You are now halfway to black belt! As an intermediate level student, the way you will be tested from now gradually change from prescriptive to descriptive. This means that rather than just demonstrate knowledge, you will also now be tested on your ability to apply the lessons you have learned. While you will continue to learn new skills, your actual fighting ability is of increased importance.
| Standing | Clinch | Ground | Self defence | Partner drills | Solo forms |
| Combinations | Judo throws set 4 | Guard submissions | Random attacks | Side to side ground drill | Heian yondan |
| Counters | Shoots & defences | Back control | Multiple attackers | ||
| Catching kicks | Strike & throw combinations | Mount control | Stick attacks & defence | Defence drill 3 (blocks and counters) | Heian godan |
Stripe 1
Combinations
Continue to develop your standing combinations, which ought to be far more practised and polished than when previously tested. You will have tried them in sparring with some success. You will be starting to developing different combination sets for left and right-handed opponents.
Judo set 4
Add at least two throws from the fourth go-kyo set. Consider self-defence applications for the throws you have learned. You should have at least one throw by now that you regularly use in sparring.
- Corner throw (sumigaeshi)
- Valley drop (taniotoshi)
- Spring wind-up (hanemakikomi)
- Scoop throw (sukuinage)
- Shifting hip (utsurigoshi)
- Big wheel (oguruma)
- Outside wind-up (sotomakikomi)
- Floating drop (ukiotoshi)
Guard submissions
By this stage, you already know a bunch of submissions. From this level, you will continue to develop sophisticated entries into submissions and defences to the same. Junior students will only learn a selection of the safer submissions. Examples of guard submissions include:
- Collar choke
- Triangle choke
- Sleeve choke
- Guillotine choke
- Thrust choke
- Cobra choke
- Loop choke
- Gogoplata choke
- Armbars
- Armlocks
- Omoplata
- Wrist locks
Random attacks
This section will test your ability to quickly address a broad range of common acts of physical violence.
Side to side ground drill
- Start in bottom side control
- Escape to closed guard
- Sweep from closed guard to mount position
- Partner attempts to escape from mount position
- Transition to side control to avoid mount escape.
Heian yondan
Many of these techniques deal with attempted grabs of the wrists and upper body. See the video for details.
Sparring (Kumite)
Testing authority choice: recommended at least one round of jiujitsu sparring.
Stripe 2
Counters
Students should start experimenting with simultaneous blocks and counters – the second level of counters.
- Block and then counter (go sen no sen) – counter after the attack
- Simultaneous block and counter (sen no sen) – counter at the same time as the attack
- Anticipated counter (sen sen no sen) – counter before the attack.
Wrestling takedowns (shoots) and defences
There are numerous variations, but the basic patterns are:
- High double leg takedown
- Low double leg takedown
- High single leg takedown
- Low single leg takedown
Defences depend on the distance. From long distance, push the opponent’s head and move your feet in the opposite direction. From medium distance, sprawl. From close distance, face-lock and twist the neck*, use sumigaeshi, push the head down while turning and kicking leg free, kick out to back control or roll to omoplata (from a single leg takedown).
*Senior students only
Back control
Escapes:
- Scoot escape
- Hip escape
- Back roll escape
Submissions:
- Rear naked choke
- Sliding collar choke*
- Wing choke*
- Bow and arrow choke*
- Reverse triangle choke
- Armbar
- Armlock
*Senior students only
Multiple attackers
Self-defence is not an exact science, particularly when there are multiple attackers. This section will focus on your understanding of how to read the situation, how to position yourself in relation to the attackers, and what techniques are more effective in helping escape. You will demonstrate via the ‘hit and run’ exercise.
Defence drill 5 (ground n pound)
Starting with a simple quadrant drill including blocking strikes from your back on the ground, and culminating in tactics including using inside grips and legs against arms to minimise the chance of damage by strikes while off-balancing the opponent and searching for the 5s – stand, sweep, submit, strike and scramble.
Sparring
Testing authority choice.
Stripe 3
Catching kicks
One of the best ways to neutralise the advantage of a great kicker is to develop catching skills. There are several common patterns to master:
- Front kicks – avoid the kick by moving your hips back and slightly outside the kick trajectory. Catch the heel/ankle of the kicking leg and underhook the knee with the outside arm. Place your ear on the inner thigh and off-balance the opponent using downward and circular pressure.
- Round kicks – move with the momentum of the kick to reduce impact and turn slightly to receive on the back muscle. Raise the arm high and overhook the kicking leg. Quickly off-balance the opponent.
- Side, back, hook kicks – move to the rear of the attacker and catch the kick with an underhook, using the other arm to control the hips. Lift and throw the opponent.
Strike and throw combinations
Following are an example of strike and throw combinations. Usually strikes set up the throws, but it is also possible to feint throws to set up strikes. Head butts are strictly only for seniors!
- Straight punches – inside leg kick – double leg takedown
- Punches – osotogari
- Knee – head butt – sasaetsurikomiashi – strike
- Front kick – ouchigari – knees
- Head butt – bicep bump – osotogari
- Elbow – hammerfist – haraigoshi
- Feint double leg takedown – uppercut or knee.
Mount control
Escapes:
- Bridging (upa) escape
- Elbow escape
- Backdoor escape
Submissions:
- Thrust chokes*
- Sleeve choke*
- Triangle choke
- Head arm triangle choke
- Cross collar chokes
- Guillotine*
- Armbars
- Armlocks
- Omoplata
- Footlocks
*Senior students only
Weaponry (stick)
Learn the 12 basic angles of attack and basic blocks using a single stick.
- Downward
- Backhand to temple
- Forehand to temple
- Backhand to ribs
- Forehand to ribs
- Backhand to hip
- Forehand to hip
- Backhand to leg
- Forehand to leg
- Inside high stab
- Outside high stab
- Stomach stab.
Defence drill 3 (blocks and counters)
The first level of this drill taught you blocks, this one teaches you counters.
| Tori | Uke |
| Left jab | Parry and hook elbow joint |
| Right cross | Parry and reverse punch body |
| Left hook | Cover and elbow to jaw, attempting wrist lock on trapped hand |
| Right hammerfist | Ageuke and uppercut |
| Left overhand | Ageuke and haitouchi to groin |
| Right hook | Catch and shutouchi to neck |
| Left backfist | Catch and overhead armbar |
| Right elbow | Counter with elbow |
| Left body rip | Block and counter punch to solar plexus |
| Right uppercut | Block and nukite to throat |
| Clear hands neck clinch, left & right knee | Block and elbow thighs, break clinch |
| Head-butt | Block, slap ears, thumbs in eyes, twist neck, bicep bump, shoulder bump |
| Right and left leg kick | Leg check and nukite to eyes |
| Right body kick | Catch leg, elbow and knee thigh, ouchigari |
| Right leg kick | Avoid and rear bear hug |
| Push down hands and rear headbutt | Slap ears and grab ankles, bump hips with shoulder |
| 3 front groin kicks | 1. Right gedanbarai and nukite to eyes 2. Left nagashiuke and haitouchi to face/throat 3. Stomp on shin with right foot and superman punch |
| 5 vertical fist punches to face | As level 1, but finish with kata-gatame choke |
| 3 vertical fist punches to body | 1.RH nagashiuke, trap and uraken to body 2.RH gedanbarai and body rip 3.LH nagashiuke, circle arm into body, RH haito is blocked, pull guard down, RH hook |
| Weave under hook | Push away and reverse roles |
Heian godan
Many of these techniques deal with attempted grabs of the upper body. See the video.
Sparring
Testing authority choice.
Blue belt test
Congratulations on getting this far. Blue belts have a lot of knowledge and may be asked to assist teaching others. Blue belts have very good skills in all ranges in fighting. Competitive fighting is not our main focus, however some blue belts may consider competing in a wide range of combat sports, including karate, kickboxing, boxing, Judo, BJJ, kudo or MMA.
Sobukan Dojo 