- ( ) Iai Do - Tate Hiza No Bu (Eishin

Transcription

1 Ryu) - ( ) Iai Do - Tate Hiza No Bu (Eishin Ippon Me Nihon Me Sanbon Me Shihon Me Gohon Me Roppon Me Shichihon Me Hachihon Me Kyuhon Me Juppon Me Yoko Gumo Tora no Issoku Ina Zuma Uki Gumo Oroshi Iwa Nami Uroko Gaeshi Nami Gaeshi Taki Otoshi Makkou These notes are based on training with Iwata Sensei ( ), Terao Sensei ( ), Furutani Sensei ( ) and Morinaka Sensei ( ) in Ozu, Ehime-ken in November Neil Kemp, Brian Morrison & Steve Watering March 2000

2 0 GENERAL NOTES OF KEY POINTS FOR EISHIN RYU (TATE HIZA NO BU) FROM JAPAN TRIPS IN OCT 97 & NOV 99 Neil Kemp, Brian Morrison & Steve Watering 1 Demonstrate fukaku in all forms and make them as natural as possible. 2 Centre line of tsuba is in line with your centre (tanden/hara). Take the tsuka from underneath with the right hand for nukitsuke and push along the centre line with the web of the right hand, the thumb pointing at tekki s solar plexus. The snap of the wrist by applying tenouchi is described below. Hold lightly until you apply tenouchi in nukitsuke. 3 Cut with the hara in nukitsuke; Relax the hara needed in furi kaburi; Cut with the hara in kiritsuke; Use the hara for the push in yoko chiburui Use the hara for noto. 4 Keep the grip soft through the initial cutting action, progressive apply tenouchi JUST FOR THE CUTS, relax the grip at the end of the cut. DO NOT DO THE TENOUCHI TOO STRONGLY. 5 We must try to obtain Iwata Sensei's grip with the wrists well over the tsuka in the cuts. The tsuka should run diagonally across the palm, with the heel of the hand round on top of the tsuka. The little finger and the next finger grip with 100%, the third finger with 80%. The thumb is round the tsuka lying gently on the top of the third finger. The tips of the index finger and the index finger just touch. The knuckle of the thumb is lower than that of the index finger. The grip is the same for both hands but there is about 50% more power given to the left hand as it actually does the cutting, the right in essence guides the cut in the main 2 handed cuts. The right hand is 1 to 1.5 inches back from the tsuba. The left hand is towards, or at the end, of the tsuka. 6 Grip the tsuka lightly when the sword is back and over the head. The wrists should be bent as you start kiritsuke and you should push forward and down with the forearms as you do the cut. By the time the sword reaches the position to cut shomen the hands should be completely over the tsuka BUT STILL LOOSE. The snap comes from applying tenouchi (i.e. pushing the thumb forward on both hands so that they rotate round the tsuka), thus straightening the wrists and cutting with the hara. 7 Reach out for all nukitsuke and kiritsuke. 8 Keep the posture as upright as possible, chin in, head and shoulders back. 9 Apply Jo Ha Kyu in all aspects of the forms BUT DO NOT RUSH THE FORMS. Jo Ha Kyu is as much about commitment as hand speed. High-speed forms may look flashy but they hide a multitude of sins. The kiritsuke cuts should be slow back but fast into the cut. This also applies to furi kaburi. 10 All nukitsuke, and especially kiritsuke, should be done calmly. 11 Do not overly raise the right hand, or push it too far forward in yoko chiburui. 12 Ensure that the yoko chiburui is almost parallel to the floor, not with kissaki down too much. The following notes are not in the detailed form given in the Omori Ryu notes. It is assumed that the instructors are Sandan and above, hence will have been taught, and practised, Eishin Ryu only when their instructors have deemed them ready. These notes are therefore simply key points for each form. 1

3 1 YOKO GUMO Side or Horizontal Cloud (or Cloud Bank) (These are the original names, unchanged by Oe Masamichi Sensei) 1 In tate hiza facing shomen. 2 Hands together at the groin area to start the waza. 3 Hand movements to take the tsuka are small and are together. Left hand passing the kurigata to take the tsuba, right hand to half/three quarters the way up the tsuka then brushing down to the tsuba. 4 Apply pressure with the thighs, push the right thumb to tekki s solar plexus as you rise into nukitsuke. 5 Use Jo Ha Kyu & hara, and reach for the nukitsuke as in Mae. 6 The right knee should be forward of the right foot on nukitsuke as in Mae. 7 Furi kaburi and kiritsuke as in Mae, hence right foot extends out as you prepare for furi kaburi, use the hara, and the right knee is slightly in front of the right foot at the end of kiritsuke. The kissaki can be parallel to the floor at the completion of kiritsuke, but slightly down is better. 8 The sword should come round and over the head in a large arc, the hara comes forward and down in a small arc. Hence they both come together/focus on the cut. 9 Use the web & thumb of the right hand to push the sword over the right knee into yoko chiburui. Make yoko chiburui as horizontal as possible, but it will be slightly forward and with the kissaki a little down. Kissaki up is wrong. 10 You must use the hara to impart power into the chiburui. DO NOT over extend the chiburui action round in front of the right knee. DO NOT let the right knee rock during this action. 11 The right foot comes in at a natural angle to the left knee, then round in a small circle to the right, picking up the hakama, as part of the noto. The sheathing of the sword and the movement of the right foot should be together, DO NOT leave the foot behind. Leave a little of the sword out until you complete the foot movement, then finish the noto. 12 The noto action should be smooth and continuous all the way through. The hara should be pointing forward at the end with the right knee out at about 45 degrees and pointing down into the floor. DO NOT sink down onto your heals, this should be a strong posture. 13 Unlike the Omori Ryu noto, which is done with the sword near vertical, the Eishin Ryu noto can be flatter. Ask your teacher if you are uncertain. 14 Set the tsuka into the saya using the right hand as in Omori Ryu, push the right foot forward over half as step and rise, pushing forward with the hara. Left foot up to right, retreat three steps starting with the left, hands off metsuke off. 2 TORA NO ISSOKU Tiger s Paw/Foot (or One Leg of the Tiger) 1 In tate hiza facing shomen. 2 Again hand movement are small to take the tsuka. 3 The metsuke is on tekki, hence can be ahead if tekki starts from the same position as you, or can be forward and up if you visualise tekki as a standing opponent. The latter is the standard interpretation. You will see the difference when you come to practice Tsume Ai No Kurai. 4 Draw the sword out nearly horizontal maintaining metsuke on tekki, as you rise 2

4 preparing for the parry. 5 New students should place the toes of the left foot before starting to rise into the parry. More experienced students should not need to do this. 6 Do not draw the sword for the parry until you perceive the attack to start, because you will not know where the attack is targeted until then. 7 Draw the left foot back and parry with the monouchi area of the shinogi/shinogi-ji. With the kissaki forward and to the right of the right foot as in Yae Gaki. The right foot should be pointing forward, the left foot should be well back and angled at about 45 degrees. The pressure should be from the hara onto the front foot and into the sword. 8 There is a straight line between the tanden, the right knee and the monouchi area of the sword. The right knee should be slightly forward of the right foot. 9 New students will do this parry as Yae Gaki. More experienced students will pause for only a short time, if at all, before folding into the furi kaburi. They both must use the hips and hara, not just shoulders and arms. 10 There should be pressure forward from the hara as the hips are straightened and you sink into the preparation for kiritsuke. You should cover your head and the left shoulder with the sword Uke Nagashi fashion as you come into this position, i.e. a feeling of folding in under the sword. BUT DO NOT overdo this action otherwise it will be impractical and useless. 11 You should drive the left knee up to the heal of the right foot (or just past the foot if possible) keeping the posture upright. DO NOT drop to rest on your heals as this is a dead posture with the hara subdued. The hara pressure should be forward ready to continue the waza. 12 Step the right foot out as the sword comes through furi kaburi, round the back and over the head for kiritsuke. 13 Complete the kiritsuke, chiburui and noto as in Yoko Gumo. 14 Finish the waza as in Yoko Gumo. 3 INA ZUMA Lightning 1 In tate hiza facing shomen. 2 Start the same as Tora No Issoku. 3 The metsuke should be forward and up for a standing opponent, or ahead for an opponent in seiza or tate hiza. 4 The nukitsuke should be like that in Tsuki Kage of Omori Ryu, but forward. The draw and cut should be timed to match the perceived attack as in Tsuki Kage and Tora No Issoku. 5 New students should again position the left foot and toes before having to step straight back with the left foot. More experienced student will simply rise and cut positioning the left foot just before the cut takes tekki s forearms. 6 The cut is a rising diagonal cut straight ahead, hence the left foot goes straight back, there may be a little hanmi as the hip makes the cut however, but it will not be as marked as in Tsuki Kage. There should be a straight line through the sword, the body and the left leg. 7 The furi kaburi is straight ahead, not to the left as in Tsuki Kage. 8 New students will drive the left knee up to the heal of the right foot (or past the foot if possible), then step the right foot forward to complete the kiritsuke as in 3

5 previous waza. This is the standard waza. More advanced student will drive forward with the hara, perform furi kaburi and complete the kirioroshi in one movement. Both students must ensure that they drive forward quickly and do not pause too long. It is a quicker waza that Tsuki Kage. 9 The chiburui, noto and finish are the same as the previous forms. 4 UKI GUMO - Floating Cloud 1 Facing Shomen, turn 90 degrees to the left and take tate hiza. Do this with the minimum of fuss. 2 As tekki comes to grab the tsuka the left hand takes the tsuba/saya, you rise strongly driving the right foot back to the rear at between 35 to 45 degrees. The initial feeling in the rise from tate hiza should be of someone pulling you up by the hair, therefore the feeling is rising straight up. At the same time use the left hand to push the sword further out of tekki s reach by snapping it to the rear. The right hand should be firmly placed on the right thigh close the groin. The right hand gives added strength to this posture. Metsuke should be round on tekki. The right foot should be straight out (i.e. about 90 degrees to the left of shomen, the left foot will be back pointing at natural angle to the rear, it is unlikely to be parallel to the right foot). The whole body is thus at this 35 to 45 degree angle but the head is round looking at tekki. 3 From this position take in what is happening, but without too much of a pause, take the left hand up high to the right breast at the same time drive the left hip and foot forward so that the left foot crosses the right foot and take hold of the tuska with the right hand. The draw up of the sword must be high to prevent tekki grabbing the tsuka, or you hitting a friend who may have interceded between you and tekki. Ask your teacher to explain the various scenarios, this will help you understand this movement. At this point the body should be round facing tekki and you should feel as though you are coiled up ready to act. The right foot should have stayed where it was planted on the initial rise and draw. The heel of the left foot should be just passed the toes of the right foot. The toes of the left foot should be pointing towards shomen, the sole of the left foot should be flat on the floor, the knees will be close together. 4 Without pausing, drive the tsuka down at a natural angle, then round to the left as though pushing someone out of the way and pulling the saya into the obi and drawing the sword. The sword must be facing up so that the push round is strong and the sword can be drawn naturally towards tekki. The action should be to drop the hips, open the knees, pull back the left hip, roll the left foot over onto the top of the foot, dropping the knees further, but drawing the sword up and forward to take tekki about 45 degrees across the body from between his centre and left hip to right shoulder. Your sword will be low, across tekki s body such that he cannot draw his sword to attack you. This must be all one motion. Your body will facing 90 degrees to tekki, it may be angled slightly forward but try to keep it as upright as possible. The sole of the right foot will still be where it was, the top of the right foot will now be on the floor (therefore the sole is pointing upwards), the knees are well splayed. The left hand will have pulled the saya back and round into the obi as normal and the right hand will be below waist height (close to your behind) and the right wrist should be bent. Your body is very close to the initial 4

6 35 to 45 degree angle it took to avoid tekki, but the metsuke is on tekki. The right hand will be in line with the mashita (the board on the back) of your hakima. 5 This is a very uncomfortable position so you will not want to hold it for long. It is also very difficult to put into words, you really need someone experienced to demonstrate it to you and help you to attain the correct posture. It is best to practice this with a partner USING a bokken to get the correct feel for the draw and cut and the angles of the sword across tekki s body. Iwata Sensei said the draw and the placing of the sword should be with the feeling of cutting to ensure that the hips are used properly, aided by dropping the hara and knees. However, it isn t really a cut it is more an application of body weight/hara through the sword onto tekki to control him, but it must be done strongly. You should explore this in your practice. 6 Again without pausing, AND WITHOUT TAKING THE SWORD OFF TEKKI, drive the left hip and hand forward to take the mune of the sword about half way down the sword. The mune should be between the thumb and the spread fingers. If you have placed the sword correctly that will be just in front of his right shoulder. You must not let the pressure off of tekki, you must therefore make this a fast move forward with the feeling of pushing down. The left knee/hip will come forward, the left foot will roll over onto the sole. The right knee/hip will pull back and the foot will rotate on the heel. The feet will end up parallel and the whole body facing tekki. 7 Drop the hara/body weight straight down, drawing back the right foot, keeping the right hand low therefore the right are very nearly straight. This should force tekki down. Again you should try this with a bokken to get the right feel. 8 From this posture, right foot back, up on the toes, right knee on the floor, left foot close to tekki, raise the right hand so that the sword is almost parallel to the floor. Turn it so that the blade is horizontal, ha to the right. Then push the left hand to the right about 6 to 8 inches, i.e. parallel to the body. Do not push forward, think of it more as a cut. The monouchi will be at tekki s shoulder, concentrate on pulling down at this point rather than the kissaki. You must use the body weight/hara to pull tekki down NOT just shoulder and arm strength. It is important that you use the hara for this push. This action should push tekki off his centre of balance and let you control him. 9 Without unduly forcing the kissaki down and into tekki s back, then pull him down along the line of your body, i.e. parallel to your body. The kissaki will naturally be forced into tekki s back during the pull down. This will mean that your right knee and hip have to move back slightly. Try to keep the left arm straight and only a slight bend of the right elbow. If the right arm is too bent the pull down will not work. At the completion of this action tekki should be face down on the floor. The kissaki will be 4 6 inches off the floor. The left arm will be straight and down at a slight angle, the left hand will have pulled back along the mune slightly. The right arm will have a slight bend at the elbow but be almost parallel to the floor, but pointing down slightly with the right hand lower than the right shoulder. The sword will be about parallel to the body and down at an angle of about 45 degrees. Do not pull past the centre line of your body. 10 Do not pause at this point. Throw the sword up to the right rear at a natural angle, using the left hand to aid the throw. The right hand should move from just below the level of the right shoulder to just above shoulder height. The right arm 5

7 parallel to the floor is the best, slightly up is ok, but not too much up. The left hand should move quickly to catch the tsuka (Iwata Sensei said his teacher liked to hear the left hand catching the tsuka so lets try to ensure that happens). The sword should be out at a natural angle NOT parallel to the body and you should have the feeling of stretching out to catch the sword. This give you the feeling of rising from the initial pull down of tekki to really reaching out and up to catch the tsuka. The right hand grip must be light. 11 Move the left foot a little over to the right as if stamping on tekki s arm or sleeve. At the same time move the sword to above the head into Jodan No Kamae, moving the left hand from the end of the tsuka to very close to the right hand i.e. well up the tsuka. Without pausing cut down in a big arc at a natural angle to cut tekki through the mashita of his hakama on the left hand side of your left leg. The hands should stay close together on the tsuka, and should be well below the height of the left knee running parallel with the left leg. The sword should be low with the kissaki down to 2 to 3 inches off the floor. The body may be angled slightly forward. This is actually quite a difficult cut and it will take a while to get it right and you hear the normal swish as you cut. You must have a loose grip, especially with the right hand, and flexible wrists to cut properly. The snap of the wrists comes as the sword passes the knee as tenouchi is applied. 12 From here push forward and up leading with the right wrist and push forward to the right to perform yoko chiburui over the left knee. This should be a wide chiburui to release the tension after the rather cramped cut. Iwata Sensei and Terao Sensei say it should look big. This is to show anyone watching (other potential opponent in olden days, your teacher, judges at gradings etc now) that you completed the job at hand, are aware of the current position and are ready for any further developments, i.e. you are demonstrating zanshin and fukaku/kigurai. A slight pause at the end of the chiburui is acceptable. 13 Complete the noto and finish pulling back with the left foot this time. You should find yourself facing shomen. So step forward with the left foot then rise bringing up the right foot. 14 This is a very complex form, the hardest technically in all our waza. Because of this people should concentrate on getting this basic form correct before thinking of moving onto the kae waza. 15 Beginners will not be able to do this waza very well. Teachers must help them with all the various twisting, pulling and pushing actions. They need to be continually demonstrating this form so that beginners get to know the correct shapes. Partner work with a bokken is by far the best way to get the correct feel and angles. It is best that the teacher, or a senior student, acts as tekki. This helps correct the placement of the sword, and the correct movements to allow the proper form to develop. As students advance tekki should offer more resistance to help the students build in the movement of the hara. This is a very good way of helping them to develop good hara in all the other waza. 16 More advanced students should be demonstrating Jo Ha Kyu throughout the waza. The whole technique should be one continuously and smoothly, BUT NOT rushed. The best example of this is one continuous motion form the throw up of the sword, in 10 above through to cutting tekki across the back, in 11 above. Everyone should try hard to get this difficult for right. If you do not look at it as difficult it will help. 6

8 Kae Waza 1 Tanimira-ha Uchi Gaeshi 1 Sections 1 to 5 are the same as in the standard waza above but cut more to the right hand side of tekki s neck rather than 45 degrees across his body. 2 Instead of the movement forward to take the mune lift/cut the sword out of tekki s neck, drop the kissaki so that it almost vertically down (the grip should be loose), keeping the right hand in position initially. Then rotate the kissaki so that it is straight up lifting the right hand up, to about head height, ready to do a downward cut. At the same time drive the left hip forward turning the foot over as before and pulling the right hip back as before. Catch the mune about half way up and drop the hara/body down cutting strongly into tekki s right shoulder. As before this needs to be done quickly to prevent tekki from retreating and results in dropping down onto the right knee, the right foot well back. 3 Again the right hand will be down, the left hand will be in front of tekki s right shoulder. You will therefore have to raise the right hand and turn the blade flat, ha to the right. This is really a strong cutting action. 4 The remainder of the waza is the same as the standard form. Kae Waza 2 Tanimura-ha 1 Sections 1 and 2 are the same as in the standards waza. 2 At step three there is no one in the way between you and tekki so you don t have to do the complicated drop and twisting action. However, you should still step the left foot past the right. As you raise the sword towards the right breast you simply complete a high draw, pulling the saya into the obi, drawing the sword up and then cut down strongly. You should now drop into the cut pulling the left hip back as in the standard waza and rolling the left foot over. This should end in the same position as section 4 of the standard waza with your sword placed strongly across tekki s body at about 45 degrees. The body and right hand are exactly the same as in the standard waza. 3 You can now choose to complete the waza as in the standard form or using the alternative method described in the first kae waza. Kae Waza 3 Shimamura-ha 1 Sections 1 to 3 are the same as in the standards waza. 2 The initial part of section 4 is the same as the standard waza. However, instead of having the sword at 45 degrees across tekki s body it should be a full dropping cut into tekki s right shoulder. The sword will be nearly parallel to the floor, so the right hand is much higher than in the standard waza and further forward. 3 The body twist back to take tekki before he moves, the swap over of the feet and taking the mune with the left hand are very similar to the standard waza but keeping as upright as possible. Your left hand must be in front of tekki s body. 4 You should have the feeling of cutting into tekki s shoulder (ha straight down) and down his back as you drop and draw back the right foot and knee, dragging tekki back at the same time. Hence the drop and the pull back in the standard waza is done as one action in this form using the whole body 7

9 weight/hara. The sword is right down tekki s back, the kissaki in the spine. 5 To get the sword out you must push it forward to cut it out of tekki s body. 6 The throw of the sword is very much smaller and the end position is more like a Hasso no Kamae with the tsuba in line with the mouth at the right hand side of the face. The hands are already close together at this point. The ha will be pointing up and out. 7 The stamp on tekki s arm or sleeve, raising the sword from Hasso Nono Kamae through Jodan No Kame and cutting down on tekki s back are done as one smooth sequential action. 8 The completion of the waza is the same as the standard form. 5 OROSHI Wind Blowing Down From The Mountains (Known as Yama Oroshi (Mountain Wind) in Shimamura - ha) 1 Start as in Uki Gumo. 2 Drive the tsuka down and back to the left in the same way as in Uki Gumo but only rising to the kneeling position as tekki attempts to grab the tsuka. Immediately raise the sword so that the tsuka gashira is above eye height then drive it down to hit tekki between his eyes. The right knee should be pointing at tekki, your weight will quite evenly spread, therefore the right knee will be above the right ankle. However since you have down this using the hara the feet and body will have been driven forward. If tekki is moving away the strike may actually be to his solar plexus. Whatever the situation the strike is likely to end up about your own chin height. 3 Without pausing you should draw the saya down and round into the Obi, and draw the sword high. Then immediately cut down on to tekki, by maintaining the feet position and but driving the hara forward. In this case the right knee will be well forward of the right knee and it should prevent tekki from drawing his sword. The cut will be the 45 degree cut across tekki s body as in Uki Gumo from his left hip to his right shoulder. Again to get the feeling right do it as a full cut but bear in mind it is more to do with the application of the body weight/hara onto tekki s body. The right wrist will be bent and the right hand will be to the right of the right knee and at, or below, knee height. 4 Without pausing drive the left hand and hip forward to in front of tekki and take the mune just in front of tekki s shoulder and raise the right hand to make the sword nearly horizontal (with the ha straight down into tekki s shoulder. The body should be upright with most of the weight on the left knee and there should be pressure down on the sword. The right knee going straight forward into tekki. 5 Step the right foot to the right, keeping the body in tension, then drive tekki to the right and down using the hara and the left hand. This will only work if you use the hara/hip and not just the left shoulder and arm. It is best to practice this with a partner using a bokken. It will also only work if you keep the right arm nearly straight (it should however have a little bend at the elbow BUT not too much). The left hand will naturally drift slightly up the mune BUT not too much. If the left hand movement is too large then the technique will be ineffective. 6 Alternatively, for step 4 you can up very close to tekki s right side by driving the left knee just past tekki. This is a very close technique, very much in tekki s face. Then step the right foot directly forward and push tekki forward and down 8

10 with both arms. This should have the same effect as in 5 above, tekki will be on the floor, the arms out and the sword almost parallel to the floor. 7 From this position throw the sword up to the right similar to in Uki Gumo. Step the right foot back and step or slide the left knee and foot back, i.e. moving the body under the sword. At the same time take the sword left, to the centre line, through to Jodan. This should create some distance between you and tekki, allow you to judge the position and the sword should be ready to cut. You should now be facing shomen. 8 Stretch the right foot forward and perform a large kiritsuke. This should end up 2 to 3 inches off of the floor as you are cutting through an opponent lying parallel to you on the floor. A good way to check that the distances are right is to get someone to place a bokken on the floor where tekki would be when you have pushed him down and before you start the movement across and back. Make the movement then cut down to just above the bokken. If you haven t made the right distance your monouchi will be past the bokken. If you have made the right distance the monouchi should be above the bokken. 9 Perform yoko chiburui, noto and finish as in the other waza. You should find yourself facing directly shomen. Kae Waza 1 Tanimura-ha, Uchi Gaeshi 1 Sections 1 & 2 are the same as in normal the standard waza 2 The initial draw after the strike to tekki s face is the same as the standard waza. The cut however is like the Uchi Gaeshi cut from Uki Gumo. The cut is much shallower and into right side of tekki s, rather than 45 degrees across the body. The monouchi is cut out of tekki s neck and the kissaki dropped vertically down. The grip should be light at this point. The sword is raised vertically up to just above head height with the right hand in preparation to cut down. The left hip/hand is driven round as in Uchi Gaeshi in Uki Gumo and takes the mune just as the sword is cut down on to tekki s right shoulder. The body is somewhat straighter and more upright than in the standard waza. 3 You should press the sword down into tekki s shoulder. Turn the blade it flat, ha to the right, step the right foot to the right, keeping the body in tension, and then push tekki to the right using the left hip/hara more than the simply the left arm and shoulder. 4 The remainder of the form is the same as the standard waza. Kae Waza 2 Tanimura-ha 1 Step 1 and the initial part of step 2 is the same as the standard waza. However, in this form tekki manages to grab the tsuka near the kashira. Hence the tsuka is higher than in the standard waza and almost in line with your centre. You are still up in the kneeling position. 2 From hear, rather than trying to pull the tsuka, and tekki to your left, force the tsuka up and into tekki s right shoulder. This should force him back and force his right hand up and back. 3 Once you feel his grip start to give a little pull the tsuka sharply to you right and down. Aiming to get the tsuba back to your centre. The saya will be forced into your obi. 9

11 4 Without stopping raise the tsuka high again and strike down to between tekki s eyes. 5 The remainder of the form can be the same as the standard waza or the Uchi Gaeshi kae waza. 6 Try both method to get the feel for them. Kae Waza 3 Shimamura-ha 1 Section 1 and the first part of section 2 are the same as in the standard waza. 2 However, instead of pulling down and to the left and raising the sword up to strike down on tekki s face, turn to face tekki. At the same time let go of the tsuka with the right hand and take it down to the right hip, making a fist when it reaches the hip, with the back of the hand pointing to the floor. Also at the same time reverse the tsuka, so that the underside is towards you and raise it towards your left shoulder. 3 Do not hold this position for long. Step the right foot forward, strike to tekki s solar plexus with the right fist at the same time hitting down on tekki s wrist (as he attempts to draw his sword), with the top of the tsuka. The tsuka is still held in a reverse grip. 4 As tekki starts to fall backward, or retreat, turn the tsuka and saya over, take hold of the tsuka with the right hand and prepare to draw the sword. 5 Drive forward with the hara and the right knee cutting into tekki in the same way as the standard waza or the Uchi Gaeshi kae waza. 6 The remainder is the same as the other waza. 6 IWA NAMI Wave On A Rock (or Waves Breaking Against The Rocks) 1 Facing Shomen, turn 90 degrees to the right and take tate hiza. Do this with the minimum of fuss. 2 The sword take and the rise is as in Yoko Gumo, the draw is partially forward without moving forward. Only the metsuke (eyes) taking in tekki. 3 As you rise continue drawing forward slightly horizontally, or slightly down, but the main drawing action is completed by stepping back with the left foot, keeping the right foot in position. YOU MUST look at tekki as you do this action. 4 Without pausing complete the draw controlling the exit of the boshi with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. 5 Without pausing square the hips to shomen, take the left foot up to the right and the back of the left hand at the right knee fingers pointing to the floor, the right elbow raised to accommodate this. The body will be facing shomen. You must be careful if you are using a shinken to ensure you do not cut yourself. Only the kissaki should be protruding below the fingers. The metsuke must be directly to tekki in the shomen position. 6 Stamp the right foot, rise onto the toes and drive forward with the right foot and hara to perform the tsuki. The sword should come down and through into the tsuki following the natural angle/shape of the sword. The kissaki should be at solar plexus height, the left hand should be half way up the mune (as the sword would be in tekki), the right hand should be at the right knee. 7 Perform a cutting action with the kissaki while raising the sword to near 10

12 horizontal. Place the right foot out at 90 degrees to the rightand drive the left hip round as you do the hiki taioshi (pull down). The left arm should be held a straight as possible, the right arm should be similar but with the little more bend at the elbow. DO NOT allow the right elbow to bend too much, remember you should be using the hips and hara for this action no the arms. The left hand will naturally come back along the mune a LITTLE, NOT up to the tsuba. 8 Form here throw the kissaki up to the right and catch the tsuka with the left hand. Move well back by ensuring the left foot goes well to the rear and the right foot comes back at least half a step. You should be raising the sword to furi kaburi at the same time. You MUST make this distance to allow you to cut tekki with the monouchi. To test this in your practice place a bokken on the floor lying along the line of the pull down. This will help you judge how far back you have to go to get the correct cutting distance. 9 Without a pause, drive the right foot forward slightly and perform a large kiriorishi cut that ends up below horizontal. 10 The chiburui, noto and finish are the same, and you should be facing shomen. Kae Waza 1 1 Start as in the standard waza 2 Instead of rising and stepping back simply draw the sword directly out to the front with the right hand, pulling the saya back with the left hand, as you rise from tate hiza (feet still together). Look at tekki in shomen while doing the draw. Hence when you are up on the your knees, toes in the correct position, your body will still be at about 90 degrees to shomen, the sword will be nearly horizontal (edge up), but the metsuke and head will be facing shomen. 3 Without pausing complete the draw and the stand so that the feet are together and the whole body is facing shomen. The back of the left hand is at the right knee, fingers pointing to the floor. 4 Stamp the right foot, rise onto the toes, drive forward with the hips and hara stepping forward with the right foot and tsuki-ing tekki. 5 Complete the waza as in the standard form. Kae Waza 2 1 Start as in the standard waza. 2 Draw as in the first Kae Waza BUT out to the right along the natural angle dictated by the saya. 3 The remainder of the waza is the same as the first Kae Waza. I believe the second kae waza is very close to the original form as it gives little away to tekki. It s the smallest action and when Iwata Sensei does it it actually looks effective. You must build up to this by going through the standard waza and the first kae waza. By that time you should be looking, as always, to make it a single continuous form from start to finish, but with Jo Ha Kyu in the right places and using the hara to full effect. Beginners/new students should concentrate on the standard waza, breaking it down as necessary. Only when they can do this well and smoothly should they be allowed to move on to the kae waza. Teachers must use their judgement in this. 11

13 7 UROKO GAESHI - Against The Grain or Against The Fish Scale (Or Sudden Turn) 1 Start as in Iwa Nami. 2 Metsuke (eyes only) to shomen, new students can turn the head slightly. 3 Usual take with the hands and start to draw forward as you rise. This is the Eishin Ryu version of Migi for Omori Ryu, and as such you should show the same aspect of Jo as you do for Migi. 4 New student will plant the toes of the left foot before doing the turn to shomen. This is likely to cause a pause. More experienced students will go straight through this action on the way to nukitsuke. 5 The metsuke must come round naturally with the draw and the turn of the body to shomen. The weight will be equally on the right knee and the toes of the left foot The posture should be as upright as possible during the turn, but also as low as possible. 6 Ensure that you do not sink the buttock on the heal at the completion of the turn and the preparation for nukitsuke. This will cause the action to be split into two sections. The turn, the draw and the nukitsuke should be one continuous smooth movement. 7 The position of the draw should be the same as Migi, the nukitsuke should be as in Migi but the left foot goes back to the rear and you cut forward into shomen. 8 You must ensure that you cut forward with the hara before you drive the left foot back. If you complete the draw, step back and then do the nukitsuke you will have missed tekki in the standard waza. You should practice this with a partner and a bokken to ensure that you get it right. However, if you visualise the tekki as following through strongly with his attack then you should practice the step back and nukitsuke timing (although it will still be one smooth action). 9 The height of the nukitsuke is not fixed, it will depend on people s age ability and flexibility. Older students and new students can have a much higher posture on nukitsuke than the more advanced students. 10 The target can the usual chest to eyes region for a kneeing opponent, or waist to chest for a standing opponent. 11 Whatever, you should not pause at the nukitsuke, the hips should be straight but you should have a little hanmi as you are reaching in cut. 12 New students should practice the standard form of the waza which is to drive the left knee to the heal of the right foot (past the foot if you can) while doing furi kaburi, step out with the right foot finishing furi kaburi and completing the kiritsuke. Make sure you keep the posture up and the hara forward at this point. DO NOT sink the buttocks onto the heals. More advanced students can also practice driving forward with the hara and completing furi kaburi and kiritsuke all in one movement. This of course will only work if tekki is presumed to still be on the spot. It is a useful way to build up Jo Ha Kyu in the waza. 13 The chiburui, noto and finish are the same as the other waza ending with you facing shomen. 8 NAMI GAESHI Against The Wave (or Returning Wave) 1 Facing Shomen, turn 180 degrees to the right and take tate hiza. Do this with the minimum of fuss. 12

14 2 This is the Eishin Ryu version of Ushiro in Omori Ryu and as such the same basic rules apply. 3 The same turning mechanism is used as in Uroko Gaeshi, and there must be a slight draw straight forward as the Jo aspect of the nukitsuke. 4 To help with the turn either pull the right foot nearer to the groin when you take tate hiza, or ensure that you plant the left toes early (i.e. before the start of the turn). You can either plant the left toes exactly where the are or a little out to the left. If you leave them where they are the posture will be a little narrow so better left to the more advanced students. This does however allow you to draw back and cut if tekki s attack is perceived to be very aggressive. Planting the toes a little to the left gives a good base for the turn, draw and nukitsuke and hence is recommended for the newer students. It should also be regarded as the standard form of the waza. 5 Ensure that the metsuke is round first to shomen (being aware of possible other opponent as you turn), followed very closely by the head and body. 6 The actual nukitsuke should be as Uroko Gaeshi. 7 The furi kaburi, kiritsuke, chuburui, noto and finish is the same as Uroko Gaeshi. 8 Remember to drive through with the hara and the left knee on furi kaburi and step forward with the right foot and drive with the hara for the kiristuke. 9 TAKI OTOSHI Waterfall, Drop of the Waterfall (or Cascading Waterfall) 1 Start as in Nami Gaeshi. 2 Left hand to saya/tsuba, knees together, pressure in thighs, body upright, rise and step the right foot forward. 3 Feel tekki take the kojiri, metsuke and head round, stand up drive the left foot well back, KEEPING THE BODY UPRIGHT, press the saya/tsuba down with the left hand, right hand firmly on the right thigh. This should raise tekki s wrist and start to break his grip on the saya. 4 Without pausing, still with the metsuke on tekki, take the tsuka near the tsuba with right hand, drive the left foot up to the right, NOT PAST, taking the tsuka from the lower left position up to the right breast and TURNING the hips to the right, metsuke still behind. This is all done in on snap and should force tekki to let go of the saya. 5 Without pausing, draw the sword by pushing the tsuka down to the right (90 degrees to the body) and pulling the saya to the left hip. At the same time drop the waist to help complete the draw and prepare for the attack. If tekki still had hold of the saya at stage 4 this should have broken his grip. Step the right foot well forward, completing the draw by twisting the left hip out and turning to face shomen. 6 At this position the left foot is on or very near to the centre line, the body is angled out at about 15 to 30 degrees, the toes of both feet parallel along this line. The sword should be horizontal on the centre line, the kissaki at the centre, the left hand pulling the saya to the left and only slightly away from the kissaki. There can be a pause for beginners to allow the to complete the darw. In this case the end of the sword can be on top of the left hand. This is ok with a bokken or iaito and helps with the positioning, but it is dangerous with the shinken and for the tsuki. Whatever the case, make sure the left hand is out of the way before you 13

15 start the tsuki. 7 Without pausing, stamp the left foot so that it is to the left of the centre line but now facing shomen. Drive the sword forward and slightly up along the centre line, driving the right hip square as the tsuba passes the centre and stamp the right foot to the right of the centre line toes facing shomen, but the right foot will still be to the rear. 8 There will be a natural angle down on the right arm, a very small angle up of the sword, but horizontal is better. There should be about an inch gap (i.e. two fingers) between the tsuka gashira and the underneath of the right wrist. The hips will be square to shomen, the upper body will have a very slight hanmi and the sword will be along the centre line. 9 Without pausing, quickly pull the sword back ALONG THE SAME line as the tsuki, at the same time bring the right foot up to the left, keeping the same height. 10 Raise the sword through furi kaburi, take a long step forward with the right foot (to chase tekki) and perform a large kirioroshi dropping cut. For new student the right knee should be above the right ankle, for more advanced students the knee will be forward of the ankle. Whatever the case you must have the ability to move freely at all times from this position. 11 The chiburui, noto and finish will be as other waza. 12 This waza should be done continuously, but with Jo Ha Kyu. This is very important for the snap up to the right breast with the tsuka, and the drive forward with the right foot to completely dislodge tekki s grip. 13 New students will have to break the waza down into sections to check their sword, hand and feet position. More advanced students should be practising it as a long continuous waza, paying particular attention on using the hara and hips for the pulls, draws, tsuki and kirioroshi. Kae Waza Shimamura Ha 1 The start is the same. 2 The initial drive back is different, there is more hip twist and movement of the right foot. The pull up and step forward are different, the left foot steps through, not up to the right foot. The push down and draw are different with the sword held in a higher position. 3 The drive with the sword & hips, plus the stamps are similar to the standard waza. The tsuki is different. The sword comes down into the tsuki following the natural angle of the right arm with the tsuka tucked tightly under the right forearm, but the sword is still in the centre. 4 The pull back, step through with the right foot, the furi kaburi, kiriorshi, chuburui, noto and finish are the same. 5 When I learn how to do this form I will amend these notes and add the detail. Until that time this Kae Waza is for information only. 10 MA KKO Directly In Front (or Face To Face) 1 In seiza facing shomen as in Nuki Uchi in Omori Ryu. 2 Hands on together as normal, knees together, tension in the thighs, draw the sword forward at a natural angle and drive the body up (like someone pulling you up by the hair) all at the same time. 14

16 3 Metsuke is forward NOT down. 4 Pull back the left hand, drive straight up quickly with the right hand. The tsuba in front of you to the right. DO NOT HAVE YOUR HAND IN THE CENTRE. The wrist is bent as in Nuki Uchi. The sword is in front of your head angled down at about 45 degrees with the kissaki past the left shoulder. You are up fully on your knees. 5 The left had remains at the hip. There can be a VERY SLIGHT pause here to assess the situation.. 6 When you are fully up on your knees drive forward with the hara, do a large high-speed kiritsuke. This will drive you forward a few inches. 7 Open the knees, dropping the body weight to increase the effectiveness of the cut. This should be timed to start as the monouchi is at tekki's fontanel. Forcing the knees out results on the soles of the feet and the toes coming together. 8 This action is faster than the normal Nuki Uchi, saving time in the nagashi and the kiritsuke. 9 This is a katate waza. The actual kiritsuke is done with both hands. 10 The cut should end horizontal but close to the floor as you have opened the knees and dropped the body. 11 You can either do the yoko-chiburui with the knees down, or rise pulling the knees in at the same time. If you pull the knees in it should be a small action. DO NOT bring the knees close together. 12 The noto is the same at the other waza. 13 Bring the knees together as you finish and take the hands back to their starting position. Kae Waza - Tanimura Ha 1 The initial take with the hands and the initial draw is the same. 2 Instead of drawing up to protect yourself from an attack by tekki, or to make your own attack, turn the sword over using the saya not the tsuka. Do a reverse cut forward and low, taking tekki s right wrist from below katate waza. 3 Continue the cut straight up in front. Go through furi kaburi, knees together, left hand at the left hip, without a pause complete the katate waza kiritsuke driving forward with the hara. 4 The chiburui, noto and finish are the same as in the standard waza. 15