Translated and Transcribed by Giorgio Hsiao, Iaido 2-Dan (Mu Mon Kai Iaido Club)
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Sei Tei Notes
#3 (Uke Nagashi)
• Avoid twisting the upper body too much towards your opponent as you draw the blade.
• When performing the block, ensure that you maintain Iai-goshi.
• Make sure to block for only an instant and extend the arm directly upwards rather than having it in above and in front of your body.
• Don’t focus only on the cut, rather focus on the ukenagashi into the cut as one smooth movement.
• Be sure to make the hiki-giri clear
#7 (Sanpo Giri)
• In order to maintain pressure on your opponent, only place your hand on the sword during the 4th step, and keep your left leg tense to establish a sense of groundedness and forward momentum.
• Turn on the ball of your feet, not the heel.
• The first cut should be vertical, not angled.
#9 (Soete Tsuki)
• The left foot must point towards the opponent on the thrust
#10 (Shiho Giri)
• Upper body must face opponent on first strike, and maintain center of gravity to allow for an easier turn (do not lean forward).
• Do not make your stance too wide during the tsuki. This will result in a tendency to pull your legs inwards, causing your tsuki to appear weaker.
• Proper ukenagashi for first two cuts.
• As you turn for the final cut, the moment you step over with your left foot is when you should assume the waki gamae stance, but only for an instant. Be sharp with the transition.
• When returning to the original position, it is now acceptable to be slightly to the right of your starting point.
#11 (Sou Giri)
• When drawing the sword, be sure to draw with your left hand and slightly to the right instead or directly up.
• Make sure the sword returns to proper position above your head after the first two cuts.
• Maintain strong Iai goshi.
• Keep a proper cutting angle throughout the entire horizontal cut.
• Keeping iai goshi will help you maintain the cut till the end.
• Do not be too tight with your grip, this can gimp the cut and make it harder to keep the cut horizontal
#12 (Nuki Uchi)
• Make sure the right foot steps back all the way, preferably adjacent to the left foot, but it is acceptable if the right is slightly in front of the left.
• Draw with your left hand and draw directly upwards.
Concepts
Te no Uchi
• Do not grip the sword too tightly. Be loose but firm.
• If you release your fingers while the sword is above your head, they should point directly towards the ceiling.
• Grab the sword “vertically”, rather than from the “side”
• With a proper grip, your palms should naturally assist in stopping the sword in a vertical cut.
• Be sure to avoid shini-te
Kan, Kyu, Kyo, Jyaku
• Iaido requires a balance of weak-strong, and slow-fast
• Only using brute strength, does not appear strong without weakness to contrast it.
• Katas appear strong with proper Jo Ha Kyu, Me-Tsuke, and Ki-Ken-Tai-Ichi
• Speed does not matter if the angle is incorrect
• Do not judge your own cut based on sound, and judges should not rely on the sound of a cut to deliver their verdict.
Kokyu
• Practice exhaling at the same time as your cuts.
• With enough practice, you can have steady and calm breath control during tournaments and exams
• It is more important to match your exhales with your cuts then to keep breathing consistent. (inhale if you really need to)
Turning in #6 and #8
• In #6, let your left foot slightly step over the center line., while in #8 let your left foot step significantly over the center line.
• NEVER turn on your heel in Zen Ken Ren.
• Make the transition between opponents as smooth and direct as possible with absolutely no detours.
Lecture
Q. Hatakenaka sensei talked about inner strength (power stemming from something outside of muscle) How do you teach this idea.
A. It varies from person to person. There are those that can learn from a certain method and those that cannot. It is the responsibility of the instructor to find a method that works for the student and to find out how hard they can be pushed. What’s most important is the mindset and one’s own understanding of their body and desirable iai.
Tangent: I believe that the best way to teach is to allow the students to observe me practicing, and figure out for themselves what they need to improve upon. I will only interfere when they start to stray too far from the path that I believe is correct. The student must also trust their sensei and follow their teaching, and not fully follow another sensei’s instructions. I will also not allow my 6th dan students to teach as I believe they need to focus on their training so that they may be ready for their 7th dan grading. There is no correct way to teach, but the absolute worst thing a sensei can do is show any sign of favoritism.
Q. What can be done if a dojo does not have many high level sensei.
A. It is understandable as the west does not have too many high level sensei, as such it would be a good idea to attend as many seminars as possible so that you may receive instructions and ideas from high level sensei outside your dojo and consult the information and instructions you receive with others in your own dojo.
Q. I have an image in my head that I consider as good Iai and strive to lead my students towards my image. Do you agree with this mindset?
A. The desires of what a student wants and their strengths can be very clear by watching their techniques (aggressive, accurate, or calm) I suggest cultivating their respective strengths while regulating it so that they do not go overboard and stay within reason of your image. This is how I view it but you may teach in whatever way you feel is right.
Q. When a student reaches a point where they can possibly start teaching, what do you look for in potential candidates.
A. What’s most important is dedication. Many people can reach 5th dan by simply showing interest and practicing Iai, however, 6th dan and above requires significantly more work and a large amount of commitment, such as putting aside a lot of money for events, and attending seminars abroad.
Q. How do you keep motivation in those that can’t reach a #1 spot in a taikai.
A. There is an issue where bias is shown to those that consistently win in tournaments vs. and those that do not. If the judges are aware of this, flags tend to be raised in favor of the consistent tournament winner. Instead of striving to be #1, it’s best to strive for self-improvement, putting in 100% effort in all practice so that you may become a better martial artist. Those that simply want to win tournaments should go play traditional sports.
Sei Tei Notes
#3 (Uke Nagashi)
• Avoid twisting the upper body too much towards your opponent as you draw the blade.
• When performing the block, ensure that you maintain Iai-goshi.
• Make sure to block for only an instant and extend the arm directly upwards rather than having it in above and in front of your body.
• Don’t focus only on the cut, rather focus on the ukenagashi into the cut as one smooth movement.
• Be sure to make the hiki-giri clear
#7 (Sanpo Giri)
• In order to maintain pressure on your opponent, only place your hand on the sword during the 4th step, and keep your left leg tense to establish a sense of groundedness and forward momentum.
• Turn on the ball of your feet, not the heel.
• The first cut should be vertical, not angled.
#9 (Soete Tsuki)
• The left foot must point towards the opponent on the thrust
#10 (Shiho Giri)
• Upper body must face opponent on first strike, and maintain center of gravity to allow for an easier turn (do not lean forward).
• Do not make your stance too wide during the tsuki. This will result in a tendency to pull your legs inwards, causing your tsuki to appear weaker.
• Proper ukenagashi for first two cuts.
• As you turn for the final cut, the moment you step over with your left foot is when you should assume the waki gamae stance, but only for an instant. Be sharp with the transition.
• When returning to the original position, it is now acceptable to be slightly to the right of your starting point.
#11 (Sou Giri)
• When drawing the sword, be sure to draw with your left hand and slightly to the right instead or directly up.
• Make sure the sword returns to proper position above your head after the first two cuts.
• Maintain strong Iai goshi.
• Keep a proper cutting angle throughout the entire horizontal cut.
• Keeping iai goshi will help you maintain the cut till the end.
• Do not be too tight with your grip, this can gimp the cut and make it harder to keep the cut horizontal
#12 (Nuki Uchi)
• Make sure the right foot steps back all the way, preferably adjacent to the left foot, but it is acceptable if the right is slightly in front of the left.
• Draw with your left hand and draw directly upwards.
Concepts
Te no Uchi
• Do not grip the sword too tightly. Be loose but firm.
• If you release your fingers while the sword is above your head, they should point directly towards the ceiling.
• Grab the sword “vertically”, rather than from the “side”
• With a proper grip, your palms should naturally assist in stopping the sword in a vertical cut.
• Be sure to avoid shini-te
Kan, Kyu, Kyo, Jyaku
• Iaido requires a balance of weak-strong, and slow-fast
• Only using brute strength, does not appear strong without weakness to contrast it.
• Katas appear strong with proper Jo Ha Kyu, Me-Tsuke, and Ki-Ken-Tai-Ichi
• Speed does not matter if the angle is incorrect
• Do not judge your own cut based on sound, and judges should not rely on the sound of a cut to deliver their verdict.
Kokyu
• Practice exhaling at the same time as your cuts.
• With enough practice, you can have steady and calm breath control during tournaments and exams
• It is more important to match your exhales with your cuts then to keep breathing consistent. (inhale if you really need to)
Turning in #6 and #8
• In #6, let your left foot slightly step over the center line., while in #8 let your left foot step significantly over the center line.
• NEVER turn on your heel in Zen Ken Ren.
• Make the transition between opponents as smooth and direct as possible with absolutely no detours.
Lecture
Q. Hatakenaka sensei talked about inner strength (power stemming from something outside of muscle) How do you teach this idea.
A. It varies from person to person. There are those that can learn from a certain method and those that cannot. It is the responsibility of the instructor to find a method that works for the student and to find out how hard they can be pushed. What’s most important is the mindset and one’s own understanding of their body and desirable iai.
Tangent: I believe that the best way to teach is to allow the students to observe me practicing, and figure out for themselves what they need to improve upon. I will only interfere when they start to stray too far from the path that I believe is correct. The student must also trust their sensei and follow their teaching, and not fully follow another sensei’s instructions. I will also not allow my 6th dan students to teach as I believe they need to focus on their training so that they may be ready for their 7th dan grading. There is no correct way to teach, but the absolute worst thing a sensei can do is show any sign of favoritism.
Q. What can be done if a dojo does not have many high level sensei.
A. It is understandable as the west does not have too many high level sensei, as such it would be a good idea to attend as many seminars as possible so that you may receive instructions and ideas from high level sensei outside your dojo and consult the information and instructions you receive with others in your own dojo.
Q. I have an image in my head that I consider as good Iai and strive to lead my students towards my image. Do you agree with this mindset?
A. The desires of what a student wants and their strengths can be very clear by watching their techniques (aggressive, accurate, or calm) I suggest cultivating their respective strengths while regulating it so that they do not go overboard and stay within reason of your image. This is how I view it but you may teach in whatever way you feel is right.
Q. When a student reaches a point where they can possibly start teaching, what do you look for in potential candidates.
A. What’s most important is dedication. Many people can reach 5th dan by simply showing interest and practicing Iai, however, 6th dan and above requires significantly more work and a large amount of commitment, such as putting aside a lot of money for events, and attending seminars abroad.
Q. How do you keep motivation in those that can’t reach a #1 spot in a taikai.
A. There is an issue where bias is shown to those that consistently win in tournaments vs. and those that do not. If the judges are aware of this, flags tend to be raised in favor of the consistent tournament winner. Instead of striving to be #1, it’s best to strive for self-improvement, putting in 100% effort in all practice so that you may become a better martial artist. Those that simply want to win tournaments should go play traditional sports.
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