Neko Ryu General Principles: Winning

Winning means surviving without injury. You win if you escape and you win if, before you are injured, the assailant stops attacking. The assailant will stop if he is incapacitated. He may choose to stop attacking. He might possibly get tired and stop.

The longer you defend the greater the probability you will lose – that you will be seriously injured. You are unlikely to successfully defend every attack until the assailant gets tired and stops. Therefore …

You cannot win by defending.

In order to win you must counter-attack or escape. And, in order to escape you may need to counter-attack.

Links to the Special Report: Neko Ryu Goshin Jitsu

Neko Ryu General Principles: Positive Thinking (“Yes!”)

Virtually all martial arts and hand-to-hand fighting systems use a “spirit yell” or kiai. Some instructors want their students to utter a specific sound at appropriate moments.

Most instructors teach the kiai as a general aid for use in high intensity moments. They allow their students to use any sound they want as long as it produces an explosive and loud exhalation.

The kiai is said to generate more power by unbinding the core during the explosive exhalation. Weight lifters find exhalation helpful even without an accompanying yell.

The kiai is also said to discomfort the opponent by inducing surprise or fear through the suddenness and shear volume of sound as exemplified by the “Rebel yell” of Civil War fame.

Some say the kiai channels a mysterious, universal, and elemental force called ki into the practitioner’s technique.

These are all good. The first two benefits of the kiai are provable even if the third is not.
But the kiai can accomplish more. There is a psychological energy correlated with the positive or negative mind set of the practitioner.

I have participated in demonstrations of this energy. Although I don’t know its source I know its effect. If, during the execution of your technique, you speak the word “yes” you will generate more power than if you remain silent. If, during the execution of your technique, you speak the word “no” you will generate less power than if you remain silent.

Merely speaking “yes” or “no” adds to or subtracts from your power. So, incorporate the word “yes” as your kiai and add “the power of positive thinking” to unbinding your core, channeling ki, and confusing your opponent.

Links to the Special Report: Neko Ryu Goshin Jitsu

Neko Ryu General Principles: Tai Sabaki (Body Movement)

Moving off-line to avoid attacks instead of blocking them is a basic principle of Neko Ryu Goshin Jitsu. Generally the movements or tai sabaki take the form of pivoting enough to move your body out of the line of attack while staying in range to counter-attack

Links to the Special Report: Neko Ryu Goshin Jitsu

Neko Ryu General Principles: Adversarial Psychology

Predictable behaviors originate from your opponent’s desire to feel in charge and in control. If he has a grip on you and you pull away he will try to pull you back toward him. If you push he will push back; if you pull downward he will pull upward. Training can minimize but not eliminate this response.

In Neko Ryu Goshin Jitsu we use this tendency to set up techniques by pushing or pulling him in the direction opposite from where we want him to go. His response will move him in our desired direction. Thus we choose his movement in advance and take advantage by executing our technique.

Links to the Special Report: Neko Ryu Goshin Jitsu

Neko Ryu General Principles: Elbow-Knee Alignment

Throughout Neko Ryu Goshin Jitsu techniques the practitioner maintains “elbow-knee alignment”. Elbow-knee alignment is maintained regardless of orientation to the ground - it applies equally in ground techniques as in standing techniques

This means that the elbow maintains a position approximately above the knee of the same side of the body with “above” defined as toward the head of the body. For example, when the left arm is advanced the left leg is also advanced.

Even in the rare and temporary exceptions, elbow-knee alignment is restored immediately.

Links to the Special Report: Neko Ryu Goshin Jitsu

Neko Ryu General Principles: Natural Movement & Stances

Neko Ryu uses the natural walking steps and stances we have practiced all of our lives. Under stress we would likely move and stand in natural postures so we use the natural postures instead of spending energy internalizing artificial methods. If we did remember to use artificial ways of walking or standing they would probably confuse our defense.

Pivoting is a natural motion. But it’s one many people execute ineffectively. Consequently, natural pivoting movements are practiced and incorporated into many Neko Ryu techniques.

Links to the Special Report: Neko Ryu Goshin Jitsu