This post is part of the First Year of Budo series

I was early this week as opposed to a little late last week and the hall happened to be open (cleaning from yesterdays opening ceremony). So I went in and started practicing my cuts. Surprising how much difficulty the standard vertical cut still causes. Last week I caught myself in the mirror and noticed that my blade isn’t coming directly over my head, rather it was angled off to the right. So I was working on this, slowly bringing it up above my head (much like how I used to practice guitar in slow-motion) and then also keeping the strike straight as it comes back down. It is quite difficult to get the hands to move independent (in different directions/motions) yet still work together and time themselves with the shoulder/arm movements. I probably cut like this for 15 minutes.

At one stage 2 of the cleaners came in impressed by what I was I doing (It’s amazing how people are fascinated when they see someone a) concentrating and b) holding a sword). I told them they were welcome to come watch us when we train after they had finished their cleaning work but they said they were too busy having to go clean other halls and the like. After a bit more everyone had arrived and we began the class.

Jodo

This week I hadn’t done any Jo practice (using the excuse that it has been cold, raining and I had exams) so my memory and technique was a bit shoddy. Then it didn’t help that the person who was leading this week was rushing things a bit. In the middle we had an interesting discussion about kuritsuke(no idea how to spell it :)) in regards to feet and hip position. Essentially you are side on to your sword wielding opponent (who is probably at 45 degrees) and you have your jo over your head pressing up on the sword handle. Then what is required is to break the opponents balance and step in towards him, which swings him around and traps the sword down by the legs. The debate was about where the hara (body center) should be facing. It seemed strange to one student that it would be facing at 90 degrees to the direction of movement but others argued that it was necessary to be that way because the first movement required (which is the strongest movement) is pushing out in the direction of the hara. We concluded that we’d ask one of the japanese sensei next time they come down.

Later on we were practicing kuritsuke in partner form. Which led me to conclude that I’m still far to slow on changing from the ready position to the block/catch position. Beyond that my partner decided that every time that I didn’t do the technique right he would show me how the sword would escape and proceed to cut. So for the next 5 minutes I was cut to pieces many times while we worked on various areas of the technique. In particular, on the advance I needed to turn myself inwards a little in order to allow my body a natural turn which enables me to lock the sword against the opponent. Apart from dying so much it was fun.

Finally we finished up with some paired kata, once again my partner was very demanding on perfection due to the fact that the opponent has a sword, any wrong moves result in essential death. It was good learning time and I picked up quite a few points that I have never seen before. I started learning kata 3 which at the moment seems quite convoluted but we ran out of time to finish it.

Iaido

I was using the preferred Iaito this week, it is a little short I think but I like the design of the tsuka (hand guard). It is essentially a bird with it’s wings spread right around representing air/wind which I like the idea of.

Most of training was the regular techniques with the finer points raised here or there about different angles of the saya(sheath) as you draw the sword and the like. All interjected with Sensei’s casual humor. We had two spectators come to see what it was all about and listening to him talk to them almost made me burst out laughing a number of times.

Near the end it was time for free practice but sensei got one of the senior students to show me kata 5 which apparently is notorious for it’s difficult draw, and rightly so. On this one, while walking forward it is necessary to flip the sword over (180 degrees) and then draw it out forwards cutting upwards through your opponent. Then in the continuation of the motion, the sword at the peak of it’s ascent turns around with your wrist, the other hand joins with it and you cut back down along the same line.

The draw is terribly difficult because you need to turn the sword over but after removing the sword your saya hand/wrist still needs to be in a good position in order to do sayabiki(removing of the sheath) behind you to get the sword actually out of the saya. All of this is done in one step. It seems something very useful  to do was to turn the sword and bring it 9/10 of the way out by the time your right foot has come to the same level as your left foot. Then it is easier to do the rest and get it out nicely.

This one is going to take quite a while to get good timing on. Atleast it is not as painful as sitting in tatehiza ;).

On a whole I would have to say I am very grateful to all the people in class as they are always very patient and take the time with you to correct your continual errors. It is very admirable of them and also shows their respect/dedication to Sensei as they are teaching me on his behalf. This all comes back to the fact that Iaido(and Jodo) teaches you to respect both past teachers, current teachers and all those who have gone before. This comes through in a number of ways but none more prominent than in the opening and closing ceremonies of Iaido.

At the end of each class, you always walk backwards away from the front, then bow to the most senior(sensei), then bow to everyone who has taught you something during the class in order of descending rank/experience. Apparently this is really big in japan and can result in lots of bowing but in our dojo it is not so big apart from always bowing to sensei at the end and then anyone who gave prominent teaching.