RULES
Conduct and Standards
All members and participants are expected to:
Maintain respect toward practitioners of all traditions.
Uphold technical integrity in training and instruction.
Avoid misrepresentation of affiliation, rank, or skill level.
Contribute to a disciplined and focused training environment.
Participation in the Tokyo Gekiken Club represents engagement in a shared technical framework and support for the continued preservation and development of Gekiken as a serious and applied practice.
Core Principles of Practice
The following principles govern all Gekiken sessions:
Treat the shinai (竹刀) as a real blade.
Make every effort to avoid injuring your training partner.
Within these limits, all techniques may be tested freely.
These principles allow for realistic exchange while maintaining control and mutual trust.
Guidelines During Combat
1• Do not launch attacks that recklessly accept being cut at the same time without clear tactical reasoning. The fundamental assumption in training is to cut without being cut.
Certain traditions include methods that involve simultaneous contact or sacrificial intent. These may be explored deliberately, but they should not define the overall exchange. Training should reflect actions that would make sense in a real combative context.
2• Maintain emotional control at all times. If, for any reason, you feel that you have lost your composure, step aside and regain control before continuing.
Never react out of anger, frustration, or a desire for retaliation. Free exchange can sometimes provoke strong emotions; this is precisely why it is an opportunity to cultivate self-control and composure.
The inability to regulate one’s behavior under pressure quickly reveals a lack of martial maturity. Discipline of spirit is as important as technical skill.
3• When you are clearly cut, return to the center and reset in kamae. Do not continue attacking after being decisively cut.
4• If your opponent continues after cutting you, you may respond. However, if you have been cut, you should not initiate further attacks.
5• In certain situations, realistic counter-cuts immediately following contact may occur if timing and logic allow it.
6• Maintain an active attitude. The goal is learning through engagement, not waiting passively or attempting to “win.”
7• Remain within the designated training area.
8• During kumi-uchi and nage-waza, never use full force. Prioritize control. If balance is lost, perform ukemi rather than resisting stubbornly.
9• While others are engaged, remain ready to enter without creating unnecessary pauses between exchanges.