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NINJA TRAINING TUTORIALS
...The Shuto or Knife Hand to the Side of the Neck...

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The Knife Hand or Shuto strike is a powerful and highly technical hand strike that can be used to down one's foes. It is also called Tegatana.

 

...THIS LESSON CONTINUES AFTER THE MESSAGE BELOW...

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...THE MASTERS TRAIN YOU IN THE USE OF THE SHUTO OR KNIFE HAND...

Ninja Dojo Training Area Ninja dojo tower

The Shuto or Tegatana (as it is called in some systems) is a highly technical strike, because the power of this strike depends on several factors. However, before we go further...

PLEASE NOTE: While some martial arts systems advocate striking with the side of the knuckle of the little finger, Ninja use the fleshy part of the hand that stretches from the little finger to the wrist to strike.

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CREATING THE KNIFE HAND

There is a very specific way to form the shuto, or knife hand. The legendary master Masahiro described this best in his treatise...

"Form the knife hand," he advises, "Then pull the thumb back. This pulling motion should be felt right within your forearm itself. As you pull back in this way, you will find that you feel a pushing outwards, of your little finger. This creates a great tension in the muscles of the forearm. Try this, my students. Form the knife hand. Pull back the thumb, push out the little finger. Now, with your other hand, feel the muscles of your forearm. They feel like rope. It is this immense tension in the muscles that gives the knife hand its striking power."

"Once you have created the tension in the muscles, slightly curve the three middle fingers inwards. This is a perfect knife hand."

 

BASIC TARGETS FOR THE KNIFE HAND

In this training session, you will be striking with the shuto or knife hand to the soft spot in the side of the neck just beneath the ear. This is a reasonable striking position, and can result in extreme pain. However, to put your opponent down, a better striking point is the carotid artery in the neck. A strike to this will be taught in more detail later in this ninja training program. For now, know that you can use a shuto to the carotid artery to put your opponent on the ground.

Gyokku Ninja shuto uchi knife hand

As with all strikes, never apply just one shuto strike. Keep striking the enemy with a powerful series of powerful strikes until he can no longer function. Only an opponent who is completely down is no longer a threat to the ninja.

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...Use the Links below to Access all the Training on the Site...
GYOKKU NINJA TRAINING TUTORIALS >> BASIC COMBAT ATTACKS >> SHUTO KNIFE HAND

 

And now, please read and meditate upon...

...READINGS FROM THE SCROLLS...
Ninja Dojo Training Area Ninja dojo tower The Empty Hand in Combat

Ninja Yawara Kongou Vajra

What is the empty hand in combat?
What is it? It is nothing.
The empty hand means that you were caught
Unprepared.

Ninja Yawara Kongou Vajra

The hand was made to grasp.
In combat, it was meant to grasp a weapon;
And to use that weapon.

Ninja Yawara Kongou Vajra

But if you are unprepared,
Or if you have allowed others to dictate
Your level of preparedness,
Then you must, under duress,
Use the empty hand in combat.

 

Ninja Yari

 

 

...Use the Links below to Access all the Training on the Site...
GYOKKU NINJA TRAINING TUTORIALS >> BASIC COMBAT ATTACKS >> SHUTO KNIFE HAND

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