Pre-War Kendo 2: Tsuki Waza

In part one, I translated the section of Takano Sasaburo’s Kendo Kyohon describing 18 techniques for striking men. Part two is 13 techniques for thrusting.  One important point not included in this section is that Takano sensei considers tsuki to contain three distinct techniques—mae zuki, omote zuki, and ura zuki—in the same way that men is divided into shomen, hidari men, and migi men.  Because of this, I will include his section on how to thrust [突方] from the early chapter on basic practice [基本練習] that describes these three variations.

前突
両手をを一様に絞り、體を進めると同時に両腕を伸ばし、敵の咽喉部を突く。

Mae Zuki
Thrust at the enemy’s throat, wringing both hands equally and stretching out your arms at the same time you move your body forward.

表突
両手を絞り、刃を稍右方に向け、同時に両腕を伸ばし、敵の表(左方)より體を進めると同時に咽喉部を突く。少しく右斜前方に右足より進み、左足の之に伴ふことが肝要である。

Omote Zuki
Wring both your hands, and turn the edge slightly to the right.  At the same time, stretch out your arms, and thrust to the throat while advancing your body towards the enemy’s omote (left side).  It is essential to advance your right foot slightly diagonally to the right and to accompany it with the left.

裏突
両手を絞り、刃を稍左方に向け、両腕を伸ばし、敵の裏(右方)より少しく左斜前方に體を進めると同時に咽喉部を突く。

Ura Zuki
Wring your hands, and turn the edge slightly to the left.  Stretch out your arms, and thrust to the throat at the same time as you advance your body a little bit diagonally to the left, to the enemy’s ura (right side).

Now, on to the section describing techniques that result in a thrust.

其の二　突十三種
Section 2 Thirteen for Tsuki

前突
諸手にて前より敵を突く。

Mae Zuki
Using both hands, thrust to the enemy from the front.

片手突
片手にて表又は裏より敵を突く。

Katate Zuki
Using one hand, thrust to the enemy from either omote or ura.

二段突
互に下段或は中段にて構へて居る時、我より右籠手を撃たんとせめ、敵下段に應じ防ぐ所を裏より突く。

Nidan Tsuki
When facing each other in either gedan or chudan, threaten to strike the enemy’s right wrist.  When the enemy changes to gedan to defend, thrust from the ura side.

切落突
互に中段にて相對して居る時，敵より突き来り、或は撃ち來るを、切落し諸手にて突く。

Kiriotoshi Zuki
When facing each other in chudan, as the enemy comes to thrust or strike, cut down the attack [kiriotoshi] and thrust with both hands.

表片手突
雙方右と同じ構にある時、敵が太刀を下段に下げろ所を見すまし、左片手にて表より突く。

Omote Katate Zuki
When you both are in the same kamae as above, when you see the enemy lower his sword to gedan, thrust from the omote side with one hand.

裏突
雙方右と同じ構にある時、敵の太刀を右より押へ、諸手にて突く。

Ura Zuki
When you are both in the same kamae as above, press the enemy’s sword from the right and thrust with both hands.

入突
雙方下段の構にて相對して居る時、敵より突き来るを、手を返して引入れ、突き返して突く。

Ire Zuki
When you are facing each other in gedan, as the enemy comes to thrust, turn over your hands, pull in, and counter the thrust with a thrust.

NOTE:  This is the name Takano sensei uses for the main technique of tachi no kata no sambonme.

籠手押前突
敵中段、我は下段にて相對して居る時、敵の右籠手を撃ち、表より敵の太刀の鍔元を押へ、其の儘突き込む。

Kote Osae Mae Zuki
When the enemy is in chudan and you are in gedan, strike the enemy’s right kote, press on the tsubamoto of the enemy’s sword from omote, and from there thrust in.

出頭突
敵下段、我は中段にて相對し、敵より進まんとする頭を、諸手にて太刀を眞直に向へ伸ばせば、敵より自然に突き掛る。

Degashira Tsuki
Facing each other, the enemy in gedan and you in chudan, as the first enemy advances, if you extend the sword directly forward with both hands, the enemy will naturally run into your thrust.

上段變化突
敵下段，我は左上段にて敵より進まんとする頭を、上段より其の太刀を誘ひ引入れ突く。

Jodan Henka Tsuki
As the enemy is in gedan and you are in hidari jodan, as the enemy first begins to advance, from jodan match up with their sword, pull it in, and thrust.

NOTES: The action of pulling in is described using the same language as is used in irezuki, 引入れ–hikiire, suggesting the two use similar mechanics.  Also, while in current Japanese 誘う means “invite”, “lure”, “induce”, the character has an archaic reading いざなう as well as an slightly different meaning along the lines of “go along together with”.  Chiba Shusaku describes the analogous technique in his curriculum,  jodan hikiire zuki, against the enemy’s katatezuki using the phrase “此の方上段より其の太刀に添ひ、引き入れて突く”–”you meet their sword from jodan, pull in, and thrust”.  The pertinant verb in this description is 添ふ (そう) which means ”go along with” or “suit”.  It’s the intransitive partner to 添える, the soeru that give the soe in soete tsuki in seitei iai.

巻落突
互に下段中段等にて相對し居るを、敵より我が面に撃ち來る時、右或は左へ巻落し突く。

Makiotoshi Zuki
While facing each other in gedan, chudan, etc., when the enemy strikes at your men, perform makiotoshi to the left or to the right and thrust.

NOTE: As previously noted for makiotoshi men in Part 1, this makiotoshi is clearly not the same technique as the shikake waza that is more commonly known these days.  It may be similar to the makiotoshi of Shinto Muso Ryu.

拔突
雙方同前の構にて相對し居る時、敵より我が面へ撃ち來るを、左又は右斜に體を抜き、敵の太刀下を潛り抜け、咽喉部を突く。

Nuke Zuki
When you are facing each other in the same kamae as above, as the enemy strikes at your men, move your body diagonally to the left or right, escape from underneath the enemy’s sword, and thrust to the enemy’s throat.

突返突
雙方右と同じ構にて相對し居る時、敵より此方へ突き來るを、手を返して刃を敵の左に向け、突き返し突く。

Tsuki Kaeshi Zuki
When you are facing each other in the same kamae as above, as the enemy thrusts at you,  turn the blade to the enemy’s left turning over your hands and counter the thrust with a thrust.

NOTE: I have seen this phrase used to describe an action in the Gogyo no Kata no nihonme.  Takano sensei introduced the Gogyo no Kata to the gekkenbu (kendo club) of Tokyo Normal University (東京高等師範学校) from Nakanishi-ha Itto Ryu (then still called Ono-ha Itto Ryu) in 1904.  However, I do not know what said technique involves as I am unfamiliar with the kata, so I cannot say if it is the same as the technique here.

I have also seen this label used for the technique in Nihon Kendo Kata no sambonme, but Takano sensei calls that irezuki.