FOUR HOUR CLASS
From time to time people still ask the old codger to share a little Jiu-jitsu. This is an outline of a four-hour class that I've developed to introduce people to the basic, simple pleasures of the "gentle art". Very few civilians can take four straight hours of Hagakure Jiu-jitsu, so I generally break the class up into two two-hour sessions.
I would suggest that if you are going to try to teach this class, that you get the students to sign waivers just in case there's some injury. Though in decades of teaching I've only had three or four students with minor injuries, you just never know. Students are strange creatures. They do bizarre things. You're far more likely to get injured by them than they are to be injured by a black belt.
Before the class
Encourage them to wear clothes that will be modest even during grappling or throwing; clothes they don't mind getting torn up. If they have solid gis that would be awesome but it's not absolutely necessary. CUPS - if you've gott'em, wear'em! Drink plenty of fluids in the days ahead of the class. Take some ibuprofen about two hours before the class. Stretch out and warm up immediately prior to the class.
Outline1. Safety talk
a. Do what I say when I say.
b. Don’t do anything until I say.
c. Do not attack me for “fun”.
d. Situational awareness.
e. Extend safety consciousness to your partner.
f. Compliance - tapping
g. Uke – aggressor; the person on the receiving end of the defensive technique
h. Tori – defender; the person on the giving end of the defensive technique
i. Hajime – begin / start
j. Matte – stop
k. Don’t be squeamish or prissy
l. Let me know if there are emotional issues like PTSD or claustrophobia.
FIGHTING STANCE
2. Fighting stance
a. Feet at opposite corners of the box
b. Avoid flat footedness
c. Knees flexed
d. Turn center line away
e. Arms up, hands protecting face, palms open
i. Slap, sweep, brush
ii. Punish muscles of extended arms
iii. Grab
iv. Add twist to punches
a. Feet at opposite corners of the box
b. Avoid flat footedness
c. Knees flexed
d. Turn center line away
e. Arms up, hands protecting face, palms open
i. Slap, sweep, brush
ii. Punish muscles of extended arms
iii. Grab
iv. Add twist to punches
FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES
3. Foundational principles
a. Size, strength, speed, skill
b. Centers of gravity
c. Circles
d. Momentum and slipping
e. Sudden release of energy
f. Only thing that matters is your position relative to the uke
g. This is not Ninjutsu.
i. There won’t be fancy weapons
ii. There won’t be strange stances or flashy moves
iii. There won’t be occult teachings
h. This is not the UFC. This is combat.
i. Unexpected attacks
ii. Multiple targets
iii. Weapons
iv. Stuff that is either in the way or possibly used
i. Timing
i. the ability to see or feel the correct moment to execute
ii. Heavy bags or stationary targets are not sufficient
iii. Learn the precursors to the movement
iv. Watch for destabilized moments
v. Sweep when one foot is in the air
vi. Throw as person is moving up or forward
j. Distance: Three lines
i. Third line – furthest out, kicking distance
ii. Second line – middle distance, strikes, kicks and grabs
iii. First line – grappling distance, also knees and elbows
a. Size, strength, speed, skill
b. Centers of gravity
c. Circles
d. Momentum and slipping
e. Sudden release of energy
f. Only thing that matters is your position relative to the uke
g. This is not Ninjutsu.
i. There won’t be fancy weapons
ii. There won’t be strange stances or flashy moves
iii. There won’t be occult teachings
h. This is not the UFC. This is combat.
i. Unexpected attacks
ii. Multiple targets
iii. Weapons
iv. Stuff that is either in the way or possibly used
i. Timing
i. the ability to see or feel the correct moment to execute
ii. Heavy bags or stationary targets are not sufficient
iii. Learn the precursors to the movement
iv. Watch for destabilized moments
v. Sweep when one foot is in the air
vi. Throw as person is moving up or forward
j. Distance: Three lines
i. Third line – furthest out, kicking distance
ii. Second line – middle distance, strikes, kicks and grabs
iii. First line – grappling distance, also knees and elbows
MOVEMENT
4. Movement
a. Don’t cross legs
b. Minimize exposure of center line
c. Keep feet close to ground without dragging
d. Caution in extending limbs
a. Don’t cross legs
b. Minimize exposure of center line
c. Keep feet close to ground without dragging
d. Caution in extending limbs
BLOCKS
cross block, juji uke
5. Blocks
a. Facing
b. Inside
c. Outside
d. Cross
e. Sweep or brush
a. Facing
b. Inside
c. Outside
d. Cross
e. Sweep or brush
Break falls
6. Break falls
a. Side break fall
b. Forward break fall
c. Back break fall
d. Forward roll
e. Forward roll with break
a. Side break fall
b. Forward break fall
c. Back break fall
d. Forward roll
e. Forward roll with break
KYUSHO
7. Kyusho - Vital points and pressure points
a. Vital points are soft targets that can cause a lot of damage quickly
b. Pressure points are:
i. Nerves, nerve groups or intersections
ii. Insertions of muscles
iii. Seams in muscles like the pectoralis major and minor
a. Vital points are soft targets that can cause a lot of damage quickly
b. Pressure points are:
i. Nerves, nerve groups or intersections
ii. Insertions of muscles
iii. Seams in muscles like the pectoralis major and minor
JOINT MANIPULATION
8. Joint manipulating
a. Kotegaeshi – wrist flex
b. Kansetsuwaza – any number of elbow locks
c. Waki gatame – “the Couch”; kansetsuwaza with the pressure applied to the opponent’s elbow with one’s armpit
d. Ude gatame – “the Dog Walk”; kansetsuwaza with pressure pushing forward causing the opponent to crawl on knees and one hand
e. Ude garami – folding arm bar
f. Hiza gatame – kansetsuwaza with pressure applied by one’s forearm or knees
g. Hara gatame – choking arm bar
h. Pine needle break – aka “the prayer”
i. Thumb lock – when someone tries the whole gripping game
j. Hiza guruma – plant foot on back of knee and push/pull arm and shoulder
k. Knee break – post sweep, ankle supported while pressuring knee
a. Kotegaeshi – wrist flex
b. Kansetsuwaza – any number of elbow locks
c. Waki gatame – “the Couch”; kansetsuwaza with the pressure applied to the opponent’s elbow with one’s armpit
d. Ude gatame – “the Dog Walk”; kansetsuwaza with pressure pushing forward causing the opponent to crawl on knees and one hand
e. Ude garami – folding arm bar
f. Hiza gatame – kansetsuwaza with pressure applied by one’s forearm or knees
g. Hara gatame – choking arm bar
h. Pine needle break – aka “the prayer”
i. Thumb lock – when someone tries the whole gripping game
j. Hiza guruma – plant foot on back of knee and push/pull arm and shoulder
k. Knee break – post sweep, ankle supported while pressuring knee
GRABS
9. Grabs
a. Frontal chokes
b. Wrist grabs
c. Lapel grabs
a. Frontal chokes
b. Wrist grabs
c. Lapel grabs
KICKS
10. Kicks (ashi [foot] or geri [kick] waza)
a. Mae geri keage – front snap kick
b. Mae geri keikomi – front snap stomp
c. High mae geri – front snap kick (e.g. to chin)
d. Yoko geri keikomi – side kick
e. Mae hiza – knee kick
f. Mikazuki geri – slap kick
g. Ushiro geri keage – near rear groin kick
h. Mawashi geri – round house kick
i. Ura mawashi – back kick (heel kick)
j. Cedan geri – forward heel snap
k. Kagato geri – heel stomp
a. Mae geri keage – front snap kick
b. Mae geri keikomi – front snap stomp
c. High mae geri – front snap kick (e.g. to chin)
d. Yoko geri keikomi – side kick
e. Mae hiza – knee kick
f. Mikazuki geri – slap kick
g. Ushiro geri keage – near rear groin kick
h. Mawashi geri – round house kick
i. Ura mawashi – back kick (heel kick)
j. Cedan geri – forward heel snap
k. Kagato geri – heel stomp
STRIKES
11. Strikes (ate [or te] waza)
a. Tsukkake close – hook to body
b. Tsukkake far – boxing straight or jab
c. Shuto – strike with either the inner or outer ridge of the hand
d. Teicho – palm strike
e. Tsuki age – uppercut
f. Naname tsuki – hook
g. Ura ichi – back fist
h. Uchi oroshi – hammer fist
i. Shito – spear hand
j. Empi (or igi) – elbow strike
k. Atama – head butt
a. Tsukkake close – hook to body
b. Tsukkake far – boxing straight or jab
c. Shuto – strike with either the inner or outer ridge of the hand
d. Teicho – palm strike
e. Tsuki age – uppercut
f. Naname tsuki – hook
g. Ura ichi – back fist
h. Uchi oroshi – hammer fist
i. Shito – spear hand
j. Empi (or igi) – elbow strike
k. Atama – head butt
SWEEPS
12. Sweeps
a. O soto gari – outside major leg sweep
b. De ashi barai – lead foot lateral sweep
c. Ko uchi gari – inside inside leg hook
d. O uchi gari – inside outside leg hook
e. Harai goshi – hip throw with leg sweep
f. Sasae tsuri komi ashi – momentum outside leg trip
g. Tai otoshi – spinning momentum leg trip
h. Ko soto gari – lead leg pull by heel
a. O soto gari – outside major leg sweep
b. De ashi barai – lead foot lateral sweep
c. Ko uchi gari – inside inside leg hook
d. O uchi gari – inside outside leg hook
e. Harai goshi – hip throw with leg sweep
f. Sasae tsuri komi ashi – momentum outside leg trip
g. Tai otoshi – spinning momentum leg trip
h. Ko soto gari – lead leg pull by heel
THROWS
13. Throws (nage waza) or owaza (big or major techniques)
a. O goshi – hip throw
b. Ippon seoi nage – shoulder roll
c. Uki goshi – half-hip throw
d. Sode tsuri komi goshi – hip throw holding arms
e. Morote gari – two leg take down (also referred to as “shooting”)
f. Koshi guruma – hip throw by neck
g. Uchi mata – hip throw with foot pushing back on opponent’s knee
h. Tomoe nage – “Kirk Special”; grabbing the opponent by the lapels and rolling back while planting the foot in the opponent’s stomach
i. Maki komi – one arm hip throw
j. Sukui nage – step behind “bale throw”
k. Te guruma – eye and testicle “bale throw”
a. O goshi – hip throw
b. Ippon seoi nage – shoulder roll
c. Uki goshi – half-hip throw
d. Sode tsuri komi goshi – hip throw holding arms
e. Morote gari – two leg take down (also referred to as “shooting”)
f. Koshi guruma – hip throw by neck
g. Uchi mata – hip throw with foot pushing back on opponent’s knee
h. Tomoe nage – “Kirk Special”; grabbing the opponent by the lapels and rolling back while planting the foot in the opponent’s stomach
i. Maki komi – one arm hip throw
j. Sukui nage – step behind “bale throw”
k. Te guruma – eye and testicle “bale throw”
BODY GRABS AND MUGS
14. Body grabs and mugs
a. Rear
b. Side
c. Front
a. Rear
b. Side
c. Front
SEATED ATTACKS
15. Seated attacks
a. Side by side
b. Side by standing uke
c. Across table
a. Side by side
b. Side by standing uke
c. Across table
SEMI FREE and FREE SPARRING
16. Pre-arranged sparring (kata)
17. Grappling (ne waza)
18. Free sparring (randori)
17. Grappling (ne waza)
18. Free sparring (randori)
WEAPONS
19. Weapons
a. Knives
b. Sticks
c. Guns
d. Weapons of opportunity
a. Knives
b. Sticks
c. Guns
d. Weapons of opportunity
