KIAI Q#1: What would you extract as the most specific "trade mark" technique or teaching principle in your particular style of swordsmanship? Is there anything that makes your style and syllabus special among other styles and sword arts?
Ian: Our Kenjutsu style is related to our Aiki Jujutsu style, with the emphasis on harmony and fluidity of movement.
Philip: As far as a technique, we tend to hold our katana in a fairly high almost 45 degree position, (migi hasso) for a kesa-giri, but overall, simplisity in technique and heiho(strategy)with an indominateable winning spirit.
Wayne: I don't think my style of Kenjutsu has any specific "trade mark" techniques, after all over the last few centuries all forms of Kenjutsu have begged, borrowed or stolen techniques from each other. It is more the combination of training components that makes Kokoro Ryu Kenjutsu what it is. The system combines the usual Kata type work with a very combative style of training, like our Kumitachi (contact partner drills) and our Matogiri (target cutting; Tameshigiri). Though it would probably be our Gekken (armoured training) that others would be most unfamiliar with. Gekken can be described as Kendo with more target areas and less rules with shorter Shinai. I've attached a photo from the late 1800's of Gekken training taken to an extreme to illustrate this point.
KIAI Q#2: What criteria
do you use when accepting new kenjutsu students? Are there any lower age
limits, any interviews, any earlier knowledge required? Do you look for
proofs of no previous criminal record, any medical records, etc.? Do you
use any "oaths" or anything like that?
Ian:
We have no official minimum age, currently our youngest member is 16 years
old, we do not advertise our Kenjutsu class, it is only small and students
tend to come by recommendation.
Philip: Except on a few very rare occations you must be at least 16 to join the Ken class and be interviewed by me. No prior experience is required. I will ask medical questions but do not ask about crimminal records etc. We have an ability to figure those things out quickly.We do expect a certain amount of loyalty and after about 10 or so years you evolve into Deshi status or what might be reffered to as a "disciple"
Wayne:
Kokoro Ryu is a Sogo Bujutsu and as such we do not teach Kenjutsu as a
separate entity to outsiders, the art is studied as a whole. If a student
just progresses through the normal curriculum they begin studying Kenjutsu
at San Kyu (Green Belt), having trained in various other weapons prior
to this. We do however offer separate Kenjutsu training to students that
have a true desire to learn the sword. To qualify students have to
be a Senior (over 16) and have passed a probationary period in the Jujutsu
class, they can then apply to join the Kenjutsu class. They are initially
refused and it is recommended that they come and watch the class a few
times, then apply again, if they persist then they may be accepted, if
there is an opening. There is a minimum attendance requirement and if a
student does not meet this, they forfeit their spot in the class and an
opening is created. They will also forfeit their spot if they do not maintain
their other training.
KIAI Q#3: In your long training and teaching career in sword arts, which situation on classes was the most dangerous or most potentially dangerous for you, your associates or your students?
Ian:
I do not feel that their ever should be a dangerous situation in training.
No well run dojo or competent instructor should ever allow a situation
develop that could be considered dangerous, either to himself/herself or
to students. To answer the question directly I have never encountered a
situation that I would consider dangerous in a practice class.
Philip:
The most dangerous class situations can be a large number of students on
the floor. When this happens every one must ba aware of everyone around
them, who is senior who is not etc. On another level, passionate seniors
doing advanced waza with bokken and shinken can be dangerous, however this
inherant "danger" makes you a keen swordsman. In the martial arts bumps,
brusies etc are to be expected.
Wayne:
As part of our bow in at the start of class (just after the formal bows)
and whenever we change weapons during class we have a ritualized weapons
inspection, each student must inspect all aspects of the weapon to be used
and declare it "clear" to train with, this doesn't matter whether it is
Shinken, Iaito, Bokken or Shinai. This we consider common sense and creates
the correct mind set in the students.
The most dangerous situations I have encountered have been when I was a
judge at the Tameshigiri contests that were held here in Australia. Before
each cutting session we would also do a similar inspection of the contestants
weapons. I was continually amazed at the condition of some swords people
would present as they stepped up to compete. There were swords with missing
Mekugi, or with cracks in the blades (one sword had 3 cracks clear through
the Hamon), Tsukaito that was unravelling and there were the just plain
badly made swords. The problem was that in most cases the swordsman generally
did not see these things as a problem let alone dangerous. As a Judge that
sat in front of the cutting zone I did.
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