Nippon Budō Seishin-Kan

After bowing and announcing the name of the kata ("Zenteki-Tō") ...

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	Raise hands to the katana and perform shoden koiguchi no kirikata, then begin nukitsuke, holding that breath until at least completion of kirioroshi
	2	As the katana reaches sayabanare, step sharply forward with the right foot to complete suihei-giri Shimomura-ha nukitsuke
	3	Draw the left (rear) foot even with the right foot whilst performing Shimomura-ha furikaburi
	4	Step forward with shoden kirioroshi
	5	Perform ō-chiburi, drawing the left (rear) foot even with the right foot just as the katana completes chiburui
	6	Slide the right foot rearward into a stable, upright shizentai (posture), then perform shoden nōtō
	7	With the right hand on the tsukagashira after noto, draw the right (rear) foot even with the left foot, then cautiously step backward to the original starting position (moto no ichi)
	8	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

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Zenteki-Tō is usually the first kata or 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.  It also reveals several essential aspects of iaijutsu strategy, so it should be practiced with both its technical and strategic content in mind.

Zenteki-Tō contains the foregoing five elements in their simplest and most basic format.  Accordingly, it serves as an encapsulation of the entire art of iaijutsu in a single kata!  Thus, it is important not to dismiss Zenteki-Tō as merely a beginner's training exercise to be abandoned and forgotten by students as soon as they begin learning "real" waza.  Just the opposite!  Zenteki-Tō (and/or Mae) should be the most frequently performed and thoroughly studied kata in iaijutsu.  To master Zenteki-Tō or Mae is to master iaijutsu iteself!

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

•	Shimomura-ha Nukitsuke(1)	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 the feet come together just as furikaburi is completed.
•	Shoden Kirioroshi(3)	Initiate kirioroshi by tightening the "pinky" fingers of both hands, step forward with right foot into strong, stable shizentai as the katana 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)	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)	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.

FOOTNOTES:

(1)	Shimomura-ha nukitsuke, 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.
(2)	Shimomura-ha furikaburi, 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.
(3)	Ō-chiburi, described above, is used in eight (8) of the twelve (12) MJER Shoden Waza as well as in five (5) of the fifteen (15) Eishin-Ryu Shitei Kata, including Zenteki-Tō, as well as six (6) of the seven (7) Shoden Battō-Hō.
(4)	Shoden nōtō, described above, is used in all MJER Shoden Waza, the first eight (8) of the fifteen (15) Eishin-Ryu Shitei Kata, including Zenteki-Tō, 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, 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-Ryu Shitei Kata are based, but he understood Pellman Shihan's reasons for continuing to teach the Shitei Kata at the IWU Budokai and other student dojo, so he authorised Pellman keep the Shitei Kata as part of the Seishin-Kan curriculum.

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