Shinmyoken Dojo: Weapons Have Kyusho

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Weapons Have Kyusho

I moved from the strongest and best kenjutsu kamae that I could, cutting down with the bokken which was just side-stepped and taken from my hand.

Let's try that again.

Same effortless result. It's because you also have a sword, the strength of the sword twisting and taking my sword. Using just his hands the same effortless movement.

How?

Weapons also have kyusho.

See this space on the bokken, this place on the blade, based on the length and balance here, this is where the kyusho is.

Stand in seigan no kamae with no tsuki.

Solid.

The kyusho is there, but it is covered by the kamae- seigan.

Now extend your arms forward bit, move the elbows here, see how the posture breaks, how it creates an opening. That opening applied to the kyusho on the bokken and it can be taken away.

Making sure you get out of the way first of course.

I could replicate the movement from time to time, making it work *most* of the time, but there was something *else* missing, that kotsu point.

Here it is!

Using the bokken implies using it with the best practices of kenjutsu, and as strong as they are, that is a body contract and connection between the person and the weapon.

As they move, certain things are going to happen, by using the bokken (or sword), they are going to be at certain places at certain times- and in that moment, or ideally before the moment one arrives to take the kyusho.

Weapons have kyusho.

Now can we not only just replicate that, but make it a part of our own natural movement?

The aim of the Shinmyoken dojo (school of the life giving sword) is to understand nature and the movement of being zero through taijutsu. The school exists to create and transmit this through the experience of isshi soden.

Located in Westchester New York, the Shinmyoken dojo is a martial arts training group founded in 2005 with the aim of coming together as martial arts friends to study the Japanese martial arts of Masaaki Hatsumi through the lessons of the Bujinkan dojo.

As friends (buyu) we come together to grow, learn, and share our individual potential in this wonderful martial art. In our group there is no beginner or advanced classes, as we all have the capacity to learn the martial arts in great stride.

No previous martial arts experience is needed, new members, and out of town or traveling Bujinkan buyu are always welcome.

The focus of the group is to make progress each week in learning the martial arts, developing skill, self-defense ability, and an understanding of how and why people move.

Training is supervised by Fred Feddeck who has been studying the Bujinkan dojo martial arts since 1993.

In 2003 he was honored to take the godan shinsha with the training group later forming as a vehicle to study what he has been taught and experienced in the Bujinkan dojo martial arts.

Joe Maurantonio, dai-shihan, is and continues to be his teacher and mentor.

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Training in budo taijutsu through our dojo is offered in three class formats.

The first is our weekly Saturday morning classes from 9-11 AM at a local park in Yonkers which is accessible by car, bus, and Metro North train.

Second is our regular weekly zoom class as a way to build on the physical practice-paired movements explored in our Saturday classes.

Third is our monthly discussion class exploring martial arts philosophy, history, tactics, and kuden.

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Membership in the dojo is open to those eighteen years of age or older and who can abide by the rules of the Bujinkan.

Those interested in joining the dojo will be asked to fill out a brief questionnaire as an introduction and meet with the head instructor before an invitation to watch a class will be extended, general martial arts questions and other training inquiries are also welcome.

Questions, comments, feedback, and inquiries may be emailed here: BujinkanShinmyoken@gmail.com.