Hakuda Ryu Kempo Jutsu Essex |

Where to train in Hakuda Ryu Kempo Jutsu

BEGINNERS ALWAYS WELCOME.

If you are interested in taking up Martial Arts for its Health and spiritual benefits or for self defence and conditioning and can easily get to the village of Broomfield near Chelmsford in Essex, please feel free to browse these pages and look at the page entitled Hakuda Ryu Sensei and Dojo which gives our training times and Dojo location. Men and Women, beginner and experienced martial artists welcome. For Further Information please telephone: 01245 382117 or alternatively e-mail Sensei983@yahoo.com

Training Times:

Wednesdays: 8.30 PM to 9.30 PM

Sundays: 5.30PM to 7.00 PM

Important:

Please contact us by phone (01245 382117) or e-mail (Sensei983@yahoo.com) before attending, as training times may occassionally vary as we frequently train at other venues on courses and seminars.

How to get there:

Our Dojo is opposite the Kings Arms Pub on Main Rd Broomfield, just across the Green, you will see an open wooden gate and a wide driveway/pathway that goes between two houses, that leads to a hall, this is where the Dojo is located. See this page for maps: http://www.freewebs.com/hakudaryukempojutsu/hakudaryusenseidojo.htm

For detailed information on how to get to our Dojo, which includes directions, maps and photos of how to get to the Dojo join our Yahoo group, from which you will automatically be sent directions and maps as well as the dojo fee's policy:
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/SevenSamuraiJuJutsuClub/

Martial Arts and Toning Exercises

Our practise of Martial Arts involves a complete holistic system that takes into account the mind, body and spirit, through its meditative and healing aspects as well as through the practice of traditional martial arts for the purposes of fun, fitness, stamina, endurance and self defence. It is a common misconception that one has to be fit to be able to learn martial arts, this is nonsence, you can gain fitness through the practice of martial arts. New members to our Dojo are able to work at a pace which is comfortable for them, increasing in intensity as time progresses. As part of your training in Hakuda Ryu Kempo Jutsu you will first learn the foundations through:

Hojo Undo: The basic warming up and exercise routines of the Asian martial arts which at the same time teach a number of different techniques and principles which can be used to help ones own techniques and self defence abilities and be used as a a health and fitness routine in their own right. Hojo Undo includes various stepping movements which are not only aerobic in nature but which also serve to tone the waiste, hips, buttocks and legs as well as provide an increase in overall stamina and fitness.

Kamae and Tai No Shintai: The correct postures (Kamae) and ways of moving (Tai No Shintai) for the martial arts. This provides all over body toning & helps improve general posture.

Uke Waza: The way of defending against a striking attack through blocking exercises practised solo & in pairs. This exercise builds natural reflexes whilst at the same time conditions and tones the arms shoulders, back & chest.

Paired Exercises such as:

Mou Sou: This is a calisthenic exercises based on the wing of the Crane which is performed in pairs, using each others resistance in order to increase tone and strength in the arms and upper body and develop a rooted posture, which is essential for martial arts training.

Tai Kyoku Ken: This literally means, Body, Breath, Fist and is a paired exercise which aims to increase fluidity of movement and reaction time building on reflex actions. This is many ways similar to and leads to Kakie or what in Wing Chin is known as Chi Soa.

Kakie: this is an Old Okinawan exercise, that aims to develop a form of sticking hands and close in grappling. In Wing Chin there is a similar exercise known as Chi Soa.

We also do some work with hand held striking pads. This is for conditioning and in order to practice the various striking techniques and as an aerobic exercise.

As a person progresses they will be introduced to the various Shuri Te Kata (forms) and their applications to include Kyusho (Pressure point striking) and Tuite (Grappling) and some Traditional Okinawan weapons such as the Nunchaku (Rice flails), Tonfa (Side Handled Batton), Tankon (Club) and Bo (Staff).

Health Exercises and Seasonal Harmony

All are welcome to train at our Dojo. We welcome both male and females beginners or experienced martial artists.
Our training may be divided into the therapeutic and the more combative/self defence orientated training employing traditional techniques and methods.

Our practice involves a range of Therapeutic practices which are practised in harmony with the season and the weather and which include:

Zazen Meditation: a form of seated breathing exercises designed to calm the mind and spirit. This is practised all year round, prior to training sessions and for those who are interested in this aspect also at the end of training.

Chi Kung: This is a standing energy exercise which in some ways resembles a form of Tai Chi. The Chi Kung exercise that we practice are based on the movements of the Crane. Chi Kung energises the body through slow moving exercises which involve gentle stretching and harmonious breathing. Whilst this exercise can be practised at any time of the year when there are impending storms and a high level of ions in the atmosphere, this practise, unless one is very experienced is limited.

Therapeutic exercises which include what is in Japanese Shiatsu called Makko Ho and which forms the basis of many martial arts and modern day exercises. It is similar to a form of Yoga known as Oki Yoga, founded by Masahiro Oki who combined Hatha Yoga with Zen, dancing and martial arts and which is soemtimes also known as Shusei Taiso, or corrective posture exercises. The level amount and intensity of stretching varies according to the season and temperature, in summer time there is more focus on intensive stretching and for longer periods than in the winter when the focus is on warming up the body and gentle stretching.

Do In: This is a form Self Massage common in many Asian countries, notably China, Japan and South East Asia, amongst the Tibetans a similar form known as Kung Nyay is practised. Both Tibetan Kung Nyay,Chinese Chi Kung and Japanese Shiatsu have informed the self massage that we practice as part of our warm up routines. There is a specific emphasis on this exercise in the winter, when the body may need energising due to stagnant energy associated with this time of year and a special emphasis in spring when sap in nature is rising.

What is Hakuda Ryu Kempo Jutsu

Some have stated that the actual meaning of the term Hakuda is to beat by hand and that the alternative term is Shuhaku. It has also been said that in Okinawa the term Hakuda specifically refers to the striking of vital points without making oneself impure. Thus the term has been translated as striking without impurity. Though its more literal translation is White Strike. Hakuda, the art of striking is often combined with Hakushu, the art of grappling. The ancient art of Chinese grappling seen in many Chaun Fa styles is generally known as Chin Na and its hand grips and locking techniques are in many ways similiar at least on the surface level to Aikido. It is believed by many that Chin Na is the basis for the art of Tuite that may be found in many Okinawan Karate Kata.

There is clearly a reference made to the term Hakuda in the 1936 meeting of the Okinawan Karate Masters which took place at the Showa Kaiken metting Hall in Naha and which was attended by the following Karate Masters Hanashiro Chomo, Choshin Chibana, Chotoku Kyan, Kiyoda Juhatsu, Chojun Miyagi, Choki Motobu, Gusukuma Shimpan and a number of special guests including Zenpatchi Shimabukuro, the Chief Librarian of the Okinawan Prefecture. Chojun Miyagi, the founder of Goju Ryu, makes reference to Hakuda, when he states: ' In China, in the old days, people called Hakuda or Baida for Chinese kungfu, Kenpo or Chuanfa (= Quanfa)' Source: (Sanzinsoo The meeting of Okinawan Karate Masters available at .http://yamada-san.blogspot.com/2008/02/meeting-of-okinawa-karate-do-masters-in.html) .

We know that Kanken Toyama (Oyadamari) who was born in 1888 of noble birth in Shuri, Okinawa, and who first studied with Choiku Itarashiki and then later with Ankoh Itosu both of the Shorin Ryu and Kanryo Higaonna of Shorei Kempo. In 1924 Kanken Toyama went to Taiwan where he learnt various Chaun Fa one of which was known as Taku (pronounced also as Hakuda) a Chaun Fa system from Central China and a Nei Kung system which provided part of the basis of Shorei Kempo, before moving to the Japanese mainland in 1930 where he established the Shudokan. See here for something about the life and styles studied by Kanken Toyama http://www.ernest-estrada.com/article8.html there is also an article written by him about the styles of Okinawan Karate which can be found here: http://www.ernest-estrada.com/article6.html

Chinese martial arts systems are often a striking based method, more commonly known as Chinese Boxing, Chaun Fa, Gong Fu or Kung Fu these arts, whatever their school, are known in Okinawa and Japan as Kempo. As such we can say that in Okinawa at least the Chinese Chaun Fa systems, known as Kempo (Mostly from Fukkien province), were combined with the indigenious Okinawan Martial Art known as Ti to formulate what became known as Toudi and later Karate Kempo Jutsu.

The indigenious Okinawan martial arts systems which are known as Ti consisted of some grappling techniques that became the basis of Tegumi in Naha and Mutou in the Shuri and Tomari districts and which are believed to have been the basis of Okinawan Sumo known as Tegumi. Whilst those Chinese martial arts systems which had in part been imported into Okinawa also had their own grappling aspect known as Chin Na. which is comparable to Tuite (Hand grappling) found in Okinawan Karate and what is called Tori-Te (Taking hands) in the curriculum of many Japanese martial arts schools.

Ken/Kem = Fist

Chaun = Fist/Boxing. Fa = Way/Method

Ken/Kem = Fist. Po = Law/Way/Method

The term Kempo, sometimes spelt Kenpo, simply means Fist (Ken) Law (Po) or perhaps more precisely the way of the fist and is the Japanese translation of the term Chaun Fa or Kung Fu .

Te/Ti/Di = Hand

Tou = Tang which stands for China. Di = Hand which describes a method of using the hands in combat. Toudi = Chinese Hand.

Tori = To Take. Te = Hands. Therefore Tuite = To take hand. The Okinawan pronounciation of this term is Tui = To take. Ti = Hands. Tuite = To take hands.

Tegumi = To wrestle with the hands. If the Kanji for Tegumi is reversed it becomes Kumite = which means to fight with the hands.

The evolution of Hakuda to Karate Kempo

What is known as Atemi Jutsu as a division of a category of techniques in Japanese Ju Jutsu is known these days to many Karateka as Kyusho Jutsu. Karate having had its origins in the native Okinawan Art of Te and later received some influence from the Chinese Martial Arts of the Fukien province Nei Gung (Internal Arts) and Shaolin (External Arts) thus leading to the creation of Toudi (Chinese Hand). There is a long cultural relationship that has taken place between the Okinawans and the Chinese over a prolonged period of time; this has included an Okinawan Community in Fuchow in the Fukkien Province of Southern China and the establishment of a Chinese Community in Okinawas capital city of Naha in 1392. It is uncertain what arts if any were introduced by the Chinese to Okinawa in 1392. Nevertheless, it is believed that Kanryo Higgaona revived the ancient art of Naha Te, which was later associated wioth this region.

The Chinese martial arts style known as Hakutsuru (White Crane) which was common to Southern China including the Fukkien Province is one style that was most certainly at least in part imported into the Okinawan Fighting arts by the likes of Gokenki, the White Crane Master associated with the Kenkyu club. Clearly it is the combination of ancient Okinawan fighting methods with those that were later inmported from China, amongst which we can include the crane styles that lead to the creation of Toudi and eventually Karate Kempo Jutsu.

Okinawan Karate Kempo Jutsu which included both Shorin and Shorei Ryu, depending on the preferences of the individual visiting master, was exported to Hawaii and became the basis of many American Kempo styles. In Japan Karate has its origin in the schools Karate system taught in Okinawa by Ankoh Itosu, as such many of the more dangerous techniques, which included the Ti grappling aspects were removed, leading to Karate in Japan being combined with indigenious Japanese Ju Jutsu techniques.

The use of the term Hakuda in Japan

The term Hakuda in Japan, according to Don Draegger, to describe Ju Jutsu like systems that were either of Chinese origin or influenced by the Chinese Martial arts. Such systems can often be identified by the wide variation of hand and fist strikes that are used. Such striking arts in many Japanese Ju Jutsu schools are generally classified as Atemi Jutsu, that is the Art of Strikling Vulnerable Points.

It seems likely that the Chinese Fighting Arts had their major period of influence on Japanese Ju Jutsu shools in the Tokugawa Period of the 1600's onwards. Serge Moi tells us that 'the term Hakuda is often described as a Ju Jutsu like system in which Atemi plays an important role' (2001:53). One of the most well known and earlier influences of Chinese martial arts techniques on Japanese Ju Jutsu is often attributed to Chin Gem Pin (1587-1671), a Chinese Pottery Master who moved to Japan in 1619 and taught 3 Ronin (Masterless Samurai) his art known as Hakuda.

However according to Donn Draegger no complete system of Chinese martial art was ever transmitted to Japan. As such we can state that Hakuda is the name for hybrid Chinese influences on the composite systems that make up the techniques and strategies of those Japanese martial arts which have been influenced by the martial arts of China, either through past Masters of those Japanese schools going to China and studying martial arts and medicine, or through Chinese visitors to Japan, such as medical men, monks and merchants who stayed for a while past on some of what they knew to Japanese martial artists..

Please be aware

Please be aware that Hakuda Ryu Kempo Jutsu is in not in any way associated with the Hakuda Ryu Ju Jitsu Federation based in Ashford Kent and nor is it in any way associated with another group based in Manchester known as Hakuda Kempo Toshu Jutsu. Please also be aware that Nihon Go Shin Kage Ryu and Nihon Goshin Ryu is in no way associated with the Go Shin Ryu academy which is a separate group also based in Essex.

Please also be aware that although our Dojo practises both Kempo Jutsu and Ju Jutsu this does not mean that we practice what is commonly known as Kempo Ju Jitsu.
Kempo Jutsu and Nihon Goshin Ju Jutsu are separate arts, although there is an inter relation between them, each art can and is practised as an entirely separate entity.
Our Kempo Jutsu is a form of Okinawan Karate Kempo Jutsu, which employs a certain amount of grappling known as Tuite or Toide.
Nihon Goshin Ju Jutsu, is a form of Japanese Ju Jutsu (although at the higher grades some Tuite which is based on Okinawan Martial Arts is practised) .