Thread: seigan
View Single Post
Old 09-03-2010, 10:28 AM   #17
Josh Reyer
 
Josh Reyer's Avatar
Location: Aichi-ken, Nagoya-shi
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 644
Japan
Offline
Re: seigan

Quote:
Andrew Bedford wrote: View Post
Joshua, Ive just flicked through my copy of, the life giving sword and can find no specific translation, of seigan, please except my appoogy.
However, on page 139, in the illustrated catallouge of the shinkage ryu martial arts the, en no tachi, "when your opponent takes the chudan stance, aiming the tip of his sword at your eye`s........" , this I believe is what is ment by taking the seigan stance, as in, seigan no kamae. As I understand it, some schools call this chudan, others seigan, when talking about this specifically. Again please correct me if I am wrong in this matter.
Yagyu Shinkage-ryu uses the terms jodan, chudan and gedan differently from other ryuha, or modern kendo. Usually, these are three distinct stances. In Shinkage-ryu, they refer to general areas where the sword is held. Jodan, then, is any stance where the sword is held above the nipples, be that straight over head (what is typically thought of as "jodan") or held beside the head (what is typically thought of as "hasso"), or even with the sword pointed toward the enemy. Chudan refers to any stance with the sword held from the nipples down to the obi. Gedan refers to any stance with the sword held below the obi.

Seigan, OTOH, is completely separate from chudan. It refers to a stance with the body turned obliquely to the enemy, sword pointed towards him, the left hand in line with one's own center line. Seigan can be in jodan, or chudan. In various kata the swordtip is pointed at the opponent's eye, his throat, or even his wrist.

Josh Reyer

The lyf so short, the crafte so longe to lerne,
Th'assay so harde, so sharpe the conquerynge...
- Chaucer
  Reply With Quote