The following article was originally published in April 2011 and is by Ota Tadanori hanshi (see author bio below). I placed this article on my ‘to-do’ list a while back and picked it up randomly a few days back. With the 15th World Kendo Championships happening this weekend, I thought a timely re-visit of an aspect of modern kendo that many sensei complain about: lack of manners. Especially during shiai, this seems to be the first thing that goes out the window.

The word ‘REI’ in Japanese refers to the physical act of bowing as well as ‘good manners’ in general. The term in Japanese can have a far deeper and wider meaning that simply ‘manners’ in English and brings a kind of (at least to me) sophistication and refinement/dignity with it. Due to this I have mainly left ‘rei’ in the original text as ‘rei’ in the translation.

Keiko itself is rei

As far as good etiquette in kendo goes, you either do it or you don’t. Respect, consideration, and a feeling of gratitude for your partner is where the essence of rei lies. If this is lost then kendo is nothing but an activity where you hit each other with sticks. This short essay is about how an understanding of rei can be used to improve your kendo.

When I was learning kendo from Fukuoka Akira sensei we didn’t have a dojo, but practised in his garden. Keiko only began after I cleaned the garden with a bamboo broom. Of course there was no Kamidana (small Shinto shrines found in many dojo) but I was taught that cleaning the area itself was an act of purity and that the place was sacred. After that I performed ritsurei (standing bow) to my sensei. This was the first form of etiquette I was taught.

Eventually, someone in the locality volunteered their storehouse and we remodeled it into a dojo. The finished structure had a kamidana and I learned the correct etiquette to perform in this type of environment. I feel that in a child’s mind, when you have a kamidana, understands that the place is different to others, that it is sacred.

When I first became a member of Keishicho (Tokyo metropolitan police force) we used to practise in the Keishicho gym, which didn’t have a kamidana. Instead there hung a large, solemn, picture of Mt. Fuji by the painter Yokoyama.

When I was a member of the physical-education division I was lucky to be taught by Masuda Shinsuke sensei for a year. During this time the kendo members were doing their warmup stretches in the dojo and Masuda sensei got angry and taught is a valuable lesson: ‘Do your warmup outside of the dojo. Don’t come to the dojo until you are ready for keiko!’ Also, when I entered the Tokuren (special kendo training division) we were told: ‘When you enter the dojo you mustn’t laugh nor smile.’ We were taught that a dojo was a place for serious and strict training (shugyo).

When top sensei like Ono Jusei and Horiguchi sensei stepped into the dojo immediately the atmosphere would change and without thinking your resolve would harden. It was such a powerful feeling that those people that came for degeiko (i.e. visitors) would often feel oppressed by this atmosphere. It was my good fortune that my day to day training happened in such an environment.

The sensei didn’t teach through words, but by demonstration – you had to watch how they acted and copy it. These sensei trained like their lives depended on it, so there were many many points that had to be studied. Individually we thought ‘I want to be like X-sensei’ and proceeded to practise with that sensei in mind, trying somehow to catch their kendo essence. Of course, this included all their mannerisms, including their etiquette.

‘Rei ni hajimari, rei ni owari’ (keiko begins and ends with rei) – I was taught that it was very important what happens in the time between those first and last bows. First you should bow with the feeling of ‘onegaishimasu’ (please, thank you, a sincere feeling), then keiko with all your energy, finally finishing with the feeling of ‘thank you.’ That is to say: ‘everything in keiko is rei.’ If you practise daily with this feeling, and go to your teacher for instruction, then in the midst of your strict training you will naturally pick up the correct etiquette manner. My experience tells me that its BECAUSE of the severe nature of training that real etiquette can be learned.

If you can’t express yourself physically, then your true intentions cannot be read

I think that the ‘shape’ (kata) of etiquette is very important. Its because it helps express the correct essence of your feeling (the feeling of ‘thanks’) to your partner.

Of course, simply going through the motions without the feeling behind them is unbelievable but, looking at many competitions nowadays, I see many many cases where indeed participants are bowing at their own pace without taking into account their partner (i.e. they are doing the shape only). This gives me a chill.

One of the things that changed kendo from a ‘method of taking life’ to a ‘method for the perfection of the character’ is, I believe, this ‘rei.’ Without this kendo can only be an activity where you simply hit each other with sticks, just another sport. If we support something where people just jump around smacking each other randomly then kendo will change into something that resembles (some) other sports, where there is no sympathy nor feelings of thanks between you and your partner. I think that this rei is the difference between Budo and Sport.

So, teachers must reduce telling their students that ‘shiai is a part of kendo’ and place more emphasis on the ‘everything in keiko is about rei’ aspect. It is essential that teachers themselves ensure that they have the correct etiquette ‘shape’ and show (display) that they understand the feeling behind the movements.

The correct feeling is important, then the shape of expressing it. Kendo no kata is an important tool for this. Everything needed to understand rei is embodied in it. Starting from your bow to the flag (depends on the dojo), how you bow to your partner, how you walk, how you stand, how you sit, how you use your hands… all this must be done in unison with your partner and with the feeling of ‘onegaishimasu’ at the start and ‘arigato gozaimashita’ at the end. We tend to concentrate on how to do the kata themselves (i.e. what we are doing with bokuto, how many steps we take in and out, etc) but in reality its the rei that is permeated throughout that is important.

Its important for teachers to study this aspect, feel it for themselves, and finally for them to show it to those around them.

Train children though correct etiquette

Especially nowadays, people act as if they are blind to children’s discourteous behavior. Its because they are not disciplined properly at home I guess. But surely the essence of childhood isn’t different nowadays than what it was in the past? If you teach children properly, then any child can learn to be polite.

I help to teach the children’s kendo class at Nippon Budokan and nowadays I see that many kids can’t act as part of a group: they suddenly disappear from where they are meant to be, and don’t bother saying hello or goodbye to the teachers or their friends, etc. Of-course, its part of the teachers job to persevere and try to teach the children these things properly. At this time you must not think “how do I teach this kid?” but “how can I communicate my feelings towards this kid?” This is whats important. Thats is to say, whats important is to consider how can you build up a feeling of trust between yourself and that child.

When I am teaching children, sometimes I lightly tap them on the behind with a shinai. Do you call this punishment or teaching? Which side of the border line you lie on depends on whether you are attempting to build up the trust I mentioned earlier. If you honestly desire to ‘teach’ the child something then – if you manage to communicate your feelings to them – trust will be born and the child will begin to change.

Rei is the basis of your daily life in society. ‘Rei = the bonds forged between individuals.’ The base of of this rei is discipline. If you don’t have discipline then rei cannot be learned and will fade. I want people (children) to be disciplined in manners in their homes first, then above and beyond this through kendo.

Of course, that children are becoming ill-mannered is a symptom of Japanese society in general. A while back an American person said this shocking thing to me: “Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese all look kind of similar but its the Japanese that are the most discourteous.” The reason for this is that the modern society has taken to referring to any selfish action as “freedom” thus forgiving it.

The only way to fix this is through rei taught in budo! Our chance to enact this is when budo begins to be taught as part of the national curriculum in junior high schools around the country (this started April 2012).

The best place to teach rei is in the dojo

Its sad to say, but recently many local dojo have been closing and more and more kendo clubs are doing their keiko in public sports gyms. In the ‘All Japan (ken) dojo renmei’ (a group set up for the promotion of kendo for primary and junior high school ages) actually only 1/4 of groups have their own dojo. The rest are probably training in sports gyms or maybe even – like me when I was a child – in gardens. But, obviously, a place that is sacred and pure has a special meaning to it (i.e. a dojo with a kamidana).

First, make sure your appearance is tidy and neat, line up your footwear correctly, then enter the dojo. As you enter collect your thoughts and bow towards the kamidana. The kamidana is not a religious thing, but embodies the spirit of budo. ‘Today I hope to do keiko without being injured’ or ‘I want to do keiko with a pure heart’ etc etc its perfectly fine for people to decide their own individual goal for the days keiko. This is what Fukuoka sensei taught me.

You can only perform such initial salutations in a dojo environment. Why? Because a dojo is a space where everyone from children to adults are under the same roof and – as adults are teaching the children – they are training themselves at the same time. While adults are teaching children they themselves must always heed their own manners, all the while studying from their own sensei. This type of ‘living teaching environment’ is the best attraction of a dojo. Thus I believe dojo are the optimum environment for learning manners.

At any rate, you can’t do kendo without a partner. If you keiko with compassion and gratitude at all times then once keiko is finished you will natural say ‘thank you.’ I believe that this type of satisfaction is kind of ‘beautiful.’ So, everyone, won’t you consider reevaluating your manners again, even just one more time?

This article was published in the April 2011 edition of Kendo Jidai.

About the author

Ota Tadanori, kendo hanshi 8dan. Born in 1941, Chiba prefecture. After graduating high school he entered Keishicho directly. He has won the all japan police championships and taken part in the tozai-taiko, Meiji-mura taikai, etc. He taught as the top kendo teacher at keishicho until his retirement in 2000. He currently has posts in the ZNKR and teaches kendo at various locations.

Source

剣道時代２０１１年４月。「剣道人と礼。真剣さの中に本当の礼が生まれる」。太田忠徳。

Translating something from one language to another is always very difficult, and Japanese budo concepts are no different. Any errors in fact, misunderstandings in the reading of the text, errors in translations, etc, are all my own. If you think you spot an error by all means get in touch.

See Seme #1 published in 2008.

SEME

You must face your opponent with the feeling that ‘ki’ is crystalized in and emitted from your body. Your hands must be soft. The softness of the inside of your right hand is especially important. Lightly touch the tip of your sword against your opponents sword; don’t especially strike or push their shinai in any way. During this time your body should be soft and flexible and your heart/spirit firm. To get the knack of this you must constantly think about this ‘firmness.’

While keeping this ‘fullness’ of feeling in your body you must project the feeling of ‘come and strike me!’ at your opponent, and – at the same time – while abandoning yourself to their strike, slowly close distance. Depending on your opponents movements you may sometimes close in relatively quickly and largely, but in any case the most important aspect you must keep in mind is your breathing as you move: it is essential that you unify your body movement and your breathing. That is to say, you must not move as you breathe out in a large/long blow, but execute movement as you are breathing out rhythmically in short, slow blows. This is so that your opponent cannot read your intentions easily.

While you are moving your body in this manner, the tip of your shinai should be soft and flexible. If your shinai tip is stiff then in the instant where an attacking movement occurs it will not be able to stay in the center, and all your strikes will be incomplete. Please be careful about this point.

To conclude, keeping this ‘fullness’ of feeling in your body and spirit you must begin to ‘seme’ and – whilst this is happening – you must study from where the intention of your opponent appears: is it from their shinai top? their right hand? their eyes? When your opponent doesn’t begin to move/react to your pressure but you see an opening and attack, then this is called ‘kakari no sen’ and if they move because of your pressure and you strike them this is called ‘go no sen.’ When you strike, do so straight from your kamae.

About the author

Sakudo Masao hanshi is a professor at Osaka sports university (specialising in Budo) and the leader of the kendo club. He is a graduate of Tokyo University of Education, earlier called Tokyo-shihan-gakko, the school that was home to Takano Sasaburo. There he was taught kendo by such famed sensei as Nakano Yasoji hanshi and Yuno Masanori hanshi. Upon moving to Osaka he did kendo under various sensei including Ikeda Yuji hanshi. He had competition success at university level and has taken part in the 8dan taikai. Outside of university life he holds several kendo related posts both in Japan and abroad.

Source

剣道時代の「名選手、錬磨の日々」（1983ー84）からの抜粋です。「錬磨の日々」の本は1989発行。昨道正夫。

Translating something from one language to another is always very difficult, and Japanese budo concepts are no different. Any errors in fact, misunderstandings in the reading of the text, errors in translations, etc, are all my own. If you think you spot an error by all means get in touch.

‘As soon as you stand up, 1 – seme, 2 – seme, 3 – seme… pressure, pressure, pressure.’

‘If you want to strike me men go ahead, do it! When you attempt to I will strike your dou.’

‘Just as your partner attempts to strike have the feeling of thrusting his left eye, this will cause a disturbance in his heart/will.’

‘Pressure the omote and strike the ura.’

etc etc. Whichever strategy you have decided on stand up silently from sonkyo and with full vigor face your opponent – if you do this and manage to take an ippon within 20 seconds it will be a mark that your kendo is improving.

Its very common for teachers to say ‘do shiai with mushin’ but this advice is for experts who have already forged their technique. If inexperienced people whose technique is far from polished try to do this they will simply be struck.

In order to stand up and take an ippon in under 20 seconds you have to concentrate on taking the ippon at shotachi (the initial strike). Shinken-shobu is often called ‘the fight for shotachi.’

2. While pressuring your opponent, or when their body-shape is in disarray after execution of an attack – when their heart/will is in a state of confusion – you should immediately attack without giving them time to breathe. If you are too late in taking the chance it will not come again.

Your mental state should be the same as an athlete who is waiting at the starting block of a 100m race: ‘ready, set, go!’ If the strike isn’t an ippon you must cultivate the practise of striking multiple times in one breath (until you hit a good strike). If you don’t do this in your daily keiko then your body won’t be able to keep up (during shiai or against other opponents).

This isn’t about striking with your head. Your legs should move of their own volition. Only when you have reached this state can it be said that you have mastered technique.

About the author

SAKUMA SABURO sensei was born in 1912 in Fukushima prefecture. He started kendo at around 10/11 years old in Fukushima Butokuden. After graduating from what is now Fukushima University he started teaching kendo at various high schools. In 1939 he began to work in Mitsubushi’s mining operation and taught kendo throughout the country whilst visiting various mines. After the war, he became a student of Mochida Seiji hanshi and – while running his own kendo club – began working as a director in the Tokyo Kendo Renmei amongst other things. He died at 84 in 1997. He was hanshi hachidan.

平成・剣道 地木水火風空 読本（下）。佐久間三郎。平成9年発行。

Note

Please remember I am not a professional translator, nor have studied Japanese at university nor in an institution. Any errors in fact, misunderstandings in the reading of the text, errors in translations, etc, are all my own. I can but apologise in advance.

Parts one, two and three of this series are already available, and the translation concludes with part four below. Thank you for reading.

Tachiumare

Tachiumare [lit. the birth/origin of a sword strike]* is explained as follows. Put simply, in today’s shiai, when facing off with your opponent or dealing with them, both parties’ swords cannot be said to be tense: they are only waiting. When your opponent intends to strike, their sword tip will tense up and become firm. This is the moment at which they will strike. Knowing this, you should wait within attacking, and attack within waiting. This is known as ken-chū-tai, tai-chū-ken (懸中待　待中懸)**. The key point is where the sword of the opponent rises or falls and becomes tense. When the opponent intends to strike he will raise his sword tip slightly. When he intends to thrust he will lower his sword tip slightly. From this, you can understand tachiumare. If you understand the above and put　it to use, you should progress until you naturally understand the point of respiration (kokyū).

*Tachiumare is an important Ittō-ryū teaching which appears, in different forms, in both the Kanaji Mokuroku and the Hon Mokuroku, the second and third tiers of transmission respectively.

**This teaching also appears in the Hon Mokuroku.

During shiai

In shiai, the mind is false but the shinai is truthful (if the mind is false, the truth will be apparent through the techniques on the surface). This is because the shinai is always poised to immediately cut or thrust.

This is one case where, while maintaining respect for the [Ittō-ryū] school, it is acceptable to deviate from its teachings. When young, you should regard technique as everything, even to the point of failure. Passing beyond this, when you are over forty years old you should make use of your spirit and presence. In the same way, [young] people do as they please, but as they get older they become more mindful and thrifty.

Takayanagi sensei

A man asked Takayanagi*: “Sensei, you say that we must be able to defeat a strong point weakly and a weak point strongly. But what does it mean to win with strength?” Takayanagi replied, “I do not yet know.”

* Takayanagi Matashirō was a student of the third generation headmaster of the Nakanishi line of Ittō-ryū (and Tanemasa’s father), Nakanishi Tanehiro. Takayanagi’s family transmitted a branch of Toda-ryū that came to be known as ‘Takayanagi-ha.’ He was one of the so-called ‘three crows’ of Nakanishi dojo, the other two being Terada Muneari and Shirai Tōru, respectively the first and second-generation headmasters of Tenshin Ittō-ryū. Together these three acted as guardians for the young Nakanishi Tanemasa following Tanehiro’s death. Takayanagi was famous for his ‘silent sword’ technique, where he would defeat opponents without letting their shinai touch his.

The moon on water

The moon on water is explained as follows. You make yourself like the moon and shine light upon your opponent. Or, if you make yourself as water and allow your opponent to become like the moon, you will see the points where the light they cast is insufficient. In other words, you will realise their areas of falsehood.

Put your feeling into the belly of your opponent and act as if no swords are involved. Allow this to assist your use of the sword.

The ability to fight is something that no-one can teach, but even a child has it. At first, our school teaches sō and gyō [see above] without any connection to fighting, and exclusively teaches to remain calm and suppress the urge to fight. At first, students learn by paying no mind to swords conveying to the opponent their spirit alone. Thus, when they allow this approach to assist their use of the sword they will be able to attain victory.

The nature of a spark

The nature of a spark (sekka no kurai, 石火の位) is the feeling of a sickle striking a stone: it is sharp and fierce. When you and your opponent’s swords meet, the nature of a spark is the moment of sharpness where you transfer your feeling and your sword to the opponent.

Adhere to doctrine

Even if a purse is dirty, you should not throw away the coins it holds. Even if you are of lowly stature, you should not discard propriety and doctrine*.

*The word used here is hō(法). This indicates law, dharma, reason, natural order, propriety and doctrine.

The three natures

The nature of dew (tsuyu no kurai, 露の位), the nature of a spark (sekka no kurai) and the nature of a temple bell (bonshō no kurai, 梵鐘の位) can be understood as follows. With blunted swords (habiki, 刃引) stand far apart from your opponent, calmly and unhurriedly approach them and with a fullness of spirit cut down their sword with kiriotoshi. When you cut down their sword, it is with the nature of dew. When your sword connects with theirs, it is with the nature of a spark. Once you have struck down their sword, immediately you assume the nature of the temple bell, and send out a resounding echo that engulfs your opponent.

The nature of dew (tsuyu no kurai) is like a drop of dew collecting on a leaf. Although it is constantly on the verge of falling from the leaf it hangs on, then plops from the leaf as the tension breaks. Standing away from your opponent, as you approach them you must amass a fullness of spirit, then like a drop of dew falling from a leaf cut down their sword with kiriotoshi. The point of cutting down their sword has the nature of a spark [see above].

The master and the amateur

A skilled bowman, when using a noisemaker arrow* to exorcise someone possessed by a fox spirit**, stood facing the target with the intent to shoot the shoulder, where the possession was located. As he aimed at the shoulder and went to shoot the swelling, it shifted to the waist. When he aimed at the waist, it shifted elsewhere. As a poor shot would have killed the person, the bowman passed his bow and arrow to his servant and commanded him to shoot, but the servant declined. The command was issued strongly, and the servant reluctantly stepped forward to face the target with an arrow on his bowstring. In that instant the fox possession was dispelled. The master was so skilled he could not miss where he aimed for, but it was impossible to know where the unskilled servant’s arrow would have struck. Thus, the fox spirit took fright, and vanished.

When someone has trained a little with a sword and knows something of kiriotoshi and methods for winning bouts, it is good to engage them. A complete amateur who knows nothing of how to cut with a sword will attack randomly and without logic, and it is not good to engage with them.

*A noisemaker arrow (hikime or kaburaya) refers to a blunt arrow with a conical device fitted at its tip, designed to make a loud noise when shot. These kinds of arrows were used to scare away animals, and presumably, as this tale shows, were also used in exorcism.

**Fox possession (kitsunetsuki, 狐憑き) was a condition believed to affect young women who had been possessed by the spirit of a fox, which was viewed as a supernatural creature in Japanese folklore. Symptoms were varied but often included fox-like behaviour, frothing at the mouth, developing a huge appetite and the presence of a lump under the skin that would shift when touched or pricked with needles. Exorcism usually took place at Shintō shrines. The fox possession myth is to some extent analogous with lycanthropy in European folklore.

Woman possessed by a fox spirit

Growth and maturation

The three methods shin, gyō and sō* have nothing to do with physical technique, and are methods of the mind. When your technique has matured, your sword, body and mind will be unified.

For example, if you view plum blossom, you may paint a picture of the flowers you see, but you cannot capture their scent. A plum tree draws up moisture from the earth, grows tall, its flowers bloom and its fruit ripens. The painting is lacking the shin of the earth, so it merely looks pleasing to the eye. Swordsmanship too is like a plant growing from the earth. Solid ground, shin, is vital. You cannot train in swordsmanship without a determined focus. You should have a strong appreciation for this.

*Shin, gyō and sō, as explained previously, refer to timings in Ittō-ryū. However their scope is much broader than this. They can also refer to speed, shape or how close a technique is to the basic model, amongst other things. In the above description the meaning is close to that used in calligraphy: shin denotes precise, standard characters, sō very loose, flowing characters, and gyō is somewhere in between. Without learning shin it is not possible to progress to gyō and sō.

Turning the self

“Turning the self” has the following meaning. A lamp that shines its light directly upon you is a hindrance, but if you try to shield yourself from the light, it will still seep through the gaps between your fingers. If you close the lamp’s shutters, the light will still stream through the cracks between them. If you turn so that the lamp is not in front of you but to the side, it becomes an even greater hindrance.

It is best to turn to face away from the light, so you cannot see it at all. You will not be aware that the light is shining upon your back, and will be unperturbed by it. This is what is known as “turning the self.”

Although I know little*, I believe the above description of shielding yourself from light means that if you put yourself through great pains in training the kumitachi, acquiring skill, learning to read the tells in an opponent’s mood and sword movement, and become able to shine your own light on the opponent, you may progress further, to the point of extinguishing your opponent’s light. At this point you will no longer be perturbed by anything.

*This line suggests that this paragraph is written from the perspective of Takano Mitsumasa.

The other side of victory

A die is a cube, with faces numbered one to six. Six is the highest number attainable. When you win totally, the reverse of that victory is a singular defeat of one. When you win with a five, the reverse is two defeats. When you win with a four, the reverse is three defeats. This is the point of life and death.

Note: For clarity’s sake, it should be noted that a die has six and one, five and two and four and three on opposite sides.

Adapting to circumstance

Using the hardness of chopsticks, you can hold the softness of a bean. You do not set out to use the chopsticks stiffly because they are hard, nor softly because the bean is soft. You must use them adaptively, according to circumstance. Swordsmanship is the same.

Mountain foot, river mouth

At the mountain, its foot. At the river, its mouth.* This means that when you see an opponent intends to thrust at you, you should leave the target of your throat open while protecting all other targets, then defend the throat when he makes his thrust.
If you try to prevent him from making this thrust from the beginning, he will change the target he is attacking. To leave yourself open when the opponent intends to thrust is what is called “mountain foot, river mouth.”

*This phrase appears in the Kanaji Mokuroku.

Yin and Yang in Itto-ryu and other schools

Naganuma Jikishinkage-ryū* teaches to use jodan no kamae with the spirit of ‘activeness within activeness’ [yang within yang, 陽中の陽]. Ittō-ryū teaches to use gedan with a spirit of passiveness [yin, 陰]. With a spirit of ‘activeness within activeness,’ if you do not issue forth [i.e. be proactive, attack] then you will fall into passiveness. In our school, when you issue forth the passiveness within your passiveness becomes active, and you are able to apply yourself.

Munen-ryū** takes a position between activeness and passiveness, and utilises a slightly distorted seigan no kamae.

*‘Naganuma’ refers to the main branch of Jikishinkage-ryū swordsmanship. Naganuma Kunigo, the seventh-generation headmaster of Jikishinkage-ryū is credited with introducing practice with shinai and bogu, as pioneered by Nakanishi Chūta of Ittō-ryū. The Naganuma branch, in contrast with the Otani branch, was said to favour jodan no kamae.

**Shindo Munen-ryū, founded by Fukui Hyōemon, was another prominent swordsmanship school in this period.

Do not use physical strength

Neither striking nor cutting requires physical strength. When an experienced drummer strikes a drum, he does so with crispness and the sound resounds cleanly.

Chuta sensei

Chūta sensei* said:

“When children are playing beside a well, and a child looks like they will fall in, any onlooker, no matter who, will be startled. This is the vital point in an engagement. Not only is it very interesting, it has a profound meaning.”

* Nakanishi Chūta, the first head of the Nakanishi line of Ittō-ryū.

Compare natural ability, hard work and enjoyment of training: of the three, the latter is most important for becoming skilled.*

Although a cow may walk slowly, its pace is fine. It will continue onwards for a thousand leagues, never resting nor taking its eyes from the path.

This is the way of strategy: to attack the heart is best; to attack city walls is worst. Battling with hearts is better than battling with soldiers.
- Zhuge Liang, Marquis of Zhongwu**

*These are regarded as the three necessary elements for mastery of an art.

**This is a quotation from the Chinese classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sangokushi, 三国志 in Japanese). It is advice given to Zhuge Liang by Ma Su during his campaign to subdue the southern tribes. When considering which strategy to employ against the city of Nanzhong, Zhuge Liang asked Ma Su’s advice, and was told that he should win the hearts of the people in the city rather than conquer them using military might.

Sources and further reading:

『剣道』　高野佐三郎〈著〉　島津書房発行　1982 ( 1915)
『兵法一刀流』　高野弘正〈著〉　講談社発行　1985
『一刀流極意』　笹森順造〈著〉　礼楽堂発行　1986 (1965)
『剣禅話』　山岡鉄舟〈著〉　高野登〈編訳〉　徳間書店発行　1971
『高野佐三郎 剣道遺稿集』　高野佐三郎〈著〉　堂本昭彦〈編〉　スキージャーナル株式会社発行　2007 (1989)
『剣道の発達』　下川潮〈著〉　梓川書房発行　1976 (1925)
『日本剣道史』　山田次郎吉〈著〉　一橋剣友会発行　1976 (1925)
『剣道五百年史』　富永堅吾〈著〉　百泉書房発行　1971
『増補大改訂　武芸流派大事典』　綿谷雪、山田忠史〈著〉　株式会社東京コピー出版部発行　1978

The duel took place on a very small deserted island in between Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi prefecture, and Kyushu called Funashima, later renamed to ‘Ganryu-jima’ allegedly in honour of the slain Sasaki Kojiro (his sword style was called ‘gan-ryu’).

*Allegedly. This is the current ‘official’ date but – as with almost every aspect of Musashi’s life – there are many theories. Discrepancies range as much as 10 years.

What is there to see?

Well, not much! There is a statue of the swordsmen fighting, and a couple of plinths in the area. There is also a man-made beach with a boat placed strategically on it, as if Musashi himself had just jumped out of it waiving a newly carved oar/bokuto.

Why go?

The value of going there is not to see the tourist-aimed statues, or to buy the trinkets on sale, but more to celebrate a piece of Japanese swordsmanship history. Its cool to just sit down and relax, pondering your own kendo/iaido/etc journey.

Getting there

I’ve visited the island twice. Once when I first visited Fukuoka in 2004, and another time I took some kendo friend there in 2008. Although out of the way, its not so difficult to get to if you are heading down to Kyushu from the mainland and you have 3 or 4 hours to spare.

Assuming that you are taking a train there get off at JR Shimonoseki station (this is a regular train stop and a Shinkansen stop). From there you can walk to the pier or take a bus. Its not really obvious which way you should go, so its best to ask someone at the station ‘Ganryu-jima?’ and they will point you in the right direction.

At the pier there are two companies that run boats to and from the island with return tickets being 800 yen. You can buy tickets and check times in the small cabins by the pier. The boats run pretty frequently. Make sure you can get on the last boat back to the mainland otherwise you will need to swim.

Gallery

Click on the image to see it bigger.

If you haven’t already, please read part one and part two of this series first. Part three continues below.

Embracing death

If participating in a fight with real swords, you must go into it with the conviction that you will be killed. If you can do this you will be able to act decisively and remain physically strong. If you do not think that you will be killed, you will not be able to attain victory. This is a point of profound significance.

In a fight with real swords, you cannot prevail if you do not have a firm knowledge of the duality of life and death. For example, when the day is over night will fall. When night is over it always becomes light again.* When your life reaches its limit, you will meet death. Likewise, when the threat of death is exhausted, you will surely live.

There is an Ittō-ryū teaching:

Like a horse chestnut husk carried on the mountain river’s rapids
Discard your body and float upon the current**

* Here “day” and “night” are described with yin (in, 陰) and yang (yō, 陽), which indicates a much broader meaning incorporating negative and positive, west and east, passiveness and activeness and so on. Yin and yang are used to express many important concepts in Ittō-ryū, as well as in other schools of Japanese swordsmanship.

** This poem is a major teaching of Ittō-ryū. The key phrase “mi wo tsutete” literally means ‘discarding one’s body.’ This means to commit fully to an attack with a preparedness to die in the attempt. The same idea is commonly referred to as sutemi (捨て身) in modern kendo. In the poem, this line is a play on words. The horse chestnut husk has discarded its seed (mi, 実 in Japanese) and has become light, floating on the water. The swordsman who discards his body (also pronounced mi, 身 in Japanese) and is prepared to die in a fight will in fact be more likely to prevail in an encounter.

Facing the opponent

When your sword tip is not touching that of your opponent (i.e. you are too far away) you cannot cut him. A bout will be decided when the point of each sword has passed the other by 5 sun (approx. 15cm).

A cultured man [i.e. a samurai] who is determined to kill his opponent will approach them directly, facing them squarely. A person of lower class will approach his enemy diagonally, in a hanmi stance. Even if you are a member of the warrior class, sidling up to an opponent indirectly makes you no better than a boorish peasant.

If you try to raise your spirit above that of an opponent whose spirit is higher than yours, you will not be successful. If you try to lower your spirit beneath that of an opponent who is operating lower than you, your actions will become crude and lose substance. Instead, you must stay in the very centre, the ‘true centre,’ and never stray from it. The ‘true centre’ means you act so as not to lose*, without excess or deficiency in any area. If you simply carry out your daily training in this way, when you have to fight for real, simply act so as not to lose, and you will naturally be able to utilise the teachings Shinken and Dokumyoken.* If you stray from the true centre, then you will not be able to make use of these teachings.

* This is an ideal of swordsmanship in Ittō-ryū.

** Shinken and Dokumyōken are two of the highest teachings of Ittō-ryū. They are part of the Kōjō Gokui Goten, a set of kata which are said to originally come from Chūjō-ryū (via Toda Seigen and his student Kanemaki Jisai, who subsequently taught them to Itō Ittōsai).

True victory

True victory means to be sincere and act according to your true feelings. If, no matter what occurs, you remain unshaken and maintain a clear and composed sense of dignity, you will be able to grasp victory. The feeling you should have is that described by the Buddha: “throughout heaven and earth, I alone am holy.”*

When inquiring of your sensei, if you ask with the feeling described above, you will receive an equally direct and sincere answer. In this way students can come to receive the most secret teachings from their teacher. This is a concept that is very difficult to put into words.

*When the Shakyamuni Buddha was born, he raised one hand to heaven, stretched one hand towards the floor, took seven steps and proclaimed that there was no-one more exalted than him in all of heaven and earth.

Training is a journey

Your training is like a journey. If you have business in Kyoto, first you set out from Shinagawa, walk until you reach Hakone, continue past Oigawa, travel through Nansho and finally you will arrive in the Kyoto area. Instead of taking this winding route, you may think it is better to travel directly to Kyoto, but if you do so, even though an event may still occur along the way, your journey will not be filled with many trials and tribulations.

In training and competition, you should allow the fifty kumitachi* to lead you through many trials and tribulations until you become proficient. Other approaches are useless. If you approach them in this way, competition and kumitachi will never become tiresome.

* The core fifty techniques of Ittō-ryū.

Matching of spirit

In Noh drama, performers only wear a single mask. To show happiness or sadness, an actor does not change his mask, but expresses the emotion through his performance. A skilled performer is able to make an audience cry when they express sadness in this way. This is empathic – a direct connection between the minds of the performer and the audience.*

If you do not understand the points at which your spirit and the spirit of your opponent match, then you will not be able to attain victory.

** The phrase used here, 以心伝心, is a Buddhist expression referring to a telepathic communication or tacit understanding. In Zen Buddhism particularly, it indicates the nonverbal transmission of an inexpressible truth or understanding from teacher to student.

Owlish swordsmanship

There is such a thing as ‘owlish swordsmanship.’ Like an owl that can see in the darkness of night but which is rendered blind in the brightness of day, such a swordsman cannot comprehend the bright areas of opportunity.

Students who go through a process of gradual cultivation through training based on teachings and written documents they receive, and – in recent years – who take the true centre in shiai, who have reached the point where, more so than winning they focus on not losing, and are able to utilise the highest teachings very rarely have this kind of problem; however, even if you deliberately pay close attention to it, when facing an opponent your sword tip is liable to raise slightly. If you are not facing an opponent, this will not occur. You must be mindful of this and work to correct your sword tip accordingly.

Adherence to the master’s teachings

In Ono Jirōemon’s* dojo it is written:

“The Ittō-ryū school of strategy taught by this house strictly adheres to the teachings of the founder teacher, Itō [Ittōsai] Kagehisa, and transmits these teachings to students, never adding personal ideas, but simply passing down the teachings of Ittōsai sensei.”

*Itō Ittōsai’s successor and the founder of Ono-ha Ittō-ryū. Nakanishi Tanemasa’s line of Ittō-ryu (which originated from the Ono family tradition) is today called ‘Nakanishi-ha Ittō-ryū,’ but well into the twentieth century its official name was simply ‘Ittō-ryū’ and it was colloquially known as ‘Ono-ha Ittō-ryū.’ This naming denoted that it was the same tradition as that of the Ono family, albeit continued by a separate line of teachers. There was a great deal of interaction between various lines of Ittō-ryū in the Edo and Meiji periods. The full delineation of present-day Ono-ha and Nakanishi-ha occurred in modern times.

Itō Ittōsai presenting Ono Jirōemon Tadaaki with the Kamewaritō, a sword that was a symbol of succession in Ittō-ryu. Source: Honchō Bugei Hyakunin Isshu, 1851

Grounding

Even if you erect a fine, solid pillar, if the ground* is poor the pillar will twist and fail to stand straight. If the ground is solid then even if the pillar itself is poor, it will stand straight and true. In swordsmanship, even if a person is skilled at techniques they will not amount to anything if their grounding is poor. Conversely, a person who is unskilled but has a solid grounding can become truly capable. This “grounding” is extremely important.

* The word used here is chigyō (地形). This term appears in the Jūnikajō Mokuroku, where it refers in practical terms to adopting advantageous tactical positioning and movement corresponding to the terrain. Yamaoka Tesshū writes of two positions: junchi (順地) and gyakuchi (逆地). Junchi is an advantageous position where you are uphill from your opponent, and gyakuchi is the opposite. This teaching states that it is also important to place the elements (e.g. the sun, wind and rain) at your rear. The essential goal is to take an advantageous position while forcing your opponent into the disadvantageous position. This clearly parallels the teachings of Sun Tzu. In both immediately practical and philosophical terms, chigyō is a key teaching in Ittō-ryū.

Developing courage

A person who tempers their courage* will naturally improve the use of their hands (i.e. techniques). A person who focuses on training the hands will not develop courage. Courage is tempered by coming face to face with death.

Like a shell ladle: discard the body, to save the body**

*Tan (胆): literally “liver,” this can be interpreted in a similar way to “guts” in colloquial English.

** A shell ladle is made from an empty clamshell. The body of the shellfish has been discarded, but the empty shell can be used to fish out food from a pot. Hence, the swordsman must strike at the risk of his life (with sutemi) in order to avoid death.

Distance and closeness

A skilled person understands closeness and feels difficulty at a distance. An unskilled person understands distance but not closeness.* If you construct a box, first you prepare your saw, sharpen your plane, and gather your tools – you organise all the things you need to put the box together. If you try to make a box without undergoing this preparation, your saw will not cut, your plane will not smooth, and you will be unable to make a decent box. In swordsmanship, if you aim to defeat someone you must scrutinise the situation deeply in preparation. Only after you have done this will you understand how to win.

* ‘Distance and Closeness’ (遠近之事) is a teaching contained in the Jūnikajō Mokuroku which states that the distance between you and the opponent should be far for him, and close for you. Of course, physically speaking this is not necessarily possible. Rather, this teaching refers to perception of distance, and to adopting maai in a way that establishes victory before you make a strike.

Be calm and decisive

It is vital to be unhurried and to remain calm. If a fire breaks out, if you panic you will forget to rescue important things, and you will lose them. In swordsmanship, you face a similar situation. If you lose your cool and rush, you have already lost the mental battle. Without panicking or hurrying and without fear, take a single step without stopping, to reach the point of victory.*

*Although the kanji used here are different, this recalls the Ittō-ryū teaching “a single step, without stopping” (一歩不留). In simple terms this means to act without pause, doubt or hesitation, and advance at a smooth pace, avoiding stagnation. This can be interpreted on both a raw technical and philosophical level. See this article for more information.

The heart

The heart* should be rounded, but still have one corner
Too round, and the heart will turn over too easily
To keep a corner on a heart that feels round:
The harder it is for the men of today’s world,
The more they must strive to do so

*Kokoro (心) in Japanese: this is perceived as the seat of consciousness.

Click here for part four.

Sources and further reading:

『剣道』　高野佐三郎〈著〉　島津書房発行　1982 ( 1915)
『兵法一刀流』　高野弘正〈著〉　講談社発行　1985
『一刀流極意』　笹森順造〈著〉　礼楽堂発行　1986 (1965)
『剣禅話』　山岡鉄舟〈著〉　高野登〈編訳〉　徳間書店発行　1971
『高野佐三郎 剣道遺稿集』　高野佐三郎〈著〉　堂本昭彦〈編〉　スキージャーナル株式会社発行　2007 (1989)
『剣道の発達』　下川潮〈著〉　梓川書房発行　1976 (1925)
『日本剣道史』　山田次郎吉〈著〉　一橋剣友会発行　1976 (1925)
『剣道五百年史』　富永堅吾〈著〉　百泉書房発行　1971
『増補大改訂　武芸流派大事典』　綿谷雪、山田忠史〈著〉　株式会社東京コピー出版部発行　1978

Part two continues below.

The two metsuke

When facing an opponent in shiai, the two metsuke* are as follows. For opponents in jōdan, you should watch the point from which they raise and lower their weapon [i.e. the hands]. Opponents in seigan will raise and lower their kissaki, attempting to hide their intent. When they are going to strike, they will raise the kissaki, and when they are going to thrust, they will lower it. Observing the kissaki, you should watch for when the opponent moves the sword in a real attack**. In this way, the truth will make itself known to you.

*‘Two Metsuke’ (futatsu no metsuke no koto, 二之目付之事) is an important teaching in Ittō-ryū and is the first recorded in the Jūnikajō Mokuroku (the first document of transmission issued to students of Ittō-ryū). On a basic level, it teaches that students should watch the hands and kissaki of the opponent. What is described above is one application of the concept. Takano Sasaburō’s own writings contain the same teaching – to look at the hands in jōdan, and at the kissaki in chūdan or gedan.

**Jitsu (実) in Japanese, meaning literally “truth.” Its counterpart is kyo (虚), “falsehood.” The ability to discern between these two is the ability to read the intentions of one’s opponent.

Extract from a Hokushin Itto-ryu document explaining the teaching ‘Two Metsuke’

Do not rely on spirit alone

The Kanaji Mokuroku* contains the line: “do not favour jōdan if you lack ability.” This means that if you attempt to use confidence and a strong spirit to overcome a lack of sufficient training in a technique, you will not be successful.

* The second of the major documents of transmission in Ittō-ryū.

Strong and weak points

Observe your sword and the opponent’s sword as a single entity, and pay attention to the strong points and weak points. Observing thus, you should put pressure on the weak point of the opponent’s sword using the strong point of your own weapon.

Sticking to the opponent

When sticking to your opponent* you should see them as being like sticky boiled rice, and be without stickiness yourself. When you are engaged with the opponent’s stickiness and attack naturally, even if you match with the opponent exactly, you will have points where you are stuck to the opponent and where you are not. This should be studied carefully.

* In Ittō-ryū, ‘sticking’ to the opponent’s sword is often referred to as sokui-tsuke. In some ways, this is similar in concept to tsubazeriai in kendo. However the position typically taken in Ittō-ryū is further out, vying for control of the centre with your sword ‘stuck to’ the opponent’s. There are a number of ways of writing sokui-tsuke but here the characters used are those for “quickly [prepared] rice.” More precisely, ‘sokui’ usually refers to rice that is boiled and then mashed to form a thick glutinous paste.

The three methods – so, gyo and shin

The three methods are as follows.* With sō you convey to the opponent, “that does not bother me, that is no good,” smother his attack and defeat him. With gyō you immediately show the opponent, “that is no good,” confront him aggressively and defeat him. With shin you immediately strike down the opponent.

*The “three methods” (note: this term appears in the English translation for clarity’s sake; the original text simply reads, “methods”) are known as sō (草), gyō (行) and shin (真) in Ittō-ryū and correspond to gosen no sen, senzen no sen and sensen no sen** respectively. Sō, gyō and shin have a much broader meaning than this in Ittō-ryū: in this case, however, they appear to refer to these three timings. The terms are originally taken from calligraphy, where shin denotes standard, precise characters (kaishotai), gyō denotes slightly looser, freer characters (gyōshotai) and sō denotes flowing script where the form of the characters is very free (sōshotai).

** These methods have different names in different schools of swordsmanship. Here they are defined as follows:
– Gosen no sen: you allow the opponent to move and then counter his attack.
– Senzen no sen: you strike in the instant the opponent begins his attack.
– Sensen no sen: you strike in the instant that the opponent thinks to attack, but before he can move.

Swordsmanship and aging

If older swordsmen try to compete with younger opponents and make large attacks, their posture and grip will fail. This looks very poor. You should not care about being struck, and fence your opponent using correct technique. If you do not conceal physical frailties in this way, others will take notice and your status will suffer.

Older people may exert pressure with their sword tip but find their opponent’s mood and spirit does not become tense. In this case you should make an opening with a technique and thrust, strike men, or strike the left or right kote. In other words you should be able to adapt according to the opponent.

As you age, you will stop competing as much, and simply pay attention to surikomi [entering by sliding in], harikomi [entering by slapping] and uchikomi [entering with a strike], becoming acquainted with what you can and can’t do and only using the techniques you are capable with. This leads to areas of excess and deficiency.

At the age of sixty-two I competed in a shiai. Somehow, my younger opponent managed to knock me over with a thrust. Some people said that this was dangerous and that I should have been more cautious. While they may not find themselves knocked over with thrusts as I was, these types of people will be hit with strikes and thrusts at trifling moments. This is a ridiculous attitude which proves they know nothing about fighting with a sword.

Various teaching points

When working to raise the level of beginners, you should not worry about their footwork and so on, but teach them about the correct position of the sword, the correct method of kiriotoshi and so on, so they can smoothly and effectively perform these techniques. If you try to correct their footwork and body movement, they will pay too much attention to this. It will make them have a tension in their chest and be unable to use their hands smoothly. If you teach them to move their hands smoothly their footwork and body movement will naturally become smooth too.

There is a saying: a one-eyed monkey laughs at a monkey that sees clearly. A teacher who sees things in an unbalanced way will raise his students with the same biases, even though they may come to him without biases of their own.*

If your frame of mind is corrected, your physical posture will become correct also. If your physical posture becomes correct, the way you use your sword will become correct also.

People with the habit of raising their sword tip should correct their footwork and their sword tip will naturally lower.

People with stiff shoulders should correct their footwork and their shoulders will naturally become less tense.

People who become excessively fixated on observing the opponent’s state should correct their use of the sword tip, and their observation of the opponent will naturally become correct.

*Takano Sasaburō explains this concept in terms of a one-eyed monkey whose children have two eyes, but who keep one closed out of sympathy for their parent.

The vital point

People who are overly worried or concerned about a certain element of swordsmanship should stop thinking about that point in particular, and look to correct the basics underpinning that element.

A folding fan* is the same – the pin that holds the fan together is vital, and must reach through all the spines to secure them. This is why the pin of a fan is known as “the essential point.”**

*In Japanese, a folding fan (ōgi, 扇) is pronounced in the same way as ‘highest/secret teaching’ (ōgi, 奥義) – this metaphor is likely a play on words to indicate that the basics underpin everything, even the highest teachings.

**The word for the pin of a folding fan (kaname, 要) is also used to refer ‘the essential point’ of something. It is written with the character for ‘necessary.’

Act according to your opponent

If you are stronger, act weaker. If you are weaker, act stronger. This means that if your opponent is more skilled than you are, you should strike at them strongly and aggressively. If your opponent is less skilled than you are, you should allow them to strike at you.

The process of teaching

In swordsmanship, the process of teaching is as follows: first, teach students to relax and lose tension; when in the middle of their training, subject them to many hardships; finally, foster in them a courageous spirit.

Beginners should be taught to strictly adhere to the correct kamae for the start of a kata (be it gedan or seigan), the correct kamae for the end of a kata (be it gedan or jōdan), and the points where the kata begins and ends.

Meanwhile, although it is the most important part, the point of attaining victory should at first be ignored. Beginners should be made to focus strictly on the start and end of the kata. If from the start they are fixated only on the point of victory they will acquire bad habits.

To use an example, if an inexperienced person constructs a box, prepares tobacco or a makes a plate, even if they are very skilled, an expert will still be able to tell that it was made by an amateur.

Natural skill and correct methodology

In swordsmanship, including the swordsmanship popular today*, even if a novice has a lot of natural skill, they will not act in accordance with the correct methods of swordsmanship. They will therefore not be able to handle a real sword effectively.

* Possibly a reference to the spread in shinai competition.

Striking and cutting

When a senior practitioner cuts the opening in an opponent’s kamae with a blade, we call this cut a ‘strike.’ Today, people do not understand the meaning of this and try to imitate the cutting motion of a sword. This is of no use and does not aid in training.

Controlling the pace

When learning to play the flute, at first the calmer elements are taught. Later, the faster-paced elements are progressively introduced. Contrary to what one might expect, the timing of the calmer and more leisurely-paced elements is more difficult. In swordsmanship too, at first students should be made to engage at a comfortable pace. When using a real sword anyone will be able to strike instantly and decisively if they have learned to act without apprehension or delay.

Teacher and student

A teacher should know how to look at what a person is doing, thus grasp their mood, physical condition, method of striking with the sword, level of training, use of tenouchi and so on, and be able to correct the appropriate elements.

Regardless of how naturally skilled or unskilled someone is, and even if they fight very crudely, they may still be able to attain victory. Even if someone looks bad when training or if teaching them is extremely difficult, you should begin by carefully instilling in them the essential points of victory for a real sword fight.

If you learn from someone who is fundamentally bad, your development will be affected and you are likely to acquire bad habits.

On sparring with shinai

Since long ago, it has been stipulated in the kishōmon* that a student must be granted permission before they may participate in sparring using shinai. These days there is a trend for teachers to give all their students permission to participate in shinai training, and many in fact think that experience in shinai bouts is advantageous in a fight. However when I see students doing shinai practice, they look to me just like rank amateurs hacking away at each other. They do not show a desire to learn, and merely act according to their own whims.

In addition, the kishōmon of course absolutely forbids practicing with shinai in secret away from the dojo. However, many people commit this indiscretion. This current state of affairs calls for even more prudence by students.

*A kishōmon (起請文) is a written oath to adhere to the rules of a traditional school, signed by a student upon admission – in this case, the school in question is Ittō-ryū. This oath usually carries the penalty of celestial punishment from various deities for disobeying the rules.

To be continued in part three.

Sources and further reading:

『剣道』　高野佐三郎〈著〉　島津書房発行　1982 ( 1915)
『兵法一刀流』　高野弘正〈著〉　講談社発行　1985
『一刀流極意』　笹森順造〈著〉　礼楽堂発行　1986 (1965)
『剣禅話』　山岡鉄舟〈著〉　高野登〈編訳〉　徳間書店発行　1971
『高野佐三郎 剣道遺稿集』　高野佐三郎〈著〉　堂本昭彦〈編〉　スキージャーナル株式会社発行　2007 (1989)
『剣道の発達』　下川潮〈著〉　梓川書房発行　1976 (1925)
『日本剣道史』　山田次郎吉〈著〉　一橋剣友会発行　1976 (1925)
『剣道五百年史』　富永堅吾〈著〉　百泉書房発行　1971
『増補大改訂　武芸流派大事典』　綿谷雪、山田忠史〈著〉　株式会社東京コピー出版部発行　1978

The man who had perhaps the strongest influence on the formation of kendo, Takano Sasaburō, was an Ittō-ryū swordsman. The Ittō-ryū Book of Oral Recollections (Ittō-ryū Kikigaki, 一刀流聞書) was written by Sasaburō’s grandfather, Takano Mitsumasa, and is a record of the teachings of Mitsumasa’s Ittō-ryū instructor, Nakanishi Chūbei Tanemasa. Nakanishi Tanemasa was the head of the Nakanishi line of Ono-ha Ittō-ryū (today known as Nakanishi-ha Ittō-ryū) and taught a number of students who went on to become very famous in their own right, including Chiba Shūsaku (founder of Hokushin Ittō-ryū) and Asari Matashichirō Yoshinobu, whose successor taught Yamaoka Tesshū.

Takano Mitsumasa

The Ittō-ryū Book of Oral Recollections was written in the 19th century and was edited and published by Takano Sasaburo in the early 20th. As far as I am aware, this is the first ever English translation of the work to be published. Needless to say, this was not an easy piece to translate. The language used is archaic and often vague, and the text contains many references to inner teachings, densho, classical literature, folklore, and Buddhist and Confucian philosophy. As such, this translation very likely contains some errors. Any errors that do come to light after publication will be corrected in due course.

This translation project was initiated by Tsujimura Yosuke sensei, who wanted to make the work available to a wider audience. Some sections of this first instalment were originally translated by kenshi247.net contributor Leiv Harstad, and I have largely retained his work, as I failed to see how I could improve on it. As a number of people have put a lot of time and effort into this translation, I hope that people will respect that fact by linking to the original article on kenshi247.net rather than copying and pasting wholesale.

Finally, it should be noted that the original work is very much aimed at students of Ittō-ryū, and as such some parts may initially seem quite alien to modern kendo practitioners. However, I believe that this oft-overlooked treatise on classical swordsmanship is just as relevant to kendoka, and probably more so, than famous and widely-read works like Miyamoto Musashi’s Book of Five Rings. I hope you agree.

The Itto-ryu Book of Oral Recollections

Foreword

The Ittō-ryū Book of Oral Recollections (Ittō-ryū Kikigaki, 一刀流聞書) was written by my grandfather, Takano Mitsumasa. It records things said by his distinguished teacher of Ittō-ryū swordsmanship, Nakanishi Chūbei Tanemasa, while my grandfather was studying under his tutelage.

The book covers all areas of teaching, is very detailed, and contains many useful sections, but parts of it are repetitions of earlier sections or are incomprehensible to non-Ittō-ryū students. For this reason I have chosen to exclude sections that are out of line with today’s modern way of life, and publish only selected extracts.

- Takano Sasaburō

The sequence of training

You should train sword techniques obediently and sincerely, with no stiffness in the body or limbs.

In shiai [sparring with shinai], the body and hands should be kept relaxed and free from tension. In kata [using bokutō], you should pay close attention to the techniques, feeling and maai.

Moreover, after training in this way, practise with habiki [blunt blades] should be conducted as though you are engaged in combat using a sharp sword.

If you do not strictly train the body and harden the mind, then you will not be able to reach the level where you can train freely with habiki. Training with habiki is only one step away from a fight with real swords, so this training must be taken very seriously.

Maai

In your everyday practice, you should pay close attention to maai. Even when you have no opponent, you have maai. Although maai is of course affected by the length of your sword, it does not depend solely upon it.

Maai may be difficult to understand, but it is simply one’s own kamae. It is the distance from within which you can successfully strike and thrust.

When ippon-shōbu takes a long time, it is because combatants are taking care to establish correct maai without rashly entering their opponent’s striking range.

Maai with real swords

If you were to use a shinai of 2 shaku 3 sun 5 bu*, it would feel short for a shinai.

A bokutō of the above standard length feels longer than a shinai of the same length. Furthermore, if you use a habiki of this length, it will once again seem longer than the bokutō.

You should be aware of this when studying maai with a shinken.

* The same length as a standard Ittō-ryū bokutō (not including the tsuka) – approx. 71.2cm. The length of a adult’s modern kendo shinai is 3 shaku 9 sun (including the tsuka).

Ittō-ryū bokutō and shinai cut to the same length

How to act as uchidachi

When practising with a partner of greater skill, you should make it appear as if you are avoiding making contact, but in reality strike with full intent.

When practising with a partner of lesser skill, you should act as if you are really trying to strike them, whilst in fact you are avoiding making contact.

Various technical points

When the opponent steps forward with their right foot and cuts, you can strike them by moving to the right and cutting them from that side.

When facing an opponent who strikes powerfully, you should attack them first.

Proper use of the sword tip to pressure your opponent is good for your own training. However, it can be very unpleasant for your training partners.

If the opponent makes a shallow cut at your hands [i.e. with a short step in], your counter should be to evade by stepping back. This is because stepping back is a shallow [i.e. short range] motion.

If the opponent makes a deep cut [i.e. with a long step in], you should counter with kiriotoshi.* In this case, even if you try to evade, the opponent’s attack will still connect. Therefore, kiriotoshi should be used.

In shiai, even if your mind and sword are both correct, you may still be struck by the opponent. When the opponent initiates an attack, if you try too hard to utilise your own sword, it will stray to the side and the opponent can use this opportunity to successfully strike. This should be studied deeply.

While you are facing off against an opponent and applying pressure, it is bad to impatiently attack openings as soon as they present themselves. You should be patient, and keep firm pressure on the opponent, forcing them into making an attack. If you initiate an attack, you open yourself up to a strike from the opponent.

When your opponent is acting in a limp and unresponsive manner, if you adopt a similar facade without allowing your mind to become dull and languid, your opponent’s resolve will weaken. During a long bout, you should make your mind increasingly intense and focused. Then, while matching your actions with the opponent, you should keenly apply pressure with the sword tip.

* Kiriotoshi is the core principle that underpins Ittō-ryū technique, strategy and philosophy. It is a method of cutting ‘through’ an opponent’s strike, rendering it ineffective whilst delivering a strike of one’s own. Ittō-ryū’s kiriotoshi is different to what is commonly referred to as kiriotoshi in kendo today.

Avoid defensiveness

It is vital to look at the opponent as though you are trying to kill him with your glare. However, this does not mean looking at him with forceful eyes. Rather, you should brace your abdomen with a grunt, filling it with power.

The essential point is to communicate to the opponent that you have power in your abdomen with this grunt. Shouting at the opponent just means you will receive an attack. To merely hold your ground is to go on the defensive, and should be avoided.

Kakegoe

In shiai, kakegoe is used to indicate that you have found an opening to strike or thrust and are attacking it. Kakegoe should not be used to try and draw an opponent out; rather, it ought to be used when you have spotted an opening to strike or thrust. Simply shouting at your opponent is disrespectful and should be avoided.

Taiatari

During shiai, when you receive taiatari from your opponent, put power into your hips and make your body light, like a piece of floating driftwood. Remain flexible so that you can smoothly deflect your opponent to the left or right, diverting the force of their taiatari.

Regardless of if your opponent is large or powerful, you must not be in the least afraid of him. You must always believe you can best him.

Also, if attempting to knock your opponent down or get him under your control, you must remain calm and maintain the feeling that you can do as you please, whilst at the same time not letting your opponent feel that he can act freely.

Points of victory

Most people think only of cutting an opponent with their sword, and are completely ignorant of how to actually win in a duel. They are focused only on cutting the enemy.

It is dangerous to think only of cutting the opponent, while remaining oblivious of winning strategies such as controlling the opponent’s sword with harikomi [entering by slapping], osae [pressing] or makikomi [entering by winding]. After studying these points thoroughly, you will be able to attain victory.

There is an Ittō-ryū teaching*:

Do not think merely of striking the enemy
Protect yourself and openings will naturally appear
Like shafts of moonlight through a hovel’s tattered roof

*This teaching is a poem attributed to Itō Ittōsai Kagehisa, the founder of Ittō-ryū.

Strike large, counter small

During training, it is said that when striking, you should make a large strike, and when stopping an enemy’s strike, you must do so with a modest movement. If you do not, then when involved in a fight with live blades, anxiousness will naturally make your attacks smaller, and your movements to counter the strikes of your opponent will be too large.

Controlling your opponent with feeling

In shiai, if you utilise your sword tip freely, the opponent will unable to tolerate it. They will feel like they cannot act freely, and will feel very uncomfortable.

If you suppress your opponent with feeling in this way, and give them a little leeway in which to retreat, they will feel utterly powerless and will yield.

Respiration rhythm

Respiration rhythm [kokyū – this indicates a relationship between the respiration of both participants] is something you can come to understand through shiai.
When you strongly apply pressure from gedan your opponent will think you are going to thrust. If you then deliberately hold back, in the opponent’s ensuing moment of doubt you have an opening in which you can make a real thrust. This is the point of respiration rhythm.

Tanemasa sensei said:
“Watch a child sleeping. Think about how they are breathing, and how you are breathing. If your breath out does not match when the child is breathing in, you are not controlling the point of respiration.”

Don’t make others come to you

In your training, you should deliberately practise with difficult opponents. You should go to these people and request to do keiko with them. If you allow them to ask first, you may feel unable to do keiko with them, and wish you could postpone it until a later date. This will lend your opponent extra confidence and vigour, and you will end up feeling completely overwhelmed.

In your training, you should not try to make other people come to you. Even if you do not know anything about your opponent’s condition or technique, you should request to do keiko with them first.

Click here for part two.

Sources and further reading:

『剣道』　高野佐三郎〈著〉　島津書房発行　1982 ( 1915)
『兵法一刀流』　高野弘正〈著〉　講談社発行　1985
『一刀流極意』　笹森順造〈著〉　礼楽堂発行　1986 (1965)
『剣禅話』　山岡鉄舟〈著〉　高野登〈編訳〉　徳間書店発行　1971
『高野佐三郎 剣道遺稿集』　高野佐三郎〈著〉　堂本昭彦〈編〉　スキージャーナル株式会社発行　2007 (1989)
『剣道の発達』　下川潮〈著〉　梓川書房発行　1976 (1925)
『日本剣道史』　山田次郎吉〈著〉　一橋剣友会発行　1976 (1925)
『剣道五百年史』　富永堅吾〈著〉　百泉書房発行　1971
『増補大改訂　武芸流派大事典』　綿谷雪、山田忠史〈著〉　株式会社東京コピー出版部発行　1978

If you get hit and do something like raise your eyes/head up (i.e. look annoyed after being struck), it may help you dissipate your anger a little, but it would be much better if you just accepted the fact that you were struck, thought on what happened, and studied how to fix this weak point.

“KO-KEN-CHI-AI” : to understand ‘compassion’ through the clashing of shinai**. Reading the AI portion as simply ‘love’ has no meaning. You must do kendo so that your opponent thinks: “I’d love to have the chance to keiko with this person again.”

Becoming more proficient whilst being struck is kendo.
In the beginning, everybody is struck.

* The Kyoto Taikai (held Mat 2-5th every year) is the pinnacle of the kendo community. With a history of over 100 years, you have to be at renshi level to take part (non-Japanese living abroad can take part at only 6dan). Although this example using the Kyoto Taikai, you could extend it to shiai and to keiko in general.
** 愛はおしむ（情）。大切にして手離さない。物情しみする。

About the author

SAKUMA SABURO sensei was born in 1912 in Fukushima prefecture. He started kendo at around 10/11 years old in Fukushima Butokuden. After graduating from what is now Fukushima University he started teaching kendo at various high schools. In 1939 he began to work in Mitsubushi’s mining operation and taught kendo throughout the country whilst visiting various mines. After the war, he became a student of Mochida Seiji hanshi and – while running his own kendo club – began working as a director in the Tokyo Kendo Renmei amongst other things. He died at 84 in 1997. He was hanshi hachidan.

平成・剣道 地木水火風空 読本（下）。佐久間三郎。平成9年発行。

Note

Please remember I am not a professional translator, nor have studied Japanese at university nor in an institution. Any errors in fact, misunderstandings in the reading of the text, errors in translations, etc, are all my own. I can but apologise in advance.

しない競技は、終戦後の廃墟と混迷の中から生い立った新しい競技である。
Shinai kyogi was a new sport that sprung up In the ruin and confusion of the post war period.”

… is the first line of the chapter on Shinai-kyogi in the book “How to study kendo” that was published in 1965. It goes on to explain in a bit more detail:

To say it another way: a modern and democratic sport was born out of the older kendo. At the end of the war, when both the outside pressure (GHQ) and self-reproach from inside kendo circles caused the breakup/dissolution of kendo (i.e. the Butokukai) the discipline was at a crossroads; it was at this time a chance was taken and the new sport was created.

At that time the (kendo equipment) manufacturers and kendo exponents wanted to somehow (in any way possible) keep at least the essence of kendo alive but, because of the severity of the situation (the current state of destitution and poverty in post-war Japan combined with the strict law of occupied rule), kendo wasn’t allowed to continue as it was (i.e. it was banned by GHQ).

Despite this situation, the involved parties continued to work ceaselessly in negotiations with the the occupied authority, gathering as much information and working with their total energy and concentration to leave the purity of kendo intact, the result of which was a version of kendo with modern elements added that we call shinai kyogi.”

What follows is a 80 page plus manual of shinai kyogi instruction (the first 230 pages are about kendo).

What was this ‘shinai kyogi,’ where did it spring from, and what happened to it? This article will look very briefly at this often ignored yet important aspect of kendo’s history.

Background

Its almost certainly probably that kendo only started to become widely practised after its introduction into schools in 1911, and especially once it was made a mandatory part of the education system in the 1920s. Japan at that point was becoming increasingly militaristic and kendo was co-opted as part of the war effort, primarily as a way of ‘spiritual and physical training’ of male youths (girls were made to practise ‘naginata,’ created as a form of calisthenics and thinly disguised budo).

Changes in dev of kendo during the 15 year war period (brief explanation)

Starting from the invasion of Manchuria in 1931, Japan was constantly at a state of war until 1945, a period of over 15 years. As the tension in Japan escalated the younger the age for mandatory kendo training became, and the emphasis on group drills and practise (rather than a person-to-person training) increased. Eventually training took place outside, shinai become shorter and heavier, and even hakama and keikogi were abandoned in favour of trousers and shirts. Rules in kendo competition changed to reflect a more ‘real-life’ situation: ippon-shobu, no katate-waza, no jodan, no nito, and all cuts must be big.

This was the situation of kendo at the time of the end of the war and was the kendo that the American occupation forces banned (the war-cabinet controlled Butokukai dissolved itself under pressure soon after the war ended).

The aftermath of the war

Kendo was banned but – obviously due the sheer number of people who had experience in it – not forgotten. During the banned period various groups continued to practise in secret anyway (for an example, see the article in ‘Kenshi247: selected articles 2008-2011′). A public effort was made to promote kendo at higher diplomatic levels. Often cited at this point is Sasamori Junzo sensei’s (Ono-ha itto-ryu soke) influence: educated in America (PhD from Denver University) and a fluent English speaker (and Christian priest) he worked with GHQ during the occupation period, and supported the re-introduction of kendo in educational circles (he was headmaster of various universities and eventually worked in the Education Ministry. He emerged in the post-war kendo community as the head of the Shinai Kyogi association, then eventually the university kendo association).

Obviously wary about the militarism that was inherent in the immediate pre-war country controlled Butokukai, GHQ was seemingly very reticent to allow its restart. To battle this, the pro-kendo lobby introduced not ‘kendo’ but a new kendo-inspired sport called ‘shinai kyogi.’ Renamed, and without some of the more nationalist attributes, it wasn’t ‘kendo’ per-se, but it was to have a long lasting on the art.

What follows here is some information about the sport itself.

Name and term changes

It is important to note that the ‘shinai’ portion of shinai-kyogi is written in hiragana and not kanji (though there is kanji for it), much like the change that was done for naginata. This might not seem particularly important to non-Japanese speakers, but it had 2 effects:

1. It explicitly removed the ‘weapon’ aspect of the arts name, thus giving it a “softer, less violent feeling”;

2. It gave the sense that something new was being made. In the naginata community they actually named it ‘atarashii (new) naginata’ to reflect this. The new sport created from kendo was called ‘shinai KYOGI,’ a term that refers to pure sport.

Not only this, but many long-used words were changed to make shinai-kyogi more sporty for example ‘nafuda’ (name tag) was changed to ‘zekken’ (a term of German origin that refers in Japan to names/numbers on athletes), ‘ippon’ was changed to ‘tokuten’ (points), and tasuki to ‘hyoshiki’ (flag). The white line from where participants start a match was called the ‘shuppatsusen’ or ‘starting line.’

The parts of the bogu were also renamed (see below).

Equipment

Clothing:

- clothes should be made of strong cloth, a tracksuit top and trousers should be worn;
- girls may wear a skirt instead of trousers;
- shiai held outdoors generally require the use of footwear. If the ground is safe then you can use socks or go barefoot;
- any colour may be freely worn but black doesn’t fit with the bogu well, so its banned;
- clothing should be a little bit loose, not tight fitting;

Shinai:

- shinai should be wrapped on the outside with leather (i.e. a fukuro-shinai);
- shinai must be split in either 4, 8, 16, or more pieces;
- shinai must be equal to or less than 3.8 in length and weights where set based on age/gender;
- the kote-dome (i.e. tsuba) must be smaller than 3-sun and made of leather or rubber. It can be of any shape.

Bogu:

- bogu consists of a men, doate, and tebukuro (‘gloves’)*
- names were also given in hiragana MASUKU (‘mask’ i.e. men), PROTEKUTA (‘protector’ i.e. dou), and GURABU (‘glove’ i.e. kote);

* Note that the ‘tsuba’ has been renamed ‘kote dome,’ the kote ‘tebukuro’ (gloves), and other pieces given English-sounding alternatives in order to de-swordify the art and make it seem more sporty, much like the use of the name ‘shinai kyogi’ itself (see above). We could also surmise that this was done to placate GHQ as well.

Rules

Shiaijo:

- usually matches occur indoors, but outside is ok too;
- whether held inside or out the area must be flat and have no obstructions;
- the shiaijo is to be 6×7 meters and have a space of 1.5m between the middle and each player;
- if you are outside you can mark the shiaijo boundaries with stones or paint;
- if the shiaijo is raised it would be preferably if the boundaries were roped (like boxing)*;

* early all Japan championships also seem to have this feature

shiai:

- at the start of the match shinai must not be touching (a change from pre-war);
- shiai were 3 points (pre-war this varied);
- there will be 3 shinpan (apart from tenran shiai, there was almost only ever 1 shinpan, sometimes 2);
- time limits and the use of encho (and hantei) were defined.

hansoku:

- violent behaviour (e.g. taiatari or leg sweeping);
- use of shouts (i.e. kiai);
- going out of bounds.

Impact on kendo

If you look at the history of kendo as told by the ZNKR (All Japan kendo federation) you would be mistaken in thinking that shinai-kyogi had a short life-span and was irrelevant to kendo in the long run. This isn’t true. Although the shinai-kyogi association was created in 1950 and merged with the new ZNKR in 1954, books continued to be written and shiai run for quite some time it seems. The book mentioned in the opening was published in 1965, showing that a full 11 years after the dissolution of the shinai-kyogi association there was still a market for manuals. More than that, just this last weekend (end of January 2012) I found reference to shinai-kyogi shiai results from 1975 in a shiai brochure… a full 21 years after the merge.

So we have shown that shinai-kyogi outlasted its original remit, but what lasting impact – if any – did it have on kendo?

I don’t want to go into the complete ins and outs of this topic as it would require some very detailed research and presentation (maybe in the future). In brief, here are some of the far-reaching impacts of shinai-kyogi. Those in bold are fundamental changes to kendo as it existed prior to or during the war:

- fixing shiaijo sizes;
- fixing of shinai weights and lengths;
- definition of time limits;
- creation of a more democracy i.e. males and females could practise and compete equally;
- establishing 3 shinpan for all shiai;
- disallowing violent actions, specifically foot sweeps;
- creation of a ‘sporty’ image.

There are of course more things we can add to this list, for example how a yuko-datotsu was defined, but I will leave it here today.

This has only been a very brief look into shinai-kyogi and its impact on modern kendo. We do know it had a massive impact on the kendo community as the sportive element of kendo (introduced by shinai-kyogi) went in a direction and at a speed no-one seemed to predict. Proof of this can be seen in the writing of various senior sensei in the 50s and 60s lamenting over the state of kendo at the time. Their unifying cries ended up with the ZNKR getting together a group of its most senior people; the publication of ‘Concept of Kendo’ was the result.

Unfortunately, the Concept of Kendo didn’t really work out to be the call to rally as expected, and kendos sportive elements have continued to evolve, sometimes seemingly in opposition to its stated goals. The ‘Mindset of Kendo Instruction’ (published 2007) has been a newer initiative to address the situation but its end point may potentially be that as the earlier Concept Of Kendo. Inclusion of kendo as an eveny in the Olympic/GAISF ‘Combat Games’ in 2010 is yet more evidence of the continued sportification of kendo, a process that has its roots in shinai-kyogi. Some people may argue that kendo was heading in this way anyway, but a closer inspection of kendo in the 1930s and during the war suggests that kendo was getting very much back to its roots. That story, however, is for another time.

I hope you found this brief introduction interesting!!!

Check out Morishima Tateo sensei’s ‘Pursuing the spirit of modern kendo‘ for a further insight into the comments above.

剣道とシナイ競技。小西康裕。1952発行。
剣道の学び方。柏木賢。1965発行。
剣道に内在する武道・スポーツ性について：しない競技規程と剣道試合・審判規則の比較から。国分 国友。鹿屋体育大学。1990発行。
大阪新人大会2012年度BROCHURE。