Sunday, January 17, 2010

Bokken Fencing

I have been studying Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaido since January of 1999, and I love it. The training is very formal, very concentrated, and deeply concerned with correct breathing and proper body mechanics.

Practically all of the waza (techniques), are performed solo, though there are several kata (organized forms) that involve two people. The two-person kata that I study and practice are Tachi Uchi no Kurai and Tsumeai no Kurai. These kata are of particular interest because they require a sense of distancing and timing that is difficult to grasp without a partner.

But even more so, work with a partner yields feedback through the sword. During solo practice, in the forms of drawing and cutting and parrying and striking, there is no physical contact.

I would ask: In Jujutsu, how could one ever learn proper form without an uke to receive technique? In Judo, how could one learn to throw without participating in randori? While many will agree the purpose of Iaido is not to learn how to fight with a sword, all must agree the art itself evolved from people who fought with a sword.

This yields the question: How can one ever obtain true understanding of Iaido form without engaging in fencing?

This is a question a friend and I asked several years ago. We took it upon ourselves as an independent study to learn how to fence with the Japanese Sword. Here is a snippet of our progress; the video is over a year old, and I'm sure we've changed since then, but I think there are examples of some good exchanges.


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