KIHON
In our art Kihon is the focal point of training. Kihon practice refers to basic practise. In our daily training this means reviewing every day past techniques. For example if you are a 1st kyu you should review from 10 kyu to 1 kyu. But inside kihon training there is a part that is called Daken Kihon, meaning the practice of blocks, punches and kicks. In our dojo The basic Daken Kihon consists of 9 basic patterns but one should not limit oneself to those 9. All blocks, kicks and punches from our kyu waza can be used for this daken kihon.
The benefits of kihon practice are immense. If you practise on a regular base you will gain: Physical strength, improved physical condition, increased concentration, higher awareness, better hand/foot/eye coordination. The effects of kihon can be experienced already after only 2 months of regular practice. You will see that your overall Taijutsu level and skills improve rapidly. After years of training I still do the daken kihon myself.
In addition part of Kihon is Kiai. Kiai is the combination of your mental/spiritual strength and your physical power. This is because the combination of spiritual and physical power will give us more possibilities to the overall attempt. Practising always with kiai will help you increasing your energy and spiritual levels. In Chinese medicine the importance of good vitality of Qi/KI iss emphasised. Further good vitality of Ki is a good pro-active measure to healthy living.
After Kihon comes Shodan which is a principle because you are now prepared to start learning. Before this level as a kyu grade you still are drawing the lines that make up the letters of the alphabet. You are still learning to put them in a certain order so you can make words. When you reach shodan you will start to make sentences, phrases , stories until you reach a level where you can write books or poetry so to speak.
On the other hand being a black belt doesn’t mean anything. It all depends on the content of the beholder. When a Yudansha gets more experienced and reaches a higher spiritual level his art will show its beauty and he can then better guide others. This can only be obtained with experience and constant training with a qualified instructor. Don’t become an armchair martial artist for your actions and words will have no substance.
If you truly wish to experience the art you must walk the path of which many others walked before you.
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