The Kihon Happo

[skuggvarg]

Well, at least that's not the worst version of those techniques I've seen.

Maybe not the worst but far from what I would say a decent version of it. Lets face it, even if the guy knew how to, he would have problems applying the waza considering his weight problem. His kamae is awful and his balance is all over the place. Those locks wouldnt work on me even if I didnt actively resist them. Imagine how it would fare against a resisting opponent...

Regards / Skuggvarg

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Maybe not the worst but far from what I would say a decent version of it. Lets face it, even if the guy knew how to, he would have problems applying the waza considering his weight problem. His kamae is awful and his balance is all over the place. Those locks wouldnt work on me even if I didnt actively resist them. Imagine how it would fare against a resisting opponent...

Regards / Skuggvarg

I'd have to agree. I haven't practiced Bujinkan taijutsu in years and I was never that advanced to begin with, but even I can see at least a few glaring problems in his execution.

 

[Aiki Lee]

I've seen people his size able to effectively apply the techniques. The weight issue is only an issue because he can't keep his balance. Plus there is no tsukuri and his angling is off. I'd say the issue has less to do with his weight and more to do with his lack of spatial awareness.

 

[KydeX]

I train in the Bujinkan, and this is the Kihon Happo We're using now (it's been changed over the years, and I'm not providing any details):

1. Defense against a high punch, consists of a yodan block and a shuto ken punch to the neck. Starting from Ichimonji no kamae.

2. Defense against a mid punch. Low block, kick, and ura shuto to the neck. Same starting position as no. 1.

3. Defense against two consecutive punches. Start from Jumonji no kamae. Block, then punch to the ribs using either shiken ken or boshi ken.

4. Omote gyaku

5. Omote gyaku again, only uke throws a punch while grabbing you.

6. Ura gyaku

7. Musha Dori

8. Ganseki Nage

 

[Fritz]

Perhaps a bit late to the replies but I'd like to add WHY one should speak to their teacher regarding the kihon happo or any real discussion of technique as I can understand why it might be a bit frustrating since somebody is very eager to learn and may not fully understand why it would be hard to get a reply on the basic techniques of an art. I’ll try to stay on topic with an example.

A friend of mine was at a recent seminar and asked why a certain technique was done differently by the students called up to demo it when compared to what we practice at the dojo. For the most part shouldn’t a technique be the same?

I replied it depended on the situation at hand- not in terms of “fighting” and adapting to that, but rather who was in the room.

Who is the audience?

Say I was called up to demonstrate the first technique of the kihon happo- ichimonji no kata my teacher is in the room, and for my own training at this time they told me to put a strong emphasis on a particular part of the movement, perhaps even exaggerating it as it was my teachers intention to make sure I learn that part based on where I am on my training.

Now I get up to demo it, and do the technique emphasizing it because my teacher is in the room and that is how he has instructed me to do it until further notice.

Not to do it that way would be against the advice of my teacher, and in a way a disrespect to them and what they are sharing with me.

So you see it that way and figure out that is “the” way to do it.

Same depends on the skill level of those in the room- a room full of new students need to start with a different focus on the kihon happo then some students who have been training for a few years- it will look different depending on them- but it WILL still be the kihon happo.

That said it is very important for the art and if I had to throw something out there beyond ask your teacher I would look into the Gyokko ryu quest DVD by Hatsumi sensei since it has the kihon happo on it.

 

[1992]

^That is exactly how it is. I have been training in a Bujinkan dojo for a few months and there is only one other 9th kyu student besides myself who shows up on a regular basis. So for me, as someone new to Bujinkan the training seems very non-linear and I am training with green belts mostly. We do cover the Kihon Happo, but I did not know of or learn the 5 basic kata until I trained with the highest ranking student in class at his home. This is where I am confused, because I keep hearing that the Kihon Happo is made of 8 basic movements. We do Omote Gyaku, Ura Gyaku, Onikidaki, Musha Dori, and Ganseki Nage as a flow drill. As in, it is practiced as if the Uke were escaping each of the techniques and it leads you into performing the next consecutive technique ending with the throw in Ganseki Nage. Anyway, I am not sure what the last three basic movements are. I am reading here that they are Ichimonji and Jumonji, the latter which I remember. That makes 7, so what am I missing? I take it the 5 basic kata are not included in the Kihon Happo, so where do they fit in?

 

[Chris Parker]

You're missing Hicho no Kata. If you're referring to what's commonly called the Sanshin no Kata as the "five basic kata", then yeah, they're not part of the Kihon Happo. If you're referring to the Torite no Gata as the "five basic kata", then they are (although, technically, the Torite no Gata are 10 kata, as each of the five are done on both the right and left sides). The Torite no Gata are a series of joint locking methods (Omote Gyaku, Omote Gyaku Tsuki, Ura Gyaku, Musha Dori, Muso Dori/Ganseki Nage,with variations depending on your teacher, as listed earlier in the thread), which, combined with the Moto Gata (three striking-based patterns, being Ichimonji no Kata, Hicho no Kata, and Jumonji no Kata) form the Kihon Happo (in basic terms, at least). The Sanshin/Shoshin Gogyo Gokei no Gata/Goshin no Kata are a series of five "elemental" named patterns, often learnt solo (although they are also trained with a partner in other forms of exploration), being namely Chi no Kata (Earth), Sui no Kata (Water), Ka no Kata (Fire, occasionally listed as "Hi no Kata), Fu no Kata (Wind), and Ku no Kata (Void).