Using strikes as a preparation to armlock is a characteristic feature of middle level kata of many Takamatsu-den Ninjutsu systems. Today we are going to venture further and train with a feature of upper level kata – The strike sets up the opponent for a predictable reaction thereby allowing an advanced joint lock or a throw.
Video of a not so obvious elbow before an O-gyaku lock
I just finished to upload and rewrite the articles of the kata Chu ryaku no maki (中略之巻), the middle level of Gyokko ryu, one of the most important systems in Takamatsu den Ninjutsu.
Today, Thursday, at the eve of Yom Hazikaron we will train at the back of the dojo, at the yard, stopping our training session at the sound of the siren, at 20:00.
With the help of graphic designer Gaby Frischlander and through the English graphic adaptation of AKBAN veteran Oded Levi we now have the first QR coded armlocks poster.
Armlocks, or joint locks are a common technique in many kata in the Takamatsu-den Ninjutsu and memorizing these is not an easy thing for a practitioner. With this poster the images, skillfully photographed by Daniel Sheriff, are a good mnemonic help and the accompanied QR code leads the cellular device straight to the video and explanation of the technique on our AKBAN wiki.
We are expanding the striking reactions we learned and approach grappling through the Ninjutsu answers to neck and body clinch.
This opens up even more possibilities at close range.
I once read a great book, it was called “Enter to Trapping to Grappling“. In it the author developed some techniques that took Wing chun aspects of striking in close range and grappling.
At the time, when striking arts ruled the magazines and grappling arts were a dedicated, professional but highly cloistered disciplines it was refreshing to see my teacher’s atitude echoed. Doron Navon Shihan, himself not only a Ninjutsu top teacher but a Judo 4th Dan, emphasized the necessity of grappling knowledge for all self defense situations, for many reasons.
We do not need to look far, a through practice in Ninjutsu techniques reveals that a plethora of kata mix grappling, locking and throwing.
After dedicating the previos weeks to honing sabaki and reaction we now open scope for the various ways the Takamatsu den syllabus deals with close range and middle range distances.
Video of grappling and striking in Fudo ryu traditional kata