Introduction

This book seeks to introduce the reader to the fascinating world of Japanese fencing. Japanese fencing, or iaido as it is called today, is not only a mentally and physically invigorating variety of Japan's countless martial arts, but it also boasts a history filled with many great men and events, underpinned by a philosophy that reaches back over many centuries. It is for this reason that in this book, much weight is given not only to the techniques that are still being practiced today, but also to giving the general reader some insight into the history and teachings that lie at the root of modern-day Japanese fencing.

Having said this, serious inquiry into the history of Japanese fencing remains an as yet exceedingly recent phenomenon; even though the amount of literature on this topic in the Japanese language is overwhelming, the depth and amount of academic works are still limited. Moreover, due to the nature of the subject, those who do venture into this highly fascinating field of research are faced with a terrain composed of sufficient historical fact to uphold academic scrutiny, yet fraught with enough pitfalls of anecdotes, fables, and outright fabrications to persuade even the most seriously interested scholar to seek more steady ground under his feet. With this in mind, the historical data introduced in this book are presented without the embellishments that would make for great copy but would leave the reader in the dark as to their veracity.

Unlike in Western sports, there is an unmistakable spiritual aspect to the practice of Japanese martial arts. In order to understand the martial arts as they are practiced in Japan today, it is crucial to have a basic knowledge of the philosophical tradition within which they were fostered, no matter how remote that tradition may seem to us today. This need not be a burden, for the modern reader may stand to learn a lot from the old philosophy of Bushido, albeit when interpreted with care.

No book on martial arts would be complete without giving ample scope to the technical aspects of the martial art in question. Consequently, most of the space of this book has been reserved for a description of the various techniques of the (Yagyu) Shinkage school of fencing, no doubt one of the most prestigious schools of fencing during the Edo period. As with all Japanese art forms, the techniques that comprise a certain school are transmitted from generation to generation by means of prescribed movements known as kata. It is through the endless repetition of these kata that the apprentice learns to master the various waza, or techniques. Each kata consists of a number of fluently combined steps, and it is only upon the mastery of these kata that the talented apprentice is able to emulate his or her master.

Inevitably in a book of this scope, it is a sheer impossibility to give a fully exhaustive account of all the minor historical, philosophical, and practical aspects of Japanese fencing. Therefore, treatment of the multitude of various schools of fencing has been limited to a description of the three predominant schools of fencing that arose during the Tokugawa period. As a result, this book does not touch on, for instance, the eccentric life of Miyamoto Musashi, as his school of fencing, the Nito-ryu, failed to find the same kind of following as the schools mentioned here. Similarly, the treatment of Japanese fencing techniques has been limited to those of the Shinkage school of fencing, or in Japanese, Shinkage-ryu Iai. This limitation is due simply to the regrettable fact that there are physical limitations to the number of fencing techniques one can master in a lifetime. I can only encourage those who are studying any of the many extant schools of Japanese fencing to take up the pen and record for posterity what they have learned.

I nevertheless hope that all those with an interest in Japanese fencing and the history and philosophy that lie at the root of today's martial arts will find in this book enough material to rouse their interest and will pursue their own particular path through the fascinating world of Bushido.

Chapter Three: The Practice

The Shinkage school of fencing described in this chapter is a fusion of a variety of traditional martial arts, such as Shinkage-ryu, Batto-Seiho, Seigo-ryu Iai, Sekiguchi Iai, and Rikishin-ryu Iai. All of these styles were originally passed on by the Yagyu family. These styles of martial arts were later passed on to Kashima Kiyotaka by Kinji Toshinaga. In 1936, Kashima Kiyotaka, the master pupil of Yagyu Gencho, received permission to teach what he had learned and passed it on to his students under the current name of Shinkage-ryu Iai. It is this style of fencing that has been handed down to us by Kashima's master pupil, Akita Moriji.

Around 1945, a number of different names were still in vogue to describe Shinkage-ryu Iai, such as Yagyu-ryu Iai, Shinkage-ryu Heiho Iai, and Yagyu Seigoryu Iai. By 1955, however, all of these names had been united into the new name of Shinkage-ryu Iai.

Character of Shinkage-ryo Iai

The main strength of the Shinkage-style swordsman is his capacity to instantly respond in a number of ways to an unanticipated attack and thereby obtain victory. In response to the movements of a hypothetical enemy, the practitioner aims to respond effectively to an attack with various weapons in various circumstances.

The object of the practitioner of the Shinkage school of fencing is to improve his or her physical and mental powers through constant training but obtain victory without taking recourse to violence. The true Shinkage-ryu swordsman, therefore, is considered to be the one who subdues his enemy without drawing his sword and who practices his art with a peaceful mind.

Dress

When performing Shinkage-ryu iaido, it is customary to wear the traditional dress of montsuki (a kimono marked with the family crest), hakama, and white tabi. The obi should be wound round the waist three times, positioning the last winding lower so that the saya (sheath) can be inserted inside the first two windings and over the last winding for stability.

There is no fixed length of the sage-o (the cord attached to the saya). The sage-o should be threaded through the kurikata (the notch on the saya) so that both ends extend at equal length and are held in place by a simple knot at a distance of one-third of the sage-o's length.

To tie the sage-o to the hakama, use the left hand to make a noose at the middle of the sage-o, slip it under the obi of the hakama close to the insertion point of the saya, and use the thumb of the same hand to draw out the noose until it protrudes from above the obi by approximately two inches. Then take the loose end of the sage-o to make another noose, and thread it through the existing noose. Finally take hold of the end of the sage-o between the obi and the kurikata close to the point where it is inserted under the obi and firmly pull it down to tighten the knot. In this way, the knot can be untied by simply pulling at the open end that protrudes from the knot.

Sitting

To achieve the correct sitting posture (seiza), from a standing position draw the left leg backward by half a step and slowly lower the body until the left knee touches the floor. Then shift the left knee forward and lower the right knee to the floor. Lower the body in a controlled manner, leaving some space between the buttocks and the heels; just enough, as it were, to insert a piece of paper between the buttocks and heels.

The Sword

The techniques of the Shinkage school of fencing are traditionally practiced in two ways. They are either practiced individually with a steel sword or in pairs with the fukuro shinai, a bamboo sword similar to the one used by kendo practitioners but covered with soft padding. Although the use of the fukuro shinai is nowadays not widely practiced, it is a good way of improving one's reflexes and getting a real feel of a duel similar to that experienced in kendo. For further protection, the fukuro shinai can be used in combination with kote, the protective gloves also used in kendo.

Normally, however, Shinkage techniques are practiced strictly on an individual basis using a steel sword. Whether the sword is a blunt imitation sword (mogita) or a real, hand-forged sword (shinken) depends largely on the degree of skill of the practitioner. The use of the real and very sharp Japanese sword is strongly discouraged in inexperienced practitioners and anyone not in possession of at least the third dan.

In all events, great care should be taken when practicing with either a mogita or a shinken. Before practice, always check that the small wooden pin (mekugi) by which the hilt (tsuka) is secured to the blade is sound and secure. When practicing, keep a safe distance from fellow practitioners, and never execute a technique by aiming at a person, as centrifugal forces may cause the blade to be launched from the hilt through unnoticed wear of the mekugi.

Eye Contact

Establishing eye contact (metsuki) in the Shinkage style is done with the eyes wide open. It is crucial that the eyes are trained on the opponent throughout; from the moment one sets eyes on the opponent when in seiza through all the stages of the waza: drawing the sword (nuki-tsuke), cutting the opponent down (kiri-otoshi), and sheathing the sword (noto). Only when the feet are back in their original position is the gaze again fixed on the horizon.

Pose

To obtain the proper pose, follow these fundamental rules: