Tetsuryoku-Ryū: Foundational Instructor's Curriculum
1.0 Introduction: The Philosophy of Iron Force
1.1 Defining Combat Engineering
Tetsuryoku-Ryū (鉄力流 — "Iron Force Style") is a modern system of "Combat Engineering" meticulously designed for survival in the brutal, unpredictable reality of "Unfiltered Urban Combatives." It is not a sport and rejects validation through regulated competition. This curriculum outlines the core philosophy that underpins every technique and training principle. It provides instructors with the essential mindset to impart to their students, ensuring that the why is understood before the how.
1.2 The Freeman Synthesis
The system's architect is Jarrod A. Freeman (b. 1994, Melbourne), who identified a critical flaw in modern combat training: arts were often too specialized or compliant for the chaos of a real-world encounter. His creation process was a notable departure from tradition, leveraging contemporary research tools like Google searches for "Angle Disruption" and using AI like ChatGPT to synthesize his foundational ideas, influenced by his background in Kyokushin and observations of figures like Steven Seagal.
Freeman provides a candid classification: "I dont [sic] see this as a Real art like karate or whatever its more stylised street fighting." This positions Tetsuryoku-Ryū as a modern "Freeman Synthesis," a "Frankenstein of lethality" that synthesizes proven, battle-tested "modules" from the world's most effective combat systems:
* The Iron (Kyokushin Karate): Provides the foundational body-hardening, stand-your-ground mentality, and bone-breaking power of the Seiken (compressed fist).
* The Pivot (Aikido): Strips away mystical elements to keep only the pure, geometric principles of Irimi (entering) and Tenkan (turning) that allow a practitioner to evade and dominate a larger attacker.
* The Kuzushi (Judo & Sambo): Contributes the science of the "Balance Break," focusing on standing throws that slam an attacker into the pavement while the practitioner remains upright and mobile.
* The Clinch (Muay Thai & Dirty Boxing): Lends its brutal, close-range tools for the "Inside Game" of short elbows, head-control, and hip-bumps.
This synthesis is ruthlessly focused on a single operational motto: "Disrupt, Dominate, Done."
1.3 The Anti-Sport Imperative
Tetsuryoku-Ryū's philosophy is built on a tactical rejection of sport-based validation. The octagon is a testing ground for athleticism under rules; the street is a chaotic environment where rules are a liability. As an instructional analogy, state it clearly: "If the UFC is a game of chess, Tetsuryoku is a shotgun."
* The Concrete Variable: In a sport, one can "pull guard." In Tetsuryoku-Ryū, we recognize this as a fatal error on a hard surface. The system is built on the stark principle that "The Ground is a Grave," and the fight must remain standing at all costs.
* The Glove Delusion: Training with padded gloves creates defensive habits that are ineffective against bare-knuckle reality. A bare fist can "slip through that gap like water." Our techniques are designed for the brutal reality of bone-on-bone impact.
1.4 Geometric Truth: The 45° Rule
The scientific foundation of Tetsuryoku-Ryū is not mystical energy but a hard truth of biomechanics: the human skeleton is weakest when force is applied at a 45° angle. Our bodies are built to move forward and backward; their structure is most vulnerable when pushed or pulled offline at this specific vector. This is the system's "cheat code." We do not fight an attacker's muscles; we fight their relationship with gravity.
"Linear is a wall. Circular is a loop. The 45-degree angle is the open door. Walk through it and end the chaos."
1.5 Transition to Mechanics
This philosophy of angles and structural collapse forms the foundation upon which all physical mechanics are built.
2.0 Core Mechanics: The Engine of Disruption
2.1 The Platform of Force
Mastering foundational mechanics is a strategic imperative. The practitioner's stance, mobility, and footwork are not preliminary steps but the very platform from which all disruptive force is generated. These are the components of the engine that drives every technique.
2.2 Iron Guard Stance (Tetsuryoku Base)
This stance is a fusion of Kyokushin's high guard and Aikido's relaxed readiness, primed for explosive, scientific intervention.
* Foot Position: Shoulder-width apart in a bladed stance (e.g., left foot forward for orthodox).
* Weight Distribution: 60% Front / 40% Rear. This biases the body for explosive forward irimi entry.
* Knees: Kept soft and spring-loaded, never locked.
* Hands (Kyokushin High Guard):
* The Shield: The lead hand is an open palm held at cheek height. It screens vision, catches jabs, and frames the opponent.
* The Hammer: The rear hand is a clenched fist, chambered tightly at the floating ribs, ready to fire as a piston strike.
* Elbows: Glued to the ribs, leaving no gaps for an opponent to exploit.
* Posture: The chin is tucked, the spine is erect, and the eyes are locked on the opponent's center of mass.
* Breath: Deep, diaphragmatic breathing is essential. Calmness is the trigger for perfect timing.
2.3 The Engine: Mobility & Footwork
Stationary targets are destroyed. Fluid mobility allows for the rapid, deceptive angling that is the hallmark of this art.
* Irimi (Entering): A sliding step at a 45° angle, moving forward and inside an attack. It is used to jam space, enter an opponent's blind spot, and crush their structure.
* Tenkan (Turning): A pivot on the front foot that swings the rear leg. It is used to redirect an attacker's linear momentum, causing them to stumble past into a void.
2.4 Primary Weapons
Tetsuryoku-Ryū is a hand-dominant system, recognizing that high kicks are a high-risk liability on unpredictable surfaces.
* Hands of Iron (80% Focus): The primary tools for finishing a confrontation after a successful disruption.
* Seiken: The compressed vertical fist, impacting with the first two knuckles.
* Uraken: The backfist, used as a whipping strike to the temple or jaw.
* Hiji: The elbow, used for slicing cuts or concussive smashes in close quarters.
* Palm Heel: A safer alternative to the fist for striking the chin or nose.
* Legs of Stone (20% Focus): Legs are used for transportation, support, and low-line disruption, not for primary strikes.
* The Shin Jam: A defensive check that simultaneously drives into the attacker's thigh.
* The Low Kick: A powerful, chopping kick to the thigh muscle to destroy an opponent's mobility.
* Osoto Gari (Modified): A major outer reap used to throw an already off-balanced opponent.
2.5 Transition to Progression
These core mechanics provide the physical language of the system, which is then structured into a logical curriculum progression.
3.0 Curriculum Progression: The Path to Mastery
3.1 Instructional Framework
This section provides the complete, structured curriculum from novice to expert. Each belt level is designed to build a specific attribute, ensuring a logical, safe, and effective progression of skills. Instructors must ensure that students demonstrate mastery of one level's core focus before advancing to the next.
3.2 White Belt: Foundation & Structure (0-3 Months)
* Instructional Goal: To instill the core principles of "Survival & Structure."
* Core Focus: Mastering the Iron Guard under light pressure and developing instinctive 45° stepping as a default reaction to any perceived threat.
* Key Drills: "Angle Mirror," where partners mirror each other's 45° footwork without contact.
* Core Technique: The "Shoulder Push" disruption, a simple jam of the opponent's shoulder line to teach the concept of breaking balance.
3.3 Yellow Belt: Hand Power & Basic Disruption (3-6 Months)
* Instructional Goal: To develop "Impact Generation."
* Core Focus: Developing power in the compressed Seiken strike, focusing on 1-inch power generation from a stable base rather than large, telegraphed swings.
* Key Techniques: The Judo Parry into a Kuzushi Yank and the 45° Pull + Palm Strike combo, linking a disruption directly to a counter-strike.
3.4 Orange Belt: Angle Mastery & Clinch (6-9 Months)
* Instructional Goal: To teach "Controlling the Center."
* Core Focus: Mastering Rotational Force (Tenkan) to spin an opponent and using environmental barriers (walls) to one's advantage.
* Key Techniques: Converting a common wrist grab into a devastating Kyokushin Knee strike and executing the "Wall Jam" defense to escape being pinned.
3.5 Green Belt: Throws & Control (9-12 Months)
* Instructional Goal: To introduce "Vertical Grappling."
* Core Focus: The introduction of standing throws as a finishing technique. Students begin sparring with active resistance to test their disruptions.
* Key Techniques: Osoto Gari (Major Outer Reap) and Uchi Mata (Inner Thigh Throw), both adapted for application after a structural disruption, not from a static grappling exchange.
* Key Drill: "Resistance Chains," where a partner actively resists the disruption attempt, forcing the student to find the correct angle and timing.
3.6 Blue Belt: Pressure Integration (1-2 Years)
* Instructional Goal: To build "Chaos Management" skills.
* Core Focus: Applying core principles under conditions of fatigue and against multiple, unpredictable attack vectors.
* Key Scenarios: Defending against Hallway grabs and practicing multiple-angle disruptions against two or more partners.
* Training Method: Introduction of full-contact body sparring (with controlled head contact) to test technique integrity under pressure.
3.7 Brown/Black Belt: Mastery & Adaptation (2+ Years)
* Instructional Goal: To cultivate "Instinct & Adaptation."
* Core Focus: Refining the system's mechanics to suit one's individual body type and developing the skills required to teach foundational concepts to junior students.
* Elite Drill: Blindfolded Angle Drills, which remove visual cues and force the practitioner to rely on tactile sensitivity and instinctive spatial awareness to execute disruptions.
3.8 Transition to Application
This structured progression builds a practitioner who is ready to apply these skills in high-stress, simulated encounters.
4.0 Applied Scenarios: The Katas of Unfiltered Combat
4.1 Scenario Engineering
In Tetsuryoku-Ryū, katas are not abstract forms; they are direct, repeatable simulations of high-probability street violence. They are designed to hardwire tactical solutions to common assault patterns. Mastering these four scenarios provides a blueprint for survival that covers over 95% of common threats.
4.2 Core Katas
Kata 1: The Alley (1v1 Solo Threat)
* Scenario: A single, drunk aggressor confronts you in a narrow space, grabs your shirt, and winds up a wide, telegraphed haymaker.
* Solution: Assume "Fence" posture (hands open). As aggressor throws a right haymaker, step left 45° (inside the swing). Your left hand parries their biceps as your right hand yanks their shoulder to induce kuzushi. Follow with a right knee to the groin/gut and a right elbow smash to the collarbone. Exit.
Kata 2: The Bar Exit (1v2 Flank)
* Scenario: Your exit from a crowded venue is blocked. One attacker rushes from the front while a second flanks from the side.
* Solution: As the front attacker lunges, use a Tenkan pivot to swing them directly into the path of the flanking attacker, causing a collision. Immediately deliver a Seiken punch to the flanker's exposed ribs over the first attacker's shoulder. Push the first attacker onto the second and escape.
Kata 3: The Parking Lot (1v3 Ambush)
* Scenario: You are surrounded by three attackers in a triangle formation.
* Solution: Do not wait. Launch an aggressive Irimi burst 45° toward the weakest link. Use a hip-check to collide with one flanker, disrupting the circle. Use this chaos to execute an Osoto Gari sweep on the nearest threat, then use the opening to burst run and escape.
Kata 4: The Escalator (1v4 Crush)
* Scenario: You are trapped in a confined space like an escalator or elevator, with attackers grabbing and striking from all angles.
* Solution: Create a forearm frame against the chest of the nearest attacker. Spin him into the second attacker to create a momentary shield. Deliver a knee to the gut of the third attacker and low shin jams to the shins/knees of the fourth to break the cluster. Burst through the gap created to escape.
4.3 Scenario Practice Overview
Scenario Attackers Key Disrupt Chain Street Odds
Alley Grab 1v1 Sidestep → yank → knee 70% solo
Bar Rush 1v2 Pivot shield → seiken 20% doubles
Lot Ambush 1v3 Hip overload → elbow 8% triples
Escalator 1v4 Frame-spin → burst 2% mobs
4.4 Transition to Advanced Threats
These foundational scenarios prepare a practitioner to face the more complex and unpredictable "Hybrid Thug."
5.0 Specialist Training: Defeating The Hybrid Thug
5.1 The Modern Adversary
This specialist module addresses a critical modern threat: the "Hybrid Thug." This is a street adversary who blends effective techniques from arts like MMA and Muay Thai and may incorporate improvised weapons. This training is structured to systematically dismantle their layered offense.
5.2 Training Phases
* Phase 1: Street Karate-MMA
* The Threat: This adversary combines linear punches (Jab-Cross) with aggressive double-leg takedown attempts.
* Counter-Tactics: Use rotational pulls to cause linear punches to miss their target. Employ pivot shoulder jams to drive the attacker's head down as they lunge for a takedown, redirecting their momentum into the pavement.
* Phase 2: The Ultimate Hybrid
* Added Threats: The fighter now adds Muay Thai clinch knees, BJJ-style guard pulls, and improvised weapons like a bottle swing.
* Specific Counters: Counter the clinch with hip bumps to break posture. Use shin jams and stomps to deny guard pulls and maintain an upright stance. Pivot inside the arc of a weapon swing to jam the arm, not the weapon itself.
* Phase 3: The Nightmare Swarm
* The Threat: The ultimate chaotic scenario involving drunk aggression, environmental obstacles (walls, cars), ground kicks from a fallen opponent, and wall pins.
* Core Principle: Survival is achieved through Infinite 45° chaining. Never stop moving. Continuously pivot, disrupt one threat into another, and reposition to manage the chaos and create escape routes.
5.3 Complete Threat Arsenal
Chaos Add Tetsuryoku Disrupt Finish Weapon Real Threat Level
Drunk Stagger Spin yank into obstacle Knee/Elbow Bars 40%
Shirt Rip Grab Tenkan overload hips Seiken Rush Mugs 35%
Ground Kicks Sweep + stomp denial Osoto/Knee Falls 25%
Wall/Car Pin Frame bump escape Palm/Osoto Urban 50%
Stair Crush Low jam + pull burst Shin/Elbow Escalators 10%
TOTAL NIGHTMARE Infinite 45° chains Whatever works 100% streets
5.4 Transition to Analysis
This specialized training prepares the practitioner for the final stage of study: the analytical deconstruction of other combat systems.
6.0 Appendix: Strategic Combat Analysis
6.1 Unfiltered Combat Analysis
This appendix serves as an advanced tactical reference for instructors and senior students. It deconstructs how Tetsuryoku-Ryū's core principles are applied to neutralize the primary strengths of other major combat systems, based on an unfiltered street combat analysis. Understanding both the winning strategies and the critical failure points is key to effective teaching and application.
6.2 Inter-Style Combat Matchup Analysis
Opponent Style Stated Win Ratio (Street) Core Matchup Dynamic Tetsuryoku-Ryū's Winning Strategy Critical Failure Point / Counter-Strategy
Aikido 9/10 A battle of shared geometric roots, but one lacks percussive impact. Apply joint locks and redirects only after initiating with a Kyokushin strike, forcing compliance through pain rather than waiting for a grab. Over-committing to a linear lunge without angle management allows a master Aikidoka to use pure momentum against the practitioner (rare).
American Kenpo 8/10 Rapid-fire hand speed versus structural disruption. Disrupt the base with a shoulder push or shin jam. A Kenpo fighter cannot fire 10 punches if they are stumbling backward on one leg. The sheer volume of Kenpo strikes (eye pokes, throat chops) can land through the Iron Guard if the practitioner is too passive or slow to disrupt.
Boxing 7.5/10 A conflict between linear hand-specialists and angular disruptors. Refuse the boxer's range. Use Kuzushi (off-balancing) to completely negate their ability to plant their feet for power shots. A boxer cannot slip a shoulder-jam. If the boxer maintains distance and works the jab, they can pick apart the guard. Attempting to "box" the boxer instead of disrupting leads to a knockout.
BJJ 6/10 The anti-grapple system versus the ultimate grappling system. On concrete, the fight must stay standing. Jam the shot, elbow the spine, and stomp the limbs. If the fight goes to the ground, the odds reverse completely. If the BJJ fighter successfully takes the fight to the ground, the win ratio drops to nearly zero. Tetsuryoku-Ryū has no dedicated ground game.
Freestyle Wrestling 6/10 Explosive takedown attempts versus a vertical, evasive defense. Use the Irimi 45-degree sidestep to vanish from the flight path of a takedown, guiding the wrestler's face into the pavement or a knee. The speed of an Olympic-level shot is faster than most reaction times. If the wrestler connects on a double-leg, the practitioner is going airborne.
Jeet Kune Do 7/10 Interception versus Disruption. Absorb the JKD "Stop Hit" (Iron Body) to secure a Kuzushi grip. Once a grip is established, the JKD structure (built for speed) crumbles. JKD eye flickers and groin strikes are fast. If the JKD fighter stays elusive and plays a "hit and run" game, closing the gap can be difficult.
Judo 7/10 (No Gi) Jacket wrestling expertise versus street-focused disruption. In a street fight without a heavy Gi, Judo grips are harder to secure. Use strikes to set up throws, punching the face to create the opening for a sweep. If the Judoka gets a solid grip on clothing, the practitioner is getting launched. The earth is the Judoka's weapon.
Karate (Shotokan) 8.5/10 Linear point-fighting blitzes versus rotational, structural destruction. Traditional Karate fights in straight lines. Tetsuryoku's 45° angle rule is the 'Anti-Karate.' Step off the line, the Karateka blitzes into thin air, and strike their exposed side. Perfect distance management. A master Karateka can land a kill-shot (Gyaku-zuki) from a distance where the practitioner feels safe.
Krav Maga 8/10 Chaotic aggression versus structural redirection. Use Standing Forces to redirect the aggressive "burst." When a Krav fighter rushes in off-balance, capitalize on that momentum to slam them. Dirty tactics. If the Krav fighter gouges an eye or bites a neck in the clinch before the disruption is secure, structure doesn't matter.
Lethwei 6.5/10 Brutality versus precision. Lethwei fighters stand square to headbutt and brawl. The Irimi entry takes the angle, mitigating the headbutt threat and setting up Osoto throws. Lethwei fighters are virtually zombies. A headbutt in the clinch can knock a practitioner unconscious instantly.
MMA 6/10 The jack-of-all-trades versus the specialist in a street environment. Dump 100% of energy into a 3-second destruction sequence using illegal targets and pavement physics. The MMA fighter is training for rounds; end it in seconds. MMA is the most tested system on earth. If the first disruption fails, the MMA fighter adapts; Tetsuryoku-Ryū has fewer backup plans.
Muay Thai 7/10 The "Art of 8 Limbs" versus the system of Iron Force. Counter the Thai Clinch not by pulling the head down, but by executing a Hip Bump and attacking the legs (Kuzushi). Disrupt the "Plum" by attacking the hips. The Thai Low Kick and Teep. A Muay Thai fighter can destroy the Tetsuryoku stance from range before the disruption can happen.
Sambo 5.5/10 Russian military efficiency versus hybrid disruption. Sambo relies on the jacket (Kurtka). Without it, grips slip. Use illegal strikes (throat, eyes) to neutralize their grappling entry. Sambo mixes aggressive punches with high-amplitude throws. They are aggressive and durable, matching Tetsuryoku's intensity.
Systema 8.5/10 Relaxation versus tension. Systema relies on absorbing punches. You cannot "breathe through" a shattered jaw or dislocated shoulder. Structural breaking is too violent for soft absorption. Unpredictability. Systema strikes come from weird angles without telegraphing, which can confuse the rigid prediction systems of Tetsuryoku-Ryū.
Wing Chun 8/10 Centerline theory versus angle theory. Wing Chun fights on the centerline. Tetsuryoku-Ryū refuses to be there. Step 45° offline. Use Kyokushin hooks to destroy the lighter Wing Chun structure. Trapping range. If a Wing Chun fighter pins the arms in close, they can land 10 punches to the face in 2 seconds.
6.3 Summary Analysis
Based on this inter-style analysis, the system's overall effectiveness can be categorized as follows:
* Total Dominance: vs. Traditional Arts (Karate, TKD, Aikido) and Brawlers.
* Competitive Edge: vs. Strikers (Boxing, Muay Thai).
* High Risk: vs. Elite Grapplers (Wrestling, BJJ, Sambo) and Weapon Arts.