Renwaku Bujutsu Association

RENWAKU BUJUTSU ASSOCIATION

RENWAKU BUJUTSU PRINCIPLES

Accept Control Attack

A.C.A is the main principle of Renwaku Bujutsu and can be described as follows:

Accept is to mean the acceptance of the attack, in other words to allow the attack to enter into your space, or your area without allowing it to strike you. Now this may seem contrary to everything we have learnt about avoiding the attack, and most probably may not seem natural.

The principle here however, is to allow the attack to move into your space, so that it can be nuetralised, move through your space, along side it, but NOT striking you. It results in the attackers force lessening, slowing, or at times halting.

It also has the effect that once you have allowed it to pass and be absorbed into the space around you, the attackers intentions have been fully revealed, and you are quickly able to formulate your response.

Control refers to the next action of which is to now start to control the attacker, start protecting yourself further by manipulating the attacker / their attacking limb or limbs into such position as to avoid any further attack. To place them in such position as to make your attack your next move.

Control may be considered: Slapping away the arm as in a pak sao or slapping block, trapping the arm, locking the wrist, or immobilising the attacker temporarily by a series of strikes on certain areas.

A specific example of control would be :

Your Attacker throws a right straight punch at you, you step slightly forward toward them turning your right shoulder around to the right and your body slightly side on to them, you block the punching arm from the outside with a Tan Sao or palm up arm as known in Wing Chung, or in Renwaku Bujutsu a lifting block.

You now reverse that Tan Sau to a Lap Sao or pulling hand / grabbing hand trapping the attackers hand ready for the attacking strike / strikes.

Attack is your response toward the attacker to strike whichever area / areas to end the conflict successfully. It is your reply. Your Attackers strike has been safely avoided / blocked away and they have been controlled, now...attack.

Examples of attack could be any of the following: A leg attack by kicking or striking, punching, inside / outside knife hand chops, knife hand jabs, elbow strikes, palm hell strikes etc etc.

Now when I say attack, I do not mean use excessive or brutal or deadly force. The amount of force used for your attack should only equal or slightly exceed your attackers. Remember after all, Renwaku Bujutsu like most self defence systems is for Self Defence only and should not be treated otherwise.

Our other principles....

The Principle of A.C.A is not the only principle or theory of the Renwaku Bujutsu system that we hold importance to.

SELF DEFENCE ONLY is highly promoted in our organisation. It cannot be described any simpler than its name. You must only use your Renwaku Bujutsu training and techniques in situations where you have no other choice, and you, your family, or another person is in danger of being harmed, or are being harmed, or as a self defence response if attacked.

There is no shame in walking away from any situation, at times it may be the more sensible choice. Remember the Renwaku Bujutsu saying : " We are pushed we warn.....we are pushed again....we demonstrate......we are persued....we deliver."

THE CENTRE LINE PRINCIPLE is an expression you may hear frequently in styles and linages such as Wing Chun Gung Fu. There are differing opinions on what its exact meaning should be.

Unfortunately everyone seems to be more concerned with their discriptions and interpretations than the practice itself.

Renwaku Bujutsu is also based on the centre line and the centre line principle. The best way I can describe the centre line and its principles in my opinion is as follows:

The centre line is an immaginary line that runs exactly through the centre, from the top of the head, through the body and down to the ground. It is a reference point, it is a guideline, it is the way in which we think about the shortest distance to the attacker, and the shortest distance between the attacker and yourself.

The centre line principle, to be very basic in a technique type of description, is using this imaginary line to configure the application of your movements, defence, attack and theory.

When training, many blocks, punches, kicks and other technique move across, along, up, away, or down the centre line. In this respect they would arrive from the centre line.

So if you were wanting to punch on the centre line, it would be directly in front of you, up that line or in front of your nose.

A punch from your right hand across your body to the attackers right shoulder for example, would go across the centre line. A great deal of training exercises and technique in Wing Chun Gung Fu, and Renwaku Bujutsu are on the ‘Centre line’ A fine example of this is ‘Siu lim tao’

The other respect in which to consider the centre line is in relation to ‘channels’ in the body on which the accupunture pressure points in the body are located. This is based on Chinese beliefs and medican. The centre line is one of these meridians or channels.

There are twelve meridians to the human body, six ying and six yang. It is believed within Chinese medicine and practices that each relates to one of the organs.

To better visualize the concept of the meridians, think of the meridians as a river-bed, over which water flows and irrigates the land; feeding, nourishing and sustaining the substance through which it flows. (In Western medicine, the concept would be likened to the blood flowing through the circulatory system.)

If a dam were placed at any point along the river, the nourishing effect that the water had on the whole river would stop at the point the dam was placed. The same is true in relation to qi and the meridians.

When the qi becomes blocked, the rest of the body that was being nourished by the continuous flow, now suffers. It is believed that illness and disease can result if the flow is not restored.

Acupuncture is one tool used to restore the flow of qi, by inserting needles into the acupuncture points (located on the meridians). These insertions are said to clear any residing blockages, or dams, thus freeing the river to better

feed the body in its entirety.

From a martial arts perspective, the meridians are used to stop the flow of the internal energy at certain pressure points along these channels, with specific formulated strikes using the thumbs, the knuckles, the points of the fingers. They are used to disable an opponent /attacker or render them unconsious.

This is seen in some martial arts methods such as Karate, and also some systems of Gung Fu. A great deal of care and responsibility needs to be given to the application of these practices and should only be performed by a seasoned professional instructor or under strict supervision. I willnot demonstrate the meridians in this book as pressure point strikes and manipulation is not part of the normal Renwaku Bujutsu curriculum.

THE PRINCIPLE OF BRIDGING THE GAP deals with the principle of closing the distance between yourself and your attacker at the right time. This means that the closer you are to the attacker at times ( As long as it is safe ) then the capabilities of the attacker to actually have the room to initiate the attack are greatly reduced. It is opposite to what is felt naturally, however is practical in the right situations.

Some examples of bridging the gap are: stepping forward, trapping the attackers hand or arm and pulling them forward, sliding forward etc toward them.

THE PRINCIPLE OF MEASURED FORCE relates to responsibility of your defensive actions in their severity. It is about being reasonable about the method, the necessity and the severity of your response, your attack. Only use what is required.

THE PRINCIPLES OF RESPECT AND SELF RESPECT relates to respect to your fellow students, your Sifu, your club, your uniform, your equipment, the clubs principles. Respect if representing yourself as a member of our organisation.

Respect your body as you have only one. We certainly do not expect people to be Robotic and muscular, or saints for that matter, we are all different shapes and sizes. However we do

not encourage any behaviour that may alter your reality, be that drugs or alchohol that may harm you, your fellow students, your physical or emotional well being. We care about our people and encourage them to care for themselves and others.