THE IAIDO NEWSLETTER

Volume 2 number 1 absolute #3 Mar 1990

An occasional publication of very limited distribution: Send your stories, comments or announcements to Kim Taylor, Dept. of Animal and Poultry Science, room 220, (519)824-4120 ext 6225. PHOTOCOPY AND SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER!

SEMINARS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

The University of Guelph Iaido club presented a one day workshop January 14. Students from the Niagara peninsula, Hamilton, Brantford, Toronto and Guelph attended. Stephen Cruise Sensei (Muso Shinden Ryu) and Goyo Ohmi Sensei (Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu) presented a demanding day's work. The Guelph students were complaining for the rest of the week. It was wonderful to see you all and we'll organize another workshop in the spring.

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CLUB O' THE MONTH

Name The Japanese Swordsmanship Society.

Address PO Box 1116, Rockefeller Centre Stn. New York, N.Y. 10185. (212)691-2891.

Practice Practices are held at a variety of locations and times, contact the club for more details.

Prospective students are encouraged to visit the classes and talk to an instructor before joining so that they can get an idea of what is happening. The club will loan some equipment to new members until they have purchased their own.

Style The club practices Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido as well as the Sei Tei Gata Iai of the ZNKR. They also practice the Shindo Muso Ryu Jo and the Naginata of the All Japan Naginata Federation. Finally, the club practices Kendo under the International Kendo Federation.

Fees There is an initiation fee of $15.00 and then an annual fee of $25.00 to join the club. Monthly fees of $30.00 for Iaido and Jodo and $25.00 for Kendo are charged. For paid students of the club there is an occasional class fee of $8.00. Short time visitors to the area are welcome to attend classes at no charge. The school has several "long distance" members who attend classes in school vacations or when they are in town on business.

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TECHNICAL NOTEBOOK

SEI TEI GATA OF THE JAPAN KENDO FEDERATION

Here is a correction to the diagram from the notes on Ipponme Mae. The blade to forearm angle for both Seitei and Koryu Nuki Tsuke should be the same. The difference between the two is the width of the cut as it is made to either the forehead (Seitei) or to the chest (Koryu). The incorrect wrist angle shown above would result in a very weak strike and would represent a loose tennouchi of the right hand. Thanks for the correction go to Goyo Ohmi Sensei.

KIZA NO BU (Kiza section)

4. (YOHOME) TSUKA ATE (handle strike)

This technique is derived from the upper levels of practice and is performed from Iai Hiza.

Take one step forward with the right foot and bring the left foot up. Brush the hakama away and place the left knee down on the ground. Move the right foot up beside the left knee, then move the left foot slightly to the right and flip the toes down. Sit back on this left foot so that the inside of the heel is lined up between the buttocks. The right foot should be placed so that the sole is in contact with the floor. The right knee is as high and narrow as is possible. The toes should be behind the left knee.

The hands are in loose fists and are placed high on the inside of the thighs. Sit straight and let the gaze fall 3 to 4 metres forward, focused on the far mountains (enzen metsuke). The elbows are kept tucked in tightly.

The right fist is slightly ahead of the left so that it is lined up under the tsuka where it will grasp.

There is an opponent directly in front of you seated at 1 1/2 metres, and another opponent behind at the same distance. The forward opponent attacks and as you counter his attack the rear man attacks.

NUKI TSUKE

Grasp the tsuka and rise up straight. Flip the left toes under, stamp forward with the right foot, no further than a 90 degree angle at the knee. Thrust the kashira straight forward to strike the opponent in the solar plexus. Your feet and legs should now be lined up squarely as in Mae.

Strike with the corner of the kashira for more power.

This strike will cause your opponent to pause while you pull the saya slowly back to the belt in a strong saya biki. Watch the koiguchi as you do this. When the blade is free from the scabbard turn your hips to your left spinning on the left knee. Stop when the hips face directly to the left and the left leg is 90 degrees to the right. As you turn bring the blade up and place the mune near the kissaki on your chest with the kissaki pointing back at the rear opponent. The blade is turned so that the edge is facing away from your chest.

Thrust the blade directly back into the opponent through his suigetsu as you bring the left hand forward to the tanden. The right fist will be at the left elbow and the tsuba just beyond that elbow. The blade must be angled up into the opponent.

Rise straight up to strike, if you are leaning forward the tsuka takes a dip. Keep the blade at the striking level throughout the rest of the technique. Strike hard and do not move the right foot farther forward than a 90 degree bend at the knee. Stepping further causes a loss of power. On this ate the left hand supplies the power and the right hand the control.

Place the mune on the chest as close to the kissaki as possible to get a long thrust. Move the eyes to follow the tip as you stab back. Move the left hand to the tanden to close the left armpit. The right arm is not bent too much at the elbow, straighten it out as much as possible without turning too far toward the rear.

The rearward thrust is aimed at the opponent's solar plexus, therefore the tip is angled up, not down. It must also be angled back to the centreline.

Don't pause during these moves, try to cut down on the time between the strike and the stab.

KIRI TSUKE

Turn clockwise to the front again and align the left leg with the right. At the same time pull the blade out of the rear opponent, and lift it to jodan. Keep the blade horizontal and close to the body. The saya is already in the correct position in the belt. Lift the left hand to the tsuka and make sure the jodan is high and well back. Cut with a strong kiri otoshi to the man in front with a slight shift forward.

Pay particular attention to keeping the blade in the same plane and horizontal as you face the front again.

The cut is big, and the tsuba finishes just in front of the right knee. There is a slight forward shift on the cut.

CHIBURI

This yoko chiburi is the second type of chiburi.

The tsuba is just in front of the right knee so the sword may be moved directly to the right and forward as the blood is snapped off. A slight lift may be needed to clear the handle over the leg. Move the blade as a unit, don't allow the tip to lag behind, and finish the move 20 cm to the outside of the right knee. The blade is stopped with the edge flat and pointing straight forward. The right hand is at the belt level and the tip is slightly depressed.

The chiburi is a blade motion directly to the side, in a motion like "ripping fabric". The right thumb provides the power for this move.

NOTO

The blade is replaced in the saya in the same motion as for Mae above. The position and rhythm is the same as well. Remain on your left knee. As the blade is replaced the right foot is drawn straight back until the heels are touching. The right knee remains pointed forward or as far as 45 degrees to the right.

Stand up using the right foot first. Step back to the starting position.

Don't move the hips out of square to the front. Test for this by pointing your hands forward from the hips. Your hands should point to the front, not to one side.

Stand up so that the right heel is in line with the left knee when you rise.

This kata should keep the feeling of being in a narrow space throughout.

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LEARNING IAIDO

By Kim Taylor, Guelph Sei Do Kai Iaido.

Let's make an assumption before we go any further, let's assume that we're discussing serious students. This means someone who is not out to impress the neighbours or gratify the ego. Someone who actually wants to understand this stuff.

So, how does one learn how to do Iaido, or any other martial art for that matter.

LEARNING FROM BOOKS

There are a few good books on Iaido out there, some even in English, why not learn the art from them?

Books contain still pictures and text. This always results in gaps in the information, an uncertainty as to what is happening between pictures. Those who have learned from books often end up doing things like stepping back instead of forward on certain stance changes. Often embarrassing.

There is no visual information in a book on the timing or the speed of the technique. It can tell you where to start and where to finish but how fast you move along the points between is still a mystery. The usual solution is to do everything as fast as possible and all with the same timing.

LEARNING FROM VIDEOS

With the video instructional tape the "analog" information on the transition motions is regained but at the expense of the "digital" details of the book format. You can see the complete motions and pick up information on the speed and timing of the kata. What you lose is the concentration on certain points, the position of the hands, the angle of the blade, and other details. Overall however videos and books can cover the information fairly well.

The one essential ingredient for good instruction is still missing. Neither books nor videotapes provide any sort of feedback to the student.

You can learn the katas, perform them smoothly and prettily but you simply cannot understand them without an instructor. You must have a teacher to get past the external appearance of the waza.

By no means does this mean that books and videos are useless. Instructors for Iaido are rare and until you find a good one you can prepare for that day by learning what you can on your own. Think of the practice you do with books as exercising and preparing the muscles. When you finally obtain proper instruction you may spend less time at the beginning, "memorize the form" stage. Hopefully all that you will need is some correction of minor points. There is a risk of developing "bad habits" such as an incorrect cutting stroke but these can be changed as easily as they can be learned.

What you must always remember is that you are looking for an instructor. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that you know what you are doing.

DO YOU REALLY, REALLY NEED A TEACHER?

It's interesting that high ranking, long practicing teachers will say that they miss their teachers and wish they still had one.

WHAT TEACHERS DO

Oku teachings are those that aren't written down in the books. They are the "secret" levels of practice that only get passed on orally. Oddly enough, these are often the basic exercises. The final stage of learning is what is written down; the exercises used to achieve the final stage are too common to put into books.

The basic exercises are not mentioned all at once but only as you need them. The function of the instructor is to provide feedback. Some students will be told to do certain exercises, some others. Only an experienced teacher can decide who needs to work on what.

Along with the basic (remedial) exercises are the variations of techniques. These are used to illustrate points, but are not in the books because they are not really part of the core of the school. Variations are another way that the teaching is modified to each individual student.

One of the most useful functions of a sensei is to stop the "mirror twitch". This is where you flick your head to one side at some point in a kata. What you are doing of course, is checking the mirror. There are a multitude of other bad habits that only an instructor can catch.

Since you don't really know what a kata is supposed to look like, you only have one or two pictures and models, it is very difficult to pick out problems. Is what you watch on the video actually the proper movement or is the demonstrator making a small mistake. What personal habits are you copying thinking them crucial to the kata.

Perhaps even more importantly, you don't know what is permissible. Every person moves differently, only an instructor can decide if an inaccurate move is fine or if it will interfere later.

To expand on the last point, only a sensei has the experience of working with enough Iaidoists to know what is permissible for you. In other words, is what you are doing within the limits of the kata?

Without question, only a good instructor knows what is beyond the mere appearance of the forms. By watching enough videos and reading enough books you could look just like the experts. To everyone except the experts. You must eventually go beyond technique, and only a teacher knows what this looks like.

A sensei will say "No, yes, no, no, no, yes", until you get the feeling of the waza for yourself. He knows what "it" looks like, and will tell you when you express it. To you it will feel just the same each time until one day you find you know what "it" is.

This is similar to using the Japanese words that go along with the art. You can read and say the words but without using the proper accent, it is still gibberish. Think about your own language, there is a range of pronunciation that is still understandable but outside that range is nonsense. Can a book teach what is within the bounds of pronunciation and what is outside, can a videotape teach the "proper" pronunciation. What is the proper pronunciation?

With the dedicated study of source material a student may have a chance of attaining some sort of mastery of Iaido without a teacher. This is somewhat like attaining an experience of satori by yourself. It is possible but you have a lot better chance if you study Zen under a qualified Roshi.

WHO TO LEARN FROM

You're kidding! You have a choice! Lucky person to have more than one Iaido instructor available in an area. If you do have a choice, what should you do.

LEARNING FROM ONE INSTRUCTOR ONLY

As a beginner this is undoubtedly the best thing to do. One teacher means that your instruction will be consistent. There will be no conflicting or confusing movements. One sensei means that he will know you and will know what you need to work on.

The highest authority in Iaido is your sensei, not someone far away in Japan or someone who wrote a book. Even if he's wrong and you know it, you must copy what your sensei tells you to do. When you are an 8 dan Hanshi you can make changes.

And what is "wrong" anyway, how do you test Iaido to tell what is wrong and what is right. Tameshigiri will test your angles of cut and blade control but unless you get attacked by some time-warping ronin while wearing your sword you probably won't get to test the way you were taught to do the katas. Obviously there is no "wrong" Iaido, only Iaido that doesn't follow traditional movements and Iaido that doesn't accomplish what a "way" should accomplish.

The traditional katas are fine for teaching the way of Iaido. That's why most teachers follow them. There are, however, interpretations of all the teachings and some instructors may find that a variation helps get across a certain point. This is where the styles differ slightly. At some point a sensei made a change for a reason and his students followed this. Maybe your sensei has a reason for doing something slightly "wrong". If he is a good teacher you should trust him and do it his way. If he is not a good teacher you shouldn't be there.

In view of the reasons for doing Iaido, and the impracticality of it as "self defence" making up "new and improved" techniques is a little silly. Thus most of the serious teachers you will find will be following the traditional schools so don't worry too much about it. When Iaido becomes a sport this will change and katas to music won't be too far behind. Then you will have to start to worry.

You can only get a deep knowledge of the katas from a single instructor. You will, over the years, get to know exactly why he does a kata a certain way. Each motion will mean something to him and to you. This is how you get beyond the "copying" stage to the stage of understanding a kata.

OTHER INSTRUCTORS AND STYLES

Should you study with several instructors or stay only with one?

Each and every sensei will have something to teach to a student who is ready to learn. Beginners will likely just get confused by practicing with several teachers and so might be advised to stick to one. Those who are beginning to go beyond the memorization stage will definitely benefit from other points of view. Those who have been practicing for many years might benefit by regaining their "beginner's mind" since the different stress of a new instructor will force them to think like a beginner again.

With another sensei the student sees the kata from a different angle. The different emphasis helps develop a balanced view of the technique, rather than the personal view of one instructor. The student can then distill what is common and therefore what is necessary in each waza.

What is gained by studying with several teachers is a broad knowledge. By its nature the learning is not particularly deep since there isn't enough time spent with each instructor to move into the kind of relationship needed for deep understanding.

There are few instructors around and students would be advised to use them all. This may mean practicing a different style from the one you learned originally.

The two schools of Iaido most commonly available to students in this area are the Muso Shinden and the Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu. Both of these Ryu share common roots and they became separate not too many years ago. A student of one will find it possible to practice the other by learning a few changes to the techniques. In fact these changes are very useful for seeing the root meanings of the katas. What is common to both styles is the core meaning of the technique.

Of course, you can't learn anything if you are set in your opinion. You must follow each teacher as if he were your own. Don't compare one sensei or style to the other, instead learn from each what each has to teach. The rule is that whoever is at the front of the class is now the ultimate authority on Iaido.

LEAVING HOME

After learning and understanding what one sensei has to teach, and after investigating other teachers, the higher ranking students of Iaido are expected to distill it all down to their own "school". This is not so that they can start a new lineage, but so that they can bring their distinctive insights to the art and hopefully produce students who will, in their turn, surpass their teachers.

This is an important point. In the Japanese tradition, the teacher holds nothing back and the student is expected to repay this kindness by becoming better than the instructor. It is only in this way that the art can progress and improve. Those traditions where the teacher holds a little something back from the students will wither and die in a few generations.

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MAILING LIST

Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu

Mitsuru Asaoka, 2445 Cape Horn Ave. Coquitlam B.C. Canada. V3K 1K1

Goyo Ohmi, 43 Milington Cr. Ajax Ontario, Canada. L1T 1R3

New York City Kendo Club, c/o Noboru Kataoka 46 West 83rd Street New York NY. USA 10024 (212) 874-6161

Roy Kennedy, 124 Glen Springs Dr. Scarborough Ontario, Canada. M1W 1X8

University of Guelph Iaido, c/o Mr. Kimberley Taylor, Department of Animal Science, University of Guelph, Guelph Ontario, Canada. N1G 2W1. (519)824-4120 ext 6225

Katsuo Yamaguchi, 3-24-1 Shinbori Higashiyamato-shi, Tokyo Japan 189. (0425-65-9146)

Yasuo Yamashibu, Tonda-cho-1-4-2, Okayama Japan 700. (0862-25- 5471) (FAX 0862-23-9433)

Yugenkan Dojo, c/o Mr. Bill Mears, 100 Elmwood Ave. Crystal Beach Ontario, Canada. L0S 1B0. (416)871-7772 ext. 314

Muso Shinden Ryu

Stephen Cruise, 10 Glenborough Pk. Willowdale Ontario Canada. M2R 2G5

Japanese Swordsmanship Society, PO Box 1116 Rockafeller Stn. New York, New York. USA 10185 (212)691-2891

l'Aikido de la Montagne, 3734 Avenue du Parc, Montreal Quebec, Canada. H2X 2J1.

Larry Nakamura, 24 Beckwith Road, Etobicoke Ontario, Canada. M9C 3X9. (416)622-2962

New England Aikikai, 2000 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge Mass. USA. 02140

F. Y. Okimura, 7557 de Normanville, Montreal Quebec, Canada. H2R 2V2.

Renbukan Dojo, c/o Mr. Tamio Tateno, 207 Nelson St. Brantford Ontario, Canada. N3S 4C2.

Pierre-Paul Rivet, 12 Desmarteau Boucherville Quebec. J4B 1Z9.

Marion M. Taylor, 32 Bedford Court Amherst, MA USA 01002 (413)256-0219

Valley Aikido, c/o Paul Sylvain, 131 King St. Northampton Mass. USA. 02140

Peter Verra, 1452 Paddington Ct. Burlington, Ont. Canada. L7M 1W7. (416)336-7159

Zanshin, Ecole D'Aikido et Iaido, c/o Donna Winslow, 5425 Bordeaux #503D, Montreal Quebec, Canada. H2H 2P9 (514)521-6786

Others

Roy Asa, c/o Japan Camera Centre, 88 Lesmill Rd. (Don Mills) Toronto Ontario, Canada. M3B 2T5. (FAX (416)445-0519)

Central YMCA Aikikai, c/o Stuart Rae 375 Brunswick Ave. #504, Toronto Ontario, Canada. M5R 2Z3

Doshikan Kendo Club, c/o Shozo Kato 124 East 79th St. Apt 3A New York NY. USA 10021(212)535-6470

International Kendo Federation c/o Nippon-Budokan 2 Kitanomaru- koen Chiyoda-ku Tokyo Japan. 102 (211-5804, 211-5805)

JCCC 123 Wynford Dr. Toronto Ontario Canada. M3C 1K1

Ken Zen Institute, c/o Kenjun Kasahara 152-158 West 26th Street New York NY. USA 10001 (212)741-2281

Robert Savoie 532 Avenue Duluth E. Montreal Quebec Canada. H2L 1A9 (514)288-8679 or 842-0342