This Month

Here’s what the Hombu is teaching this month.

It’s important to remember that the lessons linked to below are only a starting point, and that there is so much more great learning content to explore from all of our instructors.

Level 1

• “Te-hodoki 1” Double wrist grab escapes

  Principle: Attacker’s overpowering technique becomes your advantage over their new vulnerability

  1. Two Hand Wrist Grab Defense by An-shu Stephen K. Hayes

• “Dan-shu” Same-side grab defense

  Principle: Use the weight of gravity instead of muscle power to generate strength

  1. Mirror-Side Arm Grab Defense by An-shu Stephen K. Hayes

• “Backward Boulder Roller” Backward rocking or rolling escape on ground

  1. Forward Roll by James Kentoshi Norris

• “Sideways Boulder Roller” Lateral rocking or rolling escape to the side on ground

  1. Sideways Roll by James Kentoshi Norris

Level 2

• “Fire” response to haymaker punch

  Principle: Structure can overcome power. Use bone alignment – not joint and muscle tension

  1. Hook Punch Review by James Kentoshi Norris
  2. Hook Punch Drills by James Kentoshi Norris
  3. Hook Punch Concepts by James Kentoshi Norris

• “Fire” interception of front kick attack

  Principle: Intercepting – hit attacker’s movements hard as they begin – more easily stops movement

  1. Fire Intercept Front Kick Kata by Mark Sentoshi Russo
  2. Fire Intercept Front Kick (Advanced) by Mark Sentoshi Russo

Level 3

• Defense against rear choke

  1. Ketsu Myaku by An-shu Stephen K. Hayes

• Around-wait tackle defense

  1. Tackle Defense 2 Review by James Kentoshi Norris
  2. Tackle Defense 2 Drills by James Kentoshi Norris
  3. Tackle Defense 2 Concepts by James Kentoshi Norris

• Take-ori

  1. Take-Ori by Dennis Fuutoshi Mahoney

Level 1

• “Tai-hodoki” Front waist-grasp “cowboy tackle”

  Principle: Exploit the “gift to you” of his momentum to move him into unbalance

  1. Rushing Tackle Defense by An-shu Stephen K. Hayes

• “Te-hodoki 3” Forward-facing cross-side grab defense

  Principle: Skillfully applied little bones overpower bigger bodies

  1. Cross-Side Arm Grab Defense by An-shu Stephen K. Hayes

• “Backward Boulder Roller” Backward rocking or rolling escape on ground

  1. Forward Roll by James Kentoshi Norris

• “Sideways Boulder Roller” Lateral rocking or rolling escape to the side on ground

  1. Sideways Roll by James Kentoshi Norris

Level 2

• “Fire” slip & slap hit outside leading-hand

  Principle: Vectoring – glancing blows from angle position – redirects straight forward power

  1. Jab Defense by Stephen K. Hayes

• 4-Directional Kicking (shi-ho keri)

  Principle: Intercepting – hit his movements hard as they begin – more easily stops movement

  1. Shi-ho Keri Review by Dennis Fuutoshi Mahoney
  2. Shi-ho Keri Drills by Dennis Fuutoshi Mahoney

• Forward Takedown (Ganseki-Nage)

  Principle: Fall away with acceleration when pushed

  1. Ganseki-Nage Review by Dennis Fuutoshi Mahoney
  2. Ganseki-Nage Drills by Dennis Fuutoshi Mahoney
  3. Ganseki-Nage Principles for Mastery by Mark Sentoshi Russo
  4. Ganseki Variations by Stephen K. Hayes

Level 3

• Wind evasive strike defense outside heavy straight punch

  1. Wind Defense Outside Straight Punch by Dennis Fuutoshi Mahoney

• Hook kick defense

  1. Hook Kick Defense by Dennis Fuutoshi Mahoney

• Musha Dori

  1. Musha Dori by Stephen K. Hayes
  2. Musha Dori by Rumiko Hayes