Juntō Sono Ni 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 Ni
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 Ni
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. Unlike
Juntō Sono Ichi,
in which
furikaburi and kirioroshi are
performed almost as one continuous movement, in
Juntō Sono Ni furikaburi and
kirioroshi are performed as two distinct movements. |
• |
Chiburui
(Yoko-chiburi) |
Squeeze the tsuka tightly with the
left pinky and ring fingers and begin twisting
the right wrist anticlockwise, using those
opposing forces to keep the blade stationary,
then release the left hand and allow the
katana to snap suddenly sideways (yoko)
and twist 90 degrees anticlockwise whilst the
left hand retracts to the sayaguchi. At
completion of yoko-chiburi the blade
should be level with the floor with its
kissaki angled slightly downward, in line
with the bottom of the tsuba, and pointing
toward the opponent's seichūsen
(vertical centre line). |
• |
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 Ni. |
|
(3) |
Yoko-chiburi, described above,
is used in eight (3) of the twelve (12)
MJER Shoden Waza, the first eight (8) of the fifteen (15)
Eishin-Ryu Shitei Kata, and six
(6) of the seven (7)
Shoden Battō-Hō, including
Juntō Sono Ichi. |
|
(4) |
Shoden nōtō, described above,
is used in all MJER Shoden Waza as well as in
the first eight (8) of the fifteen (15)
Eishin-Ryu Shitei Kata, including
Zenteki-Tō. |
|
***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.
The major difference between
Juntō Sono Ichi
and
Juntō Sono Ni is
the footwork, which addresses maai
(distance control) under two potential scenarios.
In
Juntō Sono Ichi,
the opponent staggers back a single step after being cut
by nukitsuke.
In
Juntō Sono Ni, the
opponent retreats two or more steps and must be pursued
more aggressively for kirioroshi.
A kata (型) is a
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").