Basics

Seikido self defense techniques often depend upon the offenders movement, strength, weight and momentum during an attack to be effective. The particular type of attack itself contains the elements which are used to neutralize the attempted assault. Aggression can be sensed on a subliminal level before action is actually noticed. Intensive training will result in defense becoming a conditioned reflex, the body having been trained to react to a particular stimulus provided by the attack. The student must develop a proper mental condition, of concentration and direction of control. This requires a mind that is clear, flexible, and attentive. Practice will eventually lead to the fusion of mind and body, where reaction and application of proper technique becomes effortless.

An assailant's body in motion is less stable than when standing in balance and therefore easier to maneuver. The faster he moves, the easier it is to use his inertia to unbalance him and disperse the attack harmlessly away. Movement and convergence with the attackers momentum is essential, strength is not. Many defensive techniques exaggerate the aggressor's movement beyond his control in an open circle projection away, or exaggerate the bend of his joints in a closed circle immobilization back into him. Movement should be with the hips around the "Hara", keeping the upper body vertical and balanced. Many movements simulate, and are based upon, sword fighting cuts, especially with a 451 inclined circle.

Pain is not desirable and often not applicable, since an assailant may feel no pain during an assault. Breaking bones or joints is also not desirable, since an assailant's broken arm can not be used for leverage control. A broken neck can result in permanent disability or even death.

The student must develop a state of alert awareness at all times, to be able to quickly evaluate a situation and immediately decide how to react. He must maintain a calm, dispassionate, and impartial view of events as they unfold, or even explode, around his center. The defender must never concentrate his sight upon the attacking tool, be it fist, foot, or weapon, but use peripheral vision to see all aspects of the potential attack.

NOTE: Seikido self defense techniques are designed to be the most scientifically advanced and sophisticated available. If better techniques are discovered and proven to be effective, the curriculum should be changed to incorporate them. This is particularly true for defenses against multiple attackers, or attackers who are armed, or are considerably larger than the defender; in which case alternative and possibly damaging counter strikes must be employed to avoid being harmed. Life threatening defense situations may have to include bone breaking kicks or stunning strikes to vulnerable target areas in order to incapacitate or even cripple the attacker. It is important to remember that fear or exertion can cause your body to make it impossible to execute subtle movements involving fine motor skills.

• EVASION; avoiding the offender's direct initial assault and providing no target to absorb the energy of the attack.
• CENTRALIZATION; the defender must move around his center and maintain himself as the center of actions, mentally and physically, moving inside the opponent's weapon or point of attack, similar to the eye of the hurricane.
• EXTENSION; directing the flow of body energy, which must extend out from the body, to maximize the defender's power or redirect and accentuate the offender's energy away. This energy can also be focused upon a target area with a striking surface.
• DISPERSION; taking, leading, and controlling the energy of the attack around the center, redirecting it and dispersing it harmlessly away, leaving either partner uninjured.
• NON RESISTANCE; going with the offender's force, leading or combining with the offender's action and using his strength, weight, and movement against him. Controlled non resistance will disguise the defender's counter measures during the initial stages of defensive action. The general rule is: turn when pushed, enter when pulled.

• "HARA"; the source of the body energy. This is centralized at a point slightly below the navel. The body must be kept constantly in balance around this center of gravity. It can be visualized and used as the "ball of energy". The HARA is the center of the sphere of movement.
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• "K1"; the flow of energy from the center and outward from the body. This can be defined as mental energy, intrinsic energy, or "breath power", as opposed to muscle power. Manifested in unbendable arm and rooted to the earth techniques, as well as the piercing strikes "through" the target.
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• CIRCULARITY; circular movement leading the offender's attack in a continuous spiral motion which unbalances the offender and extends his action beyond his control around the defender's center. Exemplified in "tenkan" and "sword cutting" actions.
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• "SHIKAKU"; (dead angle) the most favorable position for the defender to avoid the offender's attack, where he is least capable of attack. This usually involves moving into the blind spot just beside his leading shoulder.

• REACTION FORCE: Straightening the rear leg at the moment of impact adds the reaction force of the floor to the strike. Pulling the front hand back as the rear hand strikes adds reaction force and balances the strike. Moving the target body toward the strike adds that mass to the force of the strike.
• CONCENTRATION: Force must be concentrated onto the smallest possible target area with the appropriate striking tool, using the whole body.
• BALANCE: To maintain stability and move quickly in the right direction. Maintaining balance is essential for implementation of all techniques.
• SPEED: Force equals mass times velocity squared; therefore, doubling the speed of the striking tool creates four times the force at the point of impact. Body muscles must be relaxed to increase speed of movement.
• MASS: The movement of body weight, especially the spin of the hips, provides the energy for execution of techniques. Lowering the hips at the moment of impact adds body weight to the strike.
• BREATH CONTROL: Exhaling during execution of the technique helps focus and extend body energy. Sharp exhaling during the strike tightens the abdominal muscles and helps prevent internal injuries from a blow.
• DEFLECTION: Deflecting and redirecting an attacking object will absorb less of the energy from the strike by the body than stopping it, dispersing it harmlessly away and avoiding the brunt of the attack.

Stances

• Walking Stance
• L (cat) Stance
• Fighting Stance
• Sitting Stance

Strikes

• Straight Fist
• Knife Hand
• Spear Hand
• Ridge Hand
• Back Fist
• Knuckle Fist
• Double Fist

Kicks

• Snap Kick
• Side Kick
• Turning Kick
• Back Kick
• Crescent Kick
• Hook Kick
• Push Kick
• Axe Kick

Blocks

• Inner Forearm block
• Outer Forearm block
• Lower Forearm block
• High Forearm block
• Knife Hand block
• Palm block
• Guarding block
• X block

Other

• Sweeps
• Locks
• Pressure Points