ABOUT THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF SWORD PRACTICE

QA1. What are the basics of the sword and how do you teach these?
IS.: The Nihon-to is an elegant weapon with a flowing curve and strong physical properties. It was developed over many hundreds of years, changing at times to meet the needs of the warriors of that time. So now we see many different styles and shapes. Some of the shapes and styles of swords are more difficult to use in iaido than others. Now, however, we see a more general shape that is good for iaido and so we can concentrate on using this style of sword.

At the start we must advise the beginner on how to choose a sword that suits their physical shape and make-up. It must be well balanced and not too heavy. If these are right, the beginner will feel more comfortable and hence will learn quicker. In the beginning people need to concentrate on how to sit properly in seiza and how to move out of seiza to do ichimonji nukitsuke (the horizontal cut). This is vitally important. They must then learn how to move the sword from nukitsuke to above their head (furikaburi) in preparation for the main vertical cut, kirioroshi/kiritsuke. It is important here that they learn how to achieve furikaburi keeping the pressure on the enemy and not obscuring the vision. When doing kirioroshi they must learn how to grip the tsuka properly to achieve a good cut. Next they must learn how to do a proper, large chiburui to simulate removing blood from the sword. Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu has a very distinctive chiburui that has a very practical meaning and movement. Having done all these steps the student needs to learn how to sheath the sword again properly, that is how to do osame or noto.

So the basics for beginners are nukitsuke, kirioroshi, chiburui and noto, and how to move their body and how to grip the sword. Later they will learn how to move better, how to use the hara and spirit (ki) and be able to use and demonstrate zanshin in their waza. Initially, however, they should concentrate on practicing the basics as their teacher shows them. Repetition of the basics is most important.

QA2. Can Sensei explain about tenouchi?
IS.: This is a very complex subject, it is a little hard to write about in a concise manner. One of the important basics for our school is how to use the tenouchi of the tsukate (grip on the tsuka). You need some space in tenouchi when you grip. You wield the sword to sharpen the sword power by using the space. You grip easily (softly) and make some space. The space becomes the source of increasing the power of the sword. The space is important. Hold the sword with hara power. The hands are just supporting the tsuka. The tsuka should be free in tenouchi. You make use of the free movement of tsuka and swing the kissaki vigorously, in a circle, then you will cut well by utilizing this natural process. You have to learn how to use the space to cut well.

Necessary conditions for tameshigiri: Use the space of tenouchi well. Make a suitable approach, i.e. approach until you feel too close.
Cut using hara and koshi power. You can't cut well just using the fingers. Cut with the correct hasuji (cutting edge/angle of the sword).

QA3. What is (are) the most important thing(s) for a beginner to concentrate on?
IS.: Again I have written something on this. However, fundamentally beginners should concentrate on learning the Seiza no Bu waza correctly. They must learn the basics well and follow traditional iaido practice, this is extremely important.

QA4. What are the first things taught to beginners? Are there some beginner’s exercises
to start with?
IS.: Beginners must learn how to hold the sword properly and how to wield the sword properly. They need only to be concerned with learning to use their hands, arms and shoulders to be able to do a basic cut. Later they will learn how to use their whole body and spirit, but first they must learn the basics. I have been teaching students some basic suburi that beginners and seniors should practice, they can show you the practice. Initially, they must learn to cut to shomen with just the left hand. The left hand is the important one in iaido. After this the right hand can be used, with very very little power, simply holding and guiding. Only after they have got the hang of this should they try to use the proper tenouchi. Initially this will only be done by the right hand. It should be done lightly by pushing the right thumb to the right index finger. It will take some time to learn to do this properly but it is Kihon and everyone should practice. After this stage students should learn to apply tenouchi with both hands cutting to shomen, only after this will they be able to practice proper horizontal cut using “full” power.

QA5. What about more advanced students?
IS.: Once students have learnt the basics well they must then learn how to use the body well. They have to learn about the koshi and hara and how to apply them in all waza, and sections of the waza. This is a difficult stage and it takes a long time to get to this level, it requires hard work and dedication to pass through this stage. Later I teach the advanced students how to use their Ki/Spirit in the waza, this takes even longer. At this point you should be past concerning yourself with the detail of the waza and be concentrating on spirit and intention. This is the most difficult stage and requires a good teacher to lead you through, but in the end only you can do it.

QA5b What is the meaning of Kumigata to advanced students/at what stage (grade) do they start to learn it?
IS.: We do not really teach Kumigata today, we teach Tachi Uchi No Kurai. There are no rules about when students should learn these waza, it is up to the teacher when he thinks the student is ready, or if he can teach the waza.

QA6. What set do you teach first? Why is that?
IS.: The first set of waza of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu are the 11 forms of Seiza no Bu. These are fundamental waza that teach people how to hold a sword and wield it and how to move their bodies in a simple way. They must learn these basics well before moving on to the more complex waza. It is good, and essential, for senior students and teachers to return to practicing the Seiza no Bu waza as well, basics (Kihon) are important for everyone.

QA7. What is the progression of sets of katas to the end of learning your style? Does teaching the next step depend on the students achieving a certain rank?
IS.: After Seiza no Bu come the ten waza of Tate Hiza no Bu, the eight waza of the Iwaza section of Oku den, ten Tachi waza and three Seiza waza of Oku dan, the three waza of Bangai and finally the ten Tate Hiza waza of Haya Nuki. Eventually, when students are ready, they learn the ten waza of Hasegawa Eishin Ryu Koden Tachi Uchi no Kurai and eleven waza of Tsume Ai no Kurai. They can also learn seven waza of Tachi Uchi no Kata developed by Oe Masamichi sensei.

QA8. Is it useful for a student to learn other style of iai or other arts?
I.S.: No, not really in the beginning, only after you have mastered your iaido. However, it is natural for less experienced students to want to look at, and perhaps practice other schools of iaido. This can, however, lead to serious confusion and mixing of one school’s practices with their own. This is not good. People should wait until they have learnt their own school well before looking outside. I see a lot of this with people of Godan and Rokudan rank. Eventually, when they are good Nanadans or Hachidan they realize there is no need for this. Everything they need to know is in the school. Once they learn this then they can start to understand other schools.

QA9. Once the various motions of the kata have been learnt, what things must a student then begin to work on?
IS.: I have covered these above, students must learn to use their body (koshi and hara) well, then learn to use their spirit. This is real iaido, not the mechanics of the individual waza.QA10. Could you say some word about Shisei (posture), Ki (energy, vital power), Reiho (etiquette), Jo-ha-kyu, Shuhari?
IS.: These are all very important aspects of iaido and any martial art.

Shisei - This is very important, it should be beautiful. Bad posture makes iaido look ugly. However, you have to be careful when you look at old videos and films about iaido. You have to understand the reasons for the iaido at the time. In those days iaido was still based on more practical iaijutsu so the posture was no so beautiful to some people (especially modern iaidoka), it was much more purposeful and practical. You had to be much more aware of a real opponent much closer to you. We should not forget this in modern iaido as we should understand the basis of our art.

Shu - keep to the rules, follow your teacher diligently;
Ha - move away a little and experiment with new ideas and concepts (this is where there will be a temptation to look at other arts or ha);
Ri - leave your teacher and develop your own iaido.

Shu-Ha-Ri is a very important concept and students should know about it, therefore it was a good question to ask.

Jo-Ha-Kyu – This applies from the basics to Oku iaido and in all aspects of each waza. It means the acceleration from a static position into a cut and other elements of the waza (i.e. furikaburi, chiburui and noutou). More advanced students should study this well if they want their iaido to progress.

Reiho – This is vitally important, people must learn to do the Reiho properly and for this they need to understand the reasons and feeling behind each Reiho so that they do not make blunders. They must learn the correct Reiho for the Kami Za, sword and opponent, and show respect to them all.

Ki (Spirit) – This is the highest level of iaido as I explained earlier. It is too complex to discuss in this simple article. You must train hard and long to achieve any feeling and use of Ki to give the strong feeling to cut down the enemy. When you achieve this other people will know.

Budo

QB1. What are the lessons we should learn from budo?
IS.: You should think about the following:

1) Protect yourself and each other. Learn Ki Ken Tai Ichi (Spirit, Sword and Body as one), that is learn to use the sword and body with true spirit.

2) We need to strive to preserve the traditional techniques and put them into practice. Good tradition should be handed down to future generations. We should be profoundly conscious of how our iaido and other budo were developed by our ancestors hundreds of years ago. They built budo to survive - they were protecting their lifes. Iaido is one of the best Japanese traditions. High-level students should have ideas like this.

3) To be righteous is very important to improving techniques. Iaido is one of DO. We should be righteous and keep practicing. I tried to train in this way and adopted anything useful. I worked for 9 years in the office of the late Prime Minister Ohira Masayoshi. I watched him always doing the right thing. I learnt a lot from his personality. He learnt old humanitarianism from the books of Yasuoka Masahiro Sensei. I, too, have read these books. It is very important to be righteous to learn iaido or any other budo, and to pass it down, and to devote ourselves to the art. We become righteous and pray to God. (Read Musashi's Mu)We should be righteous, too, when we learn iaido. The above statements are an outline of my beliefs and the way I learnt iaido. That is my long iaido Way. Improving techniques is the same as developing humanity. Namely, improving techniques means seeking self-realization. When I look back over my Way, I feel gratitude to many people. I am moved by various memories. I really pray our iaido will pass down correctly from generation to generation.

QB2. What personal characteristics are required to make a good budoka?
IS.: You must be very serious and honest, pursuing the truth. You must make sure you do not become conceited as you start to learn more.

QB2b How can a beginner recognize a good teacher?
IS.: Unfortunately a beginner cannot tell if a teacher is good or bad.

QB3. What kind of a relationship should there be between a student and his sensei?
IS.: This is an extremely fundamental relationship. I am writing an article on this for the Eikoku Roshu Kai students and I am sure they will share it with you. I told the students last November a little about this. In the end there is a far stronger link between a student and his Sensei if it develops correctly. Trust is very important, they should trust each other. I always wanted to make sure my Sensei was pleased with my iaido even if I had to demonstrate in front of very high-ranking “civil” people. My Sensei’s opinion was far more important to me that anyone else's, even if they were higher ranking than him.

QB4. Is it possible for a student from the west to understand iai or budo?
IS.: Yes, of course, they are just the same. It is important that they have a good teacher and they must practice seriously and hard if they truly want to learn, And they should ask lots of questions.

About the Muso Shinden Jûshin Ryû

QC1. Can you tell more about your Muso Shinden Yushin ryu's history?
IS.: Yushin or Jushin is the same as Jushin Shigenobu ( the founders real name). The people who learnt iai before Oe Sensei used this name. I cannot comment on their iaido.

QC2. In this ryu, who were some of the more important figures that we should know about?
IS.: Nakayama Hakudo Sensei named his school Jushin Shinden Ryu. Before Oe Sensei the old Menkyo Kaiden used the name Jushin Ryu but Nakayama Sensei re-named it.

QC3. Nakayama Hakudo?
IS.: Nakayama Sensei was well known for his kendo and iaido. He taught many high ranking people, but I cannot say if this was for any particular reason. He asked Oe Sensei if he could teach him Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu but Oe Sensei would only let him watch to learn, then practice on his own.

QC3 Did Iwata Sensei meet Hakudo Sensei? What kind of man was he? What was his technique like? Does Sensei have any opinion about Muso Shinden Ryu? Is the original Shimomura-ha taught anymore in Shikoku?
IS.: Yes, I did meet Hakudo Sensei. He was a small, slender man. His technique was so-so when he was young, but much better when he was older. It is wrong to try and judge and say whether another school is good or bad, so I would not like to state any opinion on Muso Shinden Ryu. Shimomura-ha still exists in Shikoku, but it is a little different from that taught when I was young.

QC4. How many Muso Shinden Jushin ryu (MSJR) dojos there are in Japan?
IS.: I do not know if there are any MSJR schools, Muso Shinden Ryu schools are the most popular. Jushin Ryu is not so popular.
More on Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu.

QC8. Do you use dan-grades or the old menkyo system?
IS.: There are no Dan Grades in Roshu Kai. Most people have their Dan Grades through the ZNKR. Even if I could give Dan Grades, the next generation could not. If you study traditional iaido Dan Grades have no meaning.

QC8b Does Iwata Sensei give makimono (Menkyo diplomas)?
IS.: Yes I do give menkyo. They should be treated as private, something between the teacher and the student. While the teacher is alive it used to be that someone with a menkyo kaiden never mentioned it to others, only years after the sensei died would a student perhaps show that he did have such a certificate. There might be only one who gets menkyo, or sometimes more. Menkyo kaiden means one has learnt everything. Character is very important at attaining menkyo.

QC9. Are there paired practice sets, kumigata in your style? How many?
IS.: Yes, I mentioned this earlier, there are three main sets still taught within Roshu Kai. These are Hasegawa Eishin Ryu Koden Tachi Uchi no Kurai. These are the traditional eleven waza. There are also seven Tachi Uchi No Kata waza developed by Oe Sensei from the original waza. He thought that some of the original waza were rather risky, so he modified them. Now we sometimes see a mixture of the original eleven Tachi Uchi No Kurai waza and the seven Tachi Uchi No Kata. However, if you want to study the most traditional Tachi Uchi No Kurai you should go to Takeshima Sensei in Kochi. The third and highest level Kumigata is Hasegawa Eishin Ryu Tsume Ai No Kurai. This is more complex than Tachi Uchi no Kurai and again, if you wish to learn it properly you should go to Kochi.

QC9b Is the Daisho Tsume Kumigata set from Tanimura-ha or the original Eishin Ryu?
IS.: Unfortunately I do not think anyone really knows the complete answer to this question. Daisho Tsume waza still exist and are still taught in some areas, but it is hard to say exactly, where they come from.

QC10. What are the characteristic features of your ryu?
IS.: We have discussed this before. Essentially it is transmitted directly from teacher to pupil. It is in three level Shoden, Chuden and Okuden. It covers Seiza no Bu, Tate Hiza no Bu and Tachi waza as well as Kumigata. Students must first learn to use their hands, arms and shoulders to swing the sword properly and they must learn to grip the sword properly so that the cuts are real. Then they must learn to use their whole body (koshi and hara) and finally their Ki (Spirit). It is a never- ending way and people who wish to learn properly must practice their whole life.

QC11. Is there any written material about your ryu?
IS.: I personally have written three books, there is a new book out in 2002 and I have also done some videos. There are also the other books I mentioned above, plus others by other Sensei. Students should read as much as they can and make up their own mind.

QD1 Do most budo teachers have a full-time occupation while they are teaching budo?
IS.: Yes, these days most budo teachers also have an ordinary job as well as teaching budo. This was not uncommon even when I was young.

QD2 Can Sensei tell us something about Roshu Kai?
IS.: I set up Roshu Kai once I had stopped learning at Kochi about 45-46 years ago. I first set it up in Kagawa, and it was called “Kagawa Roshu Kai”, but now there are many people across Japan and in Canada and England that are members of Roshu Kai. Now I have named it “Zenkoku Roshu Kai”. I am pleased that it is expanding, provided students learn correct waza and are true to it, as it is important to me that the old waza are retained and passed on to the next generation. It is my purpose to ensure that this happens, and I do it out of love for iaido and my teachers.

Home