Discussions of pre-war kendo pop up from time to time with people proposing what it was like. It seems that those proposals are often supposition based on what someone wishes or imagines it was like instead of the sources that are available. To that end, I’m translating portions of Takano Sasaburo’s Kendo Kyohon into English.
Kendo Kyohon was originally published in 1930, and much of it is repetition from his prior work, Kendo, published in 1915.
I plan to make five entries. The first four will be his “fifty varieties of technique” broken into four sections: men, tsuki, kote, and do. The fifth will be taiatari, grappling, and throwing. The curriculum of 50 techniques is a reduction and reworking of a curriculum of 68 techniques described by Chiba Shusaku. The 50-technique version also appears Kendo, with the only differences being slight differences in phrasing and more old-fashioned grammar.
I’d like to make one note on the translation. Takano sensei describes the two participants as “I” [我] and “the enemy” [敵]. I have switched first-person declaratives to second-person imperatives, as that is much more natural in moden English.
技法五十種
劍道では、或一二の特に熟練した得意の技を持つてゐることは、頗る有利なものであるが、得意な技に偏して、技に變化がなかつたり、他の技に不熟練なのは宜しくない。種々なる技法に習熟して、場合に應じて巧みに之を用ふるやうにしなければならぬ。次に最も基本的で、且普通に應用し得る技五十種を擧げる。漸次是等の技法を試み、之を習熟するやうに努むべきである。
Fifty Varieties of Technique
In kendo, having a certain one or two favorite techniques at which you are proficient is advantageous, but it is not good to be biased toward your favorite techniques, without any variety or being skilled at other techniques. You must master many techniques, so that they can be used skillfully to respond to the situation. The 50 most basic yet typically easy to use techniques are listed below. You should gradually try these techniques and work to master them.
其の一 面十八種
Section 1 Eighteen for Men
攻込み面
敵を下段・中段又は上段等にて攻込み、隙を見て面を撃つ。
Semekomi Men
While attacking the enemy from gedan, chudan, or jodan, see an opening and strike men.
出頭面
互に下段・中段等にて相對し、敵の進まんとする出頭の面を撃つ。
Degashira Men
While facing each other in gedan or chudan, strike men when the enemy begins to try to advance.
正撃面
敵が中段に構へて居り、下段に直す瞬間正撃面を撃つ。
Shogeki Men
When the enemy is in chudan, strike shomen the moment the enemy moves to gedan.
NOTE: I am unsure of the pronunciation of 正撃.
半身撃面
我は上段、敵は下段等にて敵より突き來るを、左若しくは右に披き、半身になつて敵の太刀を外し、左若しくは右片手にて敵の半面を撃つ。
Hanmigeki Men
You are in jodan, and the enemy is in gedan etc. As the enemy thrusts, open to either the enemy’s left or right and take hanmi, avoiding the enemy’s sword. Strike the enemy’s yokomen with one hand, either left or right.
諸手正面
互に下段・中段等にて相對して居る時、敵が我が右籠手へ撃つて来るのを、體を敵の左に披き、我が籠手を外し、半身體となつて敵の正面を撃つ。
Morote Shomen
When facing each other in gedan, chudan, etc., as the enemy tries to strike your right kote, open your body to the left of the enemy, removing your kote. Assume hanmi and strike the enemy’s shomen.
抜面
互に下段・中段等にて相對して居り、敵が我が右籠手へ撃つて来る時、左足より一歩退き、受止めずして抜き、其の儘諸手にて太刀を半ば振上げ撃つ。
Nuki Men
Facing each other in gedan, chudan, etc., when the enemy strikes at your right kote, take one step backward from the left foot and dodge without blocking. From there, swing your sword halfway up with both hands and strike.
諸手上段面
敵が下段或は中段等に守つて居るのを、上段より隙を見て面を撃つ。場合により敵の籠手を撃つこともある。此の撃方は敵の出端を撃つのが宜しい。
Morote Jodan Men
When the enemy is defending in gedan or chudan, etc., from jodan, when you see an opening, strike men. Depending on the situation, you can also strike the enemy’s kote. The correct striking method for this is to strike the enemy the moment they begin to move.
片手上段面
敵が上段・中段等に守つて居るのを、右又は左の片手上段より面を撃つ。時により籠手を撃つこともある。
Katate Jodan Men
When the enemy is defending in jodan or chudan, etc., from left or right katate jodan, strike men. Depending on the time, you can also strike kote.
左相上段面
雙方共に左上段にて相對して居る時、上段より面を撃つ。時により籠手を撃つこともある。機の熟するを待ち、敵より撃ち來らんとする所を撃つのが宜しい。
Hidari Ai Jodan Men
When both parties are facing each other in hidari jodan, strike men from jodan. Depending on the time, you can also strike kote. Wait for the opportunity to develop. The correct time to strike is when the enemy comes to strike.
右相上段面
彼我同じ右相上段にて相對して居る時，上段より面を撃つ。時により籠手を撃つこともある。其の他前項の通り。
Migi Ai Jodan Men
When both you and he are facing each other in migi ai jodan, strike men from jodan. Depending on the time, you can also strike kote. Other than this, it is in accordance with the previous paragraph.
摺上面
互に下段又は中段に構へて相對して居る時，敵より我が面に撃ち來るを、上段に摺上げ面を撃つ。
Suriage Men
When facing each other in gedan or chudan, as the enemy comes to strike your own men, slide up [suriage] to jodan and strike men.
應じ返し面
雙方右と同じ構にある時、敵より我が面に撃ち來るを受流し、其の儘應じ返しに面を撃つ。時により籠手を撃つ。
Ojikaeshi Men
When both parties are in the same kamae as above, as the enemy comes to strike your men, perform ukenagashi and from there strike men in response. Depending on the time, you strike kote.
巻落し面
雙方右と同じ構にて相對して居る時，敵より我が面へ撃ち來るを、右又は左に巻落し面を撃つ。
Makiotoshi Men
When both parties are facing each other in the same kamae as above, as the enemy comes to strike your men, perform makiotoshi to either the left or the right and strike men.
NOTE: This makiotoshi waza is an oji waza in response to men, so it is clearly not the same technique as the modern shikake waza with the same name. As it can also be followed by tsuki (listed in the next section) instead of men I believe it is probably similar to the makiotoshi of Shinto Muso Ryu.
張面
雙方右と同じ構にて相對して居る時，敵の太刀の中央部を張り、其の儘面を撃つ。
Hari Men
When both parties are facing each other in the same kamae as above, slap the middle portion of the enemy’s sword and from there strike men.
押籠手面
雙方右と同じ構にて相對して居る時，敵より我が面へ撃ち來るを、其の右籠手を押へ、其の儘一歩踏込み、てを伸ばして面を撃つ。
Osae Kote Men
When both parties are facing each other in the same kamae as above, as the enemy comes to strike your men, press his right kote and, from there, step in one step, stretch out your arms, and strike men.
攻籠手面
雙方右と同じ構にて相對して居る時，敵の右籠手を撃たんと攻め、敵が其の籠手を防ぐ所を、透さず飛び込み面を撃つ。
Seme Kote Men
When both parties are facing each other in the same kamae as above, threaten to strike the enemy’s right kote. When the enemy protects his kote, without a moment’s delay, fly in and strike men.
竹刀押へ面
敵中段、我は下段に構へ相對して居り、敵より我が面へ撃ち來るを、其の太刀の中柄を押へ、敵の構の崩れると同時に、半ば振上げ諸手にて面を撃つ。
Shinai Osae Men
When facing each other, the enemy in chudan and you in gedan, as the enemy comes to strike your men, press down on the middle of their tsuka. At the same time as the enemey’s kamae crumbles, swing up halfway with both hands and strike men.
NOTE: If this is the technique I think it is, it appears in the Nihon no Kobudo video of Ono-ha Itto Ryu. As the enemy cuts, you catch the tsuka with your monouchi, move it down to the back and side, then cut.
捨身面
敵中段、我は下段に構へ相對して居る時、此方より敵の右籠手を攻める。敵が中段の構を下段に直し防がんとする所を、透さず身を捨て飛び込み、手を十分に伸ばして面を撃つ。
Sutemi Men
When the enemy is in chudan and you are in gedan, from there attack the enemy’s right kote.
When the enemy defends by changing from chudan to gedan, without a moment’s delay, fly in with abandon and, adequately stretching out your arms, strike men.
Fantastic article. I’m so glad you left the Japanese in there too – not only does it help with understanding, it made good 旧字体 (or should that be 舊字體?) practice. I’m really looking forward to the next instalment.
Also, I don’t care if I’m an absolute beginner – this is so fascinating simply on a historical level I think I may go to Kinokuniya and order a copy of 『剣道教本』 tonight.
Agreed. Thanks for including the Japanese.
This is the only English translation of this book i’ve ever seen, and as such I think the English speaking kendo world should be thanking him profusely!! As we all know, its time consuming to do translations.
awesome!! cheers for translating!
Yes there has been a real gap in the English-language kendo resources when it comes to this book. Thanks Kent. I’ve got a big pile of kudos here and it’s all for you. But you know the only REAL reward for a job well done is more of the same… more please! b
Fantastic work, Kent. In my linguistic opinion, this is an excellent translation; clear, concise, natural, and extremely accurate. And including the Japanese in kyuuji-tai is no mean feat. This post no doubt involved a lot of hard slog above and beyond the usual slog of translating. Really, really well done.
Wow! Straight from the horse’s mouth.
Some of these waza are quite familiar. But I’m guessing that osae kote men is not the same as debana kote men. But how on earth do you perform this feat? Keep up the good work. Please. Pretty please.
Thanks for the nice comments, everyone. I included the Japanese so that people with Japanese better than mine would be able to point out any mistakes I’ve made.
To answer Alphons, your guess is as good as mine as to what osae kote men actually is in practice, though he specifically writes “sono migi kote o osae”–”press down/hold down/control/suppress his right kore”–instead of writing to strike it. It *might* be you stand in place as teki cuts, catch the top of his kote near the beginning of his downswing, and ride it down pressing down and somewhat to the side, then follow up with your own strike. But I don’t know, and I have no evidence for that. That’s just all I can come up with that matches the written description. Does anyone have any better ideas?
That sort of discussion is one of the things I hope happens. There are vague descriptions of unfamiliar waza in some of the other sections as well.
Excellent post, Kent. I am looking forward to the next 4!
Thanks a lot Kent, this is surely one of the most interesting kendo readings I´ve had.
This was really interesting!!.i’ve study some techniques from old books during my stay in Japan,but the archaic kanji and expressions made so difficult almost impossible to read it all, and understand the exact meaning of the phrases…
Ijima sensei (IBU younger 8dan),taught us the differences of the waza names like harai-men/ hari-men,sounds similar but have differents kanji 払い面 / 張面, and so on different waza..My point is,in order to learn kendo techniques we need to understand not only the transalation,also the root(日本語もちろん).
i’m glad that you include the japanese too.
Thanks for this one Kent, and very good job!!
Thank your for this initiative, looking forward for the next articles.
Osae Kote Men
Trying not to be an armchair kendoka I practiced what I think should be osae kote men. It was something like a maki on the ura side. Stepping in hiraki ashi, the kensaki on the kobushi, the moment my left foot was in position I could strike men. It worked this way but I would like to know how others would perceive this one. As you can see I find this one highly intriguing.