DEMYSTIFYING SWORD ATTIRE
There is no definite attire
that you must wear. It is your choice. You do need to have a way to attach
the sword’s sheath to your side. The important thing is not to trip over
your own clothing. Present day Japanese soldiers do not wear hakama. This
was old Japan. Hakama used for centuries was part of traditional clothing.
The hakama is now only used in martial arts and ceremonial functions. I
suggest that if you are going to practice a traditional sword style you
dress the part. This not only makes an impression on your opponent but
also gives you the feeling of being the victor before the conflict even
begins. Hakama is best known for the ability to move into a target without
telegraphing because the hakama covers the lower extremities. The secret
is,
what you can’t see, can
hurt you.
DEMYSTIFYING THE HAKAMA KNOT
Tying the hakama knot
can reflect each person’s individual ideas, but can still be correct. Each
discipline has its own theory on how the knot should be tied. In Japanese
ritual it is imperative that you tie that knot according to that discipline.
If you are not Japanese feel free to tie the knot as you like. Whether
the knot is tied on the right, left or in the middle makes no difference
if comfortable. Accessibility to the sword will make your decision on how
to tie your knot. If your knot is tied loosely your hands will get caught
up in the superfluous material. The most common way of knot tying is in
front as one would tie ones shoes. There are as many ways to tie the knot,
as there are masters of martial arts. Many believe the mystiques and special
secret ways of tying the hakama give extra power. This adds to the mystery
and is not necessarily reality.
DEMYSTIFYING THE BOW
Why bow at all? Bowing
is a sign of respect. Respect for yourself, the art and instructor, founder
of your style, and the dojo. Upon entering a dojo one shows respect by
bowing to the instructor, his instructor (whose portrait is usually on
the wall), the flag and your peers. When performing the bow (hairei) the
sharp edge of the sword is turned down and the handle is to the rear because
you are demonstrating trust, sincerity and respect as the sword can not
easily be drawn from this position. There are various types of bows. Japanese
are like politicians. They bow whereas the politician shakes hands. Japanese
bow at most every animate and inanimate object, aspect and occasion. During
Torei you are showing respect to your sword. The sword was the life of
the samurai and without it he would be unsuccessful in battle. The samurai
believed that the sword possessed a spirit of its own. 
DEMYSTIFYING IAIDO RITUAL
It may seem like there
is a lot of ritual that goes along with Iaido. And it is true, there is.
Why does all this ritual behavior and etiquette exist? Battles were fought
and won in the blink of an eye. The smallest details noticed or performed
very often decided whether you lived or died. When peacetime came fighting
with a sword in battle became non-existent. Through ritual and ceremony
the old ways were kept and honed. Iaido was revered almost like a religion.
Rituals were performed allowing the new age swordsman to understand awareness
through minute details used in the application of sword technique. That
is why there is so much information written that stresses the rigidity
and complexity of iaido. My master always said, “detail is not as important
as the act of learning how to pay attention to detail.”
DEMYSTIFYING THE ANATOMY OF THE SWORD
There are many excellent
references that describe all aspects of the sword. In analyzing one of
these references I was overwhelmed to find 20 terms just dealing with the
sword fittings and attachments. Additionally, there were 30 terms dealing
with the basic blade, plus 20 dealing with types of blade flaws. Fourteen
dealt with just file marks and types of the tang while 38 dealt with temper
lines. Remember that these are fun and interesting to learn if you are
a collector of swords. You only need to learn a few to be a knowledgeable
swordsman.
DEMYSTIFYING THE TSUBA
Tsuba is a Japanese word for sword guard colloquially known as a doughnut. Tsuba were used on swords and spears to protect the hand or wrist. I would say this is definitely one of its main functions. But, the tsuba also has other functions. One of the most important is creating the correct weight and balance.
Centuries ago it was the practice after the completion of the sword making process to test for accuracy, weight and balance. When a sword was test cut for the first time it had no hardware or accoutrements. The tested stripped down sword blade would receive a written record and a mark etched on the blade’s tang saying, “sword cut without tsuba”. That meant that if a tsuba was put on, the balance would even make the sword cut better. In addition, a properly balanced sword leaves the fighter less fatigued thus giving the soldier a better chance of survival.
When peacetime came (1615
to 1864) there was no need for the military application so the tsuba slowly
evolved into an art form. The tsuba was very personal to the owner and
went from weapon to weapon.
DEMYSTIFYING CLEANING THE SWORD BLADE
Don’t you think that if
the Japanese had spray oil 200 years ago they would have used it? Of course
they would have. And, if they had both fine sand paper and paper towels
they would have used them instead of powdered limestone and rice paper.
You do not have to clean your sword the traditional way unless you want
to. If you cannot afford clove oil or other expensive oils, just use vegetable/
mineral oil. Make it easy. Also don’t forget to re-oil your blade every
30 to 50 draws. As in all weaponry, periodic cleaning must take place.
You should have the knowledge to disassemble and reassemble the proper
way. Taking it step by step there should be no mystery to it. Nowadays,
most practice swords (iaito) are rust resistant. Consequently, under normal
usage you should never have to take them apart and clean unless you want
to.
DEMYSTIFYING THE STANCE
A stance is a simple transfer of weight or movement of the body which allows you to set up for the next offensive or defensive move. Many novices have the habit of executing a stance which is too wide for their body. Here, in America, students will even argue with an instructor on what they believe is the correct stance for them. Many with only a fraction of martial arts experience will try to incorporate previously learned training techniques into newly selected styles and call it eclectic. This is great. Do whatever works for you. Incorporate any stance or technique you want. Especially the fancy and grandiose ones that allow you to feel superior with puffed chest and rigid forearms clenching the sword with all one’s might. But, beware and don’t get discouraged, because you can’t get out of the way nor hit your target with conviction and accuracy. Inside you may have the feeling of invincibility while on the outside the seasoned sword master will see a simple target easily defeated through poor judgments caused by the inadequate and unpolished stance, which cannot take you through the movements without telegraphing. Most of all you will become injured. Speed plus wide stance will promote injuries and pulled muscles bringing any warrior down to the ground.
Now, on the serious side
reconsider your stance and put your feet closer together almost like you
are going to walk into battle. Remember, you have a weapon and it needs
the correct stance underneath it. The longer the sword, the closer together
your feet must be enabling you to be 100 percent effective in the heat
of battle. Anything else is posing for pictures.
DEMYSTIFYING CHIBURI AND NOTTO
Chiburi and Notto simply are the acts of wiping off the blade and putting it away. When the Japanese warrior finished his duties in battle he would wipe the blade with what was handy and sheath the sword. That was war. Why wipe the blade at all? It would rust within minutes. From the early battles of a warring nation Japan slowly became civilized and with civilization old techniques became rituals ingrained into generations of peacetime swordsmanship. Decades of folklore made chiburi and notto become mysterious with ceremonies and pomp. What was considered unimportant on the battlefield became a quest for perfection during peacetime.
Chiburi is the art of removing the blood off your sword. There are two ways, you either fling it or wipe it. Wiping it requires a folded piece of paper or cloth. Flinging it would be to swing the sword creating a velocity that would allow the blood to fly from the blade. Some would do both. From this quest for perfection many swordsmen and their styles practice the same basic type of chiburi, but with different emphasis on details. Swinging the sword on the side or backhanded across the front are the most common. These create the liveliest results for the practitioner. A full swing with a strong whistle is a great ending to a kata. Japanese Military Toyama Iai-Batto-Do chiburi does not instruct a full swing. It works around the assumption that if you were going to cut down your opponent in battle, later you would have to take the sword apart to get the blood and debris out. You could swing that sword all day and the blood would still be there. Therefore Japanese Military Toyama Iai-Batto-Do puts less emphasis on a full velocity chiburi and puts more emphasis on a safe stance and defensive blade placement to complete the kata.
Notto is the art of returning
the sword to its sheath. This is easier said than done. We are talking
about the “art of sheathing a sword”, and not just sheathing a sword. Sheathing
the sword with fluidic movement requires hundreds of hours of practice.
There are 8 basic notto although you will discover that only a few are
utilized 85 regularly. Japanese Military Toyama Iai-Batto-Do uses the basic
notto, which turns the sheath 45-degrees counterclockwise taking your left
hand from a vertical position and allowing the right hand to set up the
sword at an angle to be sheathed. The art of sheathing adds to the mystery
of the sword.
DEMYSTIFYING TAMESHIGIRI
Tameshigiri has been around as long as the Japanese sword and its history. Tameshi means test, giri means cut. And that is all tameshigiri is, test cutting. Tatami, bamboo and bundles of rice straw are the main cutting materials used in tameshigiri. Many accounts have been documented and recorded throughout history on the use of many other materials. But, most have been on the cutting of bamboo and straw. There have also been accounts told of the practice of test cutting on prisoners and cadavers. They would practice on a piece of bamboo or cadaver and cut it over and over until the lengths were too small to cut. Moreover, throughout history there have been executioners who had cut off so many heads and body parts that their form of swordsmanship became strong and unwavering. This can be compared to the karate student who breaks boards for speed and confidence. Tameshigiri offers the same venue for the swordsman in his quest for perfection. The key is to keep it simple and make your cuts correctly without any fancy warm up or ritual. Just lift the sword and fire off a shot and see what the outcome is an adequate or inadequate cut.