Nippon Budō Seishin-Kan

After bowing and announcing the name of the waza ("Juntō Sono Ichi") ...

Begin standing upright in musubi dachi and taitō with both hands at the sides, loosely closed, but not clenched.  Relax the ankles, knees, and hips into iaigoshi and commence kiyomeri kokyū (purification breaths). As you begin to inhale the third time . . .

	1	Step forward with the right foot whilst performing shoden koiguchi no kirikata, then begin nukitsuke, holding that breath until at least completion of kirioroshi
	2	Step forward with the left foot whilst grasping the tsuka with the right hand and beginning nukitsuke
	3	Step forward with the right foot and complete suihei-giri Shimomura-ha nukitsuke
	4	Step forward with the left foot whilst performing both Shimomura-ha furikaburi and kirioroshi
	5	Perform ō-chiburi, drawing the right (rear) foot even with the left foot just as the katana completes chiburui
	6	Slide the left foot rearward into a stable, upright shizentai (posture), then perform shoden nōtō
	7	With the right hand on the tsukagashira after nōtō, draw the left (rear) foot even with the right foot, lower the right hand into a loosely closed fist about halfway between the right hip and the tsuba, then cautiously step backward to the original starting position (moto no ichi)
	8	Once back at the starting point in musubi dachi, keeping the left hand on the sayaguchi with its thumb hooked over the tsuba

Rei (bow), then lower both hands to the sides

• Printer Friendly
• Read More

Juntō Sono Ichi is usually among the first waza taught to iaijutsu students at the Seishin-Kan. It contains all five essential components of iaijutsu technique in a simple and compact format:  (1) nukitsuke, (2) furikaburi, (3) kirioroshi, (4) chiburui, and (5) nōtō.  However, from a tactical perspective it differs greatly from other beginner level kata or waza, so it must be practiced with that tactical difference as a primary focus.

Other basic kata and waza are chiefly defensive in nature, but Juntō Sono Ichi is a battlefield scenaro in which you are in combat from the outset.  This results in a more aggressive approach to the waza.  It is therefore important not to dismiss Juntō Sono Ichi as merely a beginner's training exercise to be abandoned and forgotten as soon as you begin learning more "advanced" waza.  Just the opposite!  As a foundational waza, Juntō Sono Ichi should be among the most frequently practiced waza.

Initially, students should focus their efforts on correct performance of its five major technical components:

•	Shimomura-ha Nukitsuke(1)	Low, aggressive kamae beginning with the first step forward. Minimal extraneous movement, maintain chakugan (sightline), proper positioning of the hands on the saya and tsuka, correct koiguchi no kirikata, pushing (not pulling) the katana from the saya, sayabiki (pulling the saya rearward whilst pushing the tuska forward, smooth, gradual acceleration, twisting both hands 90 degrees anticlockwise to initiate sayabanare (kissaki exiting the sayaguchi), koshi-mawari (turning the hips to facilitate sayabanare), timing the lunging step forward with sayabanare, "scissoring" the right hand to perform the nukitsuke cut, hasuji o tōsu (alignment of the blade with its direction of travel), maintaining constant pressure/threat (seme) to opponent's seichusen (centre line), shizentai (kamae [body position] that supports and facilitates nukitsuke, and finishing nukitsuke in a position (also shizentai) that maximises seme against the opponent and minimises openings for counter-attack.
•	Shimomura-ha Furikaburi(2)	Initiate furikaburi with a slight forward movement (for seme) of the kissaki, then bending the right wrist sharply and pushing the kissaki rearward as if trying to pierce the left ear with it, beginning to raise the katana when the tsuba is aligned between the eyes, left hand rising to the tsuka just as the katana is centered overhead, maintaining iaigoshi, and timing the footwork so furikaburi is completed just as the rear (left) foot comes even with the right foot whilst stepping forward.
•	Shoden Kirioroshi(3)	Initiate kirioroshi as the left (rear) foot passes the right whilst stepping forward by tightening the "pinky" fingers of both hands.  The cut should be completed just as the left foot lands in a strong, stable shizentai.  In Juntō Sono Ichi, furikaburi and kirioroshi are performed almost as one continuous movement instead of two separate movements.
•	Chiburui  (Ō-chiburi)	Push the tsuka forward with the right hand and move the left hand to the saya where it is held by the obi, then raise the kissaki slowly upward and to the right until it reaches shoulder level, then swing it quickly rearward and downward until the fingertips of the right hand are pointing at the top of the head directly above the corner of the right eyebrow, pause briefly, then swing the katana dowward whilst quickly closing the right hand to stop it suddenly.
•	Shoden Nōtō(4)	Centre the sayaguchi in front of the navel and form a koiguchi with the left hand, then—with a slight forward movement for seme—sweep the katana laterally across the body, turning it edge-up and resting the mine along the lower left forearm with the tusba just in front of the koiguchi, push the tsuka toward the right front whilst pulling the saya rearward and turning the hips leftward until the kissaki drops onto the left forefinger, pause to ensure that the kissaki is in the saya, then slowly pull the saya forward and the tsuka rearward so that the tsuba contacts the koiguchi when both hands are directly in front of the navel.  Hook the left thumb over the tsuba and slide the right hand along the tsuka to the tsukagashira.

FOOTNOTES:

(1)	Shimomura-ha nukitsuke, described above, is used in all MJER Shoden Waza, the first eight (8) of the fifteen (15) Eishin-Ryu Shitei Kata, and the Shoden Battō-Hō, including Juntō Sono Ichi.
(2)	Shimomura-ha furikaburi, described above, is used in all MJER Shoden Waza, the first eight (8) of the fifteen (15) Eishin-Ryu Shitei Kata, and the Shoden Battō-Hō, including Juntō Sono Ichi.
(3)	Ō-chiburi, described above, is used in eight (8) of the twelve (12) MJER Shoden Waza, five (5) of the fifteen (15) Eishin-Ryu Shitei Kata, but just one (1) of the seven (7) Shoden Battō-Hō, namely Juntō Sono Ichi.
(4)	Shoden nōtō, described above, is used in all MJER Shoden Waza, the first eight (8) of the fifteen (15) Eishin-Ryu Shitei Kata, and all seven (7) of the Shoden Battō-Hō.

***THE KEY TO MASTERY:  don't just practice until you start getting it right; practice until you can no longer get it wrong!

In iaijutsu there are no named or standardised stances.  Instead, iaijutsu employs a principle called shizentai.  Shizentai literally means "natural body," which in practical application should be thought of as the ideal body structure to support and facilitate whatever technique is being performed.  The correct kamae for a given movement is determined by its target, purpose, timing, distance from opponent, power, and tactical considerations.  Shizentai is only "natural" in the sense that, after years of diligent training, it becomes instinctive for the skilled iaidōka—a part of our nature.  In all other respects, shizentai is decidedly unnatural. 

Having made that disclaimer, there are four stances used in most styles of Japanese karate-do that provide shoshinsha (beginners) with useful guidelines for the various forms of shizentai employed in iaijutsu:  musubi dachi, han-zenkutsu dachi, and zenkutsu dachi. 

Musubi dachi ("closed stance") is highly similar to the shizentai used in iaijutsu when standing still or performing tachi-rei.  In musubi dachi the feet are flat on the floor or ground with the heels together and the toes of both feet pointed outward at about a 60 degree angle from each ofther.  The body is erect, but not stiff.  The knees are slightly flexed; not "locked."  This kamae is almost identical to the equivalent shizentai used in Zenteki Tō at the beginning and end of the kata, so it has been used in the description above as a shorthand

Han-zenkutsu dachi (meaning "half front [leg] bent stance") is one of the foundational stances of traditional karate-dō, and it has several similarities to the shizentai used in Juntō Sono Ichi for nukitsuke, kirioroshi, amd nōtō.  Key elements of han-zenkutsu dachi include:  (1) feet at shoulder-width (heel to heel), (2) distance between the toes of the trailing foot and the heel of the leading foot is the length of the student's shin, (3) front knee is bent so that the kneecap is directly above the big toe, (4) rear leg is nearly "locked" straight, (5) both feet are flat on the floor (neither heel raised), (6) weight is distributed evenly (50%/50%) between the front and rear feet, as well and left and right sides, (7) back is straight and posture erect, (8) shoulders are aligned with and directly above the hips, and (9) slight forward pressure is exerted against the front foot with equal backward pressure against the rear foot.

Zenkutsu dachi (meaning "front [leg] bent stance") is identical to han-zenkutsu dachi in every respect except that the distance between the toes of the trailing foot and the heel of the leading foot is the length of the student's shin plus the length of one foot.  Due to the more aggressive nature of the Batto, intermediate and advanced iaidōka should perform nukitsuke and kirioroshi with greater reach and power than shoshinsha, so their shizentai should more closely resemble zenkutsu dachi during those movements.

A kata (型) is an pattern of movements intended for training in the techniques and movements it contains, together with the underlying principles that make them effective, but not necessarily their practical use in combat.  Therefore, when performing this or any iaijutsu kata, one must  not only perform its movements correctly, but also think about their purpose and how to maximize their effectiveness.  There is no term used in iaijutsu for this analytical process, but it is called bunkai and ōyō in karate-dō.   It is therefore vital to examine each movement in the kata step-by-step (bunkai) in the context of its purpose and use (ōyō) to reverse-engineer how it serves to minimise exposure to the enemy's attack and simultaneously maximise the effectiveness of its countermeasures.
 

Performing bunkai with a comprehension of ōyō, reveals how such principles as maai (distance control), seme (maintaining pressure on the opponent), kamae (structure and posture), kokyū (breath control), chakugan (eye contact), kime (concentration or focus), and zanshin (awareness of surroundings) are applied to ensure victory.  The thousands of repetitions required to perfect one's technical performance of a kata also inculcate the mind with an understanding of its underlying principles and infuse the spirit with bushi damashii ("samurai spirit").

• Printer Friendly
• Read More

When learning a new waza (or kata, in this case), it is important to remind oneself of the adage: "Manabu no tame ni hyakkkai, jukuren no tame ni senkai, satori no tame ni manga okonau" (学ぶのために百回、熟練のために千回、悟りのために万回行う.).  A hundred times to learn, a thousand times for proficiency, ten thousand repetitions for complete understanding.   A related Okinawan saying is "ichi kata san nen" (一型三年):  one kata three years.  With that in mind, think of this:  even including reihō and kiyomeri kokyū, it takes less than a minute to perform an iaijutsu waza or kata.  So in just ten minutes per day for only ten days (or twenty minutes a day for just five days), you can perform 100+ repetitions and learn its correct sequence of movements.   But to become truly proficient—to be able to perform it correctly, and with the speed, power, timing, and bushi damashii (samurai spirit) necessary to make its techniques effective in a real self-defence situation—will take 1,000 repetitions, which equates to 100 days at ten repetitions a day, or roughly three months.   And to fully understand and apply all of its principles, nuances, and variations will take 1,000 days (three years) at ten repetitions per day.  "Ichi kata sen nen."

Some people mistakenly take this adage to mean a student should focus his or her training exclusively on one kata (or waza) for three years before attempting to learn another one.  This is clearly a fallacy!  Ten repetitions takes only a few minutes and is hardly sufficient to be considered a day's training.  In just a one-hour class, a student can easily perform ten repetitions of five or more waza or kata.  Obviously, then, the true meaning of the adage is that each waza or kata requires 10,000+ repetitions or about three years to fully master, so the more time one spends training each week, the faster one will master the entire art.

The Eishin-Ryū Battō-Hō are a 21st century creation, so their origins are well known and fully documented.  They were created in 1939 by Kōno Hyakuren of Shimomura-Ha Eishin Ryū, who was then an instructor at the Dai Nippon Butoku-Kai Budo Senmon Gakkō.  They were specifically created to train Japanese naval officers in the fundamentals of iaijutsu during the Second Sino-Japanese War and were initially called the Dai Nippon Battō-Hō.   Originally, there were eleven waza in the series, but Shimabukuro Hanshi created and added Zenteki Gyakuto Sono Ni to the Okuden Battō-Hō in 2004 to provide consistency with the pairings of Junto Sono Ichi and Sono Ni and Shihoto Sono Ichi and Sono Ni.  Since the Batto-Ho are designed for battlefield use, they are all tachiwaza (standing techniques) and performed more aggressively than the majority of other Eishin-Ryū waza, which are primarily defensive in nature. 

• Printer Friendly
• Read More