We continue our study of 位取りkuraidori with 抱囲之構 hōkō no kamae. For a warmup I began with 骨指基本三法 kosshi kihon sanpō. Then we did these kihon from hōkō.
For Ichimonji, we use the natural circling quality of hōkō to receive and return with a shutō. When you receive an attack this way, you encircle your opponent with your kamae. But hōkō should really encircle the entirety of the kukan and wrap the opponent up in it.
I showed this also with hichō and jūmonji. The footwork has a twirling quality. It shifts around the axis of the fight itself, spinning your strikes into the defenseless opponent.
I began class with 擔撃 tangeki. Your hōkō no kamae arises hidden within the movement of the attacker. It has the quality of 虚実 kyojitsu.
The kyo, or the illusion takes the form of 眼潰の構 gantsubushi no kamae. This is crushing the eyes. It can be in the form of metsubushi, boshi ken, or a clawing shako ken. Remember it is kyo, so it may or not be real, depending on your opponent’s reaction to it.
If he falls for the illusion we hit him with the truth. This jitsu comes in the form of a kick. But the kata tangeki has the quality of carrying or bearing the weight of your opponent. The structure of your kamae supports him until you drop the illusion away and he falls into your kick.
I exposed this illusion for my students by shifting the hōkō so it was half-in. This made my attacker fall into the eye crushing. While his attention is completely wrapped up in this, I press his shoulder and 蹴り倒すなりkick him down.
Next, I shared a way of using hōkō that I learned from Hatsumi Sensei. Use your own palms to catch or receive the attacks. This becomes a subtle support which you drop away during your pivot.
I ended class by hiding a knife in my hōkō no kamae. Then I flip it up in the space as a form of kyo. My students often grabbed at it reflexively. I used their reaction to trap them.
Of Note: meta game