Basics
The Five Movements
Here are the basic five movements from the tachi (standing) position. This demonstration is by a practitioner with 3 years of experience, and should not be used as a substitute to practice at a local dojo with an actual sensei. To see the basic movements demonstrated by a master practitioner from the seiza (sitting) position, go to the "Videos" page on this website under "Links" by clicking here. Playing the slideshow does not result in movements in real time: the pictures for the first three movements are taken at about half-second intervals, while the pictures for the 4th and 5th movements are taken at 0.8 sec and 1.2 sec intervals respectively.
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Nukitsuke (Drawing Cut)
For the beginner, this 1st move can be broken down into Push, Turn, Step, and Draw. First, push the blade away from the sheath. Next, turn the blade and sheath such that the cutting edge is outward. Then, step with right foot forward. Finally, draw the blade and cut horizontally at shoulder height. 1. Ready position: hands at the side and knees slightly bent 2. Both hands come up to the handle simultaneously 3. The left hand thumb is in position to push the tsuba (hand guard) to unlock the blade, and the right hand should grip the sword's handle with the hand coming up from under the handle (wrist closer to ground, fingers extending up) 4. Align the sword in the proper drawing direction. Blade should be drawn directly towards opponent's eyes to prevent opponent from noticing how long the blade is. 5. Unlock the blade from the sheath, and draw the blade by pushing the right hand forward and pulling the sheath backwards. Do not use a pulling motion with the right hand. 6. Begin stepping forward with the right foot. As the tip of the blade is drawn from the sheath, turn both the sheath and the blade such that the blade's cutting edge is facing the (practitioner's) left side. 7. Swing the blade horizontally (parallel to the ground) at shoulder height. 8. Finish at shoulder height, with the tip slightly lower than the handle. The tip should be pointed forward to direct pressure at the opponent. |
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Furikaburi (Raising the Sword)
This 2nd movement is a smooth transition from the first diagonal cut to the vertical finishing cut. 1. End of nukitsuke 2. Bend the right wrist to bring the tip of the blade towards the (practitioner's) left ear. 3. When wrist reaches flexibility limit, begin to bend the elbow. Being moving left hand to where the handle will be when sword is overhead. 4. Continue to bend until the tsuba (hand guard) is directly in front of the nose. 5. Raise the sword directly over head. 6. Grip the handle with left hand 7. Finish with sword centered and flat (parallel to the ground) . |
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Kirioroshi (Downward Cut)
The 3rd movement is also named kirikudashi, and is meant to be inflict a fatal wound should the nukitsuke fail. The goal is to slice an opponent through the skull down to the navel. While this technique seems brutal, it ensures that the opposing samurai will die with honor instead of bleeding or rotting to death. The key to producing a powerful cut is to straighten the arm and wrist to reach full extension. Be mindful of completing a slicing motion as opposed to a hacking or chopping motion: the tip of the sword should follow a large arc, and a proper cut utilizes the weight of the sword, not muscle strength. When using a metal blade with a shinogi (blood groove), proper technique will result in an audible tachikaze (literally: sword wind). A beginner may have trouble keeping the sword straight throughout this movement; proper grip and balance between dominant and non-dominant hand reduces wobbling. |
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Chiburi (Blood Removal)
The 4th movement shown here is a variant of chiburi named kasa no shizuku o harao (literally: wet umbrella method) or "Omori-Ryu chiburi" (named after the martial art branch). This movement is designed to clean the blade of any blood prior to sheathing. 1. End of kirioroshi. 2. Release the left hand's grip on the handle, and slowly move the sword to the side with the right hand. Bring the left hand back towards the sheath. 3. The left hand should be on the hip, and the right arm should be straight. The tip pointing directly to the (practitioner's) right, the cutting edge should face forward, and the sword should be parallel to the ground. 4. Bend at the elbow and bring the right wrist towards the temple. 5. Loosen the grip on the handle. The tip of the sword should dip a little, and the sword should be turned away and behind the body at about a 45-degree angle. 6. Swing the blade counterclockwise by tightening the grip on the handle. By clenching the handle, the whole sword should snap downward in a circular motion. As the sword's weight is carried in the arc, follow through with the elbow and the arm. Begin bringing the left foot forward when sword is put in motion. 7. The sword should be stopped when the tip reaches just outside the line of the right foot. After the sword has stopped, the left foot should finish moving and the feet should be together. |
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Noto (Resheathing)
The 5th and final basic movement is to return the sword to its sheath. The technique shown here is Shoden Noto (basic resheathing). 1. End of chiburi. 2. Slide right foot backward slowly while keeping sword in place. The left hand, originally on the hip, should be moved to cover the koiguchi (literally: koi''s [carp's] mouth), the opening of the sheath. 3. Form a slit with the left hand's thumb and forefinger over the koiguchi. Bring the sword around the left side in an exaggerated movement and let the blunt back edge of the blade meet the top of the left hand. The blade should rest on the groove formed by the webbed part between the thumb and forefinger. 4. Draw the sword forward while sliding the blunt edge of the blade across the webbed part of the left hand. Maintain balance and pull the left hand and left hip back to avoid over-extension of the right arm. The tip of the blade should fall into the slit made by the thumb and forefinger, and be aligned with the koiguchi. 5. Make sure that the angle of the blade is the same as that of the sheath. Bring both hands together, pushing the blade with the right hand and the sheath with the left hand. 6. The simultaneous movement ends with a resheathed sword in the center-line of the body. 7. Check the handle of the blade by sliding the right hand across the top. This movement is used to check if the handle had sustained any battle damage (the tsuka-ito (handle wrap) may unravel). 8. Rest the right hand at the end of the handle after the tsuka (handle) check. Slowly bring right foot forward. 9. End with feet together. Knees should still be slightly bent. |