Quote:
Michael Douglas wrote:
Erick, do you mean you give credence to training empty-hand vs bokken-weilding aikidoka? I'm asking ... is this six inch window of interest to training a defence against bokken, or do you think it would hit you in the head even if you could touch hands?
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This is fairly common stuff found in Saito's
tachidori entries -- I just break it down to show the mechanics of it. The position is initially shown static for demonstrative purposes, with hands in contact, and the student asked to cut the blade offline from that "six inch" position, as
uchitachi cuts from that position. Uchitachi gets good training to, because cutting strongly on such a short throw (like
tegiri) is good for building internal connection and projection in turn. In dynamic motion, the "target" moves in time with the strongest extension of the cut ( ~ the last quarter of the blade sweep -- there is a distinct mathematical reason for this) and this puts the initial physical contact at ~ about the last six inches, with the cut seemingly still well online.
It is really passing the blade hand, close aboard in contact on the side and then a strong
ikkyo cut of the hips takes the falling blade out of line and him into
kuzushi -- it is a
kiri-otoshi with no blade ... It is a distinctly
go-no-sen movement. Move even a little in anticipation before the opening presents itself and it never will -- he can certainly track and close the opening by pivoting the base of his cut laterally.
The same point is true of a
yokomenuchi or a
do cut for that matter. If I step squarely into the lateral sweep of the blade in a
do cut, the geometry is such that I can touch hands before the blade reaches me (because his hands pass the line before the blade does) Then, I either continue my pivot in synch carrying him out with his cut, or carry the cut more forward in
funetori, either way taking
kuzushi and denying him the back foot, thus preventing an adjusted retreating pivot cut (the intuitive counter).
Many formal techniques may flow from this creative cusp.
Yokomenuchi or
shomenuchi may be addressed in this way on the inside or outside of his cutting kamae. Again, this is training to refine the precision and internal connection and projection of tai sabaki and emphasize immediate kuzushi at contact -- I much prefer having the comparable weapon to play with.