Basic Points
Zanshin
This is a word which does
not translate at all into English. It is
often translated as awareness, but this is
not quite right. Awareness of what is
around, potential threats, potential dangers
etc. is a part of it. It is more concerned
with the state of mind after an action has
been made. It is characterized by kamae or
shisei after cutting, by seme after cutting,
by projection of ki and continuation of
breathing (or kiai where appropriate) after
cutting.
Ma (Maai)
Attack intervals. One must
keep the proper attack intervals.
Metsuke
Gazing at the distant
mountains. This means to focus the eyes at a
distance.
Te-no-uchi
Grip the handle of the
blade. One must grip rightly for the
effective nukitsuke and kirioroshi.
Iaido master can easily distinguish an
sword-craft of trainee only at a glance over
his Te-no-uchi.
Technical
Points
No matter what style was
practiced, the procedure always comprised
four separate parts: the drawing of the
blade to meet a sudden encounter (nukituke),
the cut or cuts used to despatch the enemy (kirioroshi),
the shaking of the blood from the blade (chiburi),
and the re-sheathing of the sword (noto).
Nukitsuke (Nukiuchi)
The first strike, though
single handed, should be effective. It
should make kirioroshi unnecessary. The
angle, timing, control will all be watched.
Keep good posture here. Make sure the cut
lands with the front foot and that the body
weight is giving power to cut.
Kirioroshi
(Kiritsuke)
Strike to the imaginary
enemy.
There are some aphorism
about Kiriososhi:
If trainee disturbs himself, it would be a
wicked swordplay.
If trainee doesn't have a fighting spirit,
it would be only a sword dance.
If trainee doesn't strain, it would be only
a fun.
Chiburi (Chiburui)
Shaking the enemy's blood.
One must bear in mind Zanshin
during the chiburi and noto.
Noto
The discipline of
swordmanship in Iaido fashion provides an
easily understood example of the intense
concentration demanded by Budo techniques.
The trainee must, in the
final stage of wielding the sword, return
its razor-sharp blade to the scabbard he
wears at his left hip. The action used in
accomplishing this brings the operator's
left hand within a fraction of an inch of
the keen edge, in itself an unnerving
maneuver for the untrained, but one made
infinitely more delicate by the fact that
the action must be performed without once
looking at the scabbard.
Zen Nihon
Kendo Renmei Seitei Iaido
All students perhaps study
a standard Iaido, commonly known as the Seitei
Iai, which is established by the All
Japan Kendo Federation (Zen Nihon Kendo
Renmei, hereafter ZNKR).
There are 10 established
forms of ZNKR Seitei Iaido (hereafter Seitei
Iai) which were developed during 1960's
and 70's by a panel appointed by ZNKR for
that purpose. The original intentions in
creating Seitei Iai was to produce
a standard that could used for gradings
nationally and later internationally.
These ten forms belong to
three sections. The first to third forms
belong to Seiza no bu, which
performed from seiza posture. The
fourth form belongs to Tatehiza no bu,
which performed from tatehiza
(low-crouching posture). And the fifth to
tenth forms belong to Tachi no bu,
which performed from a standing posture.
- Ippon me (The first): Mae
(Front)
- Cut kirioroshi
an opponent front in seiza.
- Nihon me (The second): Ushiro
(Rear)
- Cut kirioroshi
an opponent to the rear in seiza.
- Sanhon me (The third): Uke
nagashi (Catch and slide off)
- Block ukenagashi
(fend, parry) and cut to kesa
an opponent in the left standing and
approaching.
- Yonhon me (The fourth):
Tsuka ate (Strike with the
tsuka)
- Cut and thrust two
opponents, one sitting in front, the
other behind in seiza.
- Gohon me (The fifth): Kesa
giri (Cut to kesa)
- Cut to kesa an
opponent approaching from front.
- Roppon me (The sixth): Morote
tsuki (Thrust with both hands)
- Cut and thrust two
opponents, one approaching from front,
the other following behind.
- Nanahon me (The
seventh): Sanpo kiri (Cut in
three directions)
- Cut three opponents,
one approaching from front, the others
from left and right.
- Hachihon me (The
eighth): Ganmen ate (Strike to
center of face)
- Cut and thrust two
opponents, one approaching from front,
the other following behind.
- Kyuhon me (The ninth): Soete
tsuki (Thrust with hand alongside the
blade)
- Thrust an opponent in
right with hand alongside the blade.
- Jyuppon me (The tenth):
Shiho kiri (Cut in four
directions)
- Cut and thrust four
opponents.
In
the fall of 2000, ZNKR newly added two
forms named "Sou giri"
and "Nuki uchi". So now Seitei
Iai consists of twelve forms.
- Jyu-ippon me (The
eleventh): Sou giri
- Cut an opponent many
times over, who is standing in front. It
is taken after "Sou-makuri"
of Muso-Shinden-ryu and Muso-Jikiden-Eishin-ryu.
- Jyu-nihon me (The
twelfth): Nuki uchi
- Leave space and cut an
opponent standing in front. It is taken
after "Gyokkou" of Mugai-ryu.
Hoki ryu - one
of the oldest Koryu
Hoki ryu is one of the
most oldest koryus.
The founder of Hoki ryu is
Katayama Hoki-no-kami Hisayasu
(1575-1650). In 1610 he was
called to the Palace and he showed the Isono-nami,
the secret of fencing, in front of the Emperor
Goyouzei. For this distinguished
services he was rendered Jyu-Goi-Ge
(the conferment of a court rank).
The original name for
Hisayasu's tradition was Ikkan ryu. Later
the name was changed to Katayama Hoki ryu.
At present day the tradition is generally
refereed to as just Hoki ryu.
According to Isono-nami
the secret in Hoki ryu, he and his disciples
developed and established over one hundred
forms. But in present, we mainly study the
fifteen basic forms as follows. These
fifteen forms are divided to two sections, Omote
and Chu-dan. In Omote,
there are six forms. All forms are started
from seiza posture. In Chu-dan,
there are nine forms.
Omote (initial
set)
- Osae nuki
- Thrust an opponent in
left with hand alongside the blade with
seiza posture.
- Kote giri
- Thrust an opponent in
left with hand alongside the blade with
seiza posture.
- Kiri tuke
- Thrust an opponent in
right with hand alongside the blade with
seiza posture.
- Nuki dome
- Block nukidome
an attack from right, and cut an
opponent.
- Tsuki dome
- Block tsukidome
an attack from front, and cut an
opponent.
- Shiho kanakiri
- Cut four opponents with
seiza posture.
Chu-dan (middle
level)
- Hiza dume
- Nuketsuke to kesa
and cut an opponent from front, with
seiza posture.
- Mune no katana
- Strike aside the attack
of an enemy, and cut, with seiza
posture.
- Okkake nuki
- Nuketsuke to kesa
and cut an opponent from front, with
standing posture.
- Kaeri nuki
- Nuketsuke to kesa
and cut an opponent from rear, with
standing posture.
- Issa soku
- Jump-up and block ukenagashi
from seiza posture, and cut an opponent
in the front standing and approaching.
- Mukou dume
- Block ukenagashi
from standing posture, and cut an
opponent in the front.
- Naga rouka
- Strike aside the attack
of an enemy, and cut.
- Kissaki gaeshi
- Block ukenagashi,
strike a face of an opponent in the
front and thrust.
- Shiho dume
- Cut four opponents with
standing posture.
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