Ryuoken Dai Ikkei

Quick Facts

About the kata

Ryuoken Dai Ikkei (龍王拳第一系), shortened to Ryuoken Dai Ichi, is one of the basic Shorinji Kempo forms practised solo. An instructor's manual published by the Nippon Budokan describes Ryuoken as a group of techniques built on releases from a grip, which practitioners learn as the foundation of all soft juho techniques. This first form runs through the kote nuki technique: it starts with the shuho defence, continues with the release and a lock, and is practised to both sides. The East London Shorinji Kempo branch breaks it down into eight counted steps. From a right stance the practitioner switches the feet, takes kagite shuho and strikes the eyes with me uchi, then steps forward to free the wrist with kote nuki and returns the strike with the back-fist uraken. A side step kani ashi follows with a straight strike to the body's centre, a body evasion yoko furimi with a strike to the head, and a kick. It ends with a step back hiraki sagari, the block shita uke and the watchful stance zanshin. The sources disagree on one point: East London gives the kick as mawashi geri, while budo-dojo-navi.com gives the rising kick keage. The federation's 2018 curriculum places the form in January, both solo and paired, together with the form Ryu no kata.

The kata in different styles

Differences between styles

Besides the first form, the East London Shorinji Kempo branch also teaches Ryuoken 2 (tanen yori nuki) and Ryuoken 3 (tanen ryote yori nuki). The second form has the same framework, except that in the third and fourth steps it releases with the technique yori nuki instead of kote nuki and attacks with the strike kumade zuki. The third begins in a left stance with both hands offered and releases first with the right hand, then with the left. The list of twelve basic solo forms on budo-dojo-navi.com gives only the first Ryuoken form. East London counts three unofficial forms alongside the twelve official ones; we therefore assume the second and third Ryuoken forms belong among them, since they are missing from the Japanese list.

Bunkai – applications

budo-dojo-navi.com describes the paired version thus: attacker in left stance, defender in right. The attacker grips the defender's right wrist with the right hand and pulls. The defender switches feet, takes kagite shuho, swings left at the eyes, steps forward, frees the wrist with kote nuki and strikes with the back of the freed fist. The attacker blocks with the left hand, the defender counters left to the body's centre, the attacker blocks with shita uke. The defender finishes with a right counter to the head and a keage kick, the attacker steps back and blocks. Then the roles switch. Per East London, Ryuoken 1 is one of four forms with an official paired version; the other three belong to the Tenchiken and Giwaken series.