Happo Giri (The Eight Directional Cut)

 Aikido happo giri....

Practicing happo giri gives you full special awareness of the bokken, understanding how to work your way through the happo giri leads you through like a complete meditation, each cut from the first to the last should be practiced with complete precision.

How to Hold and Grip the Bokken!
Holding the Bokken, with the right hand at the top towards tsuba.  The left hand towards the Tsuka, at no time, must your right hand actually touch the tsuba, you must leave at least a 1 inch gap between your hand and the tsuba.
Using the cuts in the Happo Giri they are always quite slow and Precise, cutting from 45 degrees above the head (Shomen) each movement of the bokken is a cut or Thrust.

You must use your breathing correctly!
All of your breathing begins at the start of the first cut in happo giri, making sure you continue to do so breathing with each cut and movement untill you reach the end of happo giri. The Way you move in happo giri is to glide from position to position, using all your knowledge and concentration making each cut and movement fluid and strong.

Make sure you have the correct distance for Saftey
Using the eight points of the compass north south east and west and Northeast to Southwest and Southeast to Northwest to complete the eight positions of happo giri. Making a cut or movement in happo giri requires the correct distance to move from one position to another cutting and breathing through the eight cuts.

The footwork and foot positions are very important!
The happo giri footwork is very important, you must follow the blade to each point of the compass, making sure that every movement is simultaneous.

Train Hard Train Focused Train Safe.

Author Antony day.

portsmouth aikido