David Scott © 2023

 

Start in Toko Tachi with the Jo held in the right hand and alongside the body. Turn the body and make a step into left hanmi as you assume chudan gamae with the jun te grip. I will assume you are facing south.

Count 1. Make chudan tsuki in hidari hanmi and move back to a Jodan defensive posture.

Count 2. Execute chudan Tsuki again but move back this time into Jodan kaishi

Count 3. Step forward on the right foot into right hanmi and strike yokomen uchi

Count 4. Turn right palm down to parry and control your imaginary partner’s yokomen uchi attack and open them up for

Count 5. Chudan Tsuki this time executed moving forward tsugi ashi in right hanmi. Draw the Jo back with the left hand (Jo is moving through the right hand) and continue to move back to strike behind (without looking) at knee height and adopting a wake game position. Remain in right hanmi.

Counts 3, 4 & 5 are done in quick succession. The idea is to parry the yokomen uchi and draw the person into your tsuki.

Count 6. Step forward on the back (left) leg and strike the knee of your imaginary partner in front of you as you move into left hanmi. Move the forward hand (left) back as you turn the Jo over in your left hand (moving it back out of range of an imagined attack) to assume left chudan gamae and

Count 7. extend to make chudan tsuki and move back into the Jodan defensive position.

Count 8. put the Jo (using your right hand) under your left arm pit and step back and turn tenkai as you make ushiro tsuki at eye level (Jodan)

So, you have now turned 180 degrees and you are facing in the opposite (north) direction. Most of the next movements are defensive ones.

Let go with the right hand and turn the Jo in the left hand to go up into the Jodan defensive position as you move back.

Count 9. Step back on the left foot to make a yokomen uchi parry and strike behind at knee level assuming jun te wake gamae on the left side.

Count 10. Step back on the right foot and parry (a tsuki coming to your face) by raising the left hand (palm down). Let go of the right hand and turn the Jo in the left hand and grab what was the far end in the right hand to assume chudan gamae (left hanmi) and

Count 11. strike chudan tsuki and move back into Jodan defensive position.

Count 12. And move back again as you make another yokkomen uchi parry and follow this through with a strike behind (without looking) as you go down on your left knee.

Count 13. Raise up to standing and extend the end of the Jo into your imaginary partner’s face (as they attack Shomen Uchi) so as to stop their movement and

Count 14. extend Jodan tsuki to their face.

Count 15. Move back to dai Jodan by letting go of the right hand and turning the Jo in the left to grab what was the far end in the right hand to move into the dai Jodan position. In the dai Jodan position the arms are extended up high and the hands in jun te are in the middle third of the Jo dividing it equally into thirds. [Insert picture of this position.] The reason for dai Jodan is to attack directly shomen uchi without having to first rise up.

Count 16. Step forward and as you do turn the Jo high and horizontally 180 degrees to make the shomen uchi strike referred to above.

Count 17. Step forward on the left foot and make a gyiaku yoko uchi strike to the knee.

Count 18. Change direction 180 degrees turning tenkai and moving the Jo over the head to the gedan position (facing south again) to defend against an imaginary strike to your right knee.

Now begins a blitz of attacks.

Count 19. Move forward tsugi ashi executing chudan tsuki in right hanmi. Leave the Jo in its position in space and step forward on the left foot moving around the Jo and take the left hand to the far end of the Jo as you assume wake gamae on the right side in left hanmi.

Count 20. Step forward on the right foot to strike Yoko uchi to the knee. Release the left hand an turning the Jo in the right hand assume chudan gamae in right hanmi.

Count 21. make chudan tsuki while remaining in right hanmi. Continue to move forward and under the Jo as you raise it forward and straight up into the Jodan defensive position still in right hanmi.

Count 22. Maintain the same grip positions on the Jo and move forward in under and behind the Jo to step forward on the left foot to strike giyaku yokomen uchi in left hanmi.

Finish by returning to the starting position in toko tachi with the Jo vertical in the right hand alongside the body.

After instructing us in this pattern at rapid pace Sugano Sensei said this was an “exercise for your mind”.