Hakuda Taisabaki

Hakuda Taisabaki (白打体捌き, "White Hits Body Management") is the fundamental skill developed by all those who attain mastery within the craft. It is considered a threshold that separates those who are mere practitioners of the martial arts from those who are the true masters. However, even among masters of the martial arts, the elements of Hakuda Taisabaki are those that are crucial to learn but tremendously difficult to master. It is built upon the principles of.

Overview
The basis of martial arts is self-control over the body and complete command of the body's behavior, movement, and overall actions. It can be considered a manipulation of form. For, they are capable of achieving a high degree of self-control by learning to control their own. As all things in the are composed of reishi, which are fragmented leftovers of souls that have once lived, even the bodies of living souls made of the same material are composed of these fragments. While these fragmented wills are generally not in conflict with the soul, they are still, at their core, partial individuals of their own and therefore tend to act on their own in certain circumstances. These are often translated by many, especially in the, as phenomenon known as horripilation or instinct. When one places their hand on a hot surface, before the knowledge that the sensation is hot and that one should stop touching the object, the hand instinctively moves away from the hot surface. Aspects of the particles composing the body act on their own, often in conflict with the rest of the body, and this causes the instinctive behavior of the body. While many martial artists believe that the ability to operate solely on instinct is a positive skill, it is actually a crutch to Hakuda practitioners; especially when confronted by a master. Even instinct is predictable. A Hakuda master can quite easily strike in a way that uses their opponent's instinct against them. When engaged in a fight, one may move without being able to think, but despite the will to perform a specific act, the other particles of the body still possess the potential to act of their own accord depending on the circumstances. For instance, when one is afraid, their body tends to freeze. Even if they become conscious of the threat before them, and they know they should flee, the sheer terror they feel prevents them from doing so. This becomes an issue that cannot be resolved, thus limiting the overall performance of a Hakuda practitioner, unless they learn to reign in each and every particle of their body under a single will. By learning to tame each and every particle that comprises their body, it is possible to have each reishi behave in accordance with a singular will and therefore act together as one, even in situations where they would behave of their own accord.

When unison is reached within the entirety of one's body, they reach a level that exceeds all other martial artists who do not possess the same ability; regardless of the difference that there may be in physical strength. Of course, their skill does not completely eclipse those who do not know the taisabaki, but their degree of control makes it seemingly impossible to catch them off-guard. It is for this reason that Hakuda Taisabaki is considered a threshold for all Hakuda specialists to eventually reach in the process of their training.

Behind the Scenes
While the general principles of this article is developed by the author's interpretation of Tai Sabaki, other aspects of this concept were inspired by Enbu, from the manga and anime series, Toriko, and also the fighting style taught by Whis from the anime and manga series, Dragon Ball.