Your first year in the martial arts is a time of momentum and opportunity. Locking in the correct movement patters so good habits, correct movements, and an understanding of the art that you are studying can be cultivated.
Every martial art has a series of foundational movements and forms that teach the building blocks of the art.
The sequences of movement that you will find not only in the more advanced forms, but also in those moments where you are practicing and linking together different movements.
These foundational forms are the directions for all future movement.
In the Japanese martial arts these series of movements are often called the kihon or basic movements.
Basic as in not something that is learned and graduated from, but basic as in once you learn them, you spend the rest of your martial arts days perfecting them.
The more one perfects the basics, the more the advanced movement is perfected.
The kihon of our Bujinkan taijutsu is found in the following expressions:
Taihenjutsu: the ability to change and adapt the body naturally and without tension or effort to various situations, ways of rolling, falling, landing on the ground, and receiving attacks.
Kamae: body postures used with taihenjutsu to control distance, timing, rhythm, and balance.
San shin no kata: five solo forms exploring the idea of distance, timing, rhythm, and balance.
Kihon happo: eight fundamental movements of taihenjutsu, kamae, and the san shin no kata complied that are found in each and every other expression if taijutsu movement.
Learning these forms correctly so you have them as form of treasure is the focus of your first year in the dojo.
In the art that you are exploring what are your fundamental (kihon) movements.
See you in the dojo.