Giho 43 Nagamono’s Posture/ 長物の位について
This will be an explanation on 位 (kurai), in other words stances or kamae and the legs’ balancing in regards to Tenshinryuu’s 長物 (nagamono).
The terminology differs in some cases between 槍 (yari) and 薙刀 (naginata), but for now we will put both together and do the explanations with the terminology for the 槍 (yari) or spear.
Well then, I’m going to give you a simple explanation of the legs’ and hips’ placement, kurai and stances that are the same among 素槍 (suyari), 片刃槍 (katabayari) and 十字鎌槍 (juujigamayari).
This time I’ll be using a shorter 素槍 (suyari) called 手槍 (teyari) throughout the explanations.
First, standing like this with unbent knees is called 素立 (suttate). It’s the natural stance.
You can also assume this stance, but normally, as a general rule, you then properly bend your knees and drop your hips.
For the standard stance, drop your hips like this. Bring your body’s centre of balance to its central line – this stance is called 四股立ち (shikodachi).
This is the standard stance.
Next, if you move your centre of balance to your back, you’ll into the stance called 仁王腰 (niougoshi), 仁王ノ位 (niou no kurai) or 不動腰 (fudougoshi).
As with 四股立ち (shikodachi) earlier, in this stance your centre of balance is still on your central line, but it’s in your back.
Next, we move our centre of balance to the front to assume what is called 前掛ノ位 (maegake no kurai) or 前崩 (maekuzushi).
It is used to “invite” the opponent.
Centre, back and front – we differentiate these three patterns of balance and the respective foot and hip movement in name and in usage.
Next, we’ll have a look at the nomenclature of the hand positioning.
Holding the spear above your head is called 冠手 (kamurite – lit. “crown hand(s)”).
I’ll assume a stance with the spear above my head.
There are three types of this 冠手 (kamurite) stance.
Pointing the spearhead (called 穂先 (hosaki)) at the opponent’s face is called 天ノ位 (ten no kurai – “heaven stance”), pointing at their torso is called 真ノ位 (shin no kurai – lit. “truth stance”), and pointing at their feet would be 地ノ位 (chi no kurai – “earth stance”) – these are the three general categories.
The different combinations between 前掛け (maegake), 四股立ち (shikodachi) or 仁王腰 (niougoshi) and the 冠手 (kamurite)’s 天 (ten), 真 (shin) or 地 (chi) each have different usages.
When doing 冠手 (kamurite), make sure to place the spear on your left palm.
As for the right hand’s positioning, please make sure to leave a gap of one wakizashi’s length to the spear’s end.
Many schools have the standard of holding the spear from the 石突 (ishidzuki), the back end of the spear, but in Tenshinryuu we generally wield the spear with a shortened spearhead part in front and a remaining back-end part instead.
Another standard in terms of holding the spear is called 抱き手 (dakite – roughly “embracing hand”), 抱き (daki) or 一文字 (ichimonji).
In other words, this is where you let the handle rest on your hip.
Just as with 冠手 (kamurite), there are the same three patterns: pointing the spearhead at the opponent’s face is called 天ノ位 (ten no kurai), pointing at their torso is 真ノ位 (shin no kurai) and pointing at their feet is 地ノ位 (chi no kurai).
And again just like with 冠手 (kamurite) there are the different combinations with the leg and hip movement/placement patterns.
The particularly important thing here is the left hand’s, i.e. the front hand’s form.
Twist your left hand to the inside.
Often beginners would end up twisting their wrists like this. Instead of that, make a 龍の口 (tatsu no kuchi) just like when holding a sword and twist your hand to the inside.
Not like this but twist to the inside.
How to assume a stance
When assuming a stance, as a basic rule, we pull back our right foot and bring our left one to the front.
And the spear goes to the right side of one’s body.
In Tenshinryuu we also assume stances with the spear on our left side, but as the norm please make sure to let it come to your right side for now.