Pre-War Kendo 4: Do Waza

In the first three parts of this series, I translated the sections of Takano Sasaburo’s Kendo Kyohan describing techniques for men, tsuki, and kote.  In this part, I translate the section for do techniques.

As in part two, I have included the section on how to strike do [胴の撃方] from the chapter on basic practice [基本練習].  Note that for basic migi do, Takano sensei uses ayumi ashi, striking with the left foot forward.

右胴
兩臂の間より敵胴の見える程振冠り，左足から稍左斜前方に進み，右足は之に伴ひ、斜左上から兩臂を伸ばして敵の右胴に撃込む。此の場合，兩腕の交叉點は體の中央前に來るやうにし、且兩腕で抱き挾み、刀の動搖せぬやうに心掛ける。刃は右に向ける。

Migi Do
Swing up until you can see the enemy’s do between your arms.  Advance slightly diagonally left with the left foot, and accompany it with the right foot.  Stretching out both arms, strike the enemy’s right do diagonally from the upper left.  In this case, the crossing of your arms comes directly in front of your body, but bear in mind not to let your sword stray, holding it between your arms.  Turn the edge to the right.

左胴
兩臂の間より敵胴の見える程振冠り，右足から右斜前方に進み，左足は之に伴ひ、斜右上から兩臂を伸ばして敵の左胴に撃込む。刃は左に向ける。

Hidari Do
Swing up until you can see the enemy’s do between your arms.  Advance diagonally to the right with the right foot, and accompany it with the left foot.  Stretching out both arms, strike the enemy’s left do diagonally from the upper right.  Turn the edge to the left.

Now the section on do techniques.

其の四　胴七種
Seven for Do

摺上胴
敵上段又は中段に構へ、我は中段又は下段に構へて相對し居る時、敵より我が面へ撃込み來るを、摺上げ、折敷きながら胴を撃つ。

Suriage Do
When you are facing each other with the enemy in jodan or chudan, etc., and you in chudan or gedan, as the enemy tries to strike your men, perform suriage, and strike do while kneeling.

折敷胴
互に下段・中段等に構へ相對し居る時、敵より我が面へ撃込み來る。其の太刀に構はずして、迅速に摺れ違ひつゝ折敷き胴を撃つ。

Orishiki Do
When facing each other in gedan, chudan, etc., the enemy will come to strike your men.  Quickly kneel and strike do, paying no heed to his sword as it passes by.

NOTE: 摺れ違ふ (surechigau–usually written 擦れ違う or すれ違う) means for two things to miss or pass by each other, but I felt that if I translated it as such, people would read it as either both missing or running past each other, neither of which is the case.

立胴
前項の通りに構へ、敵より我が面へ飛び込み手を伸ばして撃ち来るを、其の太刀に構はず如何にも早く胴に抜け、折敷きを爲さず立ちながら撃つ。

Tachi Do
In the same kamae as above, as the enemy strikes at your men, flying in and stretching out his arms, pay no heed to his sword and quickly indeed dodge and strike do.  Strike while standing and not kneeling.

片手面胴
前項の通りに構へ、敵より突いて来るのを、體を敵の左に披き、片手にて敵の左半面を撃ち、又は手を返へして敵の右胴を撃つ。

Katate Men Do
In the same kamae as above, as the enemy come to thrust, open your body to the enemy’s left and strike the enemy’s left men with one hand.  Then turning over your hands and strike the enemy’s right do.

NOTE: The 又は was a source of trouble in translating this technique. 又, without は, is often used similarly to “moreover,” “furthermore,” “then,” or “and” in English, but 又は is, to my knowledge, exclusively used in listing alternatives.  That is, it means “or” in English.  However, translating it as such would make this into two separate techniques, katete men or do.  That doesn’t make sense given that it appears in the section on do techniques, and that katete men against tsuki was already described under hanmiuchimen.  Thus, I believe that the は in the original is a mistake and have translated the sentence as if it weren’t there.  Thanks to Josh Reyer for providing a second opinion regarding this.

面籠手胴
互に中段の構にて相對して居る時、敵中段より下段に下げんとする所を、一歩踏込み正面を撃ち、一歩退きて籠手を撃ち、左足を踏出し手を返して敵の左胴を撃つ。

Men Kote Do
When facing each other in chudan no kamae, the moment the enemy tries to lower his sword to gedan, step in one step and strike shomen, take one step back and strike kote, then, stepping forward with the left foot and turning over your hands, strike the enemy’s right do.

鍔糶胴
互に鍔糶合となつた時、隙を見て立ちながら胴を撃つ。敵を押す時敵も亦押し返す。其の伸びたる手の下より撃つことがある。之は敵の力を利用する撃方である。

Tsuba Zeri Do
When together in tsubazeriai, upon seeing an opening, strike do while standing.  When you push the enemy, the enemy will push back.  Strike from under the enemy’s extended hands.  This is a method for striking using the enemy’s power.

籠手懸胴
敵上段、我は下段・中段等にて敵の籠手を撃たんとする色を示せば、敵が其の太刀を避けんとする所を迅速に飛び込み撃つ。

Kote Kakari Do
With the enemy in jodan and you in chudan, gedan, etc., if you show signs of attacking the enemy’s kote, the enemy will try to avoid your sword.  The moment he does, fly in and strike.