Re: "Irimi" by Ellis Amdur
Phi yes that was Kuroiwa Sensei. I had coffee with him once. That was actually my point. Perhaps you can enter straight if the uke does the inexperienced - or fake - cut that ends up striking with the hands and sword grip near tori instead of the sharp end. That's the type of strike you often see in demonstrations. That's what gets the people who know about swords to shake their heads sadly. But most people I know don't want to train in the expectation of a poor attack. And if the uke means business you get cut if you come in straight. I'm not talking about changing the direction - a sincere strike with a normal straight shomen cut. Nice video of Saotome Sensei. He was already known for his excellent sword and jo techniques before he left Japan. In the video the uke isn't striking with a sword but Saotome Sensei gets off the line except when the uke overcommits. I like the handshake.
Janet staying close to the centre line is a great way to enter. A sword is not very thick. 5 degrees is good.
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