Waza

Degashira: when the opponent tries to commence a strike or datotsu he is open for your strike

Hikutokoro: when the opponent retreats as you are making the seme there is a moment for you to strike.

Waza no tsukitatokoro: at the end of the waza or renzoku waza, the opponent needs to resume a new kamae or take a breath, thus creating a suki for you to strike.

Itsuita tokoro: when there is a break in the opponent's attention or concentration, he is not ready to defend himself, thus creating a suki for you to strike.

Uketometa tokoro: at the moment when the opponent has just defended himself from your attack, he can not strike you.

Others: when there is "kyo, ku, gi, or waku" in your opponent's mind or when he has taken a deep breath. The moment when your opponent is inhaling, he cannot deliver the datotsu. The waza can be divided into either shikake waza or ohji waza depending on who commences the first move.

Shikake waza: Find your opponent's suki or force your opponent to make suki, then strike. Shikake waza is an aggressive, offensive technique. Find suki by rensoku waza, harai waza, or katsugi waza. It is important to maintain good posture and form, and watch your opponent's movements, then striking quickly and swiftly. Strike opportunistically when the oponent begins or ends his motion.

Examples

• Sho (front) men: From a tohma get into a issou ittoh no ma-ai in a chudan stance. Keep the kensaki at the center until you raise the shinai. Strike down as soon as you raise the shinai in a snapping motion. Return to a chudan stance and leave the zanshin.
• Sayu (left-right) men: Strike your oponent's right men, and as he tries to defend quickly, strike his left men.
• Migi (right) kote: From a chudan strance and an issoku-ittoh-no ma-ai, raise your shinai. As your opponent begins to raise his shinai in response, step in as if to step into your opponent's right foot and strike his migi-kote immediately. Keep the kensaki in front of your oponent's throat as you leave zanshin. When you strike kote, don't look down on your opponent's kote
• Migi (right) do: In renzoku waza, harai waza, or debana waza find the suki for do, and strike quickly at migi-do.
• Renzoku (sequence) waza: The purpose of this technique is either as a second strike when the first strike fails, or striking first as a distraction then striking the opposite side.

Harai waza: This is a technique where you strike your opponent's shinai in a sweeping motion to distract his guard. You can either strike from omote (your own left, opponent's right) or from ura (your own right, opponent's left), and you may also strike downwards or strike diagonally upwards in a sweeping motion, much like drawing a semicircle.

Also important is to strike your oppoent's shinai around the mid-section or below it. Make sure that your kensaki is at the center of your opponent's body immediately after completing the harai waza, and that your left fist is at the center of your body. Make the harau (sweep) movement and datotsu in one single motion.

Ohji (responding) waza: parry your opponent's shinai, then strike back. Fend off your opponent's shinai to neutralize his attack by suriage waza, kaeshi waza, uchiotoshi waza or nuki waza, then immediately strike back. Keep in time with the opponent's strike. Strike from an adequate ma-ai. Wrist motion is important in ohji waza because it requires small, quick movements. Also, maintain correct posture.

Nuki (dodging) waza: men-nuki-do, men-nuki-men, kote-nuki-men

Kaeshi (returning) waza: men-kaeshi-men, kotekaeshi-kote, men-kaeshi-do

Suriage (sliding-upward) waza: either from omote or ura men-suriage-men, kote-suriage-men

Uchiotoshi (striking-down) waza: kote-uchiotoshi-men, do-uchiotoshi-men

Hiki (retreating) waza: at tsubazeriai or after taiatari (body check) force the opponent to make "suki" then quickly step back and snap your wrist to strike hiki men, hiki do, hiki gote