Giho 49 Kan’na-Dachi Brush-up 1/ 神無太刀ブラッシュアップ 1
This time is going to be a brush-up on 神無太刀 (kan’nadachi) that we covered through training by observation.
Since the explanations will be very detailed, we will break the content down into two parts.
Battou with the kaisho 守 (shu)
Let’s brush up 神無太刀 (kan’nadachi).
Some time ago we imposed the challenge on you to practise a technique through training by observation without giving you any further explanation about the same. Now, we are going to explain the technique to you.
Please start with your feet in 閉足立 (heisokudachi).
Since the opponent is standing at an extremely close maai, we don’t draw our sword to the front but rather to the right, support the its back with our left hand and then cut both of our opponent’s arms by twisting our body.
After the battou, bring the sword in front of your chest. Think of it as there being about your forearm’s length’s worth of airspace in between your sword and your chest.
Do the sayabiki, support the back of the sword with your left hand, then cut to the side.
Draw your sword, support its back with your left hand, twist your body and cut sideways, from below hit your opponent’s chin with a 柄打 (tsukauchi) and cut down.
With a hypothetical opponent
We perform 神無太刀 (kan’nadachi) in situations where we are at an extremely close maai to our opponent. In Tenshinryuu this state is called 柄の間 (tsuka no ma).
When facing an opponent at a 柄の間 (tsuka no ma) like this, right in the instant that they are about to place their hand of the sword, put your hands on yours and do the battou.
Since the opponent is standing right in front of you, it’s extremely important to not bring out your tsuka to the front like this and instead draw your sword to the right.
Do the sayabiki as far as possible to draw your sword, then bring it into a straight horizontal position and support its back with your left hand.
The spot where you support your sword with your left hand is called the 物打 (monouchi) of the sword. It’s roughly seven tenth of the way from the tsuba to the kissaki.
Then, by twisting your body, cut both of your opponent’s upper arms.
After that, right while you’re moving your body back to the left, place your right hand on your right hip and let your sword stand up straight.
Then, uppercut the opponent’s chin.
Now twist your body again to the right, let the sword stand straight as before and cut down.
This has been the actual procedure.
Important point #1: battou
Next up, let’s talk about a few important points. If you draw your sword to the front you’ll end up hitting the opponent with it, so you have to do it to the side instead.
However, a possible misunderstanding of this is to move your right arm straight to the far right. In doing so, the kissaki would end up leaving the koiguchi close to your body’s centre and since you can’t cut your opponent’s right upper arm like this, you’d have to move your sword back.
In order to do in one movement, it’s crucial to do the sayabiki as far as possible, furthermore, slightly move your body to the left and as you do this, properly bend your knees and draw the sword.
Doing this will allow you to draw your sword with barely moving your right hand to the front or the right.
Gently put your hand on the sword, pull back the saya, work with your knees and hips to swiftly draw your sword, support its back with your left hand and do the cut.
Important point #2: cutting movement
Please watch my hands as I cut to the side.
A common mistake is to straight up rotate both arms to do the cut.
Rather, when twisting your body, you would want to perform the cut with the mental attitude of wanting to touch your right flank with your right elbow.
Together with twisting your body, imagine you’re touching your right flank with your right elbow, and pull your right hand to the right side of your chest to do the cut.
Please make thorough use of your knees as well.
Important point #3: 柄打 (tsukauchi)
Next we’ll have a look at 柄打 (tsukauchi). For 柄打 (tsukauchi), from this position, place your right hand on your right hip and let your sword stand up straight.
If you try to do a 柄打 (tsukauchi) with your sword not properly standing straight, you might end up stabbing your opponent with the kissaki by accident.
In terms of inflicting damage to your opponent, this might be quite neat as a technique. However, damaging your opponent without intention means not having proper control over your sword.
As a result of losing control over your sword, you might injure yourself or get your sword snatched away by your opponent or get harmed in some way.
Bring your sword into a vertical position, then hit your opponent’s chin with the tsuka.
One more thing would be the left hand’s positioning. Cut, stand up. At this time, if you do the 柄打 (tsukauchi) with your left hand fixed in its position on the sword, your left hand will end up far behind you and you’ll find yourself in a weak posture.
Therefore, after setting up the sword, let your left hand slide down towards the tsuka as you do the tsukauchi.
If anything, it’s more important to think about positioning your hand in relation to your head and your body rather than the sword. Generally, I think slightly behind the top of your head would be a good position for the left hand.
About here.