About the jujutsu – I don’t think this use of the sword “comes” from jujutsu, but perhaps Eishin’s reputed jujutsu skill could be related to the ways the opponent is physically manipulated in several of the Eishin ryu waza.

Of course the “harai” made with the sword so as to free the tsuka may well be why the “kumo” is attached there as well.

Another thing : why do you think the sword gripping comes from jujutsu? Most kenjutsu/iaijutsu koryu (if not all) have these kind of movements. I’m pretty sure the first guy who saw a one-edged sword thought he would look pretty cool by gripping it like this. Look mom, I can hold the blade with my bare hand! Of course, then his sword rusted to dust, but hey he had his fifteen minutes of steel age glory. Then came a smartass with his oil and bam! we’re stuck gripping the blade like monkeys. Ok, I kid.

Again, a poem (this time I kid not) :

From the foot floating clouds
Blown upwards to the sky
Rising all around so high
Wrapping lofty peaks in shrouds

Once again a brilliant and well researched article. I tried to incorporate the essence of extrensic nukitsuke and subtle kirioroshi to Inazuma last week (as mentioned in your article) and got a nod and a grunt from my sensei…

With regards to Ukigumo, Ishido Sensei of MSR explained it as the sword coming down onto the opponent in nukitsuke is as the clouds descending onto the slopes of the mountain and is thus very congruent with your suggested connection. When he performs it, indeed it down seem like his entire being swooping down onto the opponent which is quite devastating when you’re sitting there.

Keep up the good work, I know a lot of people from Europe who are reading these articles without making comments on the blog but all are very impressed – no pressure like!

I think your work on these tanka is breaking new ground… keep it up!!!!

It just hit me reading this latest installment that the last line of all the tanka so far, but especially this one, leaves one hanging at the climax of the action. The poems seem to focus on the nukitsuke, subtly hinting at the kirioroshi to come. It makes a lot of sense from a technical standpoint, since the kirioroshi resemble one another for the most part, whereas the nukitsuke are quiet different. But it also makes sense from a literary standpoint, because leaving the final action unstated creates dramatic tension — like the screen going dark in a movie during the middle of a climactic scene.