Honte-uchi translates as ‘normal hand strike.’ Another way of thinking of normal hand might be called ‘shake hands style.’ The goal here is to demonstrate an appreciation of the space between partners. Another way of thinking about this spacing is that one is calibrating the length of the staff. That is, with each repetition, one gets a better sense of exactly how far the staff can reach
- 1. What is being demonstrated? Proper spacing.
- 2. What is the intended target? The bridge of the nose.
- 3. What is the starting stance? Honte-uchi-no-kamae.
- 4. What is the very first move? Thumb over.
- 5. What is the required footwork? Step before striking.
- 6. What is the required handwork? Each hand loops around the end of the staff (palm-palm).