Sword Play

Two contrasting styles of fencing (with different weapons).

First the two handed sword, showing techniques from Lichtenauer's style.

Interestingly these fellas are going at it full tilt with swords but their tai sabaki is excellent. Note how they attack with their *bodies*, always pushing into the centreline of their opponent. When attacking they force forward and finish with feet pointing towards their partner's centre (not always). Solid parries and attacks with the body is essential-they're not relying on their weapon even though it looks formidable. More is needed and in this case you can see how everything comes into play: body, feet, sword and (probably) breath.

Check out the intriguing ways the Fabris fighters turn around a linear attack. They curve and circle in an almost grotesque way. Equally other times the parry is very small: just enough to knock the opponent off the line of attack. At about 1m 50s you see the active agent take the initiative to attack and also protect himself from the line of attack by turning his blade up, deflecting any forward momentum. Mind you, a couple of times it looks like the passive agent was so passive he was asleep!

Great hip movement and rotation for extra reach.

The Use of Weapons

After a few repeats of kesa giri I made it my learning point to look at losing the tension in my hands and arms. I needed to make the cut flow naturally and fluidly. I was minded that the fencing tutors told us to hold the foil handle like it were a small bird: too tight and we'd crush it, too lightly and it'd fly away. For the next ten or so repetitions of kesa giri I just concentrated on that and loosing my shoulders which led to some improvement but still not the lightness of touch I wanted or expected. The sword and I were two different processes and I was starting to experience a certain level of discomfort and unease. Relaxation of the grip and arms eluded me so I eased off, stood there and waited. It was cold but I took the time to breathe and waited for the draw to begin which it did. I drew and cut and re-sheathed in one (fairly) smooth line.

And then I waited.

Another draw with less tension- without focusing on the problem areas I was allowing the sword to follow its path more 'naturally' and inhibiting it less in it's flow. De-focusing or working on the core element of relaxation helped me connect better with the nature of the sword and of the cuts.

Following from this I took up the bo to continue training with this relaxed attitude which had worked just fine with the sword. I have a beautiful, traditional red oak bo staff which, while not being heavy as such, is substantial enough to lead to tight forearms after a while of training. I was looking for this lightness that I had found in the iai practice. It followed on nicely while executing simple low blocks, turns and strikes. Not grasping at the technique helped me flow and integrate better with the movement rather than fighting against it with my mind.

Wish I'd brought me sword

It doesn't happen often but this morning I've finished my house chores in good time, have little design work to do and find myself at a loose end. Being faced with this moment to myself I decided to make the most of it and drove to Anglesey Abbey for a cup of good coffee and to read a book or two. It's a very foggy day and makes the grounds look really atmospheric-wish I'd brought my sword. I'd love to practice some iai in this freezing fog in beautiful surroundings. Not sure though. It might spook the silver haired visitors to the Abbey grounds!

I find having time for oneself is very important. I *love* being with my family but sometimes I just need a bit of air and time to be with my thoughts. Or even better with no thoughts at all! There's a great chapter in the super little book about zen by Joe Hyams called Zen in the Martial Arts about a fencing master who would have 'do nothing' days. On those days he would not make appointments, reply to calls or even listen to the radio. A good time for him to be comfortable being himself and being with himself. Yesterday on the radio there was an interesting debate about whether 'me time' as an institution or whether really it should be woven into our lives seamlessly so that when we do have calmer moments we can reflect deeply at that point and not need for longer periods of being completely withdrawn from everyone around us. After all we (mostly) live in an increasingly crowded society so getting that 'away' time when you can find absolute solitude is pretty difficult.

I suppose that's why I wish I'd brought my sword! Nothing better than meditation through iai on a cold foggy morning. I did satisfy my longing for meditation by walking through the wooded area concentrating on my footsteps one after the other, breathing with each step. This is pretty useful stuff as when done enough you can learn to slow down, calm yourself and meditate anywhere.

Saya construction

The saya is the scabbard of a sword in Japanese. The saya has a beautiful finish to it and is very often so highly lacquered that one might think it was plastic! It is, in fact, traditionally made from magnolia (ho) which is easy to work, has very little sap and is said to have oils wihtin it to help preserve the blade (An introduction to japanese Swords, I. Bottomley). 

I found a very interesting website outlining the main processes of making a saya:

• Kidori & Nakadoshi: Cutting & Splitting the Blank
• Kezuri-awase: Planing the Inner Surface
• Kaki-ire: Chiseling the Space for the Blade
• Norizuke: Gluing the Two Halves Together
• Arakezuri & Nakakezuri: Rough & Fine Planing the Outside
• Mekugi-ana-age: Drilling the Rivet Hole
• Shiagekezuri & Shiagemigaki: Finish Planing & Finish Polishing

Usually the hilt (tsuka) is also made from magnolia wood. I believe the ho wood is cut from the Japanese magnolia or Magnolia hypoleuca (possibly Magnolia liliiflora).

The saya is an important part of the sword in iai. Correct usage of the saya helps the drawing of the sword rendering the iai-to a two part weapon: sword and saya.

An introduction to Japanese armour and swords

I spent the day in town looking for martial arts books and came away with an armful! I'll post a review when I've finished them but as a quick Sunday night post here are the references for two slim publications I picked up from the Royal Armouries.  At about 36 pages each they're not too detailed but they are really great introductions (as their names imply) and I found them incredibly well laid out and easy to digest. There's a great description and graphic of how the swords are made.

An introduction to Japanese swords

An introduction to Japanese armour

Both by Ian Bottomley available from the Royal Armouries website.

Kiai in the zone

Check out this crazy kendoka who seems to be in the zone emitting some strange kiais and delivering one-handed cuts. I don't know how common one-handed cuts are in Kendo-certainly his opponent doesn't seem that bothered about it. Great example of aggressive focus though. Reminds me of a competition I had where, before the bout, I could see my opponent felt upbeat and dismissive of me. Actually though I was all over him. My kihaps were clear, strong and I dominated the match. Afterwards he was gracious enough to congratulate me and made particular note of the kihap usage. 

If anyone knows more about one-handed kendo strikes, please comment!

Martial Arts Festival - iai

This demo was lead by Hanshi Mike Selvey and as well as some iaido kata the guys treated us to some iai-jutsu kata and koryu kata as well as some tameshigiri (test cutting)-always interesting to see! The dojo site can be found here: www.tenshin-ryu.co.uk

Menuki

The menuki is a sword hilt decoration found on Japanese samurai swords. It is fitted to the handle (Tsuka) over the (usually) ray skin and under the handle bindings called 'Tsuka-Ito'.

This ornament hides one of the mekugi or holding pegs which are driven through the tsuka joining it to the tang of the blade. It also affords a little 'grip' as this protrudes slightly into the palm of the hand ad I find helps 'locate' the left hand. The left hand is important for cutting in iai.

Nice schema on wikipedia of Japanese sword:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Katana_(common_shema).png

An interesting article here about shortening the tsuka which also shows some construction of the handle.

Kogatana

The kogatana was an accessory knife associated with the wakizashi (which originally meant 'side arm). Samurai would wear this shorter sword along with their katana as a pair and this would be known as the daishō (a contraction of daitō, long sword, and shōtō, small sword, thus meaning big-small)

References of wakizashi being used date back to the 16th Century and Turnbull in his book Warriors of Medieval Japan implies that the wakizashi was used during the Age of Warring States or the Sengoku period of mid 15th Century to 17th Century Japan.

A small knife was often carried in a small pouch on the wakizashi and was known as the kogatana after the blade or the kozuka after the hilt. 'Weapon-A Visual History of Arms and Armoury' (DK Books) maintains that this small blade, while very sharp, would be used as an accessory knife for cutting paper and envelopes perhaps. Bugei.com states the kozuka, "have many uses including being used as a small throwing weapon".

check out some examples of the kogatana here:

http://www.ncjsc.org/gloss_kogatana.htm

Below is a film about sword forging and in this example they are making the short blade or kogatana.

Interestingly medieval European hunting swords may also use scabbards with 'trousses' within which would be held small knives for meat trimming or a bodkin for piercing holes.

Nagasone Kotetsu 1597-1678

Nagasone Kotetsu (長曾禰虎徹) (c. 1597-1678) was a gunsmith who later took to making swords and earned a reputation for making simple sabres which were extremely strong. Said to have only made 31 swords in his working life which bear his name, he later became a Buddhist monk whose successors were Nagasone Okinao and Nagasone Okihisa.

The Sword

I'm reading a book about signs and symbols. This is an are which fascinates me. For me it's linked to the development of communication and written language. How did we develop writing systems which were pictographic, or a picture of say a cow... to the written letters forming the word cow! Interestingly the letter 'a' which derives from the Hebrew aleph for bull doesn't feature in the word cow or bull!

Anyway- I digress... My eye alighted rather on the article in the book regarding swords! Swords which stand for power and virilty with their phallic form. He who holds the sword upright and threatens is to be feared! Perhaps I'm over-egging the virile element of a sword. After all, I'm not quite sure what other form a sword could take, other than phallic! There are some Bronoze Age Celtic swords which were 'leaf' shaped, but all in all it's a big metal stick with a pointy end :-)

Interestingly the sword is used when honouring Knights to bestow honour and authority but the book also says the sword can be seen as a symbol of purification. I wonder whether warriors of old thought of their swords as a purifier-cleaving the enemy in two to 'purify' them! Maybe. Maybe not....

The sword is often a violent symbol of death and power.

Japanese swordsmen do have, however, a slightly different take on this called Satsu Jin Ken / Katsu Jin Ken, or life-taking sword / life-giving sword. When the sword is applied without discipline it is destructive or Satsu Jin Ken but with experience and ability the master of the sword can resolve matters without the drawing of the sword, or by the re-sheathing of the sword to show an intention of peace. This is Katsu Jin Ken. Iaido is in fact a non-combatative mental discipline as much as it a physical one. Iaido is the art of drawing the sword but futhermore can be seen as "the way of mental presence and immediate reaction"(ref: wikipedia), thus we see the handling of the sword in a thoroughly peaceful way for the personal development of the practitioner.

Life taking and life giving sword.