The theme of this year is the rope. The rope can be used to describe many things…

The rope is flexible, it has no static form. It change form depending on circumstances. We should strive to be the same in our Taijutsu.

The rope can tie your weapons together, it can hold things together. When you use the rope for tying things together you should make the knot very easy to release, in a way that you quickly can release everything and free the rope. In Taijutsu, use the same principle. You can tie the opponent up, but you should be able to quickly get free. For example the ever so popular jujidori armlock from judo and MMA cage fighting is not it.

The rope can be used as a net, or linked to many things. Like the synapses in your brain, or cables between the internet routers. If you need to use a weapon in Taijutsu you know how to get it and use it without thinking. Because you already made a whole system where everything is the same. You don’t need to think because everything is already linked by the synapses.

Also you can psychologically tie up your opponent in Taijutsu as if you really had a rope in your hands. If you belive it strongly, do it as if you had an invisible rope. The opponent might feel trapped and confused… maybe!