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    Kihon Happo

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    Dave Priestley
    The document discusses different interpretations of "Kihon Happo", which are fundamental techniques in martial arts. It explores how interpreting the kanji characters of "Kihon Happo" in different ways leads to different understandings. Specifically, it discusses four interpretations provided by Hatsumi Sensei: 1) seeing the beginning of martial arts techniques, 2) understanding tactics and strategy, 3) seeing the play of demons, 4) perceiving the origin of life. The document suggests that these multiple layers should be understood in order to fully comprehend "Kihon Happo".

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Kihon Happo

    Uploaded by

    Dave Priestley
    96 views3 pages
    The document discusses different interpretations of "Kihon Happo", which are fundamental techniques in martial arts. It explores how interpreting the kanji characters of "Kihon Happo" in different ways leads to different understandings. Specifically, it discusses four interpretations provided by Hatsumi Sensei: 1) seeing the beginning of martial arts techniques, 2) understanding tactics and strategy, 3) seeing the play of demons, 4) perceiving the origin of life. The document suggests that these multiple layers should be understood in order to fully comprehend "Kihon Happo".

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    Training guide

    Original Title

    Kihon-Happo

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    The document discusses different interpretations of "Kihon Happo", which are fundamental techniques in martial arts. It explores how interpreting the kanji characters of "Kihon Happo" in different ways leads to different understandings. Specifically, it discusses four interpretations provided by Hatsumi Sensei: 1) seeing the beginning of martial arts techniques, 2) understanding tactics and strategy, 3) seeing the play of demons, 4) perceiving the origin of life. The document suggests that these multiple layers should be understood in order to fully comprehend "Kihon Happo".

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    96 views3 pages

    Kihon Happo

    Uploaded by

    Dave Priestley
    The document discusses different interpretations of "Kihon Happo", which are fundamental techniques in martial arts. It explores how interpreting the kanji characters of "Kihon Happo" in different ways leads to different understandings. Specifically, it discusses four interpretations provided by Hatsumi Sensei: 1) seeing the beginning of martial arts techniques, 2) understanding tactics and strategy, 3) seeing the play of demons, 4) perceiving the origin of life. The document suggests that these multiple layers should be understood in order to fully comprehend "Kihon Happo".

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    I 

    came across this paragraph in Hatsumi Sensei book “Unarmed Fighting Techniques of the Samurai”. 
    As I am currently in a kanji phase I really liked what I read as it seems to fit into the methodology of 
    our training and also opens up some new avenues. I found this very exciting as it meant that even 
    after 30 years of study, something as old as Kihon Happo, which most people take for granted, can 
    still breathe new life into training. 

    If you think that the character Ki (基 ) of Kihon Happo is simply one character and stop there, you will 
    miss the real attitude ofBudo Taiju tsu. Writing the four charac ters of Kihon Happo (基本⼋法) as 
    Kihon Happo (起本⼋法 ) you will feel the beginning of Taijutsu; as Kihon Happo (奇本⼋法 ) you will 
    see something like kyojitsu, tactics, or strategy of ten‐chi‐jin; if you write Kihon Happo (⻤本⼋法) 
    you will see the play of demons; and if you write Kihon Happo (⽣本⼋法) you will perceive the origin 
    of life. 

    Chapter One 

    Unarmed Fighting Techniques of the Samurai 

    Maasaki Hatsumi Sensei 

    Let’s start by looking at the kanji for Kihon Happo. 

    基 (Ki) – meaning ‘fundemental’ 

    本 (Hon) – meaning ‘main’ 

    ⼋ (Ha / Hatchi) – meaning ‘eight’ 

    法 (Ho / Po) – meaning ‘method or law’ 
     
    This is generally an accepted interpretation for these movements. ‘Eight main fundamental 
    methods’. We have always taken these to mean that the ‘kihon happo’ gives us the fundamentals 
    required for training. Within our Dojo we use the ‘kihon happo’ to emphasise the importance of 
    balance breaking which is, in my opinion, fundamental to every movement we practice.  
       
    After reading the paragraph in the book, I can see the Hatsumi Sensei has several different takes on 
    this depending on what he wishes to emphasis.  

    起本⼋法 

    起 (Ki) – meaning ‘to wake or to rouse’ 

    本 (Hon) – meaning ‘main’ 

    ⼋ (Ha / Hatchi) – meaning ‘eight’ 

    法 (Ho / Po) – meaning ‘method or law’ 
    After looking at the kanji I came to realise that we do practice our kihon happo like this. In the 
    paragraph, Hatsumi Sensei states “you will feel the beginning of Taijutsu”. I took this to mean that 
    once you have learned the movements themselves, you then need to go on to understand why the 
    movements are there in order to ‘begin’ your taijutsu. 

    If we were to look at 基本⼋法 as the kihon happo taught to mudansha 無段者  then 起本⼋法 is 
    what is required of yudansha 有段者. That meaning we expect students to learn the movments but 
    instructors to understand the purpose of the movments and their taijutsu should be enlightened or 
    awakened. 

    I believe that we have unintentionally be training our kihon happo as 起本⼋法 

    This lead onto 

    奇本⼋法 

    奇 (Ki) – meaning “strange / odd / curious” 

    本 (Hon) – meaning ‘main’ 

    ⼋ (Ha / Hatchi) – meaning ‘eight’ 

    法 (Ho / Po) – meaning ‘method or law’ 
    Perhaps, once we have understood the previous explanations (if ever) we can evolve our kihon 
    happo into different paths. Here Hatsumi Sensei says “you will see something like kyojitsu, tactics, or 
    strategy of ten‐chi‐jin”. Perhaps we should look at confusing our opponent as to what is happening 
    or breaking balance is such a way that our opponent is unaware what is happening. 
    The next sentence shows: 

    ⻤本⼋法 

    ⻤ (Ki) ‐ Demon 

    本 (Hon) – meaning ‘main’ 

    ⼋ (Ha / Hatchi) – meaning ‘eight’ 

    法 (Ho / Po) – meaning ‘method or law’ 
    In the paragraph, Hatsumi Sensei states “you will see the play of demons” and the next; 

    ⽣本⼋法 

    ⽣ (Ki) – meaning ‘life’ 

    本 (Hon) – meaning ‘main’ 

    ⼋ (Ha / Hatchi) – meaning ‘eight’ 

    法 (Ho / Po) – meaning ‘method or law’ 
    Here he states “you will perceive the origin of life.” 

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