Foundations of Spear Movement and Striking
Courses by Hardee Hakutoshi Merritt
Tengu Retreat 2023
This course allows you to train along with us as we explore standing and ground concepts from Takagi Yoshin Ryu lineage, including “Kaigo Kudaki” and “Do-Gaeshi” variations.
Alignment Opportunities
Before the first attack is thrown, you can pre-position yourself if you can recognize your attacker’s intentions. In this course, we will explore several techniques and strategies to minimize the damage your attacker can do to you and position yourself for success.
Winter Quest 2023
Join An-shu Stephen and An-shu Rumiko Hayes at Winter Quest 2023 at Chapel Hill Quest Martial Arts in North Carolina.
Ground Flow Workshop
In this course, Hardee Hakutoshi Merritt shares hard-earned personal insights into the secrets contained in this kata and the context behind each step. Adding this drill to your practice can go a long way toward helping you prioritize movements and understanding your options on the ground.
Mountain Quest 2022
An-shu Stephen K. Hayes and several experienced practitioners train at the annual event Mountain Quest in the mountains of North Carolina.
Kata Maki and Ude Garami Applications
For this course, Kata Maki and Ude Garami concepts are our guides as we explore standing self-defense responses and ne-waza (ground-based) submission attacks.
Kata Mune Dori and Ryo Mune Dori Grip Break Combinations
In this course you will explore two classical kata from this lineage; Kata Mune Dori and Ryo Mune Dori, “single lapel grab catch” and double lapel grab catch” respectively.
Nage Waza Combinations
This course will explore developing the skill to link different “Nage-Waza” (throwing and takedown techniques) together in order to have several throw combinations at the ready.
Winter Quest 2022
An-shu’s seminar “Winter Quest 2022” in Chapel Hill, North Carolina teaches Moguri-Dori, Un-Jaku, Hon-Gyaku, Go-Shin Bo, ukemi, kamae, and kuzushi secrets.
Santo Tonko Inside Sweeps and Sutemi Waza
Explore some techniques related to the Santo Tonko no Kata from Togakure Ryu, showcasing several of To-Shin Do’s standing “sutemi waza” (sacrifice throws) and how they can relate to some sweep options from the ground, all with a “Santo Tonko” energy.
The Two-On-One Knife Defense System
The “Two-On-One Knife Defense System” is a series of connecting “hubs” that allow you to find reproducible positions that then allow you to take charge of an opponent’s knife wielding arm.
Getting to Your Feet With Sweeps
This second installment of our “Get to Your Feet” series will cover what to do if our first plan didn’t pan out for us. If we can’t immediately get off of the bottom then lets transition to a position with more options and try again.
Get to Your Feet – Reversals
In this course, we will explore several options to “Get To Your Feet” if you’ve found yourself knocked, or drug down to the ground in an altercation. Reversals are the fastest way, when they work, to regain the top position to ultimately get back up to our feet and away from the attacker.
BoFit Workout
This follow along training session will provide you with a full body workout and allow you to train your “bojutsu” flows and transitions. The only thing you will need is your bo and some space. Let’s get started!
QuestFit Swiss Ball Workout
In this course we will guide you through utilizing one of my favorite and most affordable training tools, the Swiss, Physio, or Stability ball. As a tool the swiss ball provides us with an incredible training opportunity as every movement that we perform with it is a “core” exercise.
QuestFit Bodyweight Workout II
As you begin this training session you will immediately see and feel that this program is different than most other exercise videos that you’ve probably tried. There are so many attributes that we as martial artists and protectors need to develop. Two of the most important and under trained are Balance and Stability.
QuestFit Shadowboxing Workout II
This course will include a loosening up sequence that is great to use before any training session, a full-body warm-up, twenty-minute high-intensity kickboxing workout that could be done with or without a heavy bag, core finisher, and cool down and stretch recovery portion to leave you feeling great.
Winter Quest 2020
An-Shu Stephen and An-Shu Rumiko Hayes teach at Chapel Hill’s Winter Quest 2020 event. Learn insights to several of the Happo Biken Secrets of the Sword, how to intercept an aggressor’s attack, time your defense to overcome their superior strength, and more.
QuestFit Bodyweight Workout
Would you like to develop your martial arts capabilities and increase all aspects of your fitness as well? Of course you would! This Ninja Self Defense course is broken into sections so that you can utilize it to work on skills and attributes appropriate to your current martial arts and fitness levels.
QuestFit Shadowboxing Workout
This hour-long training session gets you loose, warms you up, and delivers a high-intensity, high octane kickboxing workout that you can do with or without a heavy bag. Wrap up with a core strengthening finisher, cool down, and a long guided post-training stretch session that you can play and follow along with separately at any […]
Going with the Flow
One of the highest aspirations that we have as martial artists is to be able to flow effortlessly to victory. In this lesson we will explore a training strategy that Hardee Hakutoshi Merritt uses to practice nagare, or accessing the flow. To access this content, you must purchase To-Shin Do Training Subscription – Master Access, […]
Ashi Oni Kudaki – Bottom Side Control Escapes
In this course we will be exploring how to apply an “Oni-Kudaki” shoulder/elbow lock with our legs from underneath and on top of our opponent in addition to a few other escape sequences from the bottom “side control” position.
Yoku To Strategies from the Top Mount Position
Explore Yoku-To specifically from the “mount” position, where we can employ the same strategies on the ground that we practice in the standing version.
Ran Sho Expanded
This lesson explores some of the “what-ifs” that can come up while practicing the kata “Ran-Sho” from Takagi Yoshin Ryu. How can we still emerge victorious if our attacker counters our initial takedown attempts?
Sankaku Jime
Sankaku Jime or the Triangle/Three Sided choke is a very strong technique that is part of the To-Shin Do Ground Flow Kata. As a technique this choke is very powerful when applied properly but not at all effective if any of it’s details are omitted so it is critical for us to understand the intricacies […]
Eri Jime – Collar Chokes and Counters
The “Loop Choke” is just one of many potential techniques that utilizes the fabric of your opponents collar as a self-protection choking tool. In this course you will learn how to apply the Loop Choke as well as several collar chokes from the top position, from the bottom guard position, and from behind your opponent.
Guillotine Choke – Counters and Applications
The Guillotine choke is an attack that can be used against us by practitioners of jiujitsu, mixed martial arts, and even relatively untrained individuals because of its simplicity. Properly applied, this choke can render a person unconscious in a matter of seconds, so it is imperative that we know how to prevent and escape from […]
Double Leg Takedowns: Counters and Applications
The Double-Leg Takedown or “Morote Gari” is a powerful attack that can be challenging to defend against. This series is for the advanced martial artist who is interested in defending against someone with some skill and not just a wildly swinging clueless but violent attacker.
Tomoe Nage
Tomoe-Nage, the “Circle Throw” and follow up attacks. Using your opponent’s energy against them and how to follow up once they are down.
Advanced Front Throws and Concepts
Harai-Goshi, the “Sweeping Hip”, technique, and Tai-Otoshi, the “Body Drop” technique. Two advanced front throws and their possible applications.
Uki Waza – Helping Your Attacker Throw Themselves
Explore how to apply Uki-Waza from a standing lock-up, if we find ourselves down on the ground and want to regain our feet, if an opponent tackles us, from behind our attacker, with a jacket to grab, and how to do it if we don’t have a jacket to grab onto.
Countering and Escaping Common Arm Locks on the Ground
In this course you’ll be guided through three common arm locks with instruction on how to apply the locks and how to escape them as well. Three “straight” arm locks and a very common “bent” arm lock will be explored in depth so that you have the knowledge that you need if you ever find […]
Countering and Escaping Dangerous Ground Positions
Explore two ground positions and two escape options that can help you turn the table on your opponent. Ground fighting has become increasingly popular due to the rise of televised Mixed Martial Arts competitions, but it has always been something that needs to be addressed if you are going to have a complete self-protection skill […]
Street Applicable Ground Control Strategies
Uki-gatame, or the “knee-on-belly” position strategies. Utilizing proper techniques and transitions to maintain positional dominance in a self-defense scenario that goes to the ground.
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