From https://www.rojodojo.com A preview of my Bujinkan video exploring the Bujinkan kata 当投 Ate Nage. We warmed up with the study of 過去現在未来之術 Kako Genzai Mirai no jutsu using 十文字の構 jūmonji no kamae.
Ate Nage is 高木揚心流 Takagi Yoshin Ryū, so we began with strategies from that school. I used that style cover to initiate the 竹折り take ori lock that starts the throw. I learned a specific point of leverage for this from Hatsumi Sensei, so I showed that.
One of the key ideas with this kata is being able to throw the opponent anywhere you want. But you must have enough control to make that specific and functional. It then becomes a restraint.
Next, I shared the pass through that I learned from Soke. When you apply the take ori, you open a window. Then you might bow under. Or you pivot alongside the opponent to attack weak points or disarm.
We also did the combat version of the throw. In the Bujinkan, we destroy our opponent’s ukemi. It looks pretty when martial artists perform graceful throws and ukemi. But in combat we are breaking things. Here, I drove the opponent’s elbow and head into the ground. He won’t get up from that.
Another pass through adopts the feel of 幽玄 Yūgen. Hatsumi Sensei told us, “This way of walking is kind of sophisticated. You’re not trying to attack the opponent here. And you’re not trying to put a waza on him either. If you’ve done the godan test you’ll understand this feeling. Yugen no sekai, is the feel, the realm, the world of illusion.” Now when the opponent grabs he cannot get a firm hold because it is like grabbing a ghost!
I finished by disarming my opponent by taking his katana. But I don’t just take it. The process of removing the weapon is one of control. The disarm itself becomes a moment of control. If I only took the sword, the opponent is free to escape of launch some other attack. But with this control he is disarmed and disabled.
Of Note: the pain of TN
