Tsue Kakuto Ranks - 4th Kyu Requirements

OBJECTIVE:  The 4th Kyu is a practitioner rank designed (1) to expand the set of skills taught in 6th and 5th Kyu, (2) to start the development of fighting from movement, and (3) to broaden the target set to the outside line.  Tsue Kakuto regards the Orange Belt as an intermediate step in the development of combat proficiency, a process that is essentially complete when the student earns the Purple Belt.  Students earning the Orange Belt are considered to be qualified apprentice Tsue Kakuto practitioners.

KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS: On the completion of 4th Kyu students will be able to:

(1) meet the knowledge requirements for 6th and 5th Kyus

(2) for a given situation, assess the situation and identify the tactical choices involved

(3) describe one 4th Kyu footwork or weapon technique

(4) list the steps of the 6th (1st Kata), 5th Kyu (2nd Kata) and 4th Kyu Kata (3rd Kata)

(5) for a given situation select the correct combination of distance and target

(6) identify sequences of targets that are practical in a given scenario

(7) identify all targets learned so far and the physiological impacts of successful attacks against them

Knowledge requirements are met by passing a written examination with a score of 80 percent or higher.  The written examination must be completed prior to practical testing on techniques (waza) and the 3rd Kata.

TECHNIQUES (WAZA):  On the completion of the 4th Kyu students will be able to perform the following techniques with the dominant hand without hesitation, showing smooth, precise, and controlled action, accuracy of delivery of offensive actions, and effectiveness of defensive actions.  Speed of execution should be proportional to student experience.

(1) Footwork

(1.a.) initial position

(1.b.) balanced guard position on the dominant side

(1.c.) advancing and retreating steps in the guard position

(1.d.) a forward lunge coordinated with a weapon strike

(1.e.) a backward lunge coordinated with a weapon strike

(1.f.) changing of hand positions with forward or backwards passes

(2) Attacks with the cane

(2.a.) underarm vertical strike

(2.b.) above the arm vertical strike

(2.c.) lateral strike

(2.d.) diagonal strike to the body

(2.e.) thrust with the tip

(2.f) lateral or diagonal strike to the low line

(3) Defensive actions with the cane

(3.a.) lateral parry high line inside - one or two handed

(3.b.) lateral parry high line outside - one or two handed

(3.c.) lateral parry low line inside - one or two handed

(3.d.) lateral parry low line outside - one or two handed

(3.e.) sloping parry against attack to the head

(4) Basic clearing actions

3RD KATA:  The 3rd Kata is designed to expand the attacks to the outside of the arm and to the front of the body exposed when an opponent withdraws the injured arm.  At the Orange Belt level, the 3rd Kata is performed with the dominant hand against an opponent of the same or opposite hand as specified at the start of the kata; the 2nd and 1st Katas are performed with either hand. 

PRACTICAL TESTING:  Students must demonstrate the performance of each technique correctly against the standard in 4 out of 5 tries as directed by the examiner.  Examiners may observe student technique in a class setting, as opposed to a formal testing situation, but if this approach to testing is selected the expectation is that 80 percent of all executions observed (with a minimum of 5 executions of the technique) must be correctly done.  Kata must be done individually in front of the examiner.  The student is expected to be able to correctly execute the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Kata, naming each target point, in one sequence with all movements to the standard, three times in succession.