook stance|hook stance]] facing #7. Cross your open hands overhead, with your left palm on your right wrist.
#Slide your right foot out to #5, entering a left [[Full-side-facing|full-side-facing]] to #7, with a right [[Scooping block|scooping block]] to #5.
#Grab the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Groin|testicles]], and then shift into a right one-line [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #7 with a simultaneous ([[Kūsankū]]) left [[Pressing block|pressing block]] and a right [[Uraken uchi|uraken uchi]].
#Quickly look to #1. Slide your left foot to #2, and [[Twisting|twist]] up into a transitional left [[front stance|front stance]] facing #1, as you immediately pull up into a left walking [[Crane stance|crane stance]] facing #1, with simultaneous [[Chicken-head_strike|chicken-head (eagle-beak) strikes]] to both #3 and #7, and left [[Side kick|side kick]] to #7.
#Upon re-chambering, step your right foot to #2, entering a right [[front stance|front stance]] facing #3 with a right [[Palmheel strike|palmheel strike]] to the [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]]. Your left hand rests atop your right bicep.
#Right [[Nami ashi|nami ashi]], and step-slide forward with a right [[Uraken uchi|uraken uchi]].
#Right [[Nami ashi|nami ashi]], and step-slide to #2 with a supported right [[Ridgehand block|ridgehand block]].
#Quickly look to #5. Side your right foot out to #2, entering a right [[Hook stance|hook stance]] facing #5 with a left [[Shutō_block#Rising_knife-hand_block|rising shutō block]].
#Execute a left [[Side kick|side kick]] to #5. Upon re-chambering, step your left foot to #6, entering a left [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #5, with a right [[Tate-shutō_uchi|tate-shutō]].
#Slide your right foot over to #5, entering a left [[Full-side-facing|full-side-facing]] to #7 with a [[Tate tsuki|tate tsuki]] to #5, covering your face with your left hand.
#Quickly look to #7. Left [[Nami ashi|nami ashi]], and slide your left foot out to #7, enter a [[Horse stance|horse stance]] facing #5 with a shutō-guard to #7.
#[[Twisting|Twist]] clockwise, and execute a simultaneous right [[Hammerfist_strike#Downward_hammerfist_strike|downward hammerfist strike]] and right [[Rear kick|rear kick]], both to #7.
#Upon re-chambering, step your right foot to #7, entering a right [[Full-side-facing|full-side-facing]] to #1 with a left [[Pressing block#Downward_pressing_block|downward pressing block]]. Immediately perform a left [[Kakutō_uchi|kakutō uchi]] to #1, and then shift into a left [[Full-side-facing|full-side-facing]] to #1 with a [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]]-level [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]] to #1.
#With [[Ibuki|ibuki]] breathing, curl your right forearm clockwise up into a [[Chūdan uke|chūdan uke]].
#Kung-fu bow (see Movement 1).

==Notes==
Again, unlike other kata, this form must be performed as a single, continuous motion without ''any'' stops or pauses at ''any'' point.

To perform the supported [[Ridgehand block|ridgehand block]] from Movement 15, push on your right forearm with your left hand to reinforce the block.

==Bunkai==
This [[Kata|kata]] has a complex and grandiose opening (Movement 1), which serves as a sanity check. If a student is unable to perform this series with perfect fluidity, then they need to focus on training their fluidity before they can continue; anything else will only lead to tears of frustration, for both the student and the teacher.

An opponent attacks from #1, with a right [[Pursuit punch|pursuit punch]] or [[Haymaker|haymaker]]. You block this simultaneously and deliver a painful [[Hook punch|hook punch]] to their [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulnar_nerve ulnar nerve], on the inside of their upper arm, in the grove between in their bicep and triceps (Movement 2). Grabbing their wrist (Movement 3), you pull on their arm to off-balance them as you deliver a [[Hook punch|hook punch]] to their [[Kyūsho#Temples|temple]] or the [[Kyūsho#Side_of_the_jaw|side of their jaw]] (Movement 4). Perform a right [[Naifu-kinniku|naifu-kinniku]] (Movement 5), simply because you should not perform more than three offensive moves in a row without evaluating your defense and stancework; people tend to get carried away while attacking, and this inadvertently creates the openings which lead to their downfall. Once you are certain that you are solid, reach your left hand behind your dazed opponent’s head, and pull them down and to the left, to get them out of the way, and smashing their [[Kyūsho#Temples|temple]] into your knee for good measure (Movement 6).

A new opponent attacks from #7, with a right [[Haymaker|haymaker]]. You simultaneously throw your left arm up to jam their technique and shield their head, while striking the right [[Kyūsho#Side_of_the_neck|side of their neck]] with a variation of a [[Ridgehand strike|ridgehand strike]] as an [[Atemi|atemi]] to setup a [[Front kick|front kick]] to their [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]] (Movement 7). As the opponent reflexively leans forward in pain, you capitalize on their momentum to augment a [[Backfist strike|backfist strike]] to the [[Kyūsho#Bridge_of_the_nose|bridge of their nose]] (Movement 8), stunning them long enough to break their [[Kyūsho#Side_of_the_neck|neck]] with a [[Tate-shutō_uchi|tate-shutō]] (Movement 9).

Another opponent rushes in from #5, and grabs your right wrist, preventing your coup-de-grâce. You move towards the new opponent to gain leverage, and raise your hands overhead (Movement 10), before performing a [[Scooping block|scooping block]] to #5, as your right hand will exploit the [[Reciprocal action|reciprocal action]] of your block to sheer their hand off of yours, for an unconventional wrist release (Movement 11). Seizing opportunity, grab the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Groin|testicles]]. The opponent tries to lash out with a left punch, which you deflect and counter with a simultaneous left pressing block and a right [[Uraken uchi|uraken uchi]] (Movement 12).

Another attacker rushes in from #3. Making things worse, the attacker from #7 recuperates and rushes in, leaving you in the middle of their pincer. However, you stun both attackers by crushing one of their [[Kyūsho#Eyes|eyes]], and incapacitate the opponent at #7 with a [[Side kick|side kick]] to their [[Kyūsho#Solar_plexus|solar plexus]], [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]], or [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]] (Movement 13). You turn to face the opponent at #3, and strike them in the [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]] with a [[Palmheel_strike#Downward_palmheel_strike|downward palmheel strike]] (Movement 14), which causes them to bend forward, into an [[Uraken uchi|uraken uchi]] to the [[Kyūsho#Philtrum|philtrum]] (Movement 15). To keep the unconscious opponent from collapsing on top of you, you shrug them off to the side with a [[Ridgehand block|ridgehand block]] (Movement 16).

The opponent at #5 recuperates, and attacks with a right [[Pursuit punch|pursuit punch]] or [[Haymaker|haymaker]], which you deflect with a [[Shutō_block#Rising_knife-hand_block|rising shutō block]] (Movement 17) and counter with a [[Side kick|side kick]] to their [[Kyūsho#Solar_plexus|solar plexus]], [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]], or [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]], before finishing them off with a [[Tate-shutō_uchi|tate-shutō]] to the [[Kyūsho#Side_of_the_neck|side of their neck]] (Movement 18). To keep the unconscious opponent from collapsing on top of you, you drive in knock them back with a [[Tate tsuki|tate tsuki]] to the [[Kyūsho#Solar_plexus|solar plexus]] (Movement 19).

Another attacker approaches from #7 (or maybe the previous one has recuperated), and you assume a side-facing posture with a shutō guard, in anticipation (Movement 20). However, another opponent has appeared/recuperated and, is rushing in from #1. Quickly, you turn clockwise, with a [[Rear kick|rear kick]] to the [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]] or [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]] of the opponent at #7, ideally crushing the [[Kyūsho#Bridge_of_the_nose|bridge of their nose]] with a simultaneous [[Kyūsho#Bridge_of_the_nose|downward hammerfist strike]] as the kick folds them in half like a pocketknife (Movement 21). Quickly assuming a stance, you deflect the incoming punch from #1 with a [[Pressing block#Downward_pressing_block|downward pressing block]], and immediately stunning the opponent at #1 with a [[Kakutō_uchi|kakutō uchi]] to the [[Kyūsho#Chin|chin]], buying the time you need to crumple them with a [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]] to their [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]] (Movement 22). To keep the unconscious opponent from collapsing on top of you, you shrug them off to the side with a [[Chūdan uke|chūdan uke]] (Movement 23).

Having defeated all the opponents, the form ends (Movement 24).

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Dōjō

2026-03-30T03:36:56Z

YellowHatGuy: /* Criterion */

A '''dōjō''' (literally: “Way-place”) is a martial arts school or training hall. A dōjō is much more than a gym -- it is where one studies the [[Dō|Way]]. The dōjō ''is not'' a place to escape life’s rigors; it is the arena where they are confronted. The dōjō is a forge of the spirit, where students are constantly being pushed to their limits. Since this process can cause tempers to flare, a certain degree of etiquette and formality must be maintained at all times to ensure safety.

__TOC__
== Criterion ==
'''“Any place can be a dōjō.”''' Ideally, the dōjō's décor exhibits the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi wabi-sabi] aesthetic (literally: “poverty and loneliness”) which regards contrived, superficial, and materialistic things to be worthless. Wabi-sabi accepts and prefers the ordinary, simple, rustic, hand-crafted, well-worn, untouched, imperfect, and old. A dōjō should have an unpretentious character, like a dive bar that serves good chicken wings. Anything else will distract students with reputation, ego, and classism -- all of which will ultimately result in a poor experience, like ordering chicken wings at TGI Friday’s. This is why many dōjō are tucked away in forgettable strip malls or disused racquetball courts -- ''because they aren’t supposed to be nice''.

While “any place can be a dōjō,” an ideal dōjō has the following characteristics:
*A large, open space, free of obstructions (e.g., trees, furniture, load-bearing columns, etc.)
*Matted floors, to allow for tumbling and [[Manipulations_and_Takedowns|takedowns]].
*A higher-than-average ceiling.
*Bright lighting.
*Plain white walls, except for some tasteful art (e.g., a portrait of the joseki, or some calligraphy) on the main (#1) wall. Ideally, this is the wall which is opposite of the main entrance.

== Protocol ==
Please note that protocol can vary greatly from dōjō to dōjō; the rules of another dōjō may not apply to us, and our rules may not necessarily apply to another dōjō. Failure to comply with most rules results in a verbal warning and/or being assigned push-ups by the head instructor. Afterwards, there will be no grudges; the offender will have a clean slate. Please be mindful of the following when inside a dōjō:

*Wearing shoes is forbidden inside of a dōjō. The dirt and grime on shoes can contaminate the mats, turning them into a disease vector for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impetigo impetigo], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scabies scabies], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methicillin-resistant_Staphylococcus_aureus staph/MRSA], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athlete%27s_foot athlete’s foot], and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermatophytosis ringworm]. For this reason, the students must clean all mats and pads after every use, as part of their responsibility to provide all of the dōjō’s upkeep and maintenance.
**The Japanese believe that the [[Dō|Way]] can only be studied in sanctified “pure” places. Even with their sweat puddles and occasional bloodspill, martial arts dōjō are not "impure" because of this constant ritual cleaning.
*Do not make excuses.
*Formally address all black belts while inside the dōjō. (e.g., John Doe is “Mr. Doe.”)
*Treat all students and instructors with respect, both inside and outside of the dōjō.
*Only the head instructor, or their designee, has the power to designate punishments.
**Higher-ranked students are expected to set an example for the newer students by strictly adhering to the dōjō rules. However, senior students have no authority to punish others for rule violations. Seniors can only inform junior offenders of the rules.
*Foul language is not permitted in any part of the dōjō at any time.
*Always stand in a [[Ready stance|ready stance]], unless you are told to do otherwise.
*Students are expected to be on-time to class; this is considered part of your training.
*If a student is late, they are to wait at the edge of the training area for the instructor’s permission to join the class.
*Students must inform the instructor if they must leave class early.
*Please inform the head instructor if you decide to quit or take a leave of absence.
*Higher-ranked students should expect to be paired up with new students during class. Assisting junior students confers teaching skills; learning to train others is part of your training.
*Do not interrupt the instructor, unless there is an emergency, or if you have a value-add question.
*Whenever you are told move to another location within the dōjō, RUN!
*Be sure to [[Bowing|bow]]:
**Before entering and exiting the dōjō.
**When stepping on or off the mat.
**After an instructor answers your questions.
**Before and after practicing with another person.
**While transferring weapons.
*Only karate-related talking is allowed during class times.
*Do not smoke or vape in the dōjō. Do not smoke or vape anywhere near the dōjō. Do not smoke or vape.
*Dues are to be promptly paid at the beginning of the month. If there problems regarding payment, talk to the head instructor directly.
*When visiting other dōjō, all students must fully comply with all of their rules, regulations, and protocol.
*Do not use any equipment which you were not trained to use, or which your were not specifically told to use.
**This is especially true for weapons.
*Stay hydrated.
*''Immediately'' report all injuries.
*Do not come to class while suffering from contagious illnesses.
*Maintain good hygiene.
**Do not wear makeup or hair gel. Your sweat will cause these to smear, contaminating mats and uniforms, and eventually chemical burn people's eyes.
*Refrain from criminal activities.
*Do not bring your pets.

Some rules are especially vital. Violating any of these rules typically results in eternal banishment:
*Do not take anything that is not yours from the dōjō.
*Do not lose control and injure other students.
**If a student is injured, the incident will be reviewed by the black belts to determine if the injury was caused by carelessness, by malice, or if it was just a freak accident. (Though exceedingly rare, accidents ''do'' happen.)
*Do not come to class while intoxicated.
**Do not drink ''any'' alcohol before class.
*Do not poison the dōjō with drama. Drama only hinders everyone’s training. If you have problems with another student, speak to the instructor and/or resolve your issues outside of class.
*Do not persistently disrespect any student, even outside of the dōjō.
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Laws_of_Robotics#Zeroth_Law_added Do not advocate or perpetrate existential threats to the survival and propagation of the human race].

==Bowing==
'''Bowing''' is a fundamental part of all Japanese-style martial arts. All [[Karate|karat]]e classes begin and end with a bow, as does any time one works with a partner. Like most things in karate, its purpose is twofold:
#Bowing expresses thanks for an opportunity. Bowing is the Japanese equivalent of a handshake, and everything is shaped by the culture which first created it.
#Bowing acknowledges and certifies the unspoken implied contract between training partners to take on a responsibility for the other’s safety. This mutual respect is what separates training and fighting. This professional courtesy is quite common; boxers touch gloves, fencer salute, wrestlers shake hands, jiu-jitsu practitioners fist-bump, and karateka bow.

[Video of a respectful bow, from the front and the side.]
To bow, simply bend forward at the waist. Japanese etiquette dictates that your bowing angle is proportional to the amount of respect you have towards someone; if they are admired, bend farther. In general, do not bow farther > 30°, since this breaks eye contact; always keep an eye on people. While some may consider stopping early to be rude, a breach of etiquette is a small price to pay to ensure your safety.

Always bow ''to'' other people, and not ''before'' other people. All demonstrations of respect must always be mutual and equal, or it is not respect. You ''always'' deserve the exact amount of dignity and respect which you show to others, because ''absolutely no one'' has ''any'' right or privilege to treat you ''any'' other way.

If your religion forbids bowing to others, consider turning 5°, so you are not bowing to anyone ''per se''.

===Goshin-Jutsu bow===
The '''Goshin-Jutsu bow''' is a signature move performed at the beginning and ending of our [[kata|kata]], to identify [[Goshin-Jutsu|our art]]. To perform the Goshin-Jutsu bow:
#Enter an [[Attention_stance|attention stance]] facing #1, and raise both of your arms up in outside-to-inside arcs, until your hands are in front of your face. Both palms face you, with your left hand on top, and your fingers pointing up.
#Lower your hands to solar plexus level, while rotating your fingers 45° to the outside.
#Bend 30° forward at the waist, and push your hands out, palms down, pointing your fingertips to #1.
#Return to an [[Attention_stance|attention stance]].
#Use a nami-ashi to “snap” into a [[Ready_stance|ready stance]], facing #1.

[Goshin-Jutsu bow, fast and slow, from the front and side.]

Like all [[Kata|kata]] movements, the Goshin-Jutsu bow also has martial applications (bunkai). The most straight-forward is reaching behind the opponent’s head with your left hand to pull them into a [[Haishu uchi|meaty, backhanded slap]] to their face. The bowing portion pushes the opponent away, to ensure that they fall away from you, and not onto you (a "clear").
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{{Navigation}}

Legal implications

2026-03-30T03:34:15Z

YellowHatGuy: /* “My Hands are Lethal Weapons…” */

'''Self-defense ''is not'' a right; it is a privilege''' which varies between jurisdictions. The authors are not lawyers; this article is not intended to be, and does not constitute any specific legal advice. Please consult your lawyer for the specific details of your area. The information in this article is subject to change without notice, as the legal aspects of the martial arts are constantly evolving with each legislative session and court opinion.

The privilege of self-defense can only be invoked if, and only if, all four of the following criteria are met:
#You face an unprovoked attack,
#which presents an imminent threat of injury or death,
#and you responded with an objectively reasonable degree of force,
#to prevent an objectively reasonable apprehension of injury or death.
Failure to meet these four criteria is generally unlawful. However, following some of these guidelines can create an argument of “imperfect self-defense,” which can mitigate your penalties.

There are other factors which you must be considered before invoking the privilege of self-defense:
*Using deadly force is prohibited, unless you are confronted with deadly force (e.g., they draw a weapon).
*You cannot respond with excessive force. You can only hurt your attacker to the degree necessary to stop their attack.
*Some jurisdictions impose a Duty to Warn upon martial artists, requiring them to inform their assailants of their skills, unless it would provoke the assailant further.
*Some jurisdictions impose a Duty to Retreat in deadly force situations.
*Martial artists may have a legitimate and unique claim to a preemptive anticipatory attack, due to their skill at identifying assault attempts.
*Beware that assailants may illegally claim that your martial arts training gave them reason to escalate their force.

The fear of legal consequences should not keep you doing what you must to survive a violent encounter -- if you don't survive, then everything else is moot. However, you should be mindful that every fight carries a risk of injuring, maiming or killing someone -- even if that was not your intent. If this happens, you may be seen as an aggressor in the eyes of the law, who could face jail time and/or financial crippling civil lawsuits.

You cannot engage in violence without consequences -- and these are usually terrible and life-altering. Ask yourself, “What am I fighting over?” Is it worth being confined to a wheelchair? Is it worth wasting chapters of your life in jail? Is it worth selling everything to pay a settlement? The answer is usually “no,” which is why most martial artists preemptively avoid conflicts.

==Karate ni Sente Nashi==

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gichin_Funakoshi Gichin Funakoshi]’s favorite laconic maxim, “Karate ni sente nashi” is frequently translated as “There is no first strike in karate,” and commonly understood to mean that a karateka never attacks first in confrontations. This precept is conditioned into every student’s muscle memory by beginning every [[Kata|kata]] with a [[Blocks|block]].

A more literal interpretation is “there is no first ''initiative'' in karate.” That is, ''do not instigate.'' Innocence is the cornerstone of self-defense arguments; you must be ''entirely'' without fault. If you escalate an avoidable situation to any degree, then you become partially responsible -- and liable -- for the outcome. Karate is for emergency use only; it is not a go-to solution for all of life’s problems.

Additionally, “karate ni sente nashi” is a reminder to prevent your assailant from attacking first. A karateka should be aware of their assailant’s bad intentions, so you can counterattack so quickly that it ''seems'' like a simultaneous clash.

==Assault and Battery==

Many states define “Simple Assault” as acting in a way which places another person in imminent danger of physical harm. An assault ''does not'' require physical contact; entering a karate [[Stances|stance]] to express violent intentions constitutes an assault. Some states ''do'' require a physical connection, and thus consider assault and battery to be one crime. Simple Assault is a misdemeanor.

“Aggravated Assault” is “an attempt to cause serious bodily injury to another or to cause serious bodily injury purposely, knowingly, or recklessly, with an extreme indifference to the value of human life.” Aggravated assault is a felony. Examples of aggravated assault include:
*Assault committed with a deadly weapon or a dangerous object (e.g., making death threats while brandishing a weapon).
*Assault with the intent to commit another felony (e.g., robbery, rape, etc.).
*Assault which results in a serious physical injury (i.e., one which requires hospitalization or surgery, and/or results in a disability and/or disfigurement)
*Assault when the assailant conceals their identity.
*Assault against members of protected classes (i.e., police officers, healthcare providers, social workers, the developmentally disabled, or the elderly).
Please note that simple assaults can easily escalate into aggravated assaults in the heat of the moment.

“Battery” is an unlawful application of force to another person’s body, resulting in either bodily injury or an offensive touching. By definition, battery requires physical contact. Battery can be either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances and the severity of the resulting injuries.

==The Doctrine of Competing Harms==

'''The Privilege of Self-defense is never straightforward''' because [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessity_(criminal_law) necessity] exists in a legal grey area. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competing_harms The Doctrine of Competing Harms] allows people in dangerous situations to violate laws when their compliance poses a greater danger. (e.g., it is illegal for drivers to swerve into the left lane across a double-yellow line; but it is acceptable if they’re avoiding a falling tree.) To invoke the Doctrine of Competing Harms, you must prove that:
*The harm you sought to avoid was worse than the punishment for breaking the law.
*You had no reasonable alternative to avoid that harm, except by breaking the law.
*You ceased to break the law as soon as the danger passed.
*You did not create the danger which you sought to avoid.

==Reasonable Apprehension==

'''The privilege of self-defense is only granted when you are apprehensive about a reasonable fear of assault.''' Please note that [https://www.dictionary.com/browse/apprehension apprehension] is ''not'' [https://www.dictionary.com/browse/fear fear]. You can invoke self-defense against an assailant even if you are not afraid of them, or their attempts to harm you. You only need to reasonably believe that their assault will contact your body.

Reasonable Apprehension ties into the notion of [[Legal_implications#Excessive_Force|excessive force]]. You must be apprehensive ''and'' fearful about incurring serious bodily harm and/or death to justify using deadly force in self-defense. '''You cannot use deadly force unless you fear that deadly force will be used against you.''' However, you ''do not'' need to fear your life to justify using lesser degrees of force in self-defense.

In general, you can claim apprehension if the assailant has all of the following:
*'''Ability:''' The attacker has the physical and practical ability to injure, maim, cripple, or kill you.
*'''Opportunity:''' Just because an attacker can harm you, doesn't mean that they will. Therefore, you must demonstrate that nothing was stopping them from causing harm.
*'''Jeopardy:''' You must be in a truly dangerous or life-threatening situation, rather than an uncomfortable or potentially-dangerous situation.
**Someone who shouts “I’ll kill you!” as they walk away ''does not'' put you in jeopardy.
**Someone who shouts “I love you!” as they lunge at you with a knife ''does'' put you in jeopardy.
Be mindful that martial artists are trained to remain calm in dangerous situations, and this aspect of your training could undermine your claim of apprehension, hindering your legal defense. Martial artists are implied to need a greater apprehension before they can legally claim self-defense.

Some jurisdictions have a Doctrine of Anticipatory Attack, which allows preemptive striking privileges when you reasonably know that an attack is imminent. While this is usually not “reasonable” for the average person, it ''may'' be considered reasonable for a martial artist, who is presumably trained to pick up on subtle cues which indicate immanent attacks. Not all jurisdictions allow this extra privilege; please contact your lawyer for details. Like poker players, inexperienced fighters have “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UViNf1k-BE tells],” which a discerning, trained fighter will notice. The average person does not notice, does not try to notice, or misses these tells by paying attention to the wrong things. Attacks are usually preceded by one or more of the following:
#Aggressive verbal behavior. The assailant tries to anger you into throwing the first punch. This way, ''you'' become the assailant, so ''they'' can claim self-defense. Verbal aggression usually takes the form of:
#*Insulting, to force you into redeeming yourself.
#*Baiting or attempting to provoke aggressive responses (e.g., “What do you want?”; “What are you looking at?”)
#*Making unprovoked accusations, threats, or demands.
#*Using foul language for no reason.
#*Taking “no” to mean “maybe.”
#*Forced teaming, i.e., using “we” language to create an artificial sense of partnership or trust, to lull you into lowering your defenses.
#*Using [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKiSPUc2Jck false charm]. People wrongly assume that “nice” people are also “good” people.
#*Forced obligation. The assailant tries to do something “nice,” just to put you in their debt.
#**Often, this takes the form of unsolicited promises or reassurances.
#A change in their voice rate, tone, pitch, or volume.
#*It is especially dangerous when a loud person suddenly becomes quiet, or vice-versa.
#Either a refusal to make eye contact, or excessive eye contact.
#*This means the opponent is depersonalizing you, to view you as an inanimate target.
#An empty or glazed-over glare or stare, which indicates they’re “sizing you up.”
#Sudden eye dilation.
#A person who was looking at you suddenly looks away.
#*This lulls you into thinking that the assailant is moving on, which distracts you from their attack. These "suckerpunches" are classic technique which only works on the naïve, since everyone else fell for it already.
#Pulling their head and neck back.
#*The average assailant is a “headhunter” who launches many attacks to your head in the hope of getting a one-hit knock-out. This motion is their attempt to avoid a simmilar fate by pulling their head out harm’s way. Additionally, this lowers the chin, and protects the throat.
#[[Maai#Closing the Distance|Closing the distance]]. This could either be a lunge, or gradually inching in as they goad you.
#Attempts to follow, herd, flank, or mirror your escape attempts.
#Unusual or out-of-place body movements, such as:
#*Aggressive gestures (e.g., chest pounding, arm flapping, finger snaps)
#*Agitated pacing.
#*Fist clenching.
#*Teeth clenching.
#*Shifting their weight, straightening their spine, or performing other fighting stance elements.
#*Adrenaline tremors.
#*Constantly fidgeting and adjusting themselves.
#**Criminals must their guns away when running from the police, so they can appear unarmed when apprehended. This is why criminals rarely use holsters; being caught with an empty holster is still suspicious. Criminals usually opt to carry their guns in their waistbands, to minimize jostling and printing. However, the gun constantly shifts as they move, and requiring repositioning.
#Attempts to draw a weapon.
#*Always assume that your assailant has a concealed weapon. 70% of men carry knives, and while most of those are small multi-tool blades, it's still a knife.
#*Most weapons are carried on or around the waistline. Be concerned if the assailant goes out of their way to conceal their waistline, by:
#**Wearing coats indoors, especially in warm or dry weather.
#**Wearing a button-up shirt un-tucked, and the bottom unbuttoned.
#*People typically carry their weapons on their strong side, and wristwatches on their weak side. Use their watch as a guide.
#*Check to see if the assailant is “printing,” i.e., displaying the weapon's outline through their clothing, usually as an awkward lump.
#*Look for the carry clips which secure many folding knives, sheaths, and holsters.
#*Most holsters require a sturdy belt.
#*Drawing a weapon is usually a pure vertical or horizontal motion, accompanied by a click, snap, rustle, or velcro-rip sound.
#Sweating.
#Changes in breathing rates.
#*Untrained assailants tend to take shallow, rapid, erratic breaths prior to attacking.
#*Trained fighters tend to take slower, deeper breaths prior to attacking.
#Symptoms of an adrenaline rush. These include:
#*Pale or flushed skin. Adrenaline is a vasoconstrictor.
#*Increased heart rate (e.g., throbbing veins).
#*Muscle stiffness and tremors, especially in the hands.
#*Impeded fine motor skills (e.g., finger dexterity).
#*Impeded gross motor skills (e.g., hand-eye coordination, depth perception).
#*Hyper-vigilance.
#*Loss of rational thought. Adrenaline suspends higher thinking in favor in instinct a way to conserve energy.
#*Memory loss.
#*Inability to consciously move or act (i.e., “like a deer in headlights”).
#Physical violence toward nearby inanimate objects (e.g., punching walls).
#Stuttering speech (since all their attention is on the situation, and not on what they are saying.)
#Attempts to incite physical altercations with other people nearby.

Since this is a lot to take in, it is often easier to follow the fight narrative, and use the physiological clues as indicators of impending escalation. Fights involving male assailants follow a familiar script, which most people [https://youtu.be/7vabw2byeLk?t=136 (inadvertantly) learned in middle school]:
#Fights do not randomly occur. You will be selected, so look for people watching you.
#The assailant confronts you over some real or imagined grievance.
#*Begin de-escalation now. Even if it does not calm the assailant, it solidifies your innocence in the minds of witnesses.
#*Don’t argue with drunk people; they are incapable of reasoning.
#The assailant attempts to intimidate you.
#*Apologies will be taken as a sign of weakness -- but unlike fighting, they have no legal repercussions.
#*Goading or playing along with the assailant escalates the situation, making you partially responsible for the outcome.
#The assailant repeatedly pushes you, to knock you off-balance.
#The assailant attacks, usually with a right [[Haymaker|haymaker]] (Most assailants were once bullies, and ironically, most bullies don't know how to fight. That's why bullies focus on intimidation.) This attack is either:
#*A suckerpunch.
#*A follow-up to a left lapel or collar grab, to imbalance you.
#**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_neSjf8QMA Hockey players] are notorious for this.
#**Many meatheads remove their shirts when threatened to mitigate these pre-attack grabs.
#A fistfight ensues.
#The fight goes to the ground, either because someone:
#*Was knocked out.
#*Was knocked down.
#*Turned the fight into a wrestling match.

Anticipatory attack requires you to be ''entirely'' without fault; this black-and-white requirement interprets any shades-of-grey as black. Given the prevalence of security cameras and bystanders with smartphones, assume that every aspect of the altercation is being recorded -- because it probably is. Act accordingly.

Even a mutual consent to fight is an unlawful act (except in WA), and both parties may sue one another for resulting damages. A few jurisdictions claim that consenting to the crime of mutual combat negates any civil claims, unless the combat escalates beyond the original agreement (e.g., someone pulls a knife).

==Duty to Retreat==

Some states impose a Duty to Retreat on their citizens, to preclude unwarranted death and mayhem.

The use of deadly force as self-defense is generally unauthorized, and when confronted with a deadly opponent, you are legally required to make every reasonable effort to escape from that threatening situation. However, there are four exceptions to this rule:
*'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF08jbyFMXk Impossibility of escape].''' If your good-faith effort to retreat reveals that all avenues of escape have been blocked, then the use of deadly force as self-defense is authorized. (The “Duty to Retreat” is actually more of a “Duty to ''Attempt'' Retreat.”)
**The justification for using deadly force vanishes upon escaping, i.e., you can’t legally return to attack your would-be assailant at a more advantageous time.
*'''[[Legal_implications#The_Doctrine_of_Competing_Harms|Competing Harms]].''' The Duty to Retreat is voided if you reasonably believe that an escape attempt would decrease your safety. (e.g., you do not have leave cover during a shootout to run to the door.)
*'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine Castle Doctrine].''' Most states wave the Duty to Retreat for assaults which occur inside your home, because your home is assumed to be the safe place which you would retreat too.
*'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-your-ground_law Stand-Your-Ground Laws].''' Many states have “stand-your-ground” or “line-in the-sand” laws which remove the Duty to Retreat in some or all situations. Please consult your lawyer to verify your state’s requirements and limits.
Please note that the Duty to Retreat only applies to the use of deadly force. There is no Duty to Retreat from non-deadly force situations -- even if you know you could escape with absolute certainty.

==Duty to Warn==
Some jurisdictions impose a Duty to Warn, where a defender must inform their attacker of their intent to defend themselves, assuming such warning will not escalate the severity of the assailant's attack. This legal duty includes warning potential attacker about a martial artist’s skill, so assailants to understand the dire unintended consequences of their actions, and no one encounters a “force exceeding consent.” This warning must be made with the intent to deter, and not to intimidate or threaten. Jurisdictions requiring a Duty to Warn claim that it is unlikely compromise a martial artist's self-defense ability, given their greatly disproportionate ability injure their assailants.

The Duty to Warn only applies if declaring your intention to defend yourself will not compromise that defense. If the fear of fighting a karateka could prompt a bare-handed assailant to draw a knife, then there is no Duty to Warn.

==Excessive Force==

'''The privilege of self-defense only allows an assaulted person to repel attacks with the amount of force which a “reasonable” person would have thought necessary under the circumstances''' (a “reasonable force”). Escalating your response beyond this point is “excessive force.” It is unlawful to use a greater level of force than what is necessary to protect yourself. The level of force used in self-defense must be proportionate to the harm which you seek to avoid, as indicated by the force continuum listed below:
#Presence.
#*Use of posturing and confident body language to intimidate the attacker.
#*Voice projection.
#*Apologize and/or talk your way out.
#*De-escalation.
#*Use mind games to confuse and stun opponent.
#Empty-hand restraints.
#*Pins, locks, and armbars.
#Non-lethal force.
#*Striking with the intent to incapacitate.
#*Strangleholds technically belong here, but they will seem excessive because the general population watches too many action movies, and erroneously thinks that these are deadly.
#Use of non-lethal weapons.
#*Club strikes with the intent to incapacitate.
#*Chemical sprays.
#*Tasers.
#Deadly force.
#*Striking with the intent to kill.
#*Stabbing.
#*Shooting.
You cannot escalate the situation by moving further down the force continuum unless it is in response to your opponent’s increase in force. You must stop using force once your opponent stops using force (i.e., it is generally unlawful to kick a man when he’s down). There are two exceptions to this rule:
*'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine Castle doctrine].''' Most states allow escalated force when defending against an assault which occurs inside your home, because your home presumed to be your place of safety.
*'''Disparity of force.''' If you are confronted by attacker who is significantly more able, or confront multiple attackers, then force escalation may be warranted to compensate for your disadvantage.
Please note that '''it is always unlawful to use deadly force as a response to non-deadly force.'''

The question of whether-or-not you could have stopped your assailant using less force will be an important aspect in your legal defense. Malice, or specific intent, will be presumed from the circumstances. Some jurisdictions state that martial artists, because of their special skill, will presumably inflict the specific injuries they intended to inflict. In practice, this is a grey area, as failed assailants tend to exaggerate the extent of their injuries to frame their intended victim. Martial artists have successfully countered these frame-ups by citing the following as evidence:
*A known personal reputation as a peaceful person.
*Specific training to only use their skills in self-defense.
*The intoxication of the adversary. Since an intoxicated people experience dulled sensation and slower signal processing, they will feel less pain, and it takes longer for them to feel pain. This creates a Disparity of Force, because an intoxicated person could withstand a reasonable force and still continue their assault.

This is one reason why martial artist are implored to be humble -- because any displays of bravado and machismo in your daily life could compromise your future legal defense. Besides, acting tough means that you are not tough, because otherwise you wouldn’t have to act -- everyone would just know. Therefore, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0ir6AlHM5s the truly tough can be gentle, pleasant, and joyful, because their reputation is so solid that it requires no defense]. You should strive to live in such a way that gives police investigators nothing to find (e.g., don’t buy that “I’d rather be judged by twelve than carried by six” bumper sticker).

A martial artist could be presumed to act maliciously if:
*The martial artist was an expert.
*The martial artist was trained by other experts, and was not self-taught.
*The injury was caused by a specific martial arts technique, as opposed to “street fighting.”
*The injury was caused by a technique which the martial artist knew, or should have known, from their training.
*The martial artist deliberately attacked [[Kyūsho|vital areas]] with excessive force.
*The martial artist was responsible for the situation, either in whole or in part.
Anyone saying “…but I just couldn’t let him get away with it!” has escalated the situation and acted with malice. Free yourself of such thoughts, and be sure to never say anything to this effect, to anyone, ever.

Please note that if you did not act maliciously, you may have [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_negligence recklessly or negligently]. Lower-ranked students are presumed to have less control due to their lack of expertise. Claims of negligence become less likely as one gains expertise, and an expert’s actions are presumed to be deliberate, since they presumably have a greater control over their abilities due to their skill and professionalism.

==“My Hands are Lethal Weapons…”==
Contrary to popular belief, there is no requirement for black belts to register their hands as lethal weapons. Martial artists face little to no legal restrictions, though boxers and wrestlers often do. This is unlikely to change because the many legislative attempts to regulate, license, or register martial artists throughout history have failed due to enforcement issues:
*Martial artists who train informally in private homes, etc. would escape detection by authorities.
*Prohibition would create a black market for martial arts books and educational materials.
*The capacity to employ deadly force is not limited to martial artists, since pocket knives are also unregulated.
*Unlike firearms, martial arts cannot be stolen, so there is no need for their registry.
*How can one disarm a martial artist?
*How can martial arts be confiscated, in accordance with existing deadly weapons laws?
*Would a karateka with their hands their pockets be concealing a weapon?
*Since most martial artists train barefoot, are shoe considerations still relevant in aggravated assault determinations?

A weapon is legally defined to be anything which is used to feloniously assault another person. This is a deliberately vague definition, because basically anything can be used as an improvised dagger or club. However, it remains an open question as to whether or not empty hands are, or are not, deadly weapons; this definition varies between jurisdictions.

SCOTUS defined a “deadly weapon” as “a thing with which death can be easily and readily produced” or where “great or serious injury is likely to result.” (see Acres v. United States). In general, the methods and techniques used are an important determining factor. A non-deadly weapon may be considered deadly if it was used to deliver repeated and continued to vital parts of a defenseless, non-resisting victim. As such, the majority of courts have ruled that shoes are deadly weapons. When deciding if hands and feet were used as deadly weapons, the following items are considered:
*The nature of the assailant’s injuries.
*The degree of force the defender used.
*Whether repeated blows were struck
*The manner or style of attack.
*Whether the attacks directed at vital areas of the assailant’s body.
*Whether the defender had special training as a fighter.
*The extent of the defender’s training. (e.g., a master is more likely to be a weapon than a novice; the formally trained are more likely to be weapons than self-taught people who “learned” from books.)
*The condition of the martial artist's hands and feet. A defender who’ve extensively conditioned their hands and developed significant knuckle callouses has acted in a premeditated way.

Be aware than many people (e.g., assailants, witnesses, and jurors) have only been exposed to martial arts through action movies, and assume that martial artists are intrinsically deadly weapons. This misconception may convince an assailant to escalate force. American courts have not made this equivalence, and the “he-knew-karate-and-thus-I was-scared-and-shot-him” defense has historically failed. However, you should avoid bragging about your skills to minimize the risk of being shot by your frightened assailants.

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{{Navigation}}

Legal implications

2026-03-30T03:24:26Z

YellowHatGuy:

'''Self-defense ''is not'' a right; it is a privilege''' which varies between jurisdictions. The authors are not lawyers; this article is not intended to be, and does not constitute any specific legal advice. Please consult your lawyer for the specific details of your area. The information in this article is subject to change without notice, as the legal aspects of the martial arts are constantly evolving with each legislative session and court opinion.

The privilege of self-defense can only be invoked if, and only if, all four of the following criteria are met:
#You face an unprovoked attack,
#which presents an imminent threat of injury or death,
#and you responded with an objectively reasonable degree of force,
#to prevent an objectively reasonable apprehension of injury or death.
Failure to meet these four criteria is generally unlawful. However, following some of these guidelines can create an argument of “imperfect self-defense,” which can mitigate your penalties.

There are other factors which you must be considered before invoking the privilege of self-defense:
*Using deadly force is prohibited, unless you are confronted with deadly force (e.g., they draw a weapon).
*You cannot respond with excessive force. You can only hurt your attacker to the degree necessary to stop their attack.
*Some jurisdictions impose a Duty to Warn upon martial artists, requiring them to inform their assailants of their skills, unless it would provoke the assailant further.
*Some jurisdictions impose a Duty to Retreat in deadly force situations.
*Martial artists may have a legitimate and unique claim to a preemptive anticipatory attack, due to their skill at identifying assault attempts.
*Beware that assailants may illegally claim that your martial arts training gave them reason to escalate their force.

The fear of legal consequences should not keep you doing what you must to survive a violent encounter -- if you don't survive, then everything else is moot. However, you should be mindful that every fight carries a risk of injuring, maiming or killing someone -- even if that was not your intent. If this happens, you may be seen as an aggressor in the eyes of the law, who could face jail time and/or financial crippling civil lawsuits.

You cannot engage in violence without consequences -- and these are usually terrible and life-altering. Ask yourself, “What am I fighting over?” Is it worth being confined to a wheelchair? Is it worth wasting chapters of your life in jail? Is it worth selling everything to pay a settlement? The answer is usually “no,” which is why most martial artists preemptively avoid conflicts.

==Karate ni Sente Nashi==

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gichin_Funakoshi Gichin Funakoshi]’s favorite laconic maxim, “Karate ni sente nashi” is frequently translated as “There is no first strike in karate,” and commonly understood to mean that a karateka never attacks first in confrontations. This precept is conditioned into every student’s muscle memory by beginning every [[Kata|kata]] with a [[Blocks|block]].

A more literal interpretation is “there is no first ''initiative'' in karate.” That is, ''do not instigate.'' Innocence is the cornerstone of self-defense arguments; you must be ''entirely'' without fault. If you escalate an avoidable situation to any degree, then you become partially responsible -- and liable -- for the outcome. Karate is for emergency use only; it is not a go-to solution for all of life’s problems.

Additionally, “karate ni sente nashi” is a reminder to prevent your assailant from attacking first. A karateka should be aware of their assailant’s bad intentions, so you can counterattack so quickly that it ''seems'' like a simultaneous clash.

==Assault and Battery==

Many states define “Simple Assault” as acting in a way which places another person in imminent danger of physical harm. An assault ''does not'' require physical contact; entering a karate [[Stances|stance]] to express violent intentions constitutes an assault. Some states ''do'' require a physical connection, and thus consider assault and battery to be one crime. Simple Assault is a misdemeanor.

“Aggravated Assault” is “an attempt to cause serious bodily injury to another or to cause serious bodily injury purposely, knowingly, or recklessly, with an extreme indifference to the value of human life.” Aggravated assault is a felony. Examples of aggravated assault include:
*Assault committed with a deadly weapon or a dangerous object (e.g., making death threats while brandishing a weapon).
*Assault with the intent to commit another felony (e.g., robbery, rape, etc.).
*Assault which results in a serious physical injury (i.e., one which requires hospitalization or surgery, and/or results in a disability and/or disfigurement)
*Assault when the assailant conceals their identity.
*Assault against members of protected classes (i.e., police officers, healthcare providers, social workers, the developmentally disabled, or the elderly).
Please note that simple assaults can easily escalate into aggravated assaults in the heat of the moment.

“Battery” is an unlawful application of force to another person’s body, resulting in either bodily injury or an offensive touching. By definition, battery requires physical contact. Battery can be either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances and the severity of the resulting injuries.

==The Doctrine of Competing Harms==

'''The Privilege of Self-defense is never straightforward''' because [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessity_(criminal_law) necessity] exists in a legal grey area. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competing_harms The Doctrine of Competing Harms] allows people in dangerous situations to violate laws when their compliance poses a greater danger. (e.g., it is illegal for drivers to swerve into the left lane across a double-yellow line; but it is acceptable if they’re avoiding a falling tree.) To invoke the Doctrine of Competing Harms, you must prove that:
*The harm you sought to avoid was worse than the punishment for breaking the law.
*You had no reasonable alternative to avoid that harm, except by breaking the law.
*You ceased to break the law as soon as the danger passed.
*You did not create the danger which you sought to avoid.

==Reasonable Apprehension==

'''The privilege of self-defense is only granted when you are apprehensive about a reasonable fear of assault.''' Please note that [https://www.dictionary.com/browse/apprehension apprehension] is ''not'' [https://www.dictionary.com/browse/fear fear]. You can invoke self-defense against an assailant even if you are not afraid of them, or their attempts to harm you. You only need to reasonably believe that their assault will contact your body.

Reasonable Apprehension ties into the notion of [[Legal_implications#Excessive_Force|excessive force]]. You must be apprehensive ''and'' fearful about incurring serious bodily harm and/or death to justify using deadly force in self-defense. '''You cannot use deadly force unless you fear that deadly force will be used against you.''' However, you ''do not'' need to fear your life to justify using lesser degrees of force in self-defense.

In general, you can claim apprehension if the assailant has all of the following:
*'''Ability:''' The attacker has the physical and practical ability to injure, maim, cripple, or kill you.
*'''Opportunity:''' Just because an attacker can harm you, doesn't mean that they will. Therefore, you must demonstrate that nothing was stopping them from causing harm.
*'''Jeopardy:''' You must be in a truly dangerous or life-threatening situation, rather than an uncomfortable or potentially-dangerous situation.
**Someone who shouts “I’ll kill you!” as they walk away ''does not'' put you in jeopardy.
**Someone who shouts “I love you!” as they lunge at you with a knife ''does'' put you in jeopardy.
Be mindful that martial artists are trained to remain calm in dangerous situations, and this aspect of your training could undermine your claim of apprehension, hindering your legal defense. Martial artists are implied to need a greater apprehension before they can legally claim self-defense.

Some jurisdictions have a Doctrine of Anticipatory Attack, which allows preemptive striking privileges when you reasonably know that an attack is imminent. While this is usually not “reasonable” for the average person, it ''may'' be considered reasonable for a martial artist, who is presumably trained to pick up on subtle cues which indicate immanent attacks. Not all jurisdictions allow this extra privilege; please contact your lawyer for details. Like poker players, inexperienced fighters have “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UViNf1k-BE tells],” which a discerning, trained fighter will notice. The average person does not notice, does not try to notice, or misses these tells by paying attention to the wrong things. Attacks are usually preceded by one or more of the following:
#Aggressive verbal behavior. The assailant tries to anger you into throwing the first punch. This way, ''you'' become the assailant, so ''they'' can claim self-defense. Verbal aggression usually takes the form of:
#*Insulting, to force you into redeeming yourself.
#*Baiting or attempting to provoke aggressive responses (e.g., “What do you want?”; “What are you looking at?”)
#*Making unprovoked accusations, threats, or demands.
#*Using foul language for no reason.
#*Taking “no” to mean “maybe.”
#*Forced teaming, i.e., using “we” language to create an artificial sense of partnership or trust, to lull you into lowering your defenses.
#*Using [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKiSPUc2Jck false charm]. People wrongly assume that “nice” people are also “good” people.
#*Forced obligation. The assailant tries to do something “nice,” just to put you in their debt.
#**Often, this takes the form of unsolicited promises or reassurances.
#A change in their voice rate, tone, pitch, or volume.
#*It is especially dangerous when a loud person suddenly becomes quiet, or vice-versa.
#Either a refusal to make eye contact, or excessive eye contact.
#*This means the opponent is depersonalizing you, to view you as an inanimate target.
#An empty or glazed-over glare or stare, which indicates they’re “sizing you up.”
#Sudden eye dilation.
#A person who was looking at you suddenly looks away.
#*This lulls you into thinking that the assailant is moving on, which distracts you from their attack. These "suckerpunches" are classic technique which only works on the naïve, since everyone else fell for it already.
#Pulling their head and neck back.
#*The average assailant is a “headhunter” who launches many attacks to your head in the hope of getting a one-hit knock-out. This motion is their attempt to avoid a simmilar fate by pulling their head out harm’s way. Additionally, this lowers the chin, and protects the throat.
#[[Maai#Closing the Distance|Closing the distance]]. This could either be a lunge, or gradually inching in as they goad you.
#Attempts to follow, herd, flank, or mirror your escape attempts.
#Unusual or out-of-place body movements, such as:
#*Aggressive gestures (e.g., chest pounding, arm flapping, finger snaps)
#*Agitated pacing.
#*Fist clenching.
#*Teeth clenching.
#*Shifting their weight, straightening their spine, or performing other fighting stance elements.
#*Adrenaline tremors.
#*Constantly fidgeting and adjusting themselves.
#**Criminals must their guns away when running from the police, so they can appear unarmed when apprehended. This is why criminals rarely use holsters; being caught with an empty holster is still suspicious. Criminals usually opt to carry their guns in their waistbands, to minimize jostling and printing. However, the gun constantly shifts as they move, and requiring repositioning.
#Attempts to draw a weapon.
#*Always assume that your assailant has a concealed weapon. 70% of men carry knives, and while most of those are small multi-tool blades, it's still a knife.
#*Most weapons are carried on or around the waistline. Be concerned if the assailant goes out of their way to conceal their waistline, by:
#**Wearing coats indoors, especially in warm or dry weather.
#**Wearing a button-up shirt un-tucked, and the bottom unbuttoned.
#*People typically carry their weapons on their strong side, and wristwatches on their weak side. Use their watch as a guide.
#*Check to see if the assailant is “printing,” i.e., displaying the weapon's outline through their clothing, usually as an awkward lump.
#*Look for the carry clips which secure many folding knives, sheaths, and holsters.
#*Most holsters require a sturdy belt.
#*Drawing a weapon is usually a pure vertical or horizontal motion, accompanied by a click, snap, rustle, or velcro-rip sound.
#Sweating.
#Changes in breathing rates.
#*Untrained assailants tend to take shallow, rapid, erratic breaths prior to attacking.
#*Trained fighters tend to take slower, deeper breaths prior to attacking.
#Symptoms of an adrenaline rush. These include:
#*Pale or flushed skin. Adrenaline is a vasoconstrictor.
#*Increased heart rate (e.g., throbbing veins).
#*Muscle stiffness and tremors, especially in the hands.
#*Impeded fine motor skills (e.g., finger dexterity).
#*Impeded gross motor skills (e.g., hand-eye coordination, depth perception).
#*Hyper-vigilance.
#*Loss of rational thought. Adrenaline suspends higher thinking in favor in instinct a way to conserve energy.
#*Memory loss.
#*Inability to consciously move or act (i.e., “like a deer in headlights”).
#Physical violence toward nearby inanimate objects (e.g., punching walls).
#Stuttering speech (since all their attention is on the situation, and not on what they are saying.)
#Attempts to incite physical altercations with other people nearby.

Since this is a lot to take in, it is often easier to follow the fight narrative, and use the physiological clues as indicators of impending escalation. Fights involving male assailants follow a familiar script, which most people [https://youtu.be/7vabw2byeLk?t=136 (inadvertantly) learned in middle school]:
#Fights do not randomly occur. You will be selected, so look for people watching you.
#The assailant confronts you over some real or imagined grievance.
#*Begin de-escalation now. Even if it does not calm the assailant, it solidifies your innocence in the minds of witnesses.
#*Don’t argue with drunk people; they are incapable of reasoning.
#The assailant attempts to intimidate you.
#*Apologies will be taken as a sign of weakness -- but unlike fighting, they have no legal repercussions.
#*Goading or playing along with the assailant escalates the situation, making you partially responsible for the outcome.
#The assailant repeatedly pushes you, to knock you off-balance.
#The assailant attacks, usually with a right [[Haymaker|haymaker]] (Most assailants were once bullies, and ironically, most bullies don't know how to fight. That's why bullies focus on intimidation.) This attack is either:
#*A suckerpunch.
#*A follow-up to a left lapel or collar grab, to imbalance you.
#**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_neSjf8QMA Hockey players] are notorious for this.
#**Many meatheads remove their shirts when threatened to mitigate these pre-attack grabs.
#A fistfight ensues.
#The fight goes to the ground, either because someone:
#*Was knocked out.
#*Was knocked down.
#*Turned the fight into a wrestling match.

Anticipatory attack requires you to be ''entirely'' without fault; this black-and-white requirement interprets any shades-of-grey as black. Given the prevalence of security cameras and bystanders with smartphones, assume that every aspect of the altercation is being recorded -- because it probably is. Act accordingly.

Even a mutual consent to fight is an unlawful act (except in WA), and both parties may sue one another for resulting damages. A few jurisdictions claim that consenting to the crime of mutual combat negates any civil claims, unless the combat escalates beyond the original agreement (e.g., someone pulls a knife).

==Duty to Retreat==

Some states impose a Duty to Retreat on their citizens, to preclude unwarranted death and mayhem.

The use of deadly force as self-defense is generally unauthorized, and when confronted with a deadly opponent, you are legally required to make every reasonable effort to escape from that threatening situation. However, there are four exceptions to this rule:
*'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF08jbyFMXk Impossibility of escape].''' If your good-faith effort to retreat reveals that all avenues of escape have been blocked, then the use of deadly force as self-defense is authorized. (The “Duty to Retreat” is actually more of a “Duty to ''Attempt'' Retreat.”)
**The justification for using deadly force vanishes upon escaping, i.e., you can’t legally return to attack your would-be assailant at a more advantageous time.
*'''[[Legal_implications#The_Doctrine_of_Competing_Harms|Competing Harms]].''' The Duty to Retreat is voided if you reasonably believe that an escape attempt would decrease your safety. (e.g., you do not have leave cover during a shootout to run to the door.)
*'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine Castle Doctrine].''' Most states wave the Duty to Retreat for assaults which occur inside your home, because your home is assumed to be the safe place which you would retreat too.
*'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-your-ground_law Stand-Your-Ground Laws].''' Many states have “stand-your-ground” or “line-in the-sand” laws which remove the Duty to Retreat in some or all situations. Please consult your lawyer to verify your state’s requirements and limits.
Please note that the Duty to Retreat only applies to the use of deadly force. There is no Duty to Retreat from non-deadly force situations -- even if you know you could escape with absolute certainty.

==Duty to Warn==
Some jurisdictions impose a Duty to Warn, where a defender must inform their attacker of their intent to defend themselves, assuming such warning will not escalate the severity of the assailant's attack. This legal duty includes warning potential attacker about a martial artist’s skill, so assailants to understand the dire unintended consequences of their actions, and no one encounters a “force exceeding consent.” This warning must be made with the intent to deter, and not to intimidate or threaten. Jurisdictions requiring a Duty to Warn claim that it is unlikely compromise a martial artist's self-defense ability, given their greatly disproportionate ability injure their assailants.

The Duty to Warn only applies if declaring your intention to defend yourself will not compromise that defense. If the fear of fighting a karateka could prompt a bare-handed assailant to draw a knife, then there is no Duty to Warn.

==Excessive Force==

'''The privilege of self-defense only allows an assaulted person to repel attacks with the amount of force which a “reasonable” person would have thought necessary under the circumstances''' (a “reasonable force”). Escalating your response beyond this point is “excessive force.” It is unlawful to use a greater level of force than what is necessary to protect yourself. The level of force used in self-defense must be proportionate to the harm which you seek to avoid, as indicated by the force continuum listed below:
#Presence.
#*Use of posturing and confident body language to intimidate the attacker.
#*Voice projection.
#*Apologize and/or talk your way out.
#*De-escalation.
#*Use mind games to confuse and stun opponent.
#Empty-hand restraints.
#*Pins, locks, and armbars.
#Non-lethal force.
#*Striking with the intent to incapacitate.
#*Strangleholds technically belong here, but they will seem excessive because the general population watches too many action movies, and erroneously thinks that these are deadly.
#Use of non-lethal weapons.
#*Club strikes with the intent to incapacitate.
#*Chemical sprays.
#*Tasers.
#Deadly force.
#*Striking with the intent to kill.
#*Stabbing.
#*Shooting.
You cannot escalate the situation by moving further down the force continuum unless it is in response to your opponent’s increase in force. You must stop using force once your opponent stops using force (i.e., it is generally unlawful to kick a man when he’s down). There are two exceptions to this rule:
*'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine Castle doctrine].''' Most states allow escalated force when defending against an assault which occurs inside your home, because your home presumed to be your place of safety.
*'''Disparity of force.''' If you are confronted by attacker who is significantly more able, or confront multiple attackers, then force escalation may be warranted to compensate for your disadvantage.
Please note that '''it is always unlawful to use deadly force as a response to non-deadly force.'''

The question of whether-or-not you could have stopped your assailant using less force will be an important aspect in your legal defense. Malice, or specific intent, will be presumed from the circumstances. Some jurisdictions state that martial artists, because of their special skill, will presumably inflict the specific injuries they intended to inflict. In practice, this is a grey area, as failed assailants tend to exaggerate the extent of their injuries to frame their intended victim. Martial artists have successfully countered these frame-ups by citing the following as evidence:
*A known personal reputation as a peaceful person.
*Specific training to only use their skills in self-defense.
*The intoxication of the adversary. Since an intoxicated people experience dulled sensation and slower signal processing, they will feel less pain, and it takes longer for them to feel pain. This creates a Disparity of Force, because an intoxicated person could withstand a reasonable force and still continue their assault.

This is one reason why martial artist are implored to be humble -- because any displays of bravado and machismo in your daily life could compromise your future legal defense. Besides, acting tough means that you are not tough, because otherwise you wouldn’t have to act -- everyone would just know. Therefore, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0ir6AlHM5s the truly tough can be gentle, pleasant, and joyful, because their reputation is so solid that it requires no defense]. You should strive to live in such a way that gives police investigators nothing to find (e.g., don’t buy that “I’d rather be judged by twelve than carried by six” bumper sticker).

A martial artist could be presumed to act maliciously if:
*The martial artist was an expert.
*The martial artist was trained by other experts, and was not self-taught.
*The injury was caused by a specific martial arts technique, as opposed to “street fighting.”
*The injury was caused by a technique which the martial artist knew, or should have known, from their training.
*The martial artist deliberately attacked [[Kyūsho|vital areas]] with excessive force.
*The martial artist was responsible for the situation, either in whole or in part.
Anyone saying “…but I just couldn’t let him get away with it!” has escalated the situation and acted with malice. Free yourself of such thoughts, and be sure to never say anything to this effect, to anyone, ever.

Please note that if you did not act maliciously, you may have [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_negligence recklessly or negligently]. Lower-ranked students are presumed to have less control due to their lack of expertise. Claims of negligence become less likely as one gains expertise, and an expert’s actions are presumed to be deliberate, since they presumably have a greater control over their abilities due to their skill and professionalism.

==“My Hands are Lethal Weapons…”==
Contrary to popular belief, there is no requirement for black belts to register their hands as lethal weapons. Martial artists face little to no legal restrictions, though boxers and wrestlers often do. This is unlikely to change because the many legislative attempts to regulate, license, or register martial artists throughout history have failed due to enforcement issues:
*Martial artists trained informally in private homes, etc. would escape detection by authorities.
*Prohibition would create a black market for martial arts books and educational materials.
*The capacity to employ deadly force is not limited to martial artists, since pocket knives are also unregulated.
*Unlike firearms, martial arts cannot be stolen, so there is no need for their registry.
*How can one disarm a martial artist?
*How can martial arts be confiscated, in accordance with existing deadly weapons laws?
*Would a karateka with their hands their pockets be concealing a weapon?
*Since most martial artists train barefoot, are shoe considerations still relevant in aggravated assault determinations?

A weapon is legally defined to be anything which is used to feloniously assault another person. This is a deliberately vague definition, because basically anything can be used as an improvised dagger or club. However, it remains an open question as to whether or not empty hands are, or are not, deadly weapons; this definition varies between jurisdictions.

SCOTUS defined a “deadly weapon” as “a thing with which death can be easily and readily produced” or where “great or serious injury is likely to result.” (see Acres v. United States). In general, the methods and techniques used are an important determining factor. A non-deadly weapon may be considered deadly if it was used to deliver repeated and continued to vital parts of a defenseless, non-resisting victim. As such, the majority of courts have ruled that shoes are deadly weapons. When deciding if hands and feet were used as deadly weapons, the following items are considered:
*The nature of the assailant’s injuries.
*The degree of force the defender used.
*Whether repeated blows were struck
*The manner or style of attack.
*Whether the attacks directed at vital areas of the assailant’s body.
*Whether the defender had special training as a fighter.
*The extent of the defender’s training. (e.g., a master is more likely to be a weapon than a novice; the formally trained are more likely to be weapons than self-taught people who “learned” from books.)
*The condition of the martial artist's hands and feet. A defender who’ve extensively conditioned their hands and developed significant knuckle callouses has acted in a premeditated way.

Be aware than many people (e.g., assailants, witnesses, and jurors) have only been exposed to martial arts through action movies, and assume that martial artists are intrinsically deadly weapons. This misconception may convince an assailant to escalate force. American courts have not made this equivalence, and the “he-knew-karate-and-thus-I was-scared-and-shot-him” defense has historically failed. However, you should avoid bragging about your skills to minimize the risk of being shot by your frightened assailants.

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{{Navigation}}

100 Unorthodox Strategies

2026-03-30T03:19:53Z

YellowHatGuy:

'''''100 Unorthodox Strategies''''' (''Pai-chan Ch’i Lüeh''), by Liu Po-wen or Liu Chi, was a popular strategy book in 1500s China. It essentially a Cliff’s Notes version of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Military_Classics Seven Military Classics]:
* ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Secret_Teachings Six Secret Teachings]''
* ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Methods_of_the_Sima The Methods of the Sima]''
* ''[[The Art of War]]''
* ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuzi Wuzi]''
* ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wei_Liaozi Wei Liaozi]''
* ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Strategies_of_Huang_Shigong Three Strategies of Huang Shigong]''
* ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Questions_and_Replies_between_Tang_Taizong_and_Li_Weigong Questions and Replies between Tang Taizong and Li Weigong]
Since these seven books comprised the core of Chinese battle doctrine, and the basis for the Ming Dynasty civil service exams required for admission to officer candidate school. This page is a gloss-of-a-gloss, listing the core concepts for quick reference. English translations of ''100 Unorthodox Strategies'' are now available in print for those who want the additional commentary and historical examples.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|+ 100 Unorthodox Strategies
|-
! # !! Title !! Explanation
|-
| 1 || Estimates || You must know what you’re up against to make a strategy. The first order of business is always assessing the enemy’s alliances, short-term and long-term goals, terrain features, strengths, weaknesses, intelligence, ability, unit size, and supply cache.
|-
| 2 || Plans ||
* Instead of attacking enemies, ruin their plans.
* It is best to prevent enemies from ever wanting to fight, through intimidation, awe, economic superiority, or surpassing virtue.
|-
| 3 || Spies || Using spies is the most crucial aspect of planning. Without determining the enemy’s numbers, condition, abilities, etc., you can’t plan for the right things.
|-
| 4 || Elite Forces ||Vanguards must consist of the fiercest troops, to strengthen the resolve and mitigate the enemy’s awesomeness for the less-skilled inexperienced “clean-up crew” which follows.
|-
| 5 || The Infantry ||
*Infantry is uniquely capable of operating in mountains, ravines, forests, and wetlands. Infantry can exploit these terrain features as natural ramparts to defend against chariots and cavalry.
* Infantry can operate on broad, level, open terrain, provided that they establish a perimeter of ramparts, trenches, caltrops, etc.
* Infantry is best used in wedge formations and amoeba-like enveloping pincer maneuvers.
* Infantry should not chase after retreating enemies; cavalry is better suited for high-speed clean-up tasks.
|-
| 6 || The Cavalry|| Cavalry requires broad, level, open terrain to operate. They cannot operate in mountains, ravines, forests, wetlands, or bodies of water.
|-
| 7 || Amphibious Strategies ||
* Being upstream offers the same advantage as being uphill.
* Do not enter the water to attack river-fording enemies, since you will also be at a disadvantage.
* Attack as enemies emerge from a river, making it a bottleneck.
|-
| 8 || Chariots
|| Land-based vehicles require broad, level, open terrain. They cannot operate in mountains, ravines, forests, wetlands, or bodies of water.
|-
| 9 || Trust || People will only fight and die for an absolutely trustworthy leader.
|-
| 10 || Instructions|| Sending untrained people into battle is the same as abandoning them. Even the simplest training of responding to the most basic marching orders (e.g., advance, retreat, halt, hold) is 10:1 force multiplier.
|-
| 11 || Large Numbers || Numerically superior forces are an advantage, but only when they:
* Unflinchingly respond to commands (especially to advance and halt).
* Operate over large open terrain (to avoid forming useless bunches).
* Utilize enveloping tactics.
* Are not hampered by logistics and supply issues.
* Do not overextend and/or spread out to thin, like in Risk.
|-
| 12 || Small Numbers || Use guerrilla tactics to overcome numerically superior enemies (i.e., night raids, ambushes, and intercepting them at bottlenecks).
|-
| 13 || Love || People will only fight and die for those who they truly care about.
|-
| 14 || Awe || People will only fight and die for those who inspire awe, which is a 40/40/20 combination of reverence, admiration, and fear.
|-
| 15 || Rewards ||
* Rewards can make subordinates prioritize your urgent concerns, since personal gain appeals to everyone.
* People are most committed to causes which they directly benefit from.
* Reward returns the will-to-live to despondent people, who must be alive to enjoy their rewards.
* Only publicly-issued, merit-based rewards are effective motivators.
|-
| 16 || Punishments ||
* Threats and/or fear are often necessary to goad others into fighting.
* The mutual accountability which emerges between group members trying to avoid punishments creates group solidarity.
* Punishments must be prompt, impartial, and consistent to ensure that unsupervised subordinates still follow their orders.
* Punishments must be proportionate to the infraction. While the “broken windows” approach of severely punishing small infractions to prevent large infractions works, the resentment it creates is counterproductive.
|-
| 17 || The Host|| Fighting on your home turf is actually a disadvantage; it splits your forces’ energy between saving their homes, and destroying the enemy
|-
| 18 || The Guest || Fighting on enemy turf is advantageous, since you will always be in desperate “back-to-the-wall” situations against a dispersed enemy.
|-
| 19 || The Strong || Feign fear and weakness to lure enemies into fighting your stronger and/or numerically superior forces by throwing off their assessments.
|-
| 20 || The Weak || Deceive a stronger and/or numerically superior enemy by exaggerating the size and power of your forces, to throw off their assessments
|-
| 21 || Arrogance ||
* Treat exceedingly strong enemies whom you cannot certainly defeat with excessive obedience, humility and servitude. This fosters arrogance; an engineered character flaw to exploit later.
* Strong enemies should be handled politically, rather than militarily.
* Leaders must strive to balance confidence and pride, so they avoid hubris without repressing their potential.
|-
| 22 || Alliances ||
* Bribe your enemy’s neighbors to secure a position for pincer attacks.
* If you cannot thwart the enemy’s plans, disrupt their alliances.
** Since most plans involve conspiracies and team-ups, the enemy’s power is limited when they can’t draw upon the strength of others.
|-
| 23 || Disposition || Coax a numerically superior enemy into spreading out too thin, like in “Risk.” Breaking a large powerful force into many small forces spread over a large area negates their numerical advantage on a local scale.
|-
| 24 || Strategic Power ||
* All tactics should focus on creating positional advantages.
* Create strategic power by imposing constraints on your enemies. Capitalize on the momentum these create to attack the enemy’s weak points.
|-
| 25 || Daylight || In daylight, always set up extra tents, pennants, and equipment to exaggerate your numbers and deceive spies.
|-
| 26 || Night || Deceive spies at night by setting extra campfires and sending false communications and signals to non-existent forces to exaggerate your numbers and conceal your true location.
|-
| 27 || Preparation || Preparation is the key to avoiding defeat. However, the level of paranoia needed to guarantee safety inevitably leads to fatigue and burnout, which creates laxity and openings. Focus on minimizing exposure and being aware of your weaknesses, since neither of these can be truly eliminated.
|-
| 28 || Provisions ||
* Standoffs are won by whoever is the best-supplied.
* Hungry, sick, wounded enemies without ammo or fuel are easily defeated.
* Defend your supply lines at all costs.
* Over-extended units need more time, and risk, to resupply.
* Devote your most elite troops to destroying or disrupting the enemy’s supply chain.
|-
| 29 || Local Guides || The local people must be consulted when devising strategies, because their life experience makes them experts on the local terrain features.
|-
| 30 || Knowledge || Preparation means manipulating the enemy into fighting on your terms, at a time and place which you choose.
|-
| 31 || Observers || “Forewarned is forearmed.” Forward observers, reconnaissance patrols, scouts, lookouts, and guard posts are critical to cope with the constantly-changing conditions of a dynamic battlefield environment.
|-
| 32 || Marshes||
* Avoid marshes or wetlands. If unavoidable, pass through quickly.
** The soft, muddy ground impedes mobility, creating a bottleneck.
** Enemies can divert dams, rivers, and streams can be to flood wetlands, and drown your immobilized forces.
* If you must make camp, seek high ground a circular perimeter, to allow for drainage and defense from all directions.
|-
| 33 || Contentious Terrain ||
* Rush into battlefields to secure the strategically-valuable locations.
* Do not attack an enemy which has claimed strategically-valuable locations. Instead, wait for the situation to change.
|-
| 34 || Advantageous Terrain ||
* Few armies are strong enough to overcome disadvantageous terrain.
* Knowledge of terrain features and their exploitation is 50% of victory.
* Total victory is impossible without exploiting terrain.
|-
| 35 || Mountains || Mountains offer height and cover advantages, but make resupply difficult.
|-
| 36 || Valleys || Valleys can be advantageous terrain, if they are fortified to keep enemies from using them as pinch points.
|-
| 37 || Offense || Only attack when the enemy has a known exploitable weakness which you are capable of destroying with absolute certainty.
|-
| 38 || Defense || Don’t attack if you don’t have what it takes to win. Instead, use this time to reinforce your defenses, and wait for a better opportunity.
|-
| 39 || Initiative || Immediately attack enemies upon their arrival, before they have time to organize or fortify their position.
|-
| 40 || Response|| Delay conflict until the enemy’s spirit wanes and their discipline laxes.
|-
| 41 || The Unorthodox || Attack in unexpected ways, when and where enemies are least prepared. Scholars overthink this technique; usually it’s a pincer attack.
|-
| 42|| The Orthodox || Direct conventional conflict is a weapon-of-last-resort, reserved for use against enemies which cannot be confused, deceived, or cut off from reinforcements or resupply.
|-
| 43 || The Vacuous || Conceal any gaps in your power or defense, to prevent the enemy from attacking your real weaknesses.
|-
| 44 || The Substantial || Enemies with substantial strategic power will not move or attack recklessly, so brace yourself for their inevitable onslaught.
|-
| 45 || Recklessness || Attacking without preparing a strategy based on a detailed analysis of the enemy guarantees defeat.
|-
| 46 || Weightiness (Gravitas) || Prevent manipulation by never moving or maneuvering unless it clearly offers a real advantage
|-
| 47 || Profit || The profit motive can be exploited to bait traps, lure enemies into ambushes, or deceive covetous enemies into other reckless actions.
|-
| 48 || Harm ||
* Set up ambushes to prevent enemy raids and impede advancement.
* The enemy will follow whatever path has no ambushes, so the ambushes can be used to indirectly control the enemy’s movements.
|-
| 49 || Security || A highly-motivated far-traveling enemy wants to fight upon arriving. Instead, reinforce your defenses and secure your position to deny that fight and drag the conflict out into a siege, which depletes the enemy’s supplies and morale.
|-
| 50 || Danger || People must expect to die in dangerous situations, because anything else results in a half-hearted effort that leads to both death and defeat. Ironically, only those who accept death get to live to see victory.
|-
| 51 || Fighting to the Death ||
* Desperate situations produce maximum effort from subordinates.
* If your troops are doubtful, confused, and disobedient, place them in actual confrontations and “burn the ships,” to give them perspective, and no recourse but to get their acts together.
** Note that there are numerous historical examples of this stratagem failing.
|-
| 52 || Seeking Life ||Worrying about escaping and living after the battle weakens your resolve. If you have made proper assessments and troop deployments, then victory is certain and there is nothing to fear.
|-
| 53 || The Hungry || Devote a portion of your troops to plundering. Consume the enemy’s provisions instead of your own to weaken them and make resupplying easier.
|-
| 54 || The Sated || Far-traveling enemies have strained supply chains, so intercept the enemy’s resupply efforts with unorthodox troops.
|-
| 55 || Fatigue ||
* Compel others to act, instead of being compelled.
* It is critical to secure advantageous positions, because the enemy will tire themselves out scrambling to compensate.
|-
| 56 || Ease || Relaxing after a victory gives enemies a chance to regroup and attack.
|-
| 57 || Victory || Do not relax after victories, or act as though you were victorious; this opens yourself to attack.
|-
| 58 || Defeat || Instead of dwelling on defeat, look for the advantages which the new situation brings (i.e., regroup and attack when they are celebration.)
|-
| 59 || Advancing || Quickly, brutally attack enemy weaknesses/openings as soon as they appear.
|-
| 60 || Retreating || Retreat from numerically superior enemies if you have less strength and unfavorable positions. You cannot win a no-win scenario.
|-
| 61 || Provocation || A far-away enemy’s provocation is to manipulate you into advancing, and wearing yourselves out before the fight from the traveling.
|-
| 62 || Compulsion || Render enemies powerless by forcing them to unwillingly act when unprepared.
|-
| 63 || The Distant || Before attacking distant targets, show the enemy that you are planning to attack something nearby. The enemy will muster their troops in the wrong location, augmenting your true attack, which comes as a surprise.
|-
| 64 || The Nearby || Before attacking nearby targets, show the enemy that you are going far away. Ideally, move in different directions and converge upon the enemy, who either falls for the pincer, or sends a raiding party after your smaller group, who can lead them into a trap.
|-
| 65 || Rivers || Deploying forces too close to a riverbank makes enemies suspicious about fording there. If the enemy is fording, then attack them right at the bank.
|-
| 66 || Fire Attacks || Set fires, and attack while the enemy is distracted with firefighting.
|-
| 67 || Slowness || Attacking fortified cities is the worst of all strategies, which is only to be used when there is no alternative. Instead, cut off their supply lines and rescuers.
|-
| 68 || Quickness || Supplies and other external aid must be quickly intercepted and assaulted.
Fortifications may stop your attacks, but can’t stop the defender’s despair.
|-
| 69 || Order || Do not attack well-ordered, well-organized enemies; wait for them to change.
|-
| 70 || Disorder || Attack disordered, poorly-organized enemies; they are unable to resist.
|-
| 71 || Segmenting || Segment numerically-superior forces into smaller fighting groups to let the rear guard perform flank and maneuver rather than be stuck behind the vanguard.
* With a 5:1 advantage, employ a 60/40 orthodox/unorthodox attack mixture.
* With a 3:1 advantage, employ a 66/33 orthodox/unorthodox attack mixture.
|-
| 72 || Uniting ||
* Segmented forces cannot be thinly spread out, like in the board game “Risk.”
* Defeat numerically-superior thinly-spread enemies by attacking from multiple directions. This prevents their concentration into a credible fighting force.
|-
| 73 || Anger || Anger alone is what convinces others to kill.
|-
| 74 || Spirit || Music “pumps-up” soldiers, unleashing their potential.
People cannot remain “pumped-up”; this diminishes over time and distance.
|-
| 75 || Retreats || If the enemy retreats for no apparent reason, send elite troops to investigate;
this may bait a trap. Validly-retreating enemies are desperate and fight with an increased ferocity.
|-
| 76 || Pursuits || Do not pursue organized retreats; they are often ruses, and they can still fight; their desperation may lead them to fight with increased ferocity. A disorganized, chaotic enemy retreat should be pursued and destroyed.
|-
| 77 || Refusing Battle || Do not fight stronger, numerically-superior enemies with intact supply lines. Instead, use this time to reinforce your position and augment your defense.
|-
| 78 || Inevitable Combat || Indirectly attack fortified enemies by attacking their home base, supply lines, etc., to lure them out of their fort to launch a rescue mission.
|-
| 79 || Avoidance || The weak must avoid fighting strong, highly-motivated enemies.
Instead, the weak should wait until the strong are fatigued before attacking.
|-
| 80 || Sieges || Always give enemies a way out. This demoralizes them, because the thought of escaping will replace the desire for an all-out fights-to-finish. The enemy will escape, but they’ll escape on your terms, and this can be used to set up traps.
|-
| 81 || Utterances || State false intentions, coaxing the enemy to move their defense to places you had no intention of attacking. “Speak about the East, but strike to the West.”
|-
| 82 || Peace Negotiations || Peace negotiations can be used as a distraction to drops an enemy’s guard.
Anyone seeking an unconditional peace is just setting up a stratagem.
|-
| 83 || Enduring Attacks || If you are surrounded, escape is impossible. Instead, attack outward in all directions, in a gapless uniformly-expanding circle.
|-
| 84 || Surrenders || Treat an enemy’s surrender like an attack; it’s likely a ruse, so have your spies and intelligence operation independently verify their claim. Never let your guard down, and never stop fortifying.
|-
| 85 || The Heavens || Immoral/incompetent/arrogant leaders who fail to respond to civil crises and hardships will lose their followers, and are thus doomed to fail.
|-
| 86 || The Human || Commanders must solely rely upon reason, ignoring omens and soothsayers. Boldly squash superstitions or rumors before they destroy morale.
|-
| 87 || The Difficult || Leaders must equally endure their subordinate’s hardships to preserve morale. Leaders must be part of the situation to make real-time corrections.
|-
| 88 || The Easy || Concentrate on easy victories, targeting weak spots away from main forces.
|-
| 89 || Bait ||
* Create an appearance of weakness before an attack, to misdirect enemies.
* Tactical blunders and equipment losses maybe planned to compel actions.
|-
| 90 || Estrangement || Attack when there is discord among enemy leadership, or between enemy leaders and their forces. If there is no discord, have your spies create some.
|-
| 91 || Doubt ||
* Create the appearance of larger forces to intimidate your enemy.
* Give the enemy a false impression of where you will attack to set up pincers.
** “Prepare the enemy to set up in the east, then attack from the west.”
* Construct a small fortress before retreating; so your pursuers will garrison your worthless fortress and think its a victory, rather than pursue you.
|-
| 92 || The Impoverished || Slowly pursue retreating, numerically-inferior armies to grind them down and prevent them from making desperate last stands.
|-
| 93 || Wind || Every plan and strategy is weather-dependent. Plans must be expedited or delayed to exploit the advantages/disadvantages of changing weather conditions.
|-
| 94 || Snow || The misery of prolonged rain, snow, or cold destroys morale.
Thus, attacking right after a period of adverse weather confers an advantage.
|-
| 95 || Nurturing Spirit || Evaluate the morale of your defeated forces. If their fighting spirit is broken, then your top priority is restoring morale before you re-engaging the enemy.
|-
| 96 || Fear ||
* Single out and make examples out of individual cowards to maintain order.
* If your entire force is afraid, reassure their safety, and show how they’ll profit.
|-
| 97 || Letters || Cut your forces off from outside communications. Messages from home will distract for forces from the task at hand. “Dear John” letters destroy morale.
|-
| 98 || Change ||
* Responding to change is the essence of strategy. This requires an ironclad knowledge of history and of what your forces capabilities.
* Only attack when enemies are caught up in exploitable moments of change.
|-
| 99 || Enthralled with Warfare ||
* Victory is easy to obtain, but difficult to maintain.
* Over-reliance on combat wears you and your forces down, weakening you over time. Thus, you must avoid conflict, unless it is absolutely necessary.
* Needless battles doom you eventually; your number will come up. someday
|-
| 100 || Forgetting Warfare || Maintain every aspect of military preparation in peacetime, to maintain readiness for defending against unanticipated future attacks.
|}

----
{{Navigation}}

100 Unorthodox Strategies

2026-03-30T03:19:15Z

YellowHatGuy:

'''''100 Unorthodox Strategies''''' (''Pai-chan Ch’i Lüeh''), by Liu Po-wen or Liu Chi, was a popular strategy book in 1500s China. It essentially a Cliff’s Notes version of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Military_Classics Seven Military Classics]:
* ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Secret_Teachings Six Secret Teachings]''
* ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Methods_of_the_Sima The Methods of the Sima]''
* ''[[The Art of War]]''
* ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuzi Wuzi]''
* ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wei_Liaozi Wei Liaozi]''
* ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Strategies_of_Huang_Shigong Three Strategies of Huang Shigong]''
* ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Questions_and_Replies_between_Tang_Taizong_and_Li_Weigong Questions and Replies between Tang Taizong and Li Weigong]
Since these seven books comprised the core of Chinese battle doctrine, and the basis for the Ming Dynasty civil service exams required for admission to officer candidate school. This page is a gloss-of-a-gloss, listing the core concepts for quick reference. English translations of the ''100 Unorthodox Strategies'' are now available in print for those who want the additional commentary and historical examples.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|+ 100 Unorthodox Strategies
|-
! # !! Title !! Explanation
|-
| 1 || Estimates || You must know what you’re up against to make a strategy. The first order of business is always assessing the enemy’s alliances, short-term and long-term goals, terrain features, strengths, weaknesses, intelligence, ability, unit size, and supply cache.
|-
| 2 || Plans ||
* Instead of attacking enemies, ruin their plans.
* It is best to prevent enemies from ever wanting to fight, through intimidation, awe, economic superiority, or surpassing virtue.
|-
| 3 || Spies || Using spies is the most crucial aspect of planning. Without determining the enemy’s numbers, condition, abilities, etc., you can’t plan for the right things.
|-
| 4 || Elite Forces ||Vanguards must consist of the fiercest troops, to strengthen the resolve and mitigate the enemy’s awesomeness for the less-skilled inexperienced “clean-up crew” which follows.
|-
| 5 || The Infantry ||
*Infantry is uniquely capable of operating in mountains, ravines, forests, and wetlands. Infantry can exploit these terrain features as natural ramparts to defend against chariots and cavalry.
* Infantry can operate on broad, level, open terrain, provided that they establish a perimeter of ramparts, trenches, caltrops, etc.
* Infantry is best used in wedge formations and amoeba-like enveloping pincer maneuvers.
* Infantry should not chase after retreating enemies; cavalry is better suited for high-speed clean-up tasks.
|-
| 6 || The Cavalry|| Cavalry requires broad, level, open terrain to operate. They cannot operate in mountains, ravines, forests, wetlands, or bodies of water.
|-
| 7 || Amphibious Strategies ||
* Being upstream offers the same advantage as being uphill.
* Do not enter the water to attack river-fording enemies, since you will also be at a disadvantage.
* Attack as enemies emerge from a river, making it a bottleneck.
|-
| 8 || Chariots
|| Land-based vehicles require broad, level, open terrain. They cannot operate in mountains, ravines, forests, wetlands, or bodies of water.
|-
| 9 || Trust || People will only fight and die for an absolutely trustworthy leader.
|-
| 10 || Instructions|| Sending untrained people into battle is the same as abandoning them. Even the simplest training of responding to the most basic marching orders (e.g., advance, retreat, halt, hold) is 10:1 force multiplier.
|-
| 11 || Large Numbers || Numerically superior forces are an advantage, but only when they:
* Unflinchingly respond to commands (especially to advance and halt).
* Operate over large open terrain (to avoid forming useless bunches).
* Utilize enveloping tactics.
* Are not hampered by logistics and supply issues.
* Do not overextend and/or spread out to thin, like in Risk.
|-
| 12 || Small Numbers || Use guerrilla tactics to overcome numerically superior enemies (i.e., night raids, ambushes, and intercepting them at bottlenecks).
|-
| 13 || Love || People will only fight and die for those who they truly care about.
|-
| 14 || Awe || People will only fight and die for those who inspire awe, which is a 40/40/20 combination of reverence, admiration, and fear.
|-
| 15 || Rewards ||
* Rewards can make subordinates prioritize your urgent concerns, since personal gain appeals to everyone.
* People are most committed to causes which they directly benefit from.
* Reward returns the will-to-live to despondent people, who must be alive to enjoy their rewards.
* Only publicly-issued, merit-based rewards are effective motivators.
|-
| 16 || Punishments ||
* Threats and/or fear are often necessary to goad others into fighting.
* The mutual accountability which emerges between group members trying to avoid punishments creates group solidarity.
* Punishments must be prompt, impartial, and consistent to ensure that unsupervised subordinates still follow their orders.
* Punishments must be proportionate to the infraction. While the “broken windows” approach of severely punishing small infractions to prevent large infractions works, the resentment it creates is counterproductive.
|-
| 17 || The Host|| Fighting on your home turf is actually a disadvantage; it splits your forces’ energy between saving their homes, and destroying the enemy
|-
| 18 || The Guest || Fighting on enemy turf is advantageous, since you will always be in desperate “back-to-the-wall” situations against a dispersed enemy.
|-
| 19 || The Strong || Feign fear and weakness to lure enemies into fighting your stronger and/or numerically superior forces by throwing off their assessments.
|-
| 20 || The Weak || Deceive a stronger and/or numerically superior enemy by exaggerating the size and power of your forces, to throw off their assessments
|-
| 21 || Arrogance ||
* Treat exceedingly strong enemies whom you cannot certainly defeat with excessive obedience, humility and servitude. This fosters arrogance; an engineered character flaw to exploit later.
* Strong enemies should be handled politically, rather than militarily.
* Leaders must strive to balance confidence and pride, so they avoid hubris without repressing their potential.
|-
| 22 || Alliances ||
* Bribe your enemy’s neighbors to secure a position for pincer attacks.
* If you cannot thwart the enemy’s plans, disrupt their alliances.
** Since most plans involve conspiracies and team-ups, the enemy’s power is limited when they can’t draw upon the strength of others.
|-
| 23 || Disposition || Coax a numerically superior enemy into spreading out too thin, like in “Risk.” Breaking a large powerful force into many small forces spread over a large area negates their numerical advantage on a local scale.
|-
| 24 || Strategic Power ||
* All tactics should focus on creating positional advantages.
* Create strategic power by imposing constraints on your enemies. Capitalize on the momentum these create to attack the enemy’s weak points.
|-
| 25 || Daylight || In daylight, always set up extra tents, pennants, and equipment to exaggerate your numbers and deceive spies.
|-
| 26 || Night || Deceive spies at night by setting extra campfires and sending false communications and signals to non-existent forces to exaggerate your numbers and conceal your true location.
|-
| 27 || Preparation || Preparation is the key to avoiding defeat. However, the level of paranoia needed to guarantee safety inevitably leads to fatigue and burnout, which creates laxity and openings. Focus on minimizing exposure and being aware of your weaknesses, since neither of these can be truly eliminated.
|-
| 28 || Provisions ||
* Standoffs are won by whoever is the best-supplied.
* Hungry, sick, wounded enemies without ammo or fuel are easily defeated.
* Defend your supply lines at all costs.
* Over-extended units need more time, and risk, to resupply.
* Devote your most elite troops to destroying or disrupting the enemy’s supply chain.
|-
| 29 || Local Guides || The local people must be consulted when devising strategies, because their life experience makes them experts on the local terrain features.
|-
| 30 || Knowledge || Preparation means manipulating the enemy into fighting on your terms, at a time and place which you choose.
|-
| 31 || Observers || “Forewarned is forearmed.” Forward observers, reconnaissance patrols, scouts, lookouts, and guard posts are critical to cope with the constantly-changing conditions of a dynamic battlefield environment.
|-
| 32 || Marshes||
* Avoid marshes or wetlands. If unavoidable, pass through quickly.
** The soft, muddy ground impedes mobility, creating a bottleneck.
** Enemies can divert dams, rivers, and streams can be to flood wetlands, and drown your immobilized forces.
* If you must make camp, seek high ground a circular perimeter, to allow for drainage and defense from all directions.
|-
| 33 || Contentious Terrain ||
* Rush into battlefields to secure the strategically-valuable locations.
* Do not attack an enemy which has claimed strategically-valuable locations. Instead, wait for the situation to change.
|-
| 34 || Advantageous Terrain ||
* Few armies are strong enough to overcome disadvantageous terrain.
* Knowledge of terrain features and their exploitation is 50% of victory.
* Total victory is impossible without exploiting terrain.
|-
| 35 || Mountains || Mountains offer height and cover advantages, but make resupply difficult.
|-
| 36 || Valleys || Valleys can be advantageous terrain, if they are fortified to keep enemies from using them as pinch points.
|-
| 37 || Offense || Only attack when the enemy has a known exploitable weakness which you are capable of destroying with absolute certainty.
|-
| 38 || Defense || Don’t attack if you don’t have what it takes to win. Instead, use this time to reinforce your defenses, and wait for a better opportunity.
|-
| 39 || Initiative || Immediately attack enemies upon their arrival, before they have time to organize or fortify their position.
|-
| 40 || Response|| Delay conflict until the enemy’s spirit wanes and their discipline laxes.
|-
| 41 || The Unorthodox || Attack in unexpected ways, when and where enemies are least prepared. Scholars overthink this technique; usually it’s a pincer attack.
|-
| 42|| The Orthodox || Direct conventional conflict is a weapon-of-last-resort, reserved for use against enemies which cannot be confused, deceived, or cut off from reinforcements or resupply.
|-
| 43 || The Vacuous || Conceal any gaps in your power or defense, to prevent the enemy from attacking your real weaknesses.
|-
| 44 || The Substantial || Enemies with substantial strategic power will not move or attack recklessly, so brace yourself for their inevitable onslaught.
|-
| 45 || Recklessness || Attacking without preparing a strategy based on a detailed analysis of the enemy guarantees defeat.
|-
| 46 || Weightiness (Gravitas) || Prevent manipulation by never moving or maneuvering unless it clearly offers a real advantage
|-
| 47 || Profit || The profit motive can be exploited to bait traps, lure enemies into ambushes, or deceive covetous enemies into other reckless actions.
|-
| 48 || Harm ||
* Set up ambushes to prevent enemy raids and impede advancement.
* The enemy will follow whatever path has no ambushes, so the ambushes can be used to indirectly control the enemy’s movements.
|-
| 49 || Security || A highly-motivated far-traveling enemy wants to fight upon arriving. Instead, reinforce your defenses and secure your position to deny that fight and drag the conflict out into a siege, which depletes the enemy’s supplies and morale.
|-
| 50 || Danger || People must expect to die in dangerous situations, because anything else results in a half-hearted effort that leads to both death and defeat. Ironically, only those who accept death get to live to see victory.
|-
| 51 || Fighting to the Death ||
* Desperate situations produce maximum effort from subordinates.
* If your troops are doubtful, confused, and disobedient, place them in actual confrontations and “burn the ships,” to give them perspective, and no recourse but to get their acts together.
** Note that there are numerous historical examples of this stratagem failing.
|-
| 52 || Seeking Life ||Worrying about escaping and living after the battle weakens your resolve. If you have made proper assessments and troop deployments, then victory is certain and there is nothing to fear.
|-
| 53 || The Hungry || Devote a portion of your troops to plundering. Consume the enemy’s provisions instead of your own to weaken them and make resupplying easier.
|-
| 54 || The Sated || Far-traveling enemies have strained supply chains, so intercept the enemy’s resupply efforts with unorthodox troops.
|-
| 55 || Fatigue ||
* Compel others to act, instead of being compelled.
* It is critical to secure advantageous positions, because the enemy will tire themselves out scrambling to compensate.
|-
| 56 || Ease || Relaxing after a victory gives enemies a chance to regroup and attack.
|-
| 57 || Victory || Do not relax after victories, or act as though you were victorious; this opens yourself to attack.
|-
| 58 || Defeat || Instead of dwelling on defeat, look for the advantages which the new situation brings (i.e., regroup and attack when they are celebration.)
|-
| 59 || Advancing || Quickly, brutally attack enemy weaknesses/openings as soon as they appear.
|-
| 60 || Retreating || Retreat from numerically superior enemies if you have less strength and unfavorable positions. You cannot win a no-win scenario.
|-
| 61 || Provocation || A far-away enemy’s provocation is to manipulate you into advancing, and wearing yourselves out before the fight from the traveling.
|-
| 62 || Compulsion || Render enemies powerless by forcing them to unwillingly act when unprepared.
|-
| 63 || The Distant || Before attacking distant targets, show the enemy that you are planning to attack something nearby. The enemy will muster their troops in the wrong location, augmenting your true attack, which comes as a surprise.
|-
| 64 || The Nearby || Before attacking nearby targets, show the enemy that you are going far away. Ideally, move in different directions and converge upon the enemy, who either falls for the pincer, or sends a raiding party after your smaller group, who can lead them into a trap.
|-
| 65 || Rivers || Deploying forces too close to a riverbank makes enemies suspicious about fording there. If the enemy is fording, then attack them right at the bank.
|-
| 66 || Fire Attacks || Set fires, and attack while the enemy is distracted with firefighting.
|-
| 67 || Slowness || Attacking fortified cities is the worst of all strategies, which is only to be used when there is no alternative. Instead, cut off their supply lines and rescuers.
|-
| 68 || Quickness || Supplies and other external aid must be quickly intercepted and assaulted.
Fortifications may stop your attacks, but can’t stop the defender’s despair.
|-
| 69 || Order || Do not attack well-ordered, well-organized enemies; wait for them to change.
|-
| 70 || Disorder || Attack disordered, poorly-organized enemies; they are unable to resist.
|-
| 71 || Segmenting || Segment numerically-superior forces into smaller fighting groups to let the rear guard perform flank and maneuver rather than be stuck behind the vanguard.
* With a 5:1 advantage, employ a 60/40 orthodox/unorthodox attack mixture.
* With a 3:1 advantage, employ a 66/33 orthodox/unorthodox attack mixture.
|-
| 72 || Uniting ||
* Segmented forces cannot be thinly spread out, like in the board game “Risk.”
* Defeat numerically-superior thinly-spread enemies by attacking from multiple directions. This prevents their concentration into a credible fighting force.
|-
| 73 || Anger || Anger alone is what convinces others to kill.
|-
| 74 || Spirit || Music “pumps-up” soldiers, unleashing their potential.
People cannot remain “pumped-up”; this diminishes over time and distance.
|-
| 75 || Retreats || If the enemy retreats for no apparent reason, send elite troops to investigate;
this may bait a trap. Validly-retreating enemies are desperate and fight with an increased ferocity.
|-
| 76 || Pursuits || Do not pursue organized retreats; they are often ruses, and they can still fight; their desperation may lead them to fight with increased ferocity. A disorganized, chaotic enemy retreat should be pursued and destroyed.
|-
| 77 || Refusing Battle || Do not fight stronger, numerically-superior enemies with intact supply lines. Instead, use this time to reinforce your position and augment your defense.
|-
| 78 || Inevitable Combat || Indirectly attack fortified enemies by attacking their home base, supply lines, etc., to lure them out of their fort to launch a rescue mission.
|-
| 79 || Avoidance || The weak must avoid fighting strong, highly-motivated enemies.
Instead, the weak should wait until the strong are fatigued before attacking.
|-
| 80 || Sieges || Always give enemies a way out. This demoralizes them, because the thought of escaping will replace the desire for an all-out fights-to-finish. The enemy will escape, but they’ll escape on your terms, and this can be used to set up traps.
|-
| 81 || Utterances || State false intentions, coaxing the enemy to move their defense to places you had no intention of attacking. “Speak about the East, but strike to the West.”
|-
| 82 || Peace Negotiations || Peace negotiations can be used as a distraction to drops an enemy’s guard.
Anyone seeking an unconditional peace is just setting up a stratagem.
|-
| 83 || Enduring Attacks || If you are surrounded, escape is impossible. Instead, attack outward in all directions, in a gapless uniformly-expanding circle.
|-
| 84 || Surrenders || Treat an enemy’s surrender like an attack; it’s likely a ruse, so have your spies and intelligence operation independently verify their claim. Never let your guard down, and never stop fortifying.
|-
| 85 || The Heavens || Immoral/incompetent/arrogant leaders who fail to respond to civil crises and hardships will lose their followers, and are thus doomed to fail.
|-
| 86 || The Human || Commanders must solely rely upon reason, ignoring omens and soothsayers. Boldly squash superstitions or rumors before they destroy morale.
|-
| 87 || The Difficult || Leaders must equally endure their subordinate’s hardships to preserve morale. Leaders must be part of the situation to make real-time corrections.
|-
| 88 || The Easy || Concentrate on easy victories, targeting weak spots away from main forces.
|-
| 89 || Bait ||
* Create an appearance of weakness before an attack, to misdirect enemies.
* Tactical blunders and equipment losses maybe planned to compel actions.
|-
| 90 || Estrangement || Attack when there is discord among enemy leadership, or between enemy leaders and their forces. If there is no discord, have your spies create some.
|-
| 91 || Doubt ||
* Create the appearance of larger forces to intimidate your enemy.
* Give the enemy a false impression of where you will attack to set up pincers.
** “Prepare the enemy to set up in the east, then attack from the west.”
* Construct a small fortress before retreating; so your pursuers will garrison your worthless fortress and think its a victory, rather than pursue you.
|-
| 92 || The Impoverished || Slowly pursue retreating, numerically-inferior armies to grind them down and prevent them from making desperate last stands.
|-
| 93 || Wind || Every plan and strategy is weather-dependent. Plans must be expedited or delayed to exploit the advantages/disadvantages of changing weather conditions.
|-
| 94 || Snow || The misery of prolonged rain, snow, or cold destroys morale.
Thus, attacking right after a period of adverse weather confers an advantage.
|-
| 95 || Nurturing Spirit || Evaluate the morale of your defeated forces. If their fighting spirit is broken, then your top priority is restoring morale before you re-engaging the enemy.
|-
| 96 || Fear ||
* Single out and make examples out of individual cowards to maintain order.
* If your entire force is afraid, reassure their safety, and show how they’ll profit.
|-
| 97 || Letters || Cut your forces off from outside communications. Messages from home will distract for forces from the task at hand. “Dear John” letters destroy morale.
|-
| 98 || Change ||
* Responding to change is the essence of strategy. This requires an ironclad knowledge of history and of what your forces capabilities.
* Only attack when enemies are caught up in exploitable moments of change.
|-
| 99 || Enthralled with Warfare ||
* Victory is easy to obtain, but difficult to maintain.
* Over-reliance on combat wears you and your forces down, weakening you over time. Thus, you must avoid conflict, unless it is absolutely necessary.
* Needless battles doom you eventually; your number will come up. someday
|-
| 100 || Forgetting Warfare || Maintain every aspect of military preparation in peacetime, to maintain readiness for defending against unanticipated future attacks.
|}

----
{{Navigation}}

Hammerfist block

2025-10-31T03:48:50Z

YellowHatGuy: /* Downward hammerfist block */

'''Tettsui uke''' (literally: “iron hammer block”), the '''hammerfist block''' refers to the defensive applications of the [[Hammerfist strike| hammerfist strike]]. Like their offensive counterpart, hammerfist blocks model the form of [[Shutō block|shutō blocks]], and still contact the opponent with the [[Shutō|shutō]], even with a closed fist. Hammerfist block is a very diverse move, which can be executed in many directions.

==Outside hammerfist block==
To execute an outside hammerfist block, pull the blocking hand up to the opposite-side ear, with the palm facing inside. Cover your floating ribs on your blocking-hand side with the opposite-side hand. (This is the same position that [[Downward-fist block|downward-fist blocks]] are executed from.) Remember, everything must come in before it can go out.

Then, pull the blocking hand across the chest, until it is in front of the same-side shoulder, with the palm facing down. At the same time, [[Reciprocal action|chamber]] the opposite-side hand by pulling it across your waist to its hip, setting up a counterattack.
<youtube width="200" height="120">kwKgz1Zr68o</youtube>

==Inside hammerfist block==
Inside hammerfist blocks are similar to a [[Tate-shutō uchi|tate-shutō uchi]] or [[Ude uke|ude uke]]. Pull the blocking hand up to the same-side ear, with the palm facing towards inside. Then, pull your elbow across your chest, until your blocking hand is in front of your face, so you can see your own palm. Your shutō will swat your opponent’s attacks away.
<youtube width="200" height="120">ITuevq1Oq_I</youtube>

==Rising hammerfist block==

Rising hammerfist are [[Rising block|rising blocks]] which connect with the shutō of a closed fist, instead of the forearm.
<youtube width="200" height="120">2BjmO4D2hQY</youtube>

==Downward hammerfist block==

Downward hammerfist blocks are essentially [[Downward-fist block|downward-fist blocks]] performed to the side of the body. These are the most common defense techniques used in side-facing postures (e.g., [[Horse stance|horse stance]], or [[Full-side-facing|full-side-facing]])

Downward hammerfist blocks are performed exactly like downward hammerfist strikes, but with the intention of swatting instead of crushing. To perform a downward hammerfist block, sharply pull your arm back as far as possible. (Ideally, this is a [[Elbow_strikes#Rear_elbow_strike|rear elbow strike]].) Then, straighten your arm out and down in a snapping motion. The forearm ''does not'' swing freely while the elbow remains fixed in place, like a folding pocket knife. The elbow should drop down as you perform a downward hammerfist, giving it the same crack-the-whip feeling as an [[Hammerfist_strike#Outside_hammerfist_strike|outside hammerfist strike]] or a [[Makkikomi-shutō_uchi|makkikomi-shutō]].

[videos of downward hammerfists, fast and slow from the front and from the side. Also, show a bad example where the fists swings uselessly from the side, and shout “NO!” or something.]”
----
{{Navigation}}

Kihon no Tekkō

2025-10-31T03:44:27Z

YellowHatGuy:

'''Kihon no Tekkō''' was Fumio Demura's collection of the basics of tekkōjutsu, which is compatible with either version of tekkō.

==Directions==
[Kihon no Tekkō, 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. ]
[[File:Points_of_Harmony.png|center]]

#From an [[Attention stance|attention stance]], bow with the tekkō in your right hand, and return to a [[Ready_stance|ready stance]].
#Step your left foot out to #2, entering a left [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #1, with a left [[Downward-fist block|downward block]].
#Slide your right foot out to #8, entering a right [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #1, with a right [[Hook punch|hook punch]] and a left [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]].
#Slide your left foot out to #2, entering a left [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #1, with a left [[Hook punch|hook punch]] and a right [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]].
#Slide your right foot out to #8, entering a right [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #1, with a right [[Chūdan_uke|chūdan uke]]. Throw a right [[front-foot punch|jab]] to the [[Kyūsho#Eyes|eyes]] and a left [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]] to the [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]].
#Step your left foot out to #6, entering a left [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #5, with a left [[Downward-fist block|downward block]].
#Slide your right foot out to #4, entering a right [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #5, with a right [[Hook punch|hook punch]] and a left [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]].
#Slide your left foot out to #6, entering a left [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #5, with a left [[Hook punch|hook punch]] and a right [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]].
#Slide your right foot out to #4, entering a right [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #5, with a right [[Chūdan_uke|chūdan uke]]. Throw a right [[front-foot punch|jab]] to the [[Kyūsho#Eyes|eyes]] and a left [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]] to the [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]].
#Step your right foot out to #6, entering a left [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #1, with a left [[Hammerfist_strike#Outside_hammerfist_strike|outside hammer-fist strike]].
#Pull back into a right [[Crane_stance#Fighting_crane_stance|fighting crane stance]] facing #8 with a right [[Rising block|rising block]] and a left [[Downward-fist block|downward block]] to #2.
#Step your right foot out to #3, entering a left [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #2, with a left [[Chūdan_uke|chūdan uke]]. Throw a left [[front-foot punch|jab]] to the [[Kyūsho#Eyes|eyes]] and a right [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]] to the [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]].
#Pull back into a left [[Crane_stance#Fighting_crane_stance|fighting crane stance]] facing #2 with a left [[Rising block|rising block]] and a right [[Downward-fist block|downward block]] to #8.
#Step your right foot out to #7, entering a right [[Front stance|front stance]] facing #8, with a right [[Chūdan_uke|chūdan uke]]. Throw a right [[front-foot punch|jab]] to the [[Kyūsho#Eyes|eyes]] and a left [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]] to the [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]]..
#Slide your left foot to #2, entering a entering a [[Horse_stance|kiba dachi]] facing #8 with a right [[Rising block|rising block]] and a left [[Downward-fist block|downward block]] to #2.
#Shift into a left front stance to #1 with a left downward pressing block and a right [[Palmheel strike|palmheel]] to [[Kyūsho#Chin|chin]]-level, which resembles a [[Tate-shutō_uchi|tate-shutō]] (a "Chugoku-te guard”). Throw a [[front-foot punch|jab]] to the [[Kyūsho#Eyes|eyes]] and a [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]] to the [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]].
#Slide your right foot to #8, entering a entering a [[Horse_stance|kiba dachi]] facing #2 with a left [[Rising block|rising block]] and a right [[Downward-fist block|downward block]] to #8.
#Shift into a right front stance to #1 with a right downward pressing block and a left [[Palmheel strike|palmheel]] to [[Kyūsho#Chin|chin]]-level, for a Chugoku-te guard. Throw a [[front-foot punch|jab]] to the [[Kyūsho#Eyes|eyes]] and a [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]] to the [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]].
#[[Twisting|Twist]] to the left and step your right foot to #4, [[Twisting|twisting]] to the left again to complete [[Tenkan|tenkan]]. Shift onto your left foot to enter a left [[Crane_stance#Fighting_crane_stance|fighting crane stance]] facing #2 with a left [[Rising block|rising block]] and a right [[Downward-fist block|downward block]] to #2.
#Return to a [[Ready_stance|ready stance]] facing #1. Enter an [[Attention stance|attention stance]] and [[Bow|bow]].

==Notes==

To aid in the development of muscle memory, this [[Kata|kata]] has many repeated series.

When using your [[Reciprocal action|reciprocal action]], only rotate your hands a quarter-turn when using the [[Sai|sai]]. Otherwise, you’ll scrape yourself with the tine.

==Bunkai==

Many possible bunkai exist for any one [[Kata|kata]]. This is one example, where the [[tekkō|tekkō]] is used in various ways to against opponents armed with [[Bō|bō]].

----
{{Navigation}}

Karate

2025-10-31T03:35:40Z

YellowHatGuy:

'''Karate''' is a popular martial art which emphasizes the use of striking techniques within unarmed mêlée combat.

Many of the details of karate’s origins have been lost to time. Illiteracy was once a cultural norm, so martial arts were transmitted through apprenticeships. While a few of the old masters were aristocrats who could afford basic educations (or scribes), few of these masters were also good authors. These problems are compounded because most of the records from that period were destroyed during the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa Battle of Okinawa], and the surviving information is obfuscated by several Asian cultural nuances:
*The Chinese and Japanese have historically had a strained relationship. As such, the Chinese influences on karate have been downplayed for marketing purposes.
*Events which occurred between 10 and 10,000 years ago are all mukashi (“once upon a time…”).
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism Confucianism] prohibits any derogatory remarks about social superiors or the dead.
*It is consider rude ''not'' to answer a question. So rather than honestly saying “I don't know,” cromulent-sounding speculations are provided instead.
*Martial artists tend to over-focus on their own particular system, and ignore the other systems around them. As such, there are few cross-references to work with or from.

No one person founded karate; it has been a continuous evolutionary process which apparently started c.800 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era CE]. Chinese traders and diplomats introduced kung-fu (in particular, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian_White_Crane Fujian White Crane]) to Okinawa, which the Okinawans blended into their own indigenous fighting techniques. Someone with these skills was said to have “to-te” (figuratively: “Chinese hands”); “to” is the kanji for China's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty Tang dynasty] (618-906 CE), but this character can also be pronounced “kara.”

The Okinawans were forbidden to own weapons following a 1497 CE edict from their king, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8D_Shin Shō Shin], in order to consolidate his power. Lacking other options, the Okinawans were forced to rely on unarmed fighting skills to protect themselves and their property from bandits, thieves, and their ruler's overreach. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimazu_clan#History Shimazu Clan], which oversaw Japan's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_Domain Satsuma province], forbade martial arts altogether after they conquered Okinawa in 1609 CE. Karate then persisted as series of personal fighting styles, which were taught in secret to handfuls of trusted students.

Karate was brought to mainstream popularity by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gichin_Funakoshi Gichin Funakoshi], who traveled to Tokyo in 1922 to promote karate by adding it into Japanese schools and colleges as a means of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_culture physical culture] and spiritual self-cultivation. However, the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Nippon_Butoku_Kai Dai Nippon Butoku Kai] ("Great Japan Martial Virtue Association"), the central governing body for all martial arts in that era, rejected karate because it:
*Had no [[Ranking|ranking system]].
*Had no [[Gi|uniforms]]. Karateka previously trained and fought in their underpants to avoid gi-grabs.
*Had no standard curriculum.
*Emphasized fighting techniques over spiritual development; it promoted "-[[Jutsu|jutsu]]", instead of "-[[Dō|dō]]".

Funkakoshi quickly rectified the first two items by copying the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo jūdōka], who were extremely popular at the time. Funakoshi was able to design curricula because he was a public school literature teacher. Funakoshi took the liberty of renaming all of the [[Kata|forms]] to downplay Chinese influences, which catered to the then-[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperialism#Japan imperialistic Japanese]. Funakoshi went as far as to re-brand the art itself through a clever use of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophone homophones]; in Japanese the kanji character for “empty” is also pronounced “kara.” Karate then became “empty hands,” which highlighted its emphasis on unarmed striking. Finally, Funakoshi imposed a spiritual component onto karate by linking it to existing Buddhist teachings.

Karate was gradually brought to America after World War II by returning servicemen who learned the art while stationed in Japan or Okinawa. Prior to World War II, martial arts were thought to be a combination of gymnastics and black magick; these false perceptions made karate extremely popular in the 1960’s. While this fabricated aura of mystery has worn thin from increased familiarity, a few misconceptions sadly persist:
*In the 1950’s, “judo” was used as a generic blanket-term for all Asian fighting arts, since it was easy to pronounce and remember. Because of this, most Americans believe that all fighting arts are more-or-less the same.
*The low number of American black belts in that era skewed the public's perception into thinking that earning a black belt was a near-impossible feat, which was reserved only for the world's most elite fighters. In reality, a black belt denotes minimum competence, like a high school diploma. Anyone willing to invest 5 ± 2 years in a dōjō can earn one.

While karate’s popularity was eclipsed by other martial arts fads (e.g., [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruceploitation Bruceploitation], the [http://io9.gizmodo.com/5982187/why-americans-became-obsessed-with-ninjas 80’s Ninja Craze]), it continues to thrive because '''the classics are classics for a reason.'''

Within karate, there exist many [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%AB_(school) schools of thought]. Karate has no central governing or oversight body because these organizations are extremely prone to factionalism and tumultuous internal politics. This is mostly due to disagreements over curriculum design or technique minutia, and from karate's tendency to attract rugged individualists who respond poorly to central governing committees. The differences between karate styles requires some familiarity to notice, much like how the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_school_of_swordsmanship Italian] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_school_of_fencing French] schools of fencing appear the same to non-swordsmen; or how West Coast Swing dancing differs from East Coast Swing dancing. [[Goshin-Jutsu]] is admittedly one of the less-popular karate styles, mostly due to a failure to advertise and promote ourselves. This website aims to correct this error.
----
{{Navigation}}

Karate

2025-10-31T03:34:03Z

YellowHatGuy:

'''Karate''' is a popular martial art which emphasizes the use of striking techniques within unarmed mêlée combat.

Many of the details of karate’s origins have been lost to time. Illiteracy was once a cultural norm, so martial arts were transmitted through apprenticeships. While a few of the old masters were aristocrats who could afford basic educations (or scribes), few of these masters were also good authors. These problems are compounded because most of the records from that period were destroyed during the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa Battle of Okinawa], and the surviving information is obfuscated by several Asian cultural nuances:
*The Chinese and Japanese have historically had a strained relationship. As such, the Chinese influences on karate have been downplayed for marketing purposes.
*Events which occurred between 10 and 10,000 years ago are all mukashi (“once upon a time…”).
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism Confucianism] prohibits any derogatory remarks about social superiors or the dead.
*It is consider rude ''not'' to answer a question. So rather than honestly saying “I don't know,” cromulent-sounding speculations are provided instead.
*Martial artists tend to over-focus on their own particular system, and ignore the other systems around them. As such, there are few cross-references to work with or from.

No one person founded karate; it has been a continuous evolutionary process which apparently started c.800 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era CE]. Chinese traders and diplomats introduced kung-fu (in particular, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian_White_Crane Fujian White Crane]) to Okinawa, which the Okinawans blended into their own indigenous fighting techniques. Someone with these skills was said to have “to-te” (figuratively: “Chinese hands”); “to” is the kanji for China's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty Tang dynasty] (618-906 CE), but this character can also be pronounced “kara.”

The Okinawans were forbidden to own weapons following a 1497 CE edict from their king, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8D_Shin Shō Shin], in order to consolidate his power. Lacking other options, the Okinawans were forced to rely on unarmed fighting skills to protect themselves and their property from bandits, thieves, and their ruler's overreach. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimazu_clan#History Shimazu Clan], which oversaw Japan's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_Domain Satsuma province], forbade martial arts altogether after they conquered Okinawa in 1609 CE. Karate then persisted as series of personal fighting styles, which were taught in secret to handfuls of trusted students.

Karate was brought to mainstream popularity by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gichin_Funakoshi Gichin Funakoshi], who traveled to Tokyo in 1922 to promote karate by adding it into Japanese schools and colleges as a means of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_culture physical culture]] and spiritual self-cultivation. However, the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Nippon_Butoku_Kai Dai Nippon Butoku Kai] ("Great Japan Martial Virtue Association"), the central governing body for all martial arts in that era, rejected karate because it:
*Had no [[Ranking|ranking system]].
*Had no [[Gi|uniforms]]. Karateka previously trained and fought in their underpants to avoid gi-grabs.
*Had no standard curriculum.
*Emphasized fighting techniques over spiritual development; it promoted "-[[Jutsu|jutsu]]", instead of "-[[Dō|dō]]".

Funkakoshi quickly rectified the first two items by copying the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo jūdōka], who were extremely popular at the time. Funakoshi was able to design curricula because he was a public school literature teacher. Funakoshi took the liberty of renaming all of the [[Kata|forms]] to downplay Chinese influences, which catered to the then-[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperialism#Japan imperialistic Japanese]. Funakoshi went as far as to re-brand the art itself through a clever use of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophone homophones]; in Japanese the kanji character for “empty” is also pronounced “kara.” Karate then became “empty hands,” which highlighted its emphasis on unarmed striking. Finally, Funakoshi imposed a spiritual component onto karate by linking it to existing Buddhist teachings.

Karate was gradually brought to America after World War II by returning servicemen who learned the art while stationed in Japan or Okinawa. Prior to World War II, martial arts were thought to be a combination of gymnastics and black magick; these false perceptions made karate extremely popular in the 1960’s. While this fabricated aura of mystery has worn thin from increased familiarity, a few misconceptions sadly persist:
*In the 1950’s, “judo” was used as a generic blanket-term for all Asian fighting arts, since it was easy to pronounce and remember. Because of this, most Americans believe that all fighting arts are more-or-less the same.
*The low number of American black belts in that era skewed the public's perception into thinking that earning a black belt was a near-impossible feat, which was reserved only for the world's most elite fighters. In reality, a black belt denotes minimum competence, like a high school diploma. Anyone willing to invest 5 ± 2 years in a dōjō can earn one.

While karate’s popularity was eclipsed by other martial arts fads (e.g., [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruceploitation Bruceploitation], the [http://io9.gizmodo.com/5982187/why-americans-became-obsessed-with-ninjas 80’s Ninja Craze]), it continues to thrive because '''the classics are classics for a reason.'''

Within karate, there exist many [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%AB_(school) schools of thought]. Karate has no central governing or oversight body because these organizations are extremely prone to factionalism and tumultuous internal politics. This is mostly due to disagreements over curriculum design or technique minutia, and from karate's tendency to attract rugged individualists who respond poorly to central governing committees. The differences between karate styles requires some familiarity to notice, much like how the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_school_of_swordsmanship Italian] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_school_of_fencing French] schools of fencing appear the same to non-swordsmen; or how West Coast Swing dancing differs from East Coast Swing dancing. [[Goshin-Jutsu]] is admittedly one of the less-popular karate styles, mostly due to a failure to advertise and promote ourselves. This website aims to correct this error.
----
{{Navigation}}

Goshin-Jutsu

2025-10-31T03:20:38Z

YellowHatGuy:

[[File:Durant2.png|frame|Grandmaster Gerald Durant (1922-1991), founder of Goshin-Jutsu Karatedō.]]

'''Goshin-Jutsu''' (literally: “art of self-defense”) is an [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS8hpeWBjfg American]-founded karate style, modeling the Okinawan tradition, with strong Chinese and aikijutsu influences. By definition, Goshin-Justu prioritizes self-defense applications over sport-fighting. Goshin-Jutsu places a major emphasis on “[[Snap|snapping]]” hip rotations to generate power for decisive, targeted strikes which exploit the opponent’s reactions to previous strikes. Compared to other karate styles, Goshin-Jutsu [[Kata|forms]] and [[Waza|waza]] vary in speed, and make a greater use of joint manipulations and takedowns.

Goshin-Jutsu Karatedō was founded by Gerald Durant (1922-1991) of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utica,_New_York Utica, NY]. By all accounts, “Durant was a crotchety old man who liked to fight people.” Durant's motives and methods for creating Goshin-Jutsu are mostly lost to history or hopelessly shrouded in self-made myths; Durant had a habit of telling people whatever they wanted to hear, just to make them go away. Frequently, these tall tales described jumping ship in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osaka Ōsaka] as a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Merchant_Marine Merchant Marine], and studying with some "samurai prince," because people kept pestering Durant for an exotic origin story until he provided them with one.

What is known was that Durant enjoyed dōjō storming; i.e., walking into schools and directly challenging instructors, to see who was good and who was not. If Durant won, he moved on. If Durant lost, he signed up for lessons, and trained until he could win. This went on for several years. Durant learned [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo jūdō] in Canada, and was enamored with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido aikidō] to such a degree that he copied [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morihei_Ueshiba Ō-sensei’s] iconic goatee later in life. Durant attempted to storm, and subsequently trained under Willem Reeders (1917-1990), the Grandmaster of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liu_Seong_Kuntao Liu Seong Kuntao]. However, this provides more questions than answers; Reeders also shrouded himself in self-created myth, and only gave his students pieces of his puzzle without revealing his whole story to anyone. Durant likely copied this idea.

[[File:Capela2.png|frame|Grandmaster Stephen Capela, Jr.]]

In the mid-1960s, Durant opened his own dōjō, the Goshin-Jutsu Kyojujo, where he drew upon his experiences and taught his personal fighting method, which he later condensed into the [[Hajimete_Undō_no_Karatedō|five]] [[Futatsu_Mae_Undō_no_Karatedō|core]] [[Mittsu_Mae_Undō_no_Karatedō|Goshin]]-[[Yottsu_Mae_Undō_no_Karatedō|Jutsu]] [[Godan|kata]]. Durant later established or appropriated other kata to build his curriculum. Durant trained many students, who in turn, opened schools of their own. In 1983, the Goshin-Jutsu system fell into chaos and split into two groups, one in Pennsylvania and one in Texas, where Durant eventually moved to in order to closer to his family. No one reason has ever been identified for this schism, though “Grandmaster Durant had kind of a strained relationship with…everyone,” and he tended to attract similar people. The author of this website acknowledges Hanshi Stephen Capela, Jr., as the rightful inheritor and leader of the Goshin-Jutsu system. No one has advanced the state of our art more than Mr. Capela, through his methodical, individual effort to systematize every facet of it.

A life-long smoker, Grandmaster Durant died of lung cancer in Pasadena, TX, on July 14, 1991; he was 68. Goshin-Jutsu persists, but it has noticeably lost steam since the late-2000s, since many of Durant’s direct students have become infirm or deceased. Since a martial art's popularity largely depends upon its ability to generate high-quality publications which remove barriers-to-entry, this website was created to preserve this art for future generations. Keeping with Goshin-Jutsu's ethos, no one was asked for permission before building this website.

Goshin-Jutsu is a purely American invention, without any ties to any mainstream karate organization -- and in a lot of ways, that makes it ''better''. By definition, the cutting edge is on the fringe. While Goshin-Justu was the personal invention of a rogue individual, karate's lore is full of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motobu_Ch%C5%8Dki lone-wolves], misfits, and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%8Dtoku_Kyan misanthropes] who were [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mas_Oyama hell-bent on doing things their own way]. An American man inventing a karate style makes as much sense as a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gracies Brazilian family] establishing a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_jiu-jitsu jūjustu ryūha]. While Goshin-Jutsu doesn’t have a “legitimate” paper trail, neither do most mainstream karate styles. ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gichin_Funakoshi Gichin Funakoshi] never granted any ranks above godan.'' Pre-1920s karate had ''no standards of any kind,'' and existed as a constant cross-pollination of personal fighting styles. ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%8Djun_Miyagi Chōjun Miyagi] never issued black belts to anyone''; he was convinced that only your character mattered, and that ranks would lead to division. While our critics claim that that Goshin-Jutsu is “illegitimate” because it was “made-up,” we’ve never seen an art that ''wasn’t'' made-up, nor do we know how one could logically exist.

If you were hoping to indulge in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cannon_Group,_Inc. VHS action movie] fantasy of learning a secret ancient fighting art, then you shall find only disappointment here -- and everywhere else you turn.

If you want to improve yourself and learn how to fight, then keep reading.
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Self-Defense Karate:General disclaimer

2025-10-31T03:15:38Z

YellowHatGuy:

== DISCLAIMER ==

'''WARNING: Use at your own risk.''' The authors are '''not responsible''' and '''assume no liability''' in any shape, way, form, or kind whatsoever for any legal troubles, injuries, and/or fatalities which may result from reading and/or following the instructions contained on this website. The material on this site is '''for reference only''', intended as a free resource for the preservation of an artform.

This website describes physical activities, which may be sophisticated, taxing, or grueling for some individuals. '''Practicing or applying the activities described on this website may result in injury or death.''' The reader should consult their physician for advice prior to performing any physical activity described on this website. '''To minimize the risk of injury, nothing described or illustrated on this site should be undertaken without good judgement, personal responsibility, and the direct supervision of a qualified martial arts instructor.'''

Please note that the [[Kobudō|weapons]] described on this site may be prohibited under your local, state, or national laws.

Specific self-defense responses which are illustrated and described on this website may not be legally-justified in all situations; and their application may be prohibited in different circumstances under your local, state, and national laws. The authors do not make any representation or warranty regarding the legality or appropriateness of any technique listed on this website.

Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of SelfDefenseKarate.org. SelfDefenseKarate.org has no control over the nature, content, and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorsement of the views expressed within them.

SelfDefenseKarate.org is being provided to you on an "as-is" and "as-available" basis. Every reasonable effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, SelfDefenseKarate.org takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.

SelfDefenseKarate.org expressly disclaims all warranties of any kind, express or implied. In particular, SelfDefenseKarate.org makes no warranty that:
*The materials provided on SelfDefenseKarate.org will meet your requirements and expectations for quality and completeness.
*That the website hosting SelfDefenseKarate.org materials and/or your internet connection to SelfDefenseKarate.org's server will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free.

== Copyright Notice ==
All pages on this website are © 2025, by [mailto:yellowhatguy@gmail.com Ryan Coons].

Printing, e-mailing, downloading, and/or reproducing content from this website is permitted for your own personal or non-commercial use, provided that you:
#Credit [mailto:yellowhatguy@gmail.com Ryan Coons] as being the author or co-author (as appropriate), and
#Include this copyright notice in those materials.

All other uses requires the author's explicit written permission. Please contact [mailto:yellowhatguy@gmail.com Ryan Coons] to request for commercial use of the material.

Text was produced by [mailto:yellowhatguy@gmail.com Ryan Coons]. Photos and videos were produced by [mailto:yellowhatguy@gmail.com Ryan Coons], unless otherwise noted.

== Advertising ==

Advertising space is available on this site. Please contact [mailto:yellowhatguy@gmail.com Ryan Coons] for details.

Self-Defense Karate:General disclaimer

2025-10-31T03:12:55Z

YellowHatGuy: /* Copyright Notice */

== DISCLAIMER ==

'''WARNING: Use at your own risk.''' The authors are '''not responsible''' and '''assume no liability''' in any shape, way, form, or kind whatsoever for any legal troubles, injuries, and/or fatalities which may result from reading and/or following the instructions contained on this website. The material on this site is '''for reference only''', intended as a free resource for the preservation of an artform.

This website describes physical activities, which may be sophisticated, taxing, or grueling for some individuals. '''Practicing or applying the activities described on this website may result in injury or death.''' The reader should consult their physician for advice prior to performing any physical activity described on this website. '''To minimize the risk of injury, nothing described or illustrated on this site should be undertaken without good judgement, personal responsibility, and the direct supervision of a qualified martial arts instructor.'''

Please note that the [[Kobudō|weapons]] described on this site may be prohibited under your local, state, or national laws.

Specific self-defense responses which are illustrated and described on this website may not be legally-justified in all situations; and their application may be prohibited in different circumstances under your local, state, and national laws. The authors do not make any representation or warranty regarding the legality or appropriateness of any technique listed on this website.

Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of SelfDefenseKarate.org. SelfDefenseKarate.org has no control over the nature, content, and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorsement of the views expressed within them.

SelfDefenseKarate.org is being provided to you on an "as-is" and "as-available" basis. Every reasonable effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, SelfDefenseKarate.org takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.

SelfDefenseKarate.org expressly disclaims all warranties of any kind, express or implied. In particular, SelfDefenseKarate.org makes no warranty that:
*The materials provided on SelfDefenseKarate.org will meet your requirements and expectations for quality and completeness.
*That the website hosting SelfDefenseKarate.org materials and/or your internet connection to SelfDefenseKarate.org's server will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free.

== Copyright Notice ==
All pages on this website are © 2025, by [mailto:yellowhatguy@gmail.com Ryan Coons].

Printing, e-mailing, downloading, and/or reproducing content from this website is permitted for your own personal or non-commercial use, provided that you:
#Agree to attribute Ryan Coons as the author, and
#Do not change or delete any copyright notices from those materials.

All other uses requires the author's explicit written permission. Please contact Ryan Coons for requests for commercial use of the material.

Text was produced by [mailto:yellowhatguy@gmail.com Ryan Coons]. Photos and videos were produced by [mailto:yellowhatguy@gmail.com Ryan Coons], unless otherwise noted.

== Advertising ==

Advertising space is available on this site. Please contact [mailto:yellowhatguy@gmail.com Ryan Coons] for details.

Ikkyō

2025-01-03T06:15:41Z

YellowHatGuy:

'''Ikkyō''' literally translates as “first teaching,” because it is the first immobilization taught in the aikidō. Aikidōka half-jokingly call ikkyō the “lifetime technique,” since it contains all of their art's fundamentals, and all of their immobilizing techniques are essentially ikkyō-variants. Within [[Goshin-Jutsu]], it is referred to as an '''arm lever''' after its governing principle -- the arm can be used as a lever to manipulate the body by exploiting the shoulder joint’s limited ability to reach backwards.

There are many ways to implement this concept; several of them are listed below. In general, arm levers involve grabbing the opponent's wrist or forearm, and pressing on the back of their upper arm or shoulder joint.

== Inside arm lever ==
[[7-3]] inside with an outside [[Shutō_block|shutō block]], immediately followed by a [[Grasping block|grasping block]]. [[Twisting|Twist] outside and shoot your opposite-side hand under the opponent’s armpit and simultaneously:
*[[Twisting|Twist]] your hips to the inside.
*Hook behind the opponent’s shoulder with a [[Thumbknuckle_block|thumbknuckle block]], pulling it down.
*Raise your same-side hand to push the opponent’s arm down into their shoulder.

This forces the opponent to bend at the waist, setting up [[Knee_kick|knee kicks]] to the [[Kyūsho#Chin|head]] or [[Kyūsho#Windpipe|throat]], and/or downward [[Elbow_strikes|elbow strikes]] to the [[Kyūsho#Side_of_the_neck|neck]] or [[Kyūsho#Upper_back|spine]].

[video of inside arm lever, fast and slow, from various angles]

== Outside arm lever ==
[[7-3]] outside with an outside [[Shutō_block|shutō block]], immediately followed by a [[Grasping block|grasping block]]. Then, simultaneously:
*[[Twisting|Twist]] your hips to the inside.
*Press down against the crook of the opponent’s shoulder with your palm or an [[Ude uke|ude uke]].
*Raise your same-side hand to push the opponent’s arm down into their shoulder.

This forces the opponent to bend at the waist, setting up a [[Knee_kick|knee kicks]] to the [[Kyūsho#Chin|head]] or [[Kyūsho#Windpipe|throat]], and/or downward [[Elbow_strikes|elbow strikes]] to the [[Kyūsho#Side_of_the_neck|neck]] or [[Kyūsho#Upper_back|spine]].

[video of outside arm lever, fast and slow, from various angles]

== Ikkyō-omote ==
This is aikidō’s forward, or inside, version of ikkyō. This is one of the more practical aikidō moves. Many other aikidō techniques, like [[Nikkyō|nikkyō]]-omote and gokkyō, are ikkyō-variants, so 10-15% of aikidō training is devoted to repeatedly practicing this technique.

Cross-hand grab the opponent’s wrist, and pull it towards you. As the opponent pulls back to resist, raise your hand to arc the opponent’s arm upwards. [[7-3]] inside and hook your same-side thumb under the opponent’s elbow, pushing it forward into into their nose to off-balance them.

[photo]

Step forward, rolling the opponent’s arm downward to bend them over.

From here, diagonally step-slide forward and into the opponent to off-balance them with a hip-check. Then immediately diagonally step-slide forward and away from the opponent, tugging on their arm to pull them into the ground.

[video of ikkyo-omote, fast and slow, from various angles]

Once the opponent’s chest hits the mat, kneel in [[Seiza|seiza]], placing your knee in the opponent’s armpit. The opponent’s arm should be in front of you, perpendicular to their torso. Press straight down on their arm with both hand; one hand must be above the elbow, and one hand must be below the elbow. This, combined with the shoulder's limited range-of-motion, pins the opponent to the ground until the police can come collect them. For best results, roll the opponent’s arm forward for a locking pin. For a bonus wrist lock, bend the opponent’s wrist so their fingers point up.

Alternately, you can sit in [[Seiza|seiza]] atop of the opponent’s arms, with one knee above their elbow, and one knee below the elbow. This will leave your hands free so you can dig through your pockets or purse for your cell phone to call the police.

== Ikkyō-ura ==
This is aikidō’s rear, or outside, version of ikkyō. This is one of the more visually-stunning takedowns.

Again, cross-hand grab the opponent’s wrist, and pull it towards you. As the opponent pulls back to resist, raise your hand to arc the opponent's arm upwards. [[7-3]] outside into a [[Sanchin-dachi|sanchin-dachi]], and hook your same-side thumb under the opponent’s elbow, and push it forward into their nose to off-balance them.

[photo]

[[Tenkan]] outside and extend your arms; point the opponent’s forearm diagonally downward, with their elbow on your centerline, to send them spiraling into the ground.

[video of ikkyo-ura, fast and slow, from various angles]

Once the opponent’s chest hits the mat, kneel in [[Seiza|seiza]], placing your knee in the opponent’s armpit. The opponent’s arm should be in front of you, perpendicular to their torso. Press straight down on their arm with both hand; one hand must be above the elbow, and one hand must be below the elbow. This, combined with the shoulder's limited range-of-motion, pins the opponent to the ground until the police can come collect them. For best results, roll the opponent’s arm forward for a locking pin. For a bonus wrist lock, bend the opponent’s wrist so their fingers point up.

Alternately, you can sit in [[Seiza|seiza]] atop of the opponent’s arms, with one knee above their elbow, and one knee below the elbow. This will leave your hands free so you can dig through your pockets or purse for your cell phone to call the police.

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Scooping block

2025-01-03T06:09:12Z

YellowHatGuy:

'''Sukui uke''', the '''scooping block''', is a variant of the [[Downward-fist block|downward-fist block]], which catches an opponent’s leg as they kick.

Like all of defenses, scooping blocks are best when performed in tandem with an [[Evasions|evasion]]. Like a [[Downward-fist block|downward-fist blocks]], scooping blocks are chambered by bringing the blocking hand up by the opposite-side ear, with the palm facing inward. Hold the opposite-side hand open over the exposed [[Kyūsho#Floating_ribs|floating ribs]] on the blocking side, as in the picture below.

[front-view photo of gedan barai chamber]

Pull the blocking arm's elbow down diagonally as far as possible, then curl your hand into a scoop-like hook (pictured below) and swing your forearm out from the elbow. Keep your elbow slightly bent to draw upon the relaxed tension of the [[Ki|Unbendable Arm]] technique. The opposite-side hand pulls across the abdomen into a chambered position, [[Reciprocal_action|setting up a counterattack]]. Counter-rotate your hips, and twist your upper body into the technique. Otherwise, you will push yourself off of the opponent, and compromise your balance.

[picture of scooping block hand]

[video of scooping block, from the front and from the side, fast and slow]

Distancing and timing are critical to prevent the opponent from kicking your exposed, open hand; this is why scooping blocks are typically reserved for [[Intermediate|intermediate students]]. The block should complete behind and under the opponent’s foot, just as they finish their kick, so their rechamber pulls their foot into your waiting hand.

Keep in mind that the rules for downward-fist blocks still apply to scooping blocks:
*Do not cross your arms in an X-shape across your chest. If you do this, an opponent can push on the outside arm, and trap them both against your chest.
*Only use scooping blocks to protect the abdomen. Attacks below the waistline are too low for scooping blocks, unless you lean forward and compromise your stability. Also, leaning involves an unnecessary additional energy expenditure to right yourself. Instead, use [[knee block|knee blocks]] to deflect attacks to your legs or groin. A leaning scooping block makes your undefended head easier to reach and abuse.

Also, ''immediately'' recover from a scooping block, since a clever opponent can use its twisted final position to set up [[Nikkyō|nikkyō]] or other joint locks.
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Wristlock

2025-01-03T05:54:04Z

YellowHatGuy:

'''Kote-gaeshi''' (literally: “wrist-return”) is the basic '''wristlock'''. While most marital arts include some version of kote-gaeshi, it is generally considered to be an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido aikidō] technique. The basic premise is grabbing the opponent’s wrist and rotating it to the outside. Once the wrist reaches the end of its range-of-motion, any further rotation create additional elbow and shoulder locks. Since kote-gaeshi is a rotational lock, the opponent cannot relieve the pressure by straightening or bending their arm. Resisting this technique causes a sprained or broken wrists, damaged elbow ligaments, and/or dislocated shoulders. Yielding to the technique is the only way to alleviate the pressure, and the opponent must spiral around their own wrist to “unwind” it -- and throw themselves in the process. The opponent should land in a [[Side breakfall|side breakfall]], which is an ideal setup for a [[Shovel pin|shovel pin]] or [[Stomp kick|stomp kick]].

Beware that '''this takedown does not work on opponents with a freakishly strong grip, like a plumbers or guitarists''' -- and there is no way to tell if you’ve encountered such a person until this technique fails. Fortunately, a failed wristlock attempt can still disrupt your opponent’s balance, [[Atemi|setting up opportunities]] to incapacitate your opponent with a series of [[Kicks|kicks]].

Like all [[Manipulations_and_Takedowns|takedowns]], kote-gaeshi is a three-step process.
#'''Kuzushi (destroying the balance):''' Kote-gaeshi is a “towards throw;” it works best when the opponent’s energy is moving towards you. As such, wristlocks are appropriate when the opponent is charging at you, pushing you, or is stunned and doubled-over following a strike to the [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]] or [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]]. Grab the opponent’s same-side hand, with your thumb on the back of their hand, in-line with their middle finger. Your fingers wrap around the base of the opponent’s thumb. (If you accidentally grab with your opposite-side hand, perform [[Nikkyō|nikkyō]] instead.) [Photo of setup.] Grabbing a moving hand is difficult, so slide your hand down the opponent's forearm to their wrist. The hand's flanged shape automatically stops your sliding at the correct position. The opposite side hand can offer additional support, wrapping its fingers around your opponent’s [[Shutō|shutō]], with your thumb in-line with the opponent’s middle finger. (Thus forming a “hand-sandwich.”) 
#'''Tsukuri (Positioning):''' Pull the back of the opponent’s hand to your [[Center|center]], and imagine that it is welded to the knot of your belt, making you and your opponent into one continuous piece. By aligning their wrist to your centerline and to your axis or rotation, you [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precession maximize the torque imparted to the opponent’s wrist]. If their wrist is above your navel, or not aligned to your centerline, then a clever opponent can counter with a kote-gaeshi of their own. Pressing against the opponent’s fingers with your opposite-side hand makes the opponent point at themselves, and compromise their balance. 
#'''Nage (Throwing):''' Step your opposite-side foot towards the opponent, and pivot around it for [[Tenkan|tenkan]]. Simultaneously use your opposite-side hand to push the opponent’s fingers towards a point directly behind the opponent and between their legs, “where their tail is not”.

[Video of Kote-gaeshi, fast and slow, from several angles.]

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035

2025-01-03T05:29:01Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
==Defense against a one-hand lapel grab ==
*[[7-3]] outside with a same-side [[Elbow_strikes#Downward_elbow_strike|downward elbow strike]] to the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Elbow_joint|elbow]], off-balancing them.
**Lapel grabs are typically followed by a [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]], like in ice hockey fights. Your elbow strike will cover and [[Wedge_technique|wedge]] your head.
*[[Knee kick]] to the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]].
*Step forward, entering a [[Horse stance|horse stance]] with a [[Elbow_strikes#Downward_elbow_strike|downward elbow strike]] to the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Upper_back|spine]].

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034

2025-01-03T05:26:14Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against a one-hand lapel grab ==
*[[7-3]] outside with a same-side [[ude uke]].
**Lapel grabs are typically followed by a [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]], like in ice hockey fights. Pay attention to the opponent's opposite-side shoulder to detect any motion; this "tell," indicates when they will strike.
* Execute a same-side [[makkikomi-shutō_uchi|makkikomi-shutō]] to their [[Kyūsho#Windpipe|throat]].

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033

2025-01-03T05:23:25Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against an under-arm bear hug ==
*Counterattack with a [[Elbow_strikes#Inside_elbow_strike|Inside elbow strike]] to their [[Kyūsho#Temples|temple]] or the [[Kyūsho#Side_of_the_jaw|side of their jaw]].

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032

2025-01-03T05:08:17Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against an under-arm bear hug==
*Grab the opponent’s hair, and pull their head back.
**If the opponent is bald, or has a crew-cut, pixie-cut, etc. then push their forehead up.
*Follow-up with one of the following:
**Break the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Bridge_of_the_nose|nose]] with a [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]] or [[Hammerfist strike|hammerfist strike]].
**[[Makkikomi-shutō_uchi|Makkikomi-shutō]] to their throat, [[Kyūsho#Philtrum|philtrum]], or the [[Kyūsho#Bridge_of_the_nose|bridge of their nose]].

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031

2025-01-03T05:07:16Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against a bear hug, under the arms ==
*Grab the opponent’s hair, and pull their head back.
**If the opponent is bald, or has a crew-cut, pixie-cut, etc. then push their forehead up.
*[[Palmheel_strike#Rising_palmheel_strike|Rising palmheel strike]] to their [[Kyūsho#Groin|chin]].
*Push the opponent’s chin up and back to off-balance the opponent and break their grip.
*Claw the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Eyes|eyes]] and/or grab and tear their face as needed.

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030

2025-01-03T04:57:20Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against an over-arm bear hug ==
*Push on the inside of the opponent’s knees to spread the opponent’s legs apart, as to off-balance them.
*Grab the opponent’s inseams for a [[Mittsu-Mae takedown]].
*Incapacitate the opponent with a [[Stomp kick|stomp kick]] to their [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]].

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029

2025-01-03T04:53:02Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against an over-arm bear hug ==
*[[Knee kick]] the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]] as both an [[Atemi|atemi]] and a [[Manipulations_and_Takedowns#Takedown_theory|kuzushi]], to get them to loosen their grip.
*Push yourself off the opponent, ideally with [[Palmheel_strike#Outside_palmheel_strike|outside palmheel strikes]] to the opponent's hips, as you step back to escape their grasp.
* As the opponent leans forward, throw a [[Backfist strike|backfist strike]] to their [[Kyūsho#Bridge_of_the_nose|nose]] or [[Kyūsho#Philtrum|philtrum]].

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Tonfa

2025-01-03T04:52:36Z

YellowHatGuy:

'''Tonfa''' are wooden clubs with round handles jutting from one side, about 1/3 of the way from the end. Tonfajustu, the art of using the tonfa a self-defense tool, is one of the hallmarks of [[Kobudō|kobudō]].

Tonfa were originally millstone handles, though there is some evidence that forearm crutches inspired similar weapons throughout Asia. Tonfa were extremely popular among US police and security forces from the early-1980’s until the mid-1990’s, when they were replaced by easier-to-carry telescoping batons. Because of this, tonfa are commonly known as nightsticks, side-handle batons, stop-handle batons, or PR-24s. (As the story goes, policemen didn’t know what to call their new weapons, so they used the catalog item number as a placeholder name.)

Tonfa were historically wielded in pairs, because two-handed weapons (i.e., the katana and various polearms) were the most prevalent weapons of that era, and they are vulnerable to [[Kūsankū]] movements. In general, one tonfa is used to block, parry, or trap an opponent’s weapon while the other tonfa counterattacks. Alternately, the tonfa can be flipped and held from the long end, so the handle can be used as a hook to trap or parry weapons. however, you must avoid hard blocks with the handle itself, since it they are secured to the shaft by a single wooden pin.

Tonfa are simple weapons, which can be used by students of any skill level. We typically reserve the tonfa for [[Advanced_students|advanced students]], but only because we feel that it's more important for [[Beginners|beginner]], [[Novice_students|novice]], and [[intermediate|intermediate students]] to focus on developing skills with the [[Bō|bō]] and [[Sai|sai]].

==Kata==
We will not make an in-depth or rigorous study of tonfajutsu; we will only explain how the tonfa is used within [[Goshin-Jutsu]]. Our weapons training serves as a supplement and teaching aid to our empty-hands training, and it primarily consists of practicing the and analyzing the bunkai of the following kata:

*[[Hamahiga no Tonfa]]

For more information on tonfajutsu, please consult [https://www.amazon.com/Fumio-Demuras-Weapons-Self-Defense-Complete/dp/0897502116 ''Fumio Demura's Karate Weapons of Self-Defense: The Complete Edition''], or a used copy of his earlier book, [https://www.amazon.com/Tonfa-Karate-Weapon-Self-Defense-Literary/dp/0897500806/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466765423&sr=1-3&keywords=Tonfa+karate+weapon ''Tonfa: Karate Weapon of Self-Defense'']. (Though this might seem like a cop-out, no one can do a decent job of teaching tonfajutsu without blatantly plagiarizing that book in some way.)

==Tips on selecting tonfa==
Tonfa are easily obtained; they are a standard item in martial arts supply stores, websites, and catalogs. The no-frills base-model tonfa will suit your needs; avoid any bladed licensed movie replicas or anything with the “mall ninja” aesthetic.

The tonfa must cover the entire forearm. Ideally, the body of the tonfa extends past your elbow, to add extra power to rear and outside elbow strikes. To prevent the tonfa from sliding off your forearm, look for tonfa with flat inner edges.

Tonfa should be made of a quality hardwood which can withstand sword cuts (e.g., oak, cherry, or hickory).

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029

2025-01-03T04:48:37Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against an over-arm bear hug ==
*[[Knee kick]] the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]] as both an [[Atemi|atemi]] and a [[Manipulations_and_Takedowns#Takedown_theory|kuzushi]], to get them to loosen their grip.
*Push yourself off the opponent, ideally with [Palmheel_strike#Outside_palmheel_strike|outside palmheel strikes]] to the opponent's hips, as you step back to escape their grasp.
* As the opponent leans forward, throw a [[Backfist strike|backfist strike]] to their [[Kyūsho#Bridge_of_the_nose|nose]] or [[Kyūsho#Philtrum|philtrum]].

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Palmheel strike

2025-01-03T04:46:22Z

YellowHatGuy:

[[File:Palmheel.png|frame|Palmheel strikes contact targets with the heel-of-the-hand, circled in red. Bending the fingers at the second knuckle prevents hyperextension sprains.]]

'''Teishō uchi''' (literally “bottom-palm strike”), the '''palmheel strike''', uses the heel-of-the-hand (teishō) to smash several different [[Kyūsho|vital areas]] from close range. To form the teishō, bend your wrist back as far as you can, and curl your fingers at the second knuckle.

Palmheel strikes (along with [[Elbow strikes|elbow strikes]]) are an essential part of [[Waza|self-defense]] courses because:
*Palmheel strikes require little skill.
*The teishō is the most robust part of the hand, so palmheel strikes can be used without risk of injury. This is vital because:
**Some people have dainty hands, which cannot handle the rigors of [[Punches|punching]].
**Many people (e.g., artists, physicians, tradesmen) need their hands to earn a living, and this could cause hesitation.

There are four ways to throw a palmheel strike, because your hand must strike different [[Kyūsho|vital points]] at different angles to prevent hyperextending your fingers.

==Rising palmheel strike==
Rising palmheel strikes are thrown much like an [[Uppercut|uppercut]], but the hand turns until the fingers point upward. This protects your fingers as you strike the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Philtrum|philtrum]], [[Kyūsho#Chin|chin]], or [[Kyūsho#Collarbone|collarbone]].

Please note that palmheel strikes to the philtrum ''will not'' drive the opponent's nosebone into their brain, causing instant death. That is an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_legend urban legend].

<youtube width="200" height="120">ZaZIIczrwDk</youtube>

==Downward palmheel strike==
Downward palmheel strikes extend out like a [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]], except the rotates the opposite direction, until the fingers point straight down, to allow you to safely strike the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]] and [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]]. Downward palmheel strikes are also the perfect setup for groin grabs, which can be used to start a number of simple-yet-utterly-horrific combinations.

[video of downward palm-heel strikes from the front and side, fast and slow.]

==Outside palmheel strike==
Outside strikes are thrown with the fingers pointing to the outside, so the hand ''does not'' turn over, like a [[Tate tsuki|tate tsuki]]. This is commonly used to strike the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Kidneys|kidneys]]. Also, the most efficient way to push some away is by striking their hips with outside palmheel strikes; this is useful in bear hug escapes, or to jam an opponent's [[Hip throw|hip throw]].

[video of outside palm-heel strikes from the front and side, fast and slow.]

==Inside palmheel strike==
Inside palmheel strikes are thrown like a [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]] with a 270° turnover, ending with the fingers pointing to the inside. Inside palmheel strikes are typically thrown to the sternum, to stop a rushing opponent, or to knock them off-balance. At its highest level, the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precordial_thump shock of an extremely powerful] inside palmheel strike can send their heart into [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibrillation#Cardiology fibrillation].

After executing an inside palmheel strike, immediately close your hand to grab the opponent’s clothing, jewelry, or [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y7bBNRmNKA chest hair]. Then, the [[Reciprocal action|reciprocal action]] of your rechamber pulls your opponent into your next attack, doubling its power.

[video of inside palm-heel strikes from the front and side, fast and slow.]
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028

2025-01-03T04:42:54Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
==Defense against an over-arm bear hug==
*Off-balance the opponent by using your knees to spread their legs apart.
*Simultaneously execute a [[Knee kick|knee kick]] to the [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]], with double [[Hammerfist strike|hammerfist]] or [[Tate-shutō_uchi|tate-shutō]] strikes to the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Kidneys|kidneys]] or [[Kyūsho#Floating_ribs|floating ribs]].
*Strike the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Chin|chin]] with a [[Palmheel_strike#Rising_palmheel_strike|rising palmheel strike]].
*[[Front kick]] to their [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]].

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028

2025-01-03T04:42:39Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
==Defense against an over-arm bear hug==
*Off-balance the opponent by using your knees to spread their legs apart.
*Simultaneously execute a [[Knee kick|knee kick]] to the [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]], with double [[Hammerfist strike|hammerfist]] or [[Tate-shutō_uchi|tate-shutō]] strikes to the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Kidneys|kidneys]] or [[Kyūsho#Floating_ribs|floating ribs]].
*Strike the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Chin|chin]] with a [[Palmheel_strike#Rising_palmheel_strike|Rising palmheel strike]].
*[[Front kick]] to their [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]].

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028

2025-01-03T04:41:41Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
==Defense against an over-arm bear hug==
*Off-balance the opponent by using your knees to spread their legs apart.
*Simultaneously execute a [[Knee kick|knee kick]] to the [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]], with double [[Hammerfist strike|hammerfist]] or [[Tate-shutō_uchi|tate-shutō]] strikes to the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Kidneys|kidneys]] or [[Kyūsho#Floating_ribs|floating ribs]].
*[[Palmheel_strike#Rising_palmheel_strike|Rising palmheel strike]] to the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Chin|chin]].
*[[Front kick]] to their [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]].

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027

2025-01-03T04:39:52Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against a front choke ==
*Step back into a [[Cat stance|cat stance]] to pull the opponent slightly slightly, compromising their balance.
*Break the choke with a double downward [[Hassō-shutō_uchi|hassō-shutō]] to the inside of the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Elbow_joint|elbows]].
*[[Elbow_strikes#Forward_elbow_strike|Forward elbow strike]] to their [[Kyūsho#Solar_plexus|solar plexus]].

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024

2025-01-03T04:36:27Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against a same-side wrist grab ==
*Trap the opponent’s hand with your free hand.
*Rotate your trapped hand outside, up and over the opponent’s hand, and press down to apply [[Nikkyō|nikkyō]].

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022

2025-01-03T04:33:53Z

YellowHatGuy: /* Defense against a pursuit punch to the abdomen */

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against a [[Pursuit punch|pursuit punch]] to the [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]]==
*Step back into a [[Cat stance|cat stance]], pulling your stomach away from the opponent’s punch as you deflect and trap their hand with a downward [[X-block]].
*Grab the opponent’s wrist and rotate their arm in a large outside to inside circle, placing them in a [[Nikkyō|reverse wristlock]].
*[[Front kick]] the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Solar_plexus|solar plexus]].
*Grab the back of the opponent’s collar, or hook the side of their head in an [[irimi hold|irimi hold]]. Step forward and spin the opponent around, placing them in a [[Hammerlock|hammerlock]].
*[[Knee kick]] their [[Kyūsho#Tailbone|tailbone]].

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022

2025-01-03T04:30:16Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against a [[Pursuit punch|pursuit punch]] to the [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]]==
*Step back into a [[Cat stance|cat stance]], pulling your stomach away from the opponent’s punch as you deflect and trap their hand with a downward [[X-block]].
*Grab the opponent’s wrist and rotate their arm in a large outside to inside circle, placing them in a [[Nikkyō|reverse wristlock]].
*[[Front kick]] the opponent's[[Kyūsho#Solar_plexus|solar plexus]].
*Grab the back of the opponent’s collar, or hook the side of their head in an [[irimi hold|irimi hold]]. Step forward and spin the opponent around, placing them in a [[Hammerlock|hammerlock]].
*[[Knee kick]] their [[Kyūsho#Tailbone|tailbone]].

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021

2025-01-03T04:17:25Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against a [[Pursuit punch|pursuit punch]] ==
*[[7-3]] backward to the outside, with an opposite-side [[Shutō_block#Outside_knife-hand_block|outside shutō block]], which turns into a [[Grasping block|grasping block]].
*[[Side kick]] to the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Floating_ribs|floating ribs]].

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020

2025-01-03T04:16:58Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against a [[Pursuit punch|pursuit punch]] ==
*[[7-3]] inside with a [[Cross-body block|cross-body block]].
*Follow-up with one of the following:
**Shift in with an [[Elbow_strikes#Inside_elbow_strike|inside elbow strike]] to the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Floating_ribs|floating ribs]].
**[[Front kick]] the opponent’s to [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]] or [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]].
**Opposite-side [[Backfist strike|backfist strike]] the bridge of opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Bridge_of_the_nose|nose]].

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019

2025-01-03T04:13:54Z

YellowHatGuy:

This technique works equally well to both the inside and the outside.
== Defense against a [[Pursuit punch|pursuit punch]] ==
===Inside version===
[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
*[[Twisting|Twist]] inside, with an [[Elbow_break#Inside_elbow_break|inside elbow break]].
*Grab the opponent’s wrist with the outside hand.
*Attack the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Floating_ribs|floating ribs]] with a [[Makkikomi-shutō_uchi|makkikomi-shutō]] with your inside hand.
*[[Ikkyō#Inside_arm_lever|Inside arm lever]] the opponent down into a [[Knee kick|knee kick]] to the [[Kyūsho#Solar_plexus|solar plexus]].
*Enter a [[Horse stance|horse stance]] with a [[Elbow_strikes#Downward_elbow_strike|downward elbow]] strike to the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Upper_back|upper spine]] or the back of their [[Kyūsho#Side_of_the_neck|neck]].

===Outside version===
[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
*[[Twisting|Twist]] outside, with an [[Elbow_break#Outside_elbow_break|outside elbow break]].
*Attack the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Floating_ribs|floating ribs]] with a [[Makkikomi-shutō_uchi|makkikomi-shutō]] with your inside hand.
*Grab the opponent’s wrist with your outside hand and [[Ikkyō#Outside_arm_lever|outside arm lever]] the opponent down into a [[Knee kick|knee kick]] to the [[Kyūsho#Solar_plexus|solar plexus]].
*Enter a [[Horse stance|horse stance]] with a [[Elbow_strikes#Downward_elbow_strike|downward elbow]] strike to the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Upper_back|upper spine]] or the back of their [[Kyūsho#Side_of_the_neck|neck]].

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014

2025-01-03T04:01:49Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against a [[Pursuit punch|pursuit punch]] ==
*[[7-3]] outside with an [[Shutō_block#Outside_knife-hand_block|outside shutō block]].
*Grab the opponent’s gi at the bicep, pulling them down into [[Knee kick|knee kick]] to the [[Kyūsho#Solar_plexus|solar plexus]], [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]], or [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]].
*Strike the back of the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Side_of_the_neck|neck]] with a [[Hassō-shutō uchi|hassō-shutō]].

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014

2025-01-03T04:01:37Z

YellowHatGuy:

013

2025-01-03T04:00:08Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against a [[Pursuit punch|pursuit punch]] ==
*[[7-3]] inside, with a [[Cross-body block|cross-body block]].
*Shift in with an opposite-side [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]] to the [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]].
*Grab the opponent’s gi and pull them down into a [[Knee kick|knee kick]] to the [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]], [[reverse punch|abdomen]], or [[Kyūsho#Solar_plexus|solar plexus]], depending how far they bent over.

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011

2025-01-03T03:54:59Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against a [[Pursuit punch|pursuit punch]] ==
*[[7-3]] outside, wrapping your opposite-side arm around the opponent’s elbow for a standing arm bar.
*Strike the opponent with a same-side [[Palmheel strike|palmheel strike]] to the [[Kyūsho#Lower_back|lower spine]].
*Grab the opponent by the hair or brow ridge, and pull them over your knee.
*Attack the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Eyes|eyes]] or [[Kyūsho#Windpipe|throat]].

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009

2025-01-03T03:52:05Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against an opponent who is blocking a doorway ==
*Tell the opponent to stop.
**Blocking a door ''does not'' constitute assault, so ''the use of violence '''is not''' authorized''.
*If the opponent does not stop once you’ve made it clear that you must escape to avoid a real threat of injury, then they are now maliciously playing a role in the assault attempt, and the use of violence '''''is''''' authorized.
*[[Front kick]] their [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]].
*As they bend over, attack with a [[Reverse_punch|reverse punch]] to their [[Kyūsho#Philtrum|philtrum]], a two-fingered [[Spearhand_strike|spearhand strike]] to their [[Kyūsho#Eyes|eyes]].

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007

2025-01-03T03:44:18Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]

== Defense against a [[Pursuit punch|pursuit punch]] ==

*[[7-3]] inside with a same-side [[Rising block|rising block]].
*Immediately drop the blocking hand into a downward [[Hassō-shutō_uchi|hassō-shutō]] to the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Collarbone|collarbone]].
*Hook your same-side hand around the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Side_of_the_neck|neck]], pulling them into an [[Elbow_strikes#Inside_elbow_strike|inside elbow strike]] to their [[Kyūsho#Side_of_the_jaw|jaw]].

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006

2025-01-03T03:42:24Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]
== Defense against a rear mug ==
*Pull the opponent’s forearm down, and wedge your chin between their arm and your neck, to weaken their stranglehold.
**'''Contrary to popular belief, the stranglehold will still be in effect. This action simply buys more time to escape.'''
*Step towards whatever direction that opponent grabs from, entering a [[Horse stance|horse stance]] to create and opening along the opponent’s centerline.
*[[Elbow_strikes#Rear_elbow_strike|Rear elbow strike]] the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Solar_plexus|solar plexus]], then immediately follow-up with a [[Hammerfist_strike#Rear_hammerfist_strike|rear hammerfist strike]] to their [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]].
*Same-side grab the opponent’s hand and [[Tenkan|tenkan]] outside, placing the opponent in a [[Nikkyō|reverse wristlock]].
*[[Front kick]] the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Floatng_ribs|floating ribs]].

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005

2025-01-03T03:38:42Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]

== Defense against a double lapel grab ==

*Step back into [[Cat stance|cat stance]] to pull the opponent slightly forward, compromising their balance.
*[[Front kick]] to the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]], as an [[Atemi|atemi]].
* Smash the opponent's wrists together with a [[Double punch|double]] [[Ude uke|ude uke]]. This prompts the opponent to spread their arms hands apart to reassert control. Do not resist; immediately reverse direction and knock their arms aside with a double [[Cross-body block|cross-body block]].
*Step forward and wrap your hands around the opponent’s neck, pulling them down into a [[Knee kick|knee kick]] to the [[Kyūsho#Chin|chin]].
**[[Intermediate|Intermediate students]] and [[Advanced students|advanced students]] can include a bonus [[Double punch|double]] [[Tate-shutō uchi|tate-shutō]] strikes to both [[Kyūsho#Side of the neck|sides of their neck]] as you reach in for the neck grab.

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004

2025-01-03T03:36:38Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]

== Defense against a front choke ==

*Step back into [[Cat stance|cat stance]] to pull the opponent slightly forward to compromising their balance, and break their grip with a [[Kakiwake uke|kakiwake uke]].
*[[Front kick]] the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]], as an [[Atemi|atemi]].
*Step forward and wrap your hands around the opponent’s neck, pulling them down into a [[Knee kick|knee kick]] to the [[Kyūsho#Chin|chin]].
**[[Intermediate|Intermediate students]] and [[Advanced students|advanced students]] can include a bonus [[Double punch|double]] [[Tate-shutō uchi|tate-shutō]] strikes to both [[Kyūsho#Side of the neck|sides of their neck]] as you reach in for the neck grab.

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003

2025-01-03T03:34:09Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]

==Defense against a one-hand lapel grab==
*[[Front kick]] the opponent's [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]], as an [[Atemi|atemi]].
*Upon rechambering to a [[Crane stance|crane stance]], immediately step the kicking foot behind you, entering a [[Back stance|back stance]] with a same-side [[Rising block|rising block]] to break the opponent’s grip.
*Shift forward into a [[Front stance|front stance]] with a [[Reverse punch|reverse punch]] to the [[Kyūsho#Chin|chin]].

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002

2025-01-03T03:32:50Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]

==Defense against a double wrist grab ==
*Drop into a [[Cat stance|cat stance]], pulling the opponent slightly forward to compromise their balance.
*Attack the the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]] with a [[Front kick|front kick]], as an [[Atemi|atemi]].
*Break the opponent's grip with inside or outside [[Wrist releases|wrist releases]].
**Be sure to practice both versions.
*Step forward and wrap your hands around the opponent’s neck and pull them down into a [[Knee kick|knee kick]] to their [[Kyūsho#Chin|chin]].
**[[Intermediate|Intermediate students]] and [[Advanced students|advanced students]] can include a bonus [[Double punch|double]] [[Tate-shutō uchi|tate-shutō]] strikes to both [[Kyūsho#Side of the neck|sides of their neck]] as you reach in for the neck grab.

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001

2025-01-03T03:28:38Z

YellowHatGuy:

[Video of this waza fast and slow, from the side, and ideally, overhead]

== Defense against a double wrist grab ==
*Drop into a [[Cat stance|cat stance]], pulling the opponent slightly forward to compromise their balance.
*Attack the the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Groin|groin]] with a [[Front kick|front kick]], as an [[Atemi|atemi]].
*Clap your hands together. This prompts the opponent to pull your hands apart to reassert control. Do not resist; immediately reverse direction, pushing as they pull, and clap your hands again overhead.
**Ideally, this bangs the opponent’s wrists together.
*[[Front kick]] the opponent’s [[Kyūsho#Abdomen|abdomen]] or [[Kyūsho#Solar plexus|solar plexus]].

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