Hakuda (Seireitou)

Hakuda (白打, "Hand-to-Hand Combat"; literally "white hits") is the martial arts practiced by the. Over the course of a million years in history, there have been martial arts that exist in the world as we know it today and have ever existed between those that have continued to exist in the realm of the living and those that had been lost to history by masters that had never passed on their secrets and knowledge prior to their deaths as humans. Ideally, it is considered to be the general term for close-combat techniques that make use of their own bodies as a weapon and it is comprised of every conceivable martial art condensed into a precise and deadly craft. As such, it is a constantly evolving art form that is often made unique by each practitioner who masters the craft. Physical strength and skill are generally determined by this class of combat. Of course, this is only for those that are satisfied with the system as it stands today, for the true masters of this art have been known to scour the land in search of the ancient art forms in their entirety that contributed to the modern form of Hakuda as it exists today.

Within the Soul Society, the greatest practitioner of Hakuda is aptly known as the "Hakuda Grandmaster", which is a position held by.

Overview
Hakuda specialists within the tend to develop their own special martial art techniques, usually which best reflect their own nature. , who has a strong lightning nature, has developed techniques such as the, while  has developed techniques such as  which reflects her wind nature.

Fundamentals
Though Hakuda is composed of skills and attributes that go beyond merely the physical, it is still necessary for martial artists to always continue their physical training. Therefore, the fundamentals of Hakuda focus initially upon the mastery of the postures and movements necessary for hand-to-hand combat. Shinō Academy is known to instruct on certain basics, as is the, though other Hakuda schools take it upon themselves to create a much more refined and perhaps even more effective foundation for a martial artist's physical fundamentals.

Mastering the Hakuda fundamentals eventually allows one to develop their Seikentsuki (正拳突き, "True Fist Strike"). Only a trained warrior can possibly understand the difference between a brawler's punch and a martial artist's punch, as they are as different as night and day. It is akin to the difference between a jab and a punch. When a Hakuda practitioner, who has learned the basics to a sufficient degree, attempts to perform a Seikentsuki, it is a strike which encompasses their entire being along with their. It can produce a strike of such tremendous power that it has the potential, even in the hands of a basic expert, to alter the entire landscape. When one achieves greater heights of mastery, the use of Seikentsuki becomes so natural that every strike, even without the need to consider the effort involved, becomes Seikentsuki without fail. In other words, it becomes as natural to them as breathing. Some take it upon themselves to introduce other aspects to their Seikentsuki, such as certain elemental power.

Physical and Mental Conditioning
When the two principles are combined effectively, skills such as and  become possible. As the wise philosopher had once said, "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." The aforementioned techniques are those that are only possible when there is a deep understanding of both yourself and your opponent(s).

Sparring Recognition
Within the martial arts world, sparring is not simply a means of practicing technique but also serves an important role as a courtesy shown between martial artists.

Known formally as Randori Aisatsu (乱取り挨拶, "Chaos-Taking Greeting"), which refers to the practice of Randori, it is customary for Hakuda specialists who are either strangers meeting for the first time or perhaps old friends about to engage in a fight to engage in a series of brief clashes of fists, demonstrating their technique and physical capabilities to one another. It is considered to be a show of respect, even between enemies, and serves as a demonstration of their pride as martial artists. Often times, these spars would also involve displaying the use of each martial artist's Seikentsuki. While it is often started by the action of a fist bump which signifies the start of the clash, it is not inherently required as an official courtesy. The spar is exclusively physical hand-to-hand combat and does not involve any special techniques nor abilities, as it is meant to be a pure expression of martial arts between two specialists.

Behind the Scenes
The author developed his own article on how he perceives primarily because he believes that, among the four Zankensoki, the art of hand-to-hand combat often goes unnoticed as a craft which can fight on even terms with each of the other combat fields. There are many finer points to the martial arts that should be recognized as a powerful system of combat if it is handled correctly. Furthermore, the author wished to further show how Hakuda is best seen as a system of conditioning and refinement of physical capabilities rather than simply a medley of special techniques piled on top of one another, which is why this system came to be. The author wishes to make note, however, that the content of this article is strictly in accordance with how he perceives the art of Hakuda and should not be taken as established fact.