”It was at the extreme end of an 8-metre-long whip, where the blade held firm,” remarked Master Hiroo Mochizuki. “I was fixated at the artist, whose objective it was to launch a knife directly into a tree trunk. By a simple flick of the rope, the power of the whip managed to embed the knife by about 3cm. At that depth, he had to yank at the razor blade to let it loose from the tree. I proceeded to stab the knife into the tree, using only my bare hands. To my astonishment, I managed to chip it in - but only by a few millimetres.”

That moment of surprise is what led the Master to know and introduce the wave motion.

It took more than imitation to pull off this spectacle. He began by attempting the wave movement itself. That is when Master Mochizuki gradually incorporated the manoeuvre with punches, yielding remarkable results. He took things to a brave new level, with the help of several instruments from the National Institute of Sport, and Physical Education, or INSEP (Institut National du Sport, et de l’Éducation Physique).

Power in Numbers

Following the strength measurement of the kicks and punches from a few black belt karatekas, they managed – to the best of their ability – the resulting outcomes:

·      300kg of pressure – using a conventional punch

·      600kg of pressure – using a conventional kick

Alternatively, Master Hiroo Mochizuki, using the hybrid action, dubbed ‘shock wave’, he yielded the following:

·      750kg of pressure - through a punch movement

·      1200kg of pressure - through a kick movement

Hiroo Mochizuki, while teaching karate in Europe in the 1960s, a few years before discovering the shockwave motion

The results were promising enough, in that they prompted the Master to integrate the principle into Judo and Aikido throws, as well as to Kobudo weapons.

What came next, was a realisation. It became apparent that a new level of complexity and interrelations was possible. Projections, joint locks, weapons handling, as well as atemis, (hand and feet strikes) were all able to interlink through the newfound shockwave principle.

Through this, we can expect a brand new volume of different techniques, stemming from the same wave motion. The result is hundreds of moves – without the need for separate training for each unit.

Based on understanding and infliction, Master Mochizuki had verified that projection training is central to the atemis power. This in-turn helps determine the projection velocities and technique of weapons used. It can be said that the wave movement is the central conduit for studying all martial arts simultaneously. The shock wave itself originates from a single cornerstone found in a Yoseikan Budo Kata. The Kata, Yoseikan Happo, contains eight key movements for launching the shock wave.

Hiroo Mochizuki 35 years after developing the shockwave motion in all areas of Yoseikan Budo

General Rule

As a general rule, these manoeuvres apply within and beyond martial arts, and can be explored with unlimited potential. Yoseikan Budo is a comprehensive method, abiding by the shock wave principle. With this said, it goes far beyond synthesis of several existing methods.

This is a highly innovative system, owing to an intuitive way of thinking. This is carried out by teaching disciples to move with optimal precision, and astute awareness that gestures convey a powerful and effective outcome. At its base, is a lesson: that every technique is the consequence of a broader gesture.

What truly distinguishes this move is that it employs a wholly fundamental approach, with a view towards root movements. Rather than fixate on the intricacies of a specific technique, a student will be empowered to produce concise practices that adapt to moments and situations. This has the advantage of building a better understanding of biomechanical principles, which in turn helps to better understand oneself, and one’s opponent.

Aspirants are taught to remember, that the technique is not what makes the movement – instead, it’s the movement that makes the technique.

Freedoms and Guidance

One can often feel constricted by regimens, and inhibitions within martial arts. Curiously, Yoseikan Budo shies away from forbidding any techniques. In one aspect, it abides by values and an embedded philosophy, however through the eponymous Yoseikan Training, this itself gives disciples the power to push their abilities beyond the realm of any other martial art.

Yoseikan Budo does not combine. Instead, it takes a conscious step backwards, and reassesses one’s physical positioning, situation, and transcends it through highly situational actions. By educating the student the impacts of simple biomechanics and broader consequences, users can explore their martial and physical abilities in ways unseen in other practices. The spirit of innovation, and freedom to adapt are what Yoseikan continues to foster - for all walks of life.

Hiroo Mochizuki's son, Mitchi, showing modern applications of the shockwave motion