Giho 39 Koran-to No.1/ 虎乱刀 壱
This is a technique to deal with low upward slashes.
In this technique you defend with 瞬抜 (matatanuki) and perform a counterattack instantaneously, which is of extremely high difficulty.
Battou with the kaisho 守 (shu)
This time, we’re going to introduce 虎乱刀 (korantou), one of the Tachiai Battoujutsu.
The kanji of the name 虎乱刀 (korantou) come from the phrase 虎の乱れる刀 (tora no midareru katana), which basically translates to “the sword that disrupts tigers”.
In Tenshinryuu, the name 虎乱 (koran) refers to a jumping motion.
As this is a technique where we quickly rearrange our feet with a swift jump as we cut our opponent’s forearm, we call it 虎乱刀 (kourantou).
Demonstration and explanation
We’ll now come to the actual explanation of 虎乱刀 (kourantou).
My opponent comes from in front of me aiming at around my left thigh with an upward diagonal cut.
In response to that, I place my hand on the tsuka and draw my sword as I pull back my right foot and receive/catch the attack.
After that, I bring the sword up to at around my face and, as I rearrange my feet with a swift jump, I cut my opponent’s forearm.
After cutting, I retreat while assuming 肩掛の位 (katakake no kurai – resting the back of the sword on the shoulder).
Then I go into 青眼の位 (seigan no kurai).
I take zanshin, perform the chiburui, and then the noutou.
Please watch from the side.
As my opponent comes at me aiming at my left thigh area with an upward diagonal cut, I draw my sword and pull back my right foot as I parry the attack.
At this time, since many people tend to lean forward when trying to parry the attack, please be careful not to do that.
Once I’ve caught my opponent’s attack with the adequate stance, I cut their forearm during a swift jump.
Here, please confirm that the distance between your legs is one fist.
After cutting my opponent’s forearm, I assume 肩掛の位 (katakake no kurai) while moving away six shaku (ca. 1.8 m).
Since I had my back against the wall earlier I couldn’t do it, but please try to actually move back six shaku.
From 肩掛の位 (katakake no kurai) I get into 青眼の位 (seigan no kurai) and then take zanshin.
殺守剣 (sasshuken)
I will now explain what to pay special attention to concerning the parry.
Since I’m going to have an actual opponent, please watch.
At this time, please make sure to catch the opponent’s sword close to your sword’s tsuba.
In order to do that, when drawing your sword, don’t let your right hand go to the right, but instead please try to draw your sword at your nakazumi as much as possible.
If you move your right hand to much to the right when drawing your sword and then try to catch your opponent’s sword, you’ll end up catching it with the end portion of your sword.
Doing so, you might actually get hit by the attack or your sword might get bent. Therefore, as much as possible, please make sure you draw your sword at your nakazumi and receive the attack at your tsuba.
About the shoulder blade’s movement during the battou
Well then, please let me explain the substantial method of the battou.
If you place your hand on the tsuka and try to draw the sword only with sayabiki, you won’t be able to do it with only this little range. Because of that, you’ll end up moving your right hand too much and as a result, you won’t be able to parry the enemy attack in the correct position.
So what to do? We draw the sword using several different methods.
Once you’ve placed your hand on the tsuka, first, pull back your right shoulder blade.
Simultaneously, shift your hips to the left.
Thanks to these two movements in combination, you’ll be able to parry your opponent’s attack at your sword’s tsuba.
Please watch from the side.
Pull back your right shoulder blade like this as you catch the attack.
This move of pulling back the shoulder blade appears not only in 虎乱刀 (korantou), but in many different defensive techniques.
And because of this, if we mention the keyphrase “pull back your shoulder blade” in our explanation videos, it’d be great if you reacted to that with something like: “Ah, right, they’re talking about that thing again!”