There is a lot to learn and appreciate when you first begin learning a martial art. As a Yellow Belt candidate students should learn not only how to perform the fundamental movements required for the next rank, but also examine some underlying essential information. The following topics will enhance your understanding of other materials and provide you with a broader context with which to understand both the marital arts in general and Tensoku Ryu in particular.
Chiken (Knowledge)
In the martial arts it is customary to define a strike, block, or kick as targeting a specific general area of the body. At times these references may include a ...
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Throughout our training materials we refer to various directions, angles, and positions. We will cover the most salient of these terms in this article so that you have one central ...
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Disproportionality refers to doing something and then doing something related with a different degree of commitment. This is often applied to both speed and Ma Ai, but it can apply ...
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The martial arts are chock full of various customs and practices that form a system of etiquette observed to varying degrees by different martial arts systems and martial arts schools ...
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We utilize features of the head to help us decide where we are in the midst of a chaotic struggle. If your opponent steps forward with his or her right ...
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You would think the concept of front and back would be quite straight forward. Unfortunately, it can be confusing. Within Tensoku Ryu we have established well-defined practices for carefully noting ...
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There are several fundamental lines that we use to help visualize concepts and communicate movements, directions, and ideas. Below are the primary lines and planes with which you will want ...
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It should go without saying that students should be generally clean and well-groomed before attending class. Students should also observe several other practices related to hygiene. A primary concern in ...
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Timing is another key element of training in Tensoku Ryu. There is an age-old question in the martial arts that goes, “Is it better to know how to move, or ...
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Some martial artists develop the attitude that any aggression against them must be met with an insurmountable counter force. A simple push on the part of someone results in the martial artist ...
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It is not possible to learn Tensoku Ryu or any other significant martial art solely from reading printed materials and/or watching videos. Learning any martial art requires that you receive ...
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As you train you will be interested in doing your movements and skills with increasing speed, intensity, and power. However, the methods you utilize to achieve these goals can sometimes ...
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Ma Ai refers to distance, but more importantly it suggests an awareness of distance. You will need to study distance and distancing a great deal. You need to know instantaneously if ...
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When I watch students perform a skill or Kata it is not uncommon to seem them wince, roll their eyes, and shake their head when they have made what they ...
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Whenever we wish to present something of importance to a practitioner we hold a Presentation Ceremony. These are public ceremonies which other practitioners, families, and friends may observe, photograph, and ...
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Within Tensoku Ryu one of the most fundamental, useful, and omnipresent concepts is that of the center, or centering. The "center" refers to where your body is currently focused, while ...
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One of the most fundamental conceptual elements of the Tensoku Ryu system is the Octagon. We use this concept to help define movement directions in multiple ways. The most fundamental ...
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