NMA Principles

Over years of practice, we have brought together and personally tested within NMA technical and ethical principles from many Martial Arts traditions. We retained the most universal ones and reinterpreted them through the lens of modern psychology and philosophy.

//ethical principle

Sword in hand, sword in heart, warrior without a sword in hand or heart

1. Sword in hand — the unity of person and weapon. As it is mastered, the weapon becomes an extension of the body. The principles of biomechanics are universal; once a warrior understands them, it becomes easier to master another weapon or use an ordinary object as one.
2. Sword in heart — the skills and inner qualities that remain even without a weapon. This means not only unarmed combat skills, but also confidence, resilience, and composure developed through practice.
3. Warrior without a sword — a conscious choice in the use of force, an understanding of the consequences of one’s actions, and the ability to take responsibility for them. Years of studying Martial Arts develop restraint, respect for life, and the ability to resolve conflict without force.

//methodological principle

Sequence and timely introduction of knowledge

One of NMA’s core principles is a structured learning sequence. New elements are introduced as the practitioner becomes technically, physically, and psychologically ready to study them. Some elements require a prior foundation before a student can understand their purpose and apply them safely.

You cannot build walls on an unstable foundation, nor can a reliable roof rest on fragile walls.

The complexity of techniques and the degree of independence increase with each level. Readiness to progress to the next stage requires regular practice and is confirmed through assessment.

//methodological principle

Large—strong—fast—smooth

The practitioner first studies fundamental technique through broad trajectories to understand the principle of the movement and refine its components. Force is then increased, and the technique is tested in “heavy” execution—with realistic effort and resistance. This work reveals where coordination breaks down and helps identify the most economical way to perform the technique. As the movement is mastered, the focus shifts to speed and fluidity.

A related maxim is slow is smooth, smooth is fast: first, establish the fundamental movement and its components at a measured pace; then learn to increase speed without sacrificing quality.

When learning a new element or identifying an error, it is useful to slow down again and return to detailed analysis.

//tactical principle

Position, distance, and timing

The relative position of the participants determines which actions are available to each of them. Whoever controls position, distance, and timing controls the bout. A closely related traditional concept is Maai (間合い)—the dynamic interval between opponents.

1. Distance is functional. Distance alone does not guarantee that an attack will reach its target. Angle, body and weapon position, direction of movement, and room to continue all matter.
2. Create a favourable relative position. Seek a position in which your action requires less preparation while the opponent’s response requires more. Control of a line or contact matters only while it genuinely limits the threat; merely touching weapons does not provide control. Position can also be controlled without blade contact.
3. Timing turns distance into opportunity. A weight shift, change of direction, or completion of a movement can create an opening. Assess these together with distance and weapon position: enter not merely because the target is close, but when it is most difficult for the opponent to respond.

//tactical principle

Perception and adaptation

The actions of both participants continuously alter the situation and each other’s available options; initiative can pass back and forth. A kind of exchange of energy and information takes place—a “Flow of the Force,” not within a solo exercise, but between opponents.

A closely related traditional concept is Hōyō-dōka (包容同化), but this principle goes beyond absorbing the force of an attack and turning it against the attacker. The task is to perceive both force and information and adapt the response to them, including when the interaction does not unfold as planned.

Adaptation can occur before, during, and after contact (Vor, Indes, Nach in Liechtenauer’s HEMA tradition):

1. Gather and test cues. Before contact, judge the opponent’s intention from their movement, rhythm, and weapon position. A single movement may be a feint; assess it in context and continue testing your reading as the interaction unfolds.
2. Continue, change, or abandon the decision. A prepared sequence enables quick action while its conditions remain valid. If the situation changes, do not continue a technique merely because you have begun it. In contact, feel the direction of pressure and whether it is increasing or decreasing.
3. Match the response to the action. Pressure, rhythm, and repeated actions provide information that can be used later. Once contact is broken, reassess the new position: the previous opportunity may have disappeared and another may have opened.

Good adaptation may involve waiting or temporarily yielding the initiative. Its value depends on how well the decision fits the changing situation. The earliest response is not always the most effective.

//tactical principle

Managing expectations

This is the other side of the preceding principle. The opponent makes decisions based on the cues available to them. Body position, the beginning of a movement, rhythm, and repetition help them anticipate what comes next.

1. Conceal the choice. Different continuations should begin in the same way for as long as possible. A familiar position, preparation, or initial phase of a movement should not reveal in advance which option will follow.
2. Give the feint a clear purpose. A feint must look dangerous enough to provoke a specific response. If the opponent does not react, the movement should, where possible, continue as a genuine attack or end without surrendering position. Understand which response you intend to provoke and what you can do once it occurs.
3. Build and break expectations. Repetition allows you to study the opponent’s behaviour while conditioning them to expect your action. Once the expectation is established, changing the target, rhythm, or continuation can create an opportunity.

Unpredictability is not an advantage in itself. Random movements waste time and energy, while weak feints can simply be ignored. A feint is valuable because of the opportunity it creates or the information it provides.

A closely related traditional concept is Kyojitsu ittai (虚実一体), the unity of the empty and the real. A genuine intention and an apparent one—in the context of a feint—should not differ.

//tactical principle

Managing initiative

Initiative is the ability to shape the development of an exchange by provoking a predictable response or creating the conditions for one’s own action. It is neither mind-reading nor a requirement to strike first.

1. Create the moment to act. Position, pressure, or an invitation can make the opponent reveal their intention, change their plan, or commit to defence.
2. Use the advantage you create. When the opponent is occupied with solving the problem you have presented, exploit the resulting advantage. Seizing the initiative matters only when it leads to a continuation.
3. Choose how to intercept. You can pre-empt the preparation, intervene in a developing action, or seize an opportunity after defending. Anticipation, associated with sen-sen-no-sen (先々の先), is only one point of reference; the moment of interception depends on the specific interaction.

Initiative does not mean constant offence. Moving forward may lead into a prepared response, while retreating may create the conditions for interception.

//tactical principle

Attack within defence and defence within attack

In NMA, this principle means accounting for the counter-threat when attacking and for the possibility of further action against the opponent when defending.

1. Attack within defence. When defending, preserve a threat where possible or at least create the conditions for a response. Sometimes defence and a counteraction are combined in a single movement—close HEMA examples include Absetzen and some forms of Versetzen. In other cases, the threat must first be reliably removed while taking a favourable line, and only then answered.
2. Defence within attack. Prepare the attack with the likely counteraction in mind. Weapon position, distance, angle, and the moment of entry should help limit the opponent’s response. Understand at which stage the attack can still be changed and when the movement must be completed before defence can be restored.

In kenjutsu, this principle is called kōbō ittai (攻防一体)—“offence and defence as one.”

Defence should, where possible, prepare the response, while attack should account for the counteraction; combining them in a single tempo is appropriate only when justified.

//tactical principle

Actions flowing into one another

This principle is another expression of the broader concept of the “Flow of the Force.” It may be imagined as a figurative “flow of energy,” or understood as a practical requirement: the beginning of the next action is determined by how the previous one ended.

1. Prepare appropriate continuations. Body and weapon position should allow actions suited to the current situation. At rest, avoid unnecessary tension and remain ready for immediate action; in motion, preserve support, attention, and the ability to brake. This partly resembles the traditional principle of Dōsei ittai (動静一体)—“movement and stillness as one.”
2. Respect the limits of changing a technique. As a rapid movement develops, the possibility of cancelling or redirecting it decreases. Before beginning, assess the available continuation and recovery; during the action, refine them within the time and physical options that remain.
3. Finish by restoring control. A hit, a miss, and a stopped attack leave different options. Learn to remain stable and continue from the position that actually exists: defend, redirect the attack, or disengage. Stay attentive after your own action. The opponent’s counteraction may begin precisely when the exchange seems to be over.

Here NMA combines the ideas of manifestation, return, and continued development—Hakken (発顕), Kangen (還元), Suishin (推進)—with the tactical principles of modern fencing. However the situation unfolds, each subsequent action should flow naturally from the previous one.