Tsuki
From Free net encyclopedia
- Tsuki, written with the kanji (突) is a homonym with the Japanese word for the moon, but it actualy comes from the verb tsuku (突く), meaning 'to thrust'
Tsuki is one of the five strikes in kendo (along with men, do, hidari kote and migi kote). It is a point thrust toward the neck, aiming at cutting a carotid artery. The opponent then bleeds to death. Tsuki also designates the movement, the target, and the protection that covers the throat. The kiai for this strike, as for all strikes in Kendo, is the name of the target area.
Tsuki may be performed by either the left (katate-dzuki, 片手突き) or both hands. The right-handed katate-dzuki is unorthodox, and shortens the striking distance for the attack as the right hand is positioned higher on the hilt of the shinai than the left. It is typically disallowed for persons under university age and the rank of shodan to use this attack in practice.
The attack is performed with a subtle twist of the blade through ninety degrees to the right such that the back of the shinai faces right. This stabilizes the thrust and centres the blade without much effort. Since in a standard Chudan Kamae the blade should already be pointing at the opponent's throat, a minimum of movement is required to effect the thrust. When thrusting, attention should especially be paid to the position of the left hand. The grip should be firm as in a typical Kendo grip, but the palm should be rotated to face downwards, and there should be a minute push downward while thrusting forward. While this leaves the left wrist in a rather overextended position, it is essential to the accurate placing of the shinai on the opponent's centre line.
In hand-to-hand combat (judo, jujutsu, karate), Tsuki also exists as an atemi. The movement begins with the fingers extended and joined, palm downward; the hand is swiftly pushed forward while spining half a turn, so that the movement end with the palm upward, arm extended. Contact is made by the tip of the middle finger. The aim is to choke the opponent, or even to break the trachea cartilage (a fatal wound).
While variants of tsuki exist in other martial arts, Kendo has no variants; the target is always the same. Variations on the tsuki theme in other martial arts include:
- Aiming at the eyes, to permanently or temporarily blind the opponent, or, without actually touching him, to distract him while moving to place a move -- a typical introduction for ippon seyo nage in judo)
- Aiming at the nose, to incapacitate the opponent with a direct hit; a down-to-up movement might kill him by pushing the nose cartilage into the brain
- Aiming at the chin, to incapacitate the opponent; this move might kill an opponent wearing a heavy kabuto by snapping the spine.