Bujinkan Bojutsu: 小手附 Kote Tsuki

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From https://www.rojodojo.com A preview of my Bujinkan 六尺棒術 Rokushakubō Jutsu video exploring 小手附 kote tsuki. In the full video I show that what looks like defense can be offense or the reverse. Shifting appearances can be part of a larger strategy.

五境五界詒変捌型 Gokyō Gokai Ihen Sabaki Gata.

I began class with 小手附 kote tsuki. Like any kata, you can take an aggressive approach, defensive, or a mix. I started with aggressive. The bo has a natural distance advantage over the sword. But the sword is more dangerous. It is a classic match up.

After everyone tried the kata, I shared some tips for the basic approach. First, when you tsuki, don’t choose one side or the other of your attacker’s kamae. Thrust right down the middle. He will be forced to guess which way to block and will likely guess wrong. Even if he guesses right, because of the vector of your tsuki, his defense will be hurried and structurally difficult.

That sets up the next strike. Then you apply enough pressure with the followup that it creates a gap for the third strike and so on. Of course this is ihen sabaki, so the evolution of the kata will expand to embrace the results of your kyojitsu.

I showed variations for a more defensive approach to the kata. I’ve found that with good bojutsu, what looks like defense can be offense or the reverse. Shifting appearances can be part of a larger strategy.

The word for tsuki in this kata is not 突 tsuki meaning thrust or stab, but 附 tsuki meaning attaching or connecting to kote. This can mean applying your bo in the form of simple, effective strikes to kote to disarm your opponent. Or, I found very interesting results by allowing my bo to stick to and ride my opponent’s kamae.

When you affix (附) this way to the attacker, you are controlling not just an arm or the sword. You control his whole spirit. This concept can become something very deep.

Expand it out from the form of kote to include the kukan. Then we will approach the ihen sabaki that I learned from Hatsumi Sensei this year. Now the kata becomes a jewel in the net of our Bujinkan.

This is like the profound connection in all things reflected by the jewels in the net of Indra (因陀羅網法界門 indara mō hokkai mon) Do bojutsu like that and you may really have something!

因陀羅網法界門 [indara mō hokkai mon] /the profound approach of a11 things influencing one another as the jewels of Indra’s net reflect on one another endlessly/

Of Note: First Impression

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