training progression

 

Below is an overview of the core principles and concepts as you progress toward a mastery of the basics. The techniques and skills will be explored in a variety of situations and are cumulative.

These are the bricks of your foundation; your effort, determination, and exploration serve as the mortar which holds them together.

 

FORMATION

Like mountains against an empty sky, the initial stages of your development must be focused on forming a strong and solid foundation while keeping the mind open and free of preconceptions.

ranks: 5th & 4th KYU

strong / solid / attentive / motivated / open

technical skill requirements

  • Ikkyo

  • Kokyuho

  • Iriminage

  • Shihonage


areas of focus

  • Strengthening and mobilizing the body

  • Competency in basic ukemi (back falls, forward falls, forward rolls, breakfalls)

  • Proper striking form

  • Mindfulness toward the importance of nutrition/sleep hygiene within a training lifestyle

EXPANSION

With solid roots and a strong trunk, the vibrant and pliable nature of plants begin to realize their full potential. Healthy foundations lead to a rapid explosion of growth and discovery.

ranks: 4th - 2nd kyu

supple / rooted / flexible / curious / driven

technical skill requirements

  • Ikkyo / Nikyo / Sankyo / Yonkyo

  • Kotegaeshi

  • Sumiotoshi

  • Koshinage

areas of focus

  • Transitioning from static to fluid movements

  • Development of striking power

  • Clarity on technical details

  • Competency on the ground

  • Assisting those less experienced

INTEGRATION

The river argues against nothing and flows where it needs; it can assume any shape and has a multitude of forms. This is the stage where hard and soft, static and flowing are unified and resolved.

Ranks: 2nd - 1st kyu

agile / fluid / adaptive / heavy / confident

technical skill requirements

  • Ikkyo / Nikyo / Sankyo / Yonkyo / Gokyo / Rokkyo

  • Irminage + Kokyuho

  • Kaitenage

  • Udegarami

  • Randori

areas of focus

  • Clear ability to utilize kuzushi in increasingly powerful technique

  • Clear ability to control your power

  • Comfort in the unexpected

  • A solid hold on all the foundational aspects of the practice

Shodan : walking the path

Years of effort, sacrifice, and determination along this path will afford you the chance to make the practice your own. Just as in nature, the process above will begin anew and a fresh cycle in your practice is ready to commence. Like a spiral, you will be further along in time and experience as you revisit areas of your practice and stages of development.

Deserved pride in your accomplishments balanced by humility and an excitement to learn endlessly. Satisfaction in your efforts burned away by the hunger to deepen your discoveries. Years of knowledge tempered by the reality of all that is left to learn.

The true mark of a shodan (black belt) is not the catalogue of techniques you know or how well you can execute them; it is your capacity to retain shoshin: a beginner’s mind.

Never stop learning.
Never stop developing.
Never stop helping.

Each day is a new chance to begin again.

Shoshin