Nippon Budō Seishin-Kan

After bowing and announcing the name of the kata ("Kesagiri") ...

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, then the left foot.  As the left foot contacts the floor, raise hands to the katana and perform shoden koiguchi no kirikata and begin nukitsuke, holding that breath until at least completion of kirioroshi
	2	As the right foot contacts the floor on the third forward step,  the katana reaches sayabanare.  Twist both hands sharply anticlockwise 120 degrees at sayabanare to complete nukitsuke as kiriage, cutting teki diagonally upward from the right hip to the left shoulder along the kesa line.
	3	At the completion of kiriage, the katana should be level with its blade aligned with the kesa just above head height.  Instead of furikaburi, twist the right wrist and forearm 180 degrees leftward, so the kissaki points rearward, lunge forward with the right foot and begin kesagiri one-handed.
	4	Release the left hand from the saya and reach out to grasp the tsuka just before the katana makes contact with teki and the body has stabilised in shizentai, completing kesagiri with both hands.
	5	Pause briefly at the completion of kesagiri, with the katana just inches beyond teki's right hip, then step back with the right foot into migi hassō no kamae.
	6	Maintaing enzan no metsuke, use zanshin to scan the surroundings for other attackers, then step back with the left foot whilst performing  ō-chiburi
	7	In place perform shoden nōtō
	8	With the right hand on the tsukagashira after noto, draw the left (rear) foot even with the right foot, then cautiously step backward to the original starting position (moto no ichi)
	9	Once back at the starting point in musubi dachi, lower the right hand, but keep the left hand on the sayaguchi with its thumb hooked over the tsuba

Rei (bow), then lower the left hand to the side.

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Kesagiri is usually the second kata or waza taught to iaijutsu students at the Seishin-Kan. It contains all five essential components of iaijutsu technique:  (1) nukitsuke, (2) furikaburi, (3) kirioroshi, (4) chiburui, and (5) nōtō, but in markedly different form than Zenteki-Tō.  Nukitsuke is performed as kiriage instead of the customary suihei giri (level cut).  Furikaburi is not overhead, but above and forward of the right shoulder.  And kesagiri is substituted for kirioroshi. 

These adaptations serve as examples of the ancient samurai adage, Ittō sunawachi bantō ("One sword [meaning cut]  is 10,000 swords [cuts]"), meaning that all cuts apply the same principles and differ only in their angle, target, timing, and distance.  Fully mastering one cut produces mastery of all cuts.

Kesagiri is perhaps the most technically difficult of the Shitei kata to perform correctly.  Initially, students should focus their efforts on correct performance of its five major technical components by performing the kata slowly and step by step in accordance with the concept of Dai • Kyō • Soku • Kei (大 • 強 • 速 • 軽)—meaning Big • Powerful • Fast • Light.  Begin by focusing on correctly performing the major (big) motions in their proper sequence before attempting to add power.  Only after consistly performing the major movements of the kata correctly, begin increasing the power behind its movements whilst still performing them slowly.  Next, when your movements are both correct and powerful, add speed—not by swinging the katana faster, but by making all your movements smoother and more flowing.  When you are able to perform the kata correctly with power in a smooth and continuous sequence, it will seem effortless (light).

•	Nukitsuke	IMPORTANT NOTE:  We no longer perform the kiriage nukitsuke in the manner shown in the accompanying video, because it is inconsistent with the fundamentals of Eishin-Ryū.   Instead, nukitsuke, regardless of the angle of the cut, follows koiguchi no kirikata with pushing (not pulling) the katana from the saya with sayabiki (pulling the saya rearward whilst pushing the tuska forward), smooth, gradual acceleration, and pushing the tsukagashira directly toward the opponents seigan (between the eyes).  Lowering and twisting the hands into position for kiriage prior to sayabanare (kissaki exiting the sayaguchi) not only reveals your intention to the opponent, but makes it more difficult to maintain hasuji o tōsu during kiriage.
•	Furikaburi	Technically, furikaburi ("swing overhead") is not performed in kesagiri.   Instead, at the completion of kiriage (upward cut), the right wrist and forearm turn 180 degrees left, keeping the angle of the katana in line with the opponent's kesa.  Kesagiri is thus initiated one-handed and from a position above and to the right of the right shoulder.
•	Kesagiri	Begin kesagiri by tightening the "pinky" finger of the right hand while stepping forward with the right foot, using yoriashi to maintain a stable shizentai.  As the katana descends, the left hand releases the saya and reaches forward and up to grasp the tsuka an instant before the monouchi makes contact with the imaginary opponent.  is moving (maai) make the kissaki travel in the largest circular arc possible, keep elbows at forehead level until arms are fully extended at about a 45 degree forward angle, use tsuka no nigiri kata to ensure hasuji o tōsu, and finish the cut with the tsukagashira pointing at the navel and the top of the kissaki at the same level as the bottom of the habaki.
•	Chiburui  (Ō-chiburi)	To perform chiburui from hassō no kamae, step back with the left foot whilst  swinging the katana anticlockwise and releasing the left hand to secure the saya, as if moving the body out of the path of the katana.
•	Shoden Nōtō	Grasp the sayaguchi 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.

Once Kesagiri can be performed consistently as described above—with kiriage, turning the katana 180 degrees rearward instead of furikaburi, then lunging forward with kesagiri as three separate steps to maintain hasuji o tōsu—begin trying to combine these three steps into one smooth, continuous motion.  As individual steps, the rhythm is 1-2-3, with the sword coming to a complete stop on each beat.  But, if the kiriage and turning the sword are combined into one motion, the rhythm becomes 1-and-2 at first and eventually 1-2.  And after turning the katana as the completion of kiriage for several hundred repetitions, the kiriage and kesagiri can be combined into a single up and down motion on one beat.

***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, zenkutsu dachi, and shiko 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 Zenteki Tō 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.  Intermediate and advanced iaidōka often perform nukitsuke with greater reach and power than shoshinsha, so their shizentai during nukitsuke may more closely resemble zenkutsu dachi.

There is no kamae in Zenteki Tō similar to shiko dachi, so it will be described in connection with a kata or waza to which it applies.

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").

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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 Shitei Kata are a 21st century creation, so their origins are well known and fully documented.  The first of the Shitei Kata customarily taught to new Seishin-Kan students is the most recently created:  Zenteki-Tō.  It was created around the year 2000 by Shimbukuro Masayuki Hanshi, and was originally intended to be practiced only by people whose physical limitations prevented them from sitting in seiza.  Accordingly, it was modeled after the Shoden Waza, Mae, but is performed from a standing (tachi-) position instead of seiza, so he originally called it Tachi-Mae ("Standing Mae [front]").  In 2007, when Hanshi authorised Pellman Shihan to establish and teach the Eishin-Ryū Shitei Kata, he also consented to it being called Zenteki-Tō in the Shitei Kata curriculum.  For the full story and reason for the creation of the Eishin-Ryū Shitei Kata, click here.

Sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000s, Shimabukuro Hanshi stopped teaching the Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Seitei Iai Kata on which the Eishin-Ryū Shitei Kata are based, but he understood Pellman Shihan's reasons for continuing to teach the Shitei Kata at the IWU Budokai and other dōjō, so he authorised Pellman keep the Shitei Kata as part of the Seishin-Kan curriculum.

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