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This is the first installment in a short series about waza that are rarely used, are pretty much dead, or discussion about kendo theory that is not much talked about nowadays. Enjoy!
相手が我が面を打つて来た時、右足を後に引き、體（たい）を稍々右にひねつて右膝を折り敷さそれと共に太刀を左に廻はて敵の右胴を打つのである。又體を左にかはし、折敷いて敵の左胴を打つ。又右足を前にしたらまま左足を折り敷いて、敵の右左胴を打つ場合もある。我が體を低くすれば、敵の太刀が仮令我が頭上に落る共、充分の効を奏することなく、我は見事に敵の胴を打つ得ると云ふ手段である。
When your opponent tries to attack your men, pull your right leg back, twist your body slightly to the right and – at the same instant as you go down on your right knee – swing your shinai to the left and strike your opponents right DO. You could also move quickly to the left and strike your opponents left DO. Another method is to leave your right foot forward and simply sink your left knee, allowing you to hit their left or right DO.
我が體を低くすれば、敵の太刀が仮令我が頭上に落る共、充分の効を奏することなく、我は見事に敵の胴を打つ得ると云ふ手段である。
Lower your body in such a way that the sword of your opponent might fall on your head from above. At the same time, without allowing the opponent to make an effective attack, you may skilfully strike do.
Note
As always, please remember that these translation is done by a non-professional. Any and all mistakes are my own.
Source
剣道指南。小澤愛次郎範士。昭和二年発行。
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.
