Hanshi - The path to 8th dan: Furukawa Kazuo Hanshi

"If you can hit where your opponent's mind is trying to move, you can pass the dan test just by hitting one.

When I was training for my dan promotion test, I often received advice that I should not hit too hard.
However, when I actually observed a dan promotion examination, I wondered, "That examinee looked like he was hitting too hard, but why did he pass? "The answer to this question was given by Furukawa Hanshi.
The answer was found in a talk by Furukawa Hanshi.
He said, "If you can hit where your opponent's mind is trying to move, you can pass the dan promotion examination with just one strike." This means that if you can strike at least one point in the attack or defense between you and your opponent where your opponent's mind is trying to move during the examination time, you may pass the examination if you can strike at that one opportunity. If there are many opportunities, the number of strikes will inevitably increase. The phrase, "Don't hit too hard" refers to unnecessary strikes made when the opponent's mind is not yet in motion.
The sensei who passed the dan examination I observed was striking precisely when the opponent's mind was about to move.
So, what should we do to find out where the opponent's mind is trying to move?
Furukawa Hanshi also talks about this.

Hanshi - The path to 8th dan

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