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Gyokko Ryu Taihenjutsu Muto Dori Gata

Movement Skills: Unarmed Arresting Forms (Taihenjutsu Muto Dori Gata)

The Muto Dori Gata on the surface is about learning to use ukemi to defend oneself against an opponent. On a deeper level it is about entering a state of emptiness (Mu) to seize an opponent's will to fight. When learning these, the forms should become less about a rigid outline and more about freely responding to an opponent's attack, using the following kamae: Hira, Ichimonji, and Jumonji.

To perform these forms, one should be familiar with the following:

Flat Stance (Hira no Kamae)

The opponent wields a long sword (Daitou) in Big Higher-Level Stance (Daijodan no Kamae) and the defender stands in Flat Stance (Hira no Kamae). The opponent attempts to cut downward or toward the defender's left side (Shomen Giri). The defender steps diagonally back to the right with his right foot and allows the left foot to follow. Though the defender assumes a feeling of keeping the opponent back (a feeling of Ichimonji no Kamae), he must not raise his arms because the opponent could easily cut his left arm if he stood in Number-One Stance (Ichimonji no Kamae). After stepping back, the defender rolls (Sokuho Kaiten) to the right about three feet away. The defender comes out of the roll and stands back up into Flat Stance (Hira no Kamae) or Number-One Stance (Ichimonji no Kamae). This is a very basic level. When the defender is more experienced, he will practice with the opponent cutting freely and will respond accordingly.

Number-One Stance (Ichimonji no Kamae)

The opponent wields a curved sword (Tachi) in Big Higher-Level Stance (Daijodan no Kamae) and the defender stands in Number-One Stance (Ichimonji no Kamae). The opponent attempts to cut downward (Jodan Kiri) or toward the defender's left side (Shomen Giri). The defender leaps to the right about three feet (one mat length) away from his original position - the right foot moves first then the left and the left foot stays in front. As the defender lands, he rolls over his right shoulder (Naname Zenpo Kaiten) in a straight line forward past the opponent about three feet away. The opponent will of course follow the defender's movements with his eyes and raise his katana (Jodan no Kamae) to attack. The defender will land on one knee (right knee up and pointed away from the attacker) however his weight will be on the balls of his feet so he can move quickly or even stand up if the opponent is too slow to attack. For the sake of the form (Kata), the opponent attempts to cut down (Jodan Kiri) as soon as the defender lands. (If the defender's timing is correct, he will be able to complete his roll while the opponent raises his sword to attack again). When opponent moves to cut, the defender brings his right knee forward in between himself and the opponent and swings his right fist/thumb (Boshi Ken) into the opponent's solar plexus (Suigetsu). While doing this, the defender raises his left forearm above his head at a forty-five degree angle in the same manner as receiving at a higher-level (Jodan Uke) in order to protect his head from the opponent's handle. When attacking with the thumb (Boshi Ken), the defender's right arm moves in time with the right leg and swings up like in Earth Form (Chi no Kata) from the Three-Hearts Forms (Sanshin no Kata). When the defender has finished, he will be positioned on one knee (right knee up), with his left arm above his head at a forty-five degree angle, and his right arm extended into the strike. The opponent will be knocked down by this strike, and the defender can stand up and assume Number-One Stance (Ichimonji no Kamae). This is a very basic version. When the defender is more experienced, he will practice with the opponent cutting freely and will respond accordingly.

An important aspect of Gyokko Ryu is movement that involves circling and flanking the opponent, and this can be seen even in the taihenjutsu. If the defender has rolled too far behind the opponent, he can strike with boshi ken into the opponent's ribs (Butsumetsu). Some versions of Ichimonji involve the defender rolling diagonally forward to the right at the onset of the first cut. However, if the opponent is cutting diagonally (Hasso Kesa Kiri), the defender will get cut as he rolls. By first taking a small distance to the right, the defender ensures his safety regardless of the type of cut. Some versions also involve the defender standing up after the roll before leaping in with his right foot and dropping to his left knee.

Number-Ten Stance (Jumonji no Kamae)

The opponent wields a long sword (Daitou) in Big Higher-Level Stance (Daijodan no Kamae) and the defender stands in Left Number-Ten Stance (Hidari Jumonji no Kamae) with his left foot forward. The opponent attempts to cut downward (Jodan Kiri). The defender steps diagonally back to the right with his right foot and covers the space between himself and the opponent with his arm like in receiving at a lower-level (Gedan Uke). At the same time, the defender raises the back of his right hand in front of his forehead in preparation for the next movement. The defender steps forward with his right foot, swings his left foot around to the rear at a forty-five degree angle from the opponent, and circles his right hand around in an outer sword-hand strike (Migi Omote Shuto Ken) to the opponent's left side neck. There should be no pause between the last two movements as the strike is just a continuation of the falling back motion. When striking the defender's legs, hips, shoulders, and hand should move in-sync with a similar feeling to diagonally cutting with a sword (Hasso Kesa Kiri). The defender leaps back to the left with his left foot and positions himself in Right Number-Ten Stance (Migi Jumonji no Kamae) with the right foot forward. The defender should be at a distance where the opponent cannot cut him without taking a step. The opponent steps forward and cuts down again. The defender steps diagonally back to the left with his left foot and covers the space between himself and the opponent with his right arm held low. At the same time, the defender raises the back of his left hand in front of his forehead in preparation for the next movement. The defender steps forward with his left foot, swings his right foot all the way around to the rear at a forty-five degree angle from the opponent, and circles his left hand around in an outer sword-hand strike (Hidari Omote Shuto Ken) to the opponent's right side neck knocking the opponent out. The defender leaps back to the right with his right foot and finishes in Number-Ten Stance (Jumonji no Kamae) with his left foot in the lead.

 

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