He learnt many forms in the quest for the essence of karate. He was the first to introduce bunkai kumite. He defined the meaning of each form and established the correct way to use each form for transmitting it to the younger generation.

Master Mabuni was very rigorous in transmitting the arts and forms to us correctly. He tried to teach us until we had grasped the meaning of each art and form. He was thoroughgoing in teaching us the respective features and difference between the Itosu and Higaonna schools. He did not deform what he learnt and was very particular about the correct transmitting of original arts and forms.”

“Master Mabuni also urged me to absorb the knowledge and arts of karate widely and introduced me to master Seiko Fujita, to learn under him. All I obtained from master Fujita was a valuable asset of my life, and I am particularly grateful of master Mabuni’s recommendation.”

Manzo Iwata

“My friend Kenwa Mabuni is a calm and sincere person. He did not take the differences amongst school into consideration. He did not hide what he knew, or what he did not know. He did not limit himself with the hierarchy amongst elders and apprentices.”

“If he did not know something, he would not hesitate to ask, modestly, even an apprentice. Once he learned something, he did not keep it to himself, but share it with the group of those who were seeking the answer.”

“By his open attitude, he has completely surpassed the traditional model of secrecy and the documents, which he has accumulated over the years, now reach a considerable development. It seems to me that no ones know more than he does. On that level, I believe that one can say that he is truly unique. During demonstration seminars involving the groups from Shuri and Naha, his attitude was to show everything that he knew and to accept eventual critics in order to improve his knowledge. How could someone have criticized him? With a determination where he embraced life, he moved, a few years ago to Osaka, where he is deploying all of his efforts to teach young students belonging to other groupings, such as at the university of Kansai. He believes that his ultimate purpose is to contribute to the development of his way, in the interest of the art, but also in the interest of country and society. Luckily, his efforts are since getting results and have gained recognition in western Japan. We wish to re-establish contact, to combine the work that we are both completing, one in the West and other in the East, in order to further develop karate.”

“With such thoughts, I shake his hand in spirit. In respect towards his work, I add these friendly thoughts to my memories.”

Gichin Funakoshi

We used to train and fight on open ground. There were no street lights, so after dark we used lanterns during the challenges. In this dim light, the contestant fought, and then after a period the seconds would intervene and stop the fight.

They would then declare who would be the winner and who needed more training. Such challenges were often made to my father, and he frequently acted as a second to others. He pointed out though, that people might easily get the wrong impression from these events.

Kenei Mabuni

Kenwa Mabuni who had studied under both Master Yasutsune Itosu and Master Kaneryo Higaonna devised the Shito-ryu system. Born in 1889, Mabuni was the 17th generation son of a famous samurai named Onigusuki. Mabuni was keenly aware of the accomplishments of his brave ancestors and, wanting to overcome poor health, began intensive karate training at the age of 13. He also studied weapon techniques of the Bo, Sai, Tonfa, Kama, and Nunchaku.

The name ‘Shito’ is the combination of ‘shi’ and ‘to’ , the two first characters of the names of Master Itosu and Master Higaonna .

After learning from other masters like Master Aragaki and Master Matsumura and by mixing the teaching of Master Itosu and Master Higaonna, he developed a new system, originally named ‘HANKO RYU’ (Half-Hard style), but, later changed it to reflect the deep respect he felt towards his two great masters and called his new system Shito-ryu. (The Japanese government’s martial arts sanctioning organisation, the Dai Nippon Butoku-Kai began to demand the different groups applying for membership, be more specific in the description of their Karate systems, and pressured them to name their systems).

In 1929 Master Mabuni made a permanent move to Osaka to teach at universities and police departments. Over the next few years, Master Mabuni dedicated himself to the further development and promotion of Shito-ryu Karate-do in the Osaka area. He was faced with an extremely difficult task due to the unwillingness of the population to accept him or this strange looking system of self-defence, resembling an ancient ‘Okinawan-Fist Dance’.

In order to bring Shito-ryu to the general public’s attention, Master Mabuni would perform many demonstrations where he would break bricks and boards to show the power of karate. Continually trying to gain acceptance of his art, Master Kenwa Mabuni would give free instruction at various police stations across western Japan.

Shito Ryu Karate-do became more accepted after this time, and Master Mabuni began to teach many students at his home and at many Universities that were forming clubs.

Among his many students included were his son, Kenei Mabuni, Kosei Kokuba (founder of Seishin Kai), Chojiro Tani (founder of Tani-ha Shukokai), Ryusho Sakagami (founder of Itosu-Kai), Yoshiaki Tsujikawa, Ken Sakio, Jun-ichi Inoue, Manzo Iwata, Toshiyuki Imanishi, Tokio Hisatomi and Ryusei Tomoyori. At first he taught his own students pure Shuri-te then pure Naha-te, but he also gave instruction in other master’s styles.

In Japan, Shotokan, Wado-ryu, Goju-ryu and Shito-ryu are the four main styles of Karate. Shito-ryu is the style that preserves most of the original Shuri-te techniques, compared with other styles such as Shotokan and Wado. It also preserves original Naha-te techniques together with Goju, although each style places emphasis on different points. Technically, Shuri-te and Tomari-te have rather fast and straight movements, while Naha-te has circular and supple movements.

Master Mabuni died in his 64th year on May 23rd 1952, but his system remains one of the four major styles in Japan.

This same monk known as Bodhidharma in India and as Ta Mo in China, is credited with founding the school of Buddhist philosophy known as “Ch´an” in China and as “Zen” in Japan. The Okinawans believe that the art known as Karate today came from those original teachings of Daruma through an Okinawan who visited or lived for some time in China at the Shaolin Temple. Whether or not this is true, it is obvious that there are similarities in the Okinawan art of Karate and the language and martial arts of China. Further, we must assume that the Karate of Okinawa developed from trial and error of righting experiences into a different and unique martial art.

In the ancient Okinawan language of Hogen, the word for China is Kara-no-Kuni and, as much of the original technique of the martial art practiced in Okinawa originated in China, the art became known as Kari Te or “Chinese Hand”.

Another term later developed to distinguish the art of Okinawa from the Chinese martial arts was “Tode” or “Okinawan Hand”. “Te”, meaning the martial art of the hand, implies that the human body is trained to become all the weapons a man or woman needs for self-defense. It is believed that “Te” is at least 1,000 years old. The term “Karate” as used today means “empty hand” and has the same meaning. Master Gichin Funakoshi, an Okinawan who founded the famous Shotokan style of Karate in Tokyo, Japan in the late 1920´s, is credited with changing the original kanji character for “Kara” meaning China to “Kara” meaning empty.

The development of “Te” continued over many years and was mostly practiced in secret by only a few individuals. Development was centered primarily in the three Okinawan villages of Shuri, Naha, and Tomari and each village had a master who is credited with developing the style unique to that area.

Again, the very early history of “Te” is shrouded in legend. It is believed that a man named Chatan Yara (born 1668) in Shuri was sent to China at the age of 12 to learn the Chinese martial arts. In 1700, he returned to Shuri and began to teach.

One of his students was Takahara Peichin who is most famous as the Sensei of the man who later became known as “Tode” or “Karate” Sakugawa.

The legend says that Sakugawa began training with Takahara in 1750 and later went to China where he trained for many years. He is credited with introducing the Dojo concept of training to Okinawa.

The most famous student of Sakugawa was Matsumura Sokon (born 1805) who was sent by the royal family of Okinawa, Sho Shi, to study at the Shaolin Temple in China in 1815. He returned to Okinawa and was appointed the chief bodyguard for the King Sho Ko. Since he lived in the royal village of Shuri, his style became known as Shuri-te. Matsumura was awarded the tide of “Bushi” or Samurai and became known as “Bushi” Matsumura. He died at the age of 87, leaving a legacy of many famous students.

Itosu, Ankoh (Yosutsune) (1830-1915) was the most famous student of Matsumura. He is credited with introducing Karate into the Okinawan public school system in 1903. Prior to this the practice of Karate had been done privately in the homes of the masters and in many instances, was done in secret.

Perhaps Itosu’s major contribution to the art of Karate was his emphasis on kata. He taught that a student had to be able to put the body under complete control of the mind before any other type of development can take place. Kata, he taught, is the best method of achieving this type of mind control. According to him, mobilization of the body, control of the breath, stilling the mind, and concentration are made possible through the practice of Kata. Itosu believed that through Karate man can channel aggression.

He said, “Karate is a way of life, a means to achieve complete security and fearlessness.” To him, Karate was a method of character development and not a way of attaining fame. He is also credited with developing the Chanan Kata which were later known as the Pinan Kata and now are called Heian Kata.

In the village of Naha, Higaonna Kanryo (1853-1915) made his style of Naha-te very popular. when he was 17 years old, he went to Fu-Chien, China to study and remained there for 28 years. After his return from China, Higaonna opened a dojo in Naha. His best student was Miyagi, Chojun who later created the Goju-Ryu style of Karate.

Since Tomari was a town or farmers and fishermen, it was scorned by the villagers or the more sophisticated Naha and Shuri.

However, many Chinese fishermen came to the port of Tomari and the people there also learned a martial art. The two primary sensei of Tomari were Matsumora (1829~ 1898) and Oyadomari (1831-1905).

These men never became as famous as Itosu or Higaonna but they each taught men who later played an important role in the history or Karate.

Oyadomari taught Kyan Chotoku (1870-1945) who created one or the three styles of Shorin-Ryu Sukunaihayashi Shorin-Ryu. Matsumora´s student Motobu, Choki (1871-1944) became known as an excellent fighter and was the sensei of Kokuba, Kosei, the founder of SEISHIN-KAI, and the father of our Soke Shogo Kuniba. Motobu, Choki also studied with both Higaonna and Itosu and developed a style unique to him.

There is some evidence which suggests that Shuri-te derives from Shaolin Temple boxing, while Naha-Te incorporates more of the soft, Taoist techniques involving breathing and the control or “Ki”, the “Life-Force”, called “Chi” in Chinese. Tomari-te developed from both traditions. It is important to note that the towns of Naha, Tomari and Shuri are only a few miles apart and today, are barely differentiated, so that the differences between their martial arts were essentially ones of emphasis, not of kind. Beneath these surface differences, both the methods and aims of all Okinawan Karate are one and the same.

In the words of Goju-Ryu Sensei Morio Higaonna, “…Karate is like a cloud with nothing substantial to grab hold of. Karate is very difficult, but its purpose is to train both the mind and the body. Karate is something you can do your whole life. In Okinawa a bushi is someone who has discovered the correct way of life and achieved a placid mind through Karate training. Training is necessary for human beings to achieve this state of mind.” Sensei Higaonna’s statement sums up the basic philosophy of all Okinawan Karate.

During the time that the art or Karate was being developed in Okinawa, Japan conquered the tiny kingdom in 1609 and it became a Japanese territory. The conquering Japanese actually helped further the development of the martial art by banning the use of all weapons; only the Japanese samurai were allowed to carry swords. Forced to practice in secret, the Okinawan masters developed and perfected kata. Kata are composed of a series of techniques which can be practiced alone or with a partner. Since kata resemble the traditional folk dances of Okinawa, anyone caught practicing the martial art could claim to be only practicing a harmless folk dance. Different masters developed kata unique to their style and, thus kata became the primary method of transmitting the style of each master from one generation to another. This remains true today as the primary distinctions in Karate styles lie in the way in which the style or ryu performs kata and which kata are performed within that ryu.

By the end or the nineteenth century the names of the three basic styles of Karate in Okinawa had changed to the same names that are used today. The arts of Shuri and Tomari were combined into one name, Shorin-Ryu, meaning the “flexible pine school”. Naha-te became known as Goju-Ryu, the “hard and soft school.” Shorin-Ryu has developed into several different sub-styles but Goju-Ryu has remained unified stylistically.

Mabuni Kenwa (1889-1952) a student of both Master Itosu (Shorin-Ryu) and Master Higaonna (Goju-Ryu) developed his own style from a combination of both Shorin and Goju and this style is called Shito-Ryu. Shito-Ryu as a name was developed from the reading of the kanji characters of names of Itosu and Higaonna. The Chinese characters (Kanji) used to write Japanese names can have two pronunciations. Master Mabuni named his style Shi from ITO and To from the HIGA of Higaonna. Today Shito-Ryu is one of the four major styles of Karate practiced in Japan.

During the time that the art of “te” was developing in Okinawa, the Japanese did not have a similar martial art. They practiced Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Kendo and other sword arts but not an art with the emphasis on the “empty hand” as the primary method of self defense.

The Japanese martial arts involved grappling as in Judo or a weapon as in Kendo. Therefore. when a visiting crown prince of the Japanese royal family saw a demonstration of “Karate” in Okinawa, he was greatly impressed. He extended an invitation for an Okinawan master of Karate to visit Japan and give a demonstration. The Okinawan Sensei discussed this and chose Funakoshi, Gichin, a student of Master Itosu to go to Japan and present the demonstration. He was chosen because he was a school teacher who could give more lucid explanations of the art of Karate. Master Funakoshi gave his famous demonstration in Tokyo in 1922 and was so well received that he never returned to his homeland of Okinawa. Instead, he remained until his death in Japan and he established the style known as Shotokan. Thus, Karate, the art that had begun in secret in Okinawan villages spread to Japan where it would grow into an international art practiced today in many countries all over the world.

KENWA MABUNI (1889 – 1952) first started Karate under SENSEI ITOSU at the age of 13 and at the age of 22, studied under SENSEI KANRYO HIGAONNA. From ITOSU, he mastered the quick and lightning – like (Shorei) techniques and from HIGAONNA, he mastered the slow (Shorin) techniques emphasising dynamic breathing and muscular control. Using the best and proven of all techniques he had mastered, he formed the SHITO-RYU system. He dedicated the name of Shito from these 2 famous masters; “Shi” pronounced in Japanese character for Itosu and “To” pronounced in Japanese characters for Higa. Today, SHITO-RYU KARATE-DO remains as one of the 4 major styles of karate in Japan and it is taught all over the world.

KENZO MABUNI SENSEI was born on May 30, 1927 at Akahira-Machi, Shuri City in Okinawa. His family moved to Osaka city in 1929 when he was 2 years old and he remained in his fathers house until now. He obtained permission from his father and joined his school when he was 13 years old and therefore has been in SHITO-RYU KARATE-DO for over 60 years.

He first obtained his SHODAN (1st Dan) on August 1, 1943 and presently holds the JYUDAN (10th Dan) and is a well respected master not only in Japan but also throughout the world.

His organization, NIHON KARATE-DO KAI (formerly known as DAI-NIHON KARATE-DO KAI) was founded by his father in 1939. After his father’s death in 1952, his mother Mrs. KAME MABUNI came to Kenzo Mabuni and requested that he take over the style. Kenzo Mabuni could not decide at that time and went into seclusion for two years to contemplate this great responsibility.

Of course, as we all know he decided to accept this responsibility and is the inheritor of his father’s lineage making him the 2nd Governor of SHITO-RYU and successor to this organization. His father left him the SHITO-RYU name, his complete syllabus and the DOJO with the Association name NIHON KARATE-DO KAI. All these remain intact until today.

He followed his fathers syllabus exactly the way it was written down in 1929 and thats why he called it SEITO SHITO-RYU or PURE, TRUE SHITO-RYU.

From that time, Kenzo Mabuni dedicated his life to preserving the true lineage of his father’s karate. He was not concerned with politics or image and remained unknown to the outside world while his older brother and others were spreading their influence in the name of Shito Ryu Karate.

In 1993, upon the request of his good friend Ozawa, Kenzo Mabuni travelled to Las Vegas and exposed the world to Seito (pure) Shito Ryu, the true karate of his father, Mabuni Kenwa. In April of 1994, Kenzo Mabuni conducted seminars in Albany, New York and Phoenix, Arizona. Subsequent to these seminars, Kenzo Mabuni established the Shito Ryu Karate Do Kai of America comprised of Dojo’s that had requested of him consideration as his direct students and received formal acceptance by his senior instructors, the Nippon Karate Do Kai Shihan Kai.

Mabuni Kenzo emphasizes the training of Karate based on his fathers PRINCIPLE, “Kata (form) is KARATE”. KATA is the essence of Karate and in training, one should follow his policy: 75% Kata training and 25% Kumite (free or organized sparring) training, besides doing the regular KIHON (Basics) and exercises. He trained under the watchful eye of his father and would practice hundreds of times for a period of 3 months or more just to understand and perfect ONE single KATA.

He advises that one should take note of the following points when practicing KATA:-

1) KATA should start and end with REI (bow)
2) Correct Basic Techniques
3) Breathing
4) Dachi (Stances)
5) Posture
6) HAPPO TENSHIN (8 Directions)
7) CHAKUGAN (Focusing)
BUNKAI (Meaning and Application)
9) ZANSHIN (Awareness)
10) Repetition – to perfect the KATA

He is a very devoted teacher and after succeeding his father, his vision is that he will continue his fathers work in promoting this TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ART and teach only the TRUE and ORIGINAL form of SHITO-RYU KARATE-DO. Sadly Soke Kenzo Mabuni passed away at 2.45pm, on 26 June 2005.

Mabuni started karate training at the age of 13 under Anko Itosu (1830-1915), the man who organized early karate in the Okinawan school system. Itosu was a student of one of Okinawas most famous karate masters, Sokon Matsumura (1792-1887), the forefather of Shorin-Ryu. Itosu took a strong liking to his young pupil and Mabuni learned some 23 kata before the elder man died. Itosu death so grieved Mabuni that he built a shrine in front of the masters grave and stayed close by for a year, practicing his kata daily.

Itosu was not Mabuni’s only teacher, however. While still in his teens, Mabuni was introduced by his friend, Chojun Miyagi (the founder of Goju-Ryu karate) to Kanryo Higaonna (1853-1915). From Higaonna, Mabuni learned Naha-te, a Chinese-influenced karate style. Mabuni also trained under the reclusive Arakaki Kamadeunchu (1840-1918), who taught a style similar to Higaonna. Arakaki also taught Tsuyoshi Chitose, the founder of Chito-Ryu, Gichin Funakoshi of Shotokan, and Kanken Toyama of the Shudokan school. Arakaki, who was an acknowledged bo (staff) expert, taught Mabuni the unshu, sochin, niseishi, arakaki-sai and arakaki-bo forms.

During the 1920′s the insatiable Mabuni participated in a karate club operated by Miyagi and Choyu Motobu, with help from Chomo Hanashiro and Juhatsu Kiyoda.

Choyu Motobu was a master of Shuri-te (the antecedent of Shorin-Ryu) and gotende, the secret grappling art of the Okinawan royal court.

Hanashiro was also a Shuri-te expert, while Kiyoda came from the same Naha-te background as Miyagi. Known as the Ryukyu Tode Kenkyu-kai (Okinawa Karate Research Club), this dojo (training hall) was one of historys gems. Experts from diverse backgrounds trained and taught there, and it was there that Mabuni learned some Fukien white crane kung fu from the legendary Woo Yin Gue, a Chinese tea merchant living on Okinawa.

By this time, Mabuni had become a highly respected police officer and made several trips to Japan after Funakoshi introduced karate there in 1922. Mabuni spent many of his early traveling years with Koyu Konishi, a friend and sometimes student who later founded Shindo-Jinen-Ryu karate.

In 1925 Mabuni and Konishi visited Japan Wakayama prefecture where Kanbum Uechi, the founder of Uechi-Ryu, was teaching. It was after training with Uechi that Mabuni devised a kata called shinpa. But Mabuni actually spent most of his time in Osaka, where he taught at various dojo, including the Seishinkai, the school of Kosei Kuniba. Choki Motobu also taught at Kuniba dojo. It was Kuniba who later formed Motobu-ha (Motobu faction) Shito-Ryu.

In 1929, Mabuni moved permanently to Osaka. Shortly thereafter, the Japanese martial arts sanctioning body, the Butokukai, pressured all karate schools to register by style name. At first, Mabuni called his style hanko-Ryu (half-hard style), but by the early 1930s Shito-Ryu was the official name.

It was coined from alternative renderings of the names of Mabuni two foremost teachers, Itosu and Higaonna. Not everyone agreed with separating Okinawan karate into factions through the use of style names. In fact, shudokan headmaster Toyama questioned Mabuni and others about their use of what he called ‘funny-sounding names’. Mabuni countered that giving the style a name would not only satisfy the Butokukai, but would give people something they could identify with and feel a part of.

Among Mabuni earliest students was Kanei Uechi (not to be confused with Kambum Uechi son of the same name), who by 1935 was also teaching in Osaka. In 1950, Uechi returned to Okinawa and established the Shito-Ryu Kempo Karate-do Kai.

Annette Carter-sensei is the General Secretary for the Shuri Karate Dojo and the Assistant Instructor at the Dojo. She helps in the teaching of beginners, kyu grade students and also keeps the smaller children in order at the Dojo.

Annette commenced training in 1996 with her husband Carter-sensei and is currently ranked Shodan (1st level) Black Belt. Annette has been instrumental in the success of the Shuri Karate Dojo since its inception in 1996 and works tirelessly to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable.

She feels proud to continue her studies under the tutelage of her husband, Carter-sensei.

Annette is a fully qualified Karate Coach and qualified First Aider.

Carter-sensei first began studying karate in 1976. He studied the Wado-Ryu style of karate in a local dojo under Tatsuo Suzuki just after the Bruce Lee boom. He felt, at that time, that Wado-Ryu was not for him and looked elsewhere. For the time being he continued to train in the techniques he had learnt from Wado-Ryu.

February 1982, he joined a karate dojo which taught Sankukai Karate under the instruction of Prof. R. Mills (7th dan) Hanshi, Dave Ireland sensei (4th dan), & Bob Sergent sensei (5th dan). Around 1985 his sensei changed to the Shito-Ryu style of karate under Kenji Kusano Soke (8th dan), of Kusano-ha Shito-Ryu Kenpo Karate-do.

In the 1980′s and early 1990′s Carter-sensei competed in many karate tournaments in kata and kumite winning and placing highly in many of these events under the direction of his instructor.

Carter-sensei completely immersed himself in karate and sought many instructors and Dojo and trained with sensei and students from other styles of karate, including Shotokan, Kyokushinkai and Goju Ryu.

Remaining with his original sensei until 1997 after spending 8 years as the Honbu Dojo senior Instructor. In August the same year, after re-assessing his position, his future goals and ambitions, he decided to resign from the association he had spent 15 years with to concentrate on his own Dojo.

The karate Carter-sensei had learnt for many years was mainly sport orientated, therefore he sought out many instructors throughout the UK, USA and Japan in order that he could return to the more traditional forms of karate.

Carter-sensei truly wanted to return to traditional concepts and methods of training with the aim of removing the sporting element, seeking a more self defence orientated karate and seeing karate improve the character (‘Do’) as well as the physical aspects of the participant, which was well written and documented by the father of modern karate-do Gichin Funakoshi.

Early Days with Sensei Mills & Sensei Tsukada

Carter-sensei states that, “through our karate training we strive to improve our character and our ability to protect ourselves, family and friends, through technique, etiquette, discipline, hard training and the continuation of our learning. To practice and follow the way of karate is a life long study, a journey of self-discovery and improvement”.

In September 2000 Carter-sensei was invited to join the Nippon Karate-Do Kai and the Shito-Ryu International Karate-Do Kai under Soke Kenzo Mabuni as his official UK representative. (Note: Carter-sensei is no longer a member of this organization but continues practicing and teaching the original Shito-Ryu syllabus of Ryuso Kenwa Mabuni.)

Carter-sensei has practised and attended seminars with many of the top Japanese Shito-Ryu karate instructors including Yoshinao Nanbu, Kenji Kusano, Ryozo Tsukada, Chojiro Tani and Keiji Tomiyama, but one of the highlights of his karate career was being graded by Kenzo Mabuni Soke, the son of the founder of Shito-Ryu karate, Master Kenwa Mabuni.

Teaching karate since 1990 Carter-sensei today enjoys sharing his experience gained over three decades in passing on this knowledge to his students. He is also the holder of a Criminal Records Bureau Enhanced Certificate and is Royal Berkshire Ambulance Service First Aid Trained.

If you have any comments, queries or you would like further information please do not hesitate to contact Carter-sensei.

RAKKA: (Blossoms fall from a shaking tree)

Analogous to a tremor of the earth that shakes a tree with such tremendous force as to knock the blossoms from its branches.

Primarily hard blocking techniques applying sudden maximum power with a twisting action of the arm to literally stop the opponent’s attack and destroy his/her confidence. Examples include Age Uke, Yoko Uke, Yoko Uchi and Harai Uke.

RYUSUI: (Two rivers join in harmony)

Analogous to the greeting of two rivers that ultimately create a force greater than each alone although doing so with little or no turbulence.

Primarily softer blocking techniques that absorb an attack and redirect it using circular or deflecting blocks or parries in a continuous and flowing movement. Examples include Ura Uke, Shuto Uke, Kakete and Sukui Dome.

TENI: (A Willow sways in the wind)

Analogous to the branches of a willow tree that sway to and fro in the wind allowing its tremendous force to pass seemingly effortlessly.

General concept of body shifting (taisabaki) or turning away from an attack to avoid the direct force of the attack, often utilized with Ryusui defense (i.e. evasive maneuvers with a soft deflecting block).

KUSHIN: (The Lion crouches low in the grass)

Analogous to a Lion that crouches unnoticeably in the grass with its body coiled for an attack on its prey.

General concept of disguising one’s stance with the ability to either shift quickly out of one stance and into another or reflexively darting away and then back (typically at an angle) momentarily disappearing from the attacker.

HANGEKI: (A Flower greets the morning sun)

Analogous to a flower that opens its petals early in the morning to accept the rays of the sun for nourishment.

Advanced concept of reading an opponent’s body actions to determine his/her intent prior to the opponent taking action. Response can be to greet the attack with a counter-attack (Go-No-Sen) or to precede the attack with a neutralizing action to defeat the opponent’s aggression (Sen-No-Sen).

These five elements should be combined for practical use. Whether you use a hard block (Rakka), a gentler deflecting block (Ryusui), or a counter-attack (Hangeki), always move yourself into a safer and more advantageous position without wasting movement or energy using Kusshin and Teni.

Information provided by Sensei Tanzadeh