Reitan

I have never trained in kendo or iaido, but I do know a little about the Togakure taijutsu and weapons training, and using one hand on the blade to force the edge into or against an attacker is very common. However, the power behind the blade comes from the whole body propelling forward, or levering the blade at an angle with the whole body. Any subsequent drawing-type cuts are also done with the whole body shifting away, and because you are holding the blade, it follows, cutting naturally. Granted, this type of budo involves alot of legwork, but it generates an awful lot of power. I came home from many a class with wooden bokken burns and deep bruising on my neck and torso from this type of technique practice, so I can account for it's effectiveness. Also, on a earlier note that started this thread, if I was attacked suddenly and reflexively attempted to directly block or absorb the attack, I would definately re-think my training. There are always exceptions to every rule, but force against force is generally not an ideal clash. Further, the idea of a suprise attack seems to imply some type of hesitation that causes a last-second reaction. If someone is training properly and committing themselves to aikido principles, you would naturally move to minimize personal danger when attacked, and there would be no such thing as a suprise or hesitation. Just some food for thought.