Bassai Sho

基本  (KIHON): Today’s training focused on 蹴り技 (Keriwaza). To be specific, the leg techniques specially extracted from the five 平安型 (Heian Kata).


These include 横蹴り蹴上げ (yoko-geri keage);  前蹴り蹴上げ (mae-geri keage); 踏み込み (fumikomi); 膝槌 (hiza-tsuchi); and 三日月蹴り (mikazuki-geri).

Special attention was given to each 体の武器 (karada no buki). The relationship between each of the foot formations and the natural ‘Asai Tetsuhiko Sensei style’ 腿の新種 (TAI NO SHINSHUKU) was a high priority. Furthermore, taking into account former trainings with Tanaka Masahiko Sensei: 足の柔軟性 (ashi no junansei) was also addressed.

組手 (KUMITE): The utilization of 後の先 (GO NO SEN). This is one of my personal specialties in 自由組手 (Jiyu Kumite). Often this is mistaken as being merely a strategy of 反撃 (Hangeki) or counterattacking. On the contrary, it pressures the opponent’s actions, or inaction, to deliver one’s own attack. It is therefore better understood as ‘taking the initiative later’, which is significantly different from just ‘countering’. Accordingly, when used optimally, Go no sen is actually a very aggressive strategy, in which the ‘Ipponwaza’ is calculated in a manner which mitigates the opponent's ability to defend against it; moreover, if control is not consciously applied, the opponent will be injured.


型 (KATA): The kata I worked on today was 抜塞小 (Bassai Shō). To conclude, and very appropriately, the following images are from the kata portion of my training today!

OSU! - AB

©️ André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2026).