General Evaluation Points
Presentation (kata, combinations, demonstration)
- Attacks should approximate realistic intent.
- Defense must be effective and credible.
- Techniques must clearly be nunchaku techniques.
- Etiquette (rei-gi) must be visible in posture and behavior on the mat.
- Respect toward tori and uke is required.
- Techniques must be completed — do not leave them unfinished.
The execution should demonstrate that defending, countering, and finishing techniques align with NC5 as a martial art — as an art form.
The simpler, more direct, and more deliberate the technique, the stronger the performance. Complexity without necessity weakens the essence.
The focus is on mastering situations that involve real threat. When the sense of danger — the touch of danger — is absent, the result becomes mere exercise rather than budo.
In addition, attention is given to:
Wabi – harmony of the overall presentation.
Sabi – simplicity and purity; beauty lies in restraint.
Budo Qualities as Measuring Instruments
These characteristics can function as evaluation criteria and as personal training principles:
Zanshin – Remaining awareness after technique execution; sustained alertness.
Metsuke – Visual concentration; not looking at the weapon, but at the intention behind it — eye connection.
Shisei – Overall posture; expressing stability, dignity, and centered strength (hara).
Ma-ai – Proper fighting distance in harmony with the situation.
Kamae – Fighting posture; characteristic of one’s style or philosophy.
Kiai – Focused expression of energy from the center, supporting physical and mental power.
Kime – Concentration and direction of force; focusing energy at the decisive moment.
Riai – Logical coherence between techniques; structural consistency in movement and strategy.
Sei to dō – Rhythm; the alternation between action and non-action.
Fudōshin – The immovable mind; inner stability under pressure.
Kanken – Budo intuition; sensing what may arise next.
Wabi – Harmony of the whole.
Sabi – Simplicity and purity of execution.
Within NC5, this is not a checklist to judge others, but a mirror for personal development. Mastery is not measured by complexity — but by control.