Some Japanese vocabulary:

Heiho (hyoho): means, variously, all these things: swordsmanship, a sword fight, a stratagem, strategy, tactics, and the art of war.

The T'ai-a: any of the three mythical swords wrought by Feng Hu-tzu in ancient China.

Ikkyo: casting off a variety of diseases all at once.

Kamae: combat engagement postures.

Ken: observation, seeing with the eyes.

Kan: observation, seeing with the mind: insight.

Iro: color.

Sendan: original word for armor plate; also the word for sandalwood.

Ki: spirit.

Muto: no-sword technique; the art of taking an opponent's sword when you don't have one of your own.

Tengue: goblin; a creature combining the qualities of a man and a crow, able to fly and possess other superhuman abilities. According to legend, the great military commander Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-1189) was taught his trade by the tengue inhabiting Mt. Kurama in Kyoto.

Jo, ha, kyu: terms originally from Chinese dance music: the three movements of introduction, development, and finale. This concept of jo-ha-kyu has been applied to swordsmanship and also to other fields, such as football (kemari) and renga (linked verse).

Kenzen itchi: maxim "swordsmanship and Zen are one."

Fukuro-shinai: pacifist's sword made of bamboo and leather, less dangerous than even a wooden blade.

Fudochi: the ideal Zen empty mind, perfectly controlled yet totally liberated. Quote from the sword teacher Takuan: "Fudo <immovable> does not mean the immobility of a stone or a tree. The mind which moves over there, to the left, to the right, in the ten directions and in the eight directions, but does not tarry anywhere for a second, has fudochi . . ."

Heiho Kaden Sho

Family-Transmitted Book on Swordsmanship

Vol. 1: The Shoe-Offering Bridge.

The Book of the Shinkage School of Swordsmanship

Anecdote of the early Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220): once an old man, crossing an earthen bridge, dropped his shoe; a young man happening by quickly brought it back to him. As it turned out, the old man was the famous recluse Huang-shih Kung. Touched by the young man's courtesy, he taught him the arts of war as conceived by the sage Lu Shang, of the eleventh century BC; that same Lu Shang is said to have guided the mythological sage king Wen in matter military. The name of the courteous youth was Chang Liang, and he is said to have used this transmitted knowledge helping Liu Pang (247-195 BC) pacify the land and found the Han dynasty as Emperor Kao-Tsu.

From this secret knowledge came these katas taught by the shinkage school.

1. The three elements are posture, arms and legs, and sword. These are the gate for the beginner; begin your study with these. Learn also these five points, the posture to adopt when facing an opponent:

-hold your body sideways to the opponent

-regard your opponent's fists as equal to your shoulders

-make a shield of your fists

-stretch out your left elbow

-put your weight on the forward knee and stretch out your rear knee.

This is the initial posture, which is called "the wheel". In this posture, hold your sword; because you can rotate your sword, we have named it the wheel. Hold your sword sideways, let your opponent cut toward your left shoulder and as he does so, rotate your sword and win. Keep your posture low; it is a defensive posture, not an attack mode.

The First Five Kata:

Itto Ryodan: splitting the opponent in two with a single stroke; a posture nicknamed chinryu, 'a dragon crouching in the water.' You face your opponent sideways, holding your sword on your right, downward, the sword tip facing away from you. When he swings his sword down at your left shoulder, swing your sword up and in the wheel (in a semi-circle) striking his fists. As you do, your left shoulder should twist away and avoid the enemy sword.

Zantei Setsutetsu: cutting through nails, severing steel. When the opponent holds his sword directly in front, like a shield, cross your sword with his at the ridgeline a few inches from the tip. When he tries to push your sword aside, give in, then swiftly swing it into his right arm with all your strength. Or, the moment he strikes at your right shoulder, step forward with your left leg and strike his fists or arm. Then if he swings his sword up for a second strike, strike his left wrist with an upswing.

Hankai Hanko: turning halfway, facing halfway. When the enemy, holding his sword somewhat to the right, strikes at your fists, dodge the blow by moving your sword and yourself to the foe's right. When he then swings his sword up, step in and strike his left wrist.

Usen Saten: wheeling right, turning left. A technique used in close, quick combat. The instant the foe strikes at your left arm, slip to the left under the sword and strike his right arm. Or, the moment he strikes at your right arm, step to the right and strike his arm.

Chotan Ichimi: long and short are one. When your enemy is a little too far from you and assesses your moves but does not strike, seize an appropriate opportunity to lower your sword, hold it below your belly, and put your left shoulder forward. When he strikes at your shoulder, thrust your sword forward with full force and defeat him.

The Nine Kinds (second kata set):

Described by sword masters as 1) backup methods to be used when you miss on your first strike, and 2) techniques for tempting the foe to make a move, so that you may make your counterstrike.

Hissho: sure victory. Hold your sword in a yin position: over the right shoulder, blade slanting upward and back. When the foe strikes at your fists with a downswing, strike his sword aside with a downswing, and as he lifts his sword for a second blow, strike his hands with an upswing.

Gyakufu: cross wind. Hold your sword in a yin position; then quickly move to the left side of your opponent, and give a downswing stroke. The moment he dodges, move your sword to your left and, as he lifts his own sword, strike his hands. Or, when he strikes with a downswing, you must hit his sword aside and, with a reverse swing, strike his right arm. (The name of this move may derive from the swirling motion of the sword.)

Jutachi: cross-shaped sword. When you decide that parrying with your opponent is getting you nowhere, seize the right moment to lower your sword to your navel and hold it horizontally, directly in front, your left leg forward. When he steps forward, you do the same; as he strikes, you strike his right wrist or fists with an upswing. If he does not step forward but strikes with a downswing from the initial posture, you must lift your sword and strike his arms with a slanting downswing.

Kaboku: softening. When your foe holds his sword in front, facing you directly, and does not make a move - then, step forward and touch his sword with yours from the right side, a few inches from the point. The instant he steps forward in response, step aside to the right and strike his fists.

Shokei: shortcut. This is a technique to be used in a narrow space like an alley where the brandishing of long swords is difficult. When the enemy strikes from a yin position, stop him by holding your sword by the hilt with the left hand and by the ridgeline with your right hand. Then push his sword up and push yours down on him, or else thrust your sword forward into him from the point where you stop his downswing strike.

Kozume: delicate parrying. Hold your sword in yin, or over your head. When the opponent moves forward, put your right left a little back, and the moment he strikes, step forward and strike his arms.

Ozume: large-scale parrying. When the foe holds his sword as you do, directly in front, seize an opportunity to strike forward toward his face and smash his fists. Or, when he moves forward, lift your sword a little and strike. (Unless the timing is perfect, this move is likely to end with your enemy hitting you just as you hit him - not a desirable outcome.)

Yaegaki: eightfold or double fence. When your enemy holds his sword low at the right knee, you also lower your sword and touch his with yours, a few inches from the point. Then when he tries to push your sword aside, thrust yours forward into his chest. This is called 'pushing into a lion's den.'

Murakumo: rising cloud. When either combatant's moves are leading nowhere, seize the moment to lower your sword to your right knee. Then, when he strikes at your fists, move your left leg forward, dodge his sword, and strike his arm.

The Goblin's Selection (eight attack maneuvers):

Kasha (also Korinbo): flower wheel. When your opponent cuts at you with a downswing, block his sword with yours, bring your right foot forward, and cut at him. As he steps forward to strike, dodge to the left, bring your right foot forward, and strike his fists. Or, when he takes a waiting stance, positioning his sword in no specific way, move forward within striking distance and hold up your sword to the right. When he strikes at your left shoulder, strike back and win.

Akemi (also Fugenbo): open body. While parrying, move forward to feign attack and touch the foe's sword with yours a few inches from the tip. As the opponent bites the bait and strikes at your fists, dodge instantly and strike his fists. Or, the moment he tries to push your sword aside with his, step in and cut his arm.

Zentai (also Tarobo): waiting fully. When the enemy strikes at your fists from a midposition, block his sword with yours from above. As he tries to pull his sword down to strike at your elbow with an upswing, push your blade forward forcefully and strike his fists. (The illustrations make it plain that these swordsmen always use a two-handed grip.)

Tebiki (also Eiibo): entrapment. When parrying to no clear avail, feign sudden withdrawal by lowering your fists. Then, when the foe takes the bait and strikes at your fists, quickly reverse the positions of your feet, forward and backward, jerk your fists to the right to dodge the coming blow, and strike his fists.

Ranken (also Shutokubo): wild sword. Attack the enemy's right side, moving your left leg right and holding your body sideways. As you strike at his sword with yours held in one hand, he pulls his up, then strikes at your left shoulder. As this occurs, strike his sword with an upswing blow, and holding your sword with both hands, strike his fists.

Jo (also Nigusoku and Chiraten): introduction. Also Nigusoku: two instruments. This technique applies to fights against opponents with two swords. When the foe faces you with his swords crossed in front of him, strike at the cross section to assess his response. If he lowers his left sword and strikes with his right, you must move your left foot outward and cut at his right fist, instantly switching your attention to his left sword. The moment he attacks you with that sword, strike his left fist. No one can use two swords simultaneously. But two swords can be used in quick succession. Beware of tricky feints and moves.

Ha (also Uchimono, Karanbo): development. Another technique for facing two swords. When the foe strikes at you with the sword in his left hand, move your right foot to the right and strike that sword (ie the left sword) down. This was a feint, meant to distract you. Then, as he then strikes at your fists with his right sword, turn back and strike his fist.

Kyu (also Futarikake, Konpirabo): finale. This is a technique to deal with two foes: one to the right, one to the left. The moment you block the sword of the first attacker, switch your attention to the other man; the moment this second man strikes at you, switch your attention to the first one. In actual combat, you must deal with the two foes in quick succession, with powerful strikes, in the manner of the gyakufu (cross wind) technique. ... When facing three opponents at once, the assault from the one in the middle will be difficult to deal with. So move quickly either to the left or to the right of the group, confronting a single foe always at one time - with the moves of the other two blocked by that person. The same principle applies when facing even more foes. Always, you must stay close to the immediate opponent you are to dispose of. If you remove yourself from striking distance of him, you put yourself in danger of being surrounded by the rest.

Note: the following section details the "supreme manuevers" of the Shinkage school of swordsmanship. The goal of Shinkage is to strike at the fists to win, injuring the opponent as little as possible; to slash the skin and flesh, but not to hurt the bones. Thus shinmyoken, divine sword, is so called because it overpowers the opponent without injuring him with the sword; there is nothing beyond this supreme technique. The sword master Muneyoshi's catalogue of katas lists eight additional moves called hissho, "sure victories" but does not describe them: these moves are named sarutobi (monkey flying), tsubame-mawashi (swallow turning), tsukikage (moon and darkness), yamakage (mountain and darkness), uranami (bay waves), ukifune (floating boat), sekko (helmet breaking), and tobo (sword and stick).

Supreme manuevers:

Tensetsu Ransetsu: close slashing, wild slashing. Hold your body sideways, positioning your sword above your head with the left hand holding the forward position on the hilt. The moment your enemy strikes at you with a downswing, swirl your sword down to strike his wrists. If he brushes your sword aside, continue your upswing and downswing swirls until you win.

Gokui: mastery. When your foe, holding his sword directly in front, swiftly and relentlessly moves toward you, hold your sword downward to your right, dodge his advance by quickly moving your right foot outward, and as he passes you, strike him from behind.

Muniken: incomparable sword. When the foe faces you in tensesu-ransetsu posture, hold your sword out in a low line, with the right foot forward and the left foot back, stretched out. The instant he strikes down at you, strike him with an upswing.

Katsuninken: life-giving sword. When the foe positions his right leg forward with sword lowered, assume the same posture and assess his moves and the striking distance. The moment he strikes, step forward, strike back, and win.

Shinmyoken: divine sword. When the enemy assumes the katsuninken posture, do the same and move forward to attack. When he tries to dodge, move up to him, lay your sword across his chest, put your left leg between his legs, and push your knee against his - forcing him down.

Additional instructions:

Jo, Ha, Kyu: these consist of a total of twenty-seven kiriai (actual-sword as opposed to bamboo swords etc) fighting positions. Each section in a single beat (as used in music):

Jo: Jodan (3) Chudan (3) Gedan (3)

Ha: Jodan (3) Chudan (3) Gedan (3)

<Or Tobo Kiriai Sekko>

Kyu: Jodan (3) Chudan (3) Gedan (3)

....Jo=pre-attack, Ha = during attacking, Kyu = while exchanging blows. Jodan, chudan, and gedan are sword positions at the beginning of combat. Jodan is the sword held with hands positioned in front at head level, the blade tilting up toward its point; or else with hands above head, the cutting edge of the blade turned up, its tip tilting away from the enemy. Chudan is the sword held directly forward, hands poised at the level of the navel. Gedan is the sword held low, its tip downward. In Muneyoshi's catalogue of moves, ha is presented as Sekko (2) a sideward blow at the foe's neck; Tobo (3) striking the left arm of the opponent when he tries to hold his sword horizontally, supporting the ridgeline with his left hand, and Uchiai (4) exchanging blows.

End of The Shoe-offering Bridge . . .

Volume Two

The Death-Dealing Blade

Note: The following are not katas. They are notes taken from the translation of The Death-Dealing Blade and, without practical knowledge of swordsmanship, are almost as abstract as the sections on military tactics/strategy in Sun Tzu's The Art of War. I include them because I find them interesting.

The death-dealing sword is the sword which is poised to strike first. Thus, the sword which is not poised to strike is called the life-giving sword.

Ken-tai: ken is the instant assault, the first strike. Tai is to hold back, without striking first, waiting for your opponent to attack. Thus, ken-tai is when your body is in a ken stance, your sword in a tai stance. The purpose of putting your body in a ken stance is to force your opponent to strike the first blow. During this move, your mind must be in a tai mood. What matters is to win by making your opponent make the first strike.

Tsuke, kake, narai no kakari: these three feints may be tried to provoke your opponent when his plans are hard to fathom. Work these tricks on an opponent firmly ensconced in a waiting stance. Force him to make a move, and win.

Volume Three

The Life-Giving Sword

In our school the sword that is positioned for attack is called the death-dealing sword, and the sword that is not, the life-giving sword.

There are a myriad combat postures, but only a few things matter. These are the heart of swordsmanship: shuji shuriken, suigetsu, diseases, and the working of one's limbs and body.

Shuji shuriken: shuji means blocking the opponent's sword with your own, crosswise from whatever position he strikes. Shuji is also the point on the chest, below the chin, where the neck line of a Japanese coat meets and overlaps; in striking the opponent, this is the mark to aim for. As for shuriken, this is gaining an insight into the enemy's plans and stratagems. Used together, the words shuji shuriken mean: the spot to mark, or judging an opponent's tactics accurately. The term also refers to certain esoteric practices, such as 'cutting the nine ideographs' ie reciting nine magic words - for self-protection. Such practices were originally Taoist, but have been taken up widely by yin-yang practitioners, Esoteric Buddhists, Japanese swordsmen, and ninja; some warriors and ninja executed it at daybreak every day, and many did so just before combat or a mission.

Suigetsu: 'the moon on the water'. This means forging your tactics by determining the distance between you and your foe which makes it impossible for your foe's sword to touch your body. The art of stepping inside that distance, unobtrusively, to get close to the opponent is called 'the moon on the water'. Or according to another source: suigetsu is judged by the length of the shadow an opponent casts; if you maintain a space between you and him equal to his height, they say, then no matter how he slashes he cannot reach you. Thus suigetsu, in combat, is the area in which you can strike an opponent. It is good to harass an opponent outside the suigetsu, to see what happens.

Shinmyoken: divine sword. This is of ultimate importance. It is where the sword settles; it is the seat of the sword, whether this sword is held leftwards or rightwards; the body has a spot so designated; it is the six-inch area around the navel. Where the ken (the actual sword) is for your enemy, then shinmyoken for you is to be ken (observation). Observe the seat of his sword. Thus, shinmyoken is judging the crucial point of the body.

Shin: divinity, core; what exists in the core of a tree, for instance, that its external image may have myo: subtlety, exquisiteness - those things which, in a tree for instance, are fragrance and greenery, blossom and flourishing life. Thus shinmyoken. Though you cut open the tree, you cannot find its shin - yet without shin, neither flowers nor greenery will be seen. Likewise, if a man has shin in the seat of shinmyoken, a variety of myo appear through his hands and his feet "enabling the flowers to blossom in a fight".

"Diseases" are flaws of the mind and attitude, which a swordsman must rid himself of. There are many diseases.

"Body and limbs" are one's own actions, and the actions of the opponent.

Daiki Taiyu: divine ability, divine transformation: "Everything has a tai, noumenon, and a yu, phenomenon. Where there is a tai, there is a yu. For example, the bow is a tai; the acts of drawing it, shooting an arrow, and hitting the target are all yu. The lamp is a tai; the light is a yu. The water is a tai; the moisture is a yu of the water. ... The sword is a tai; slashing or thrusting is a yu.

"In this sense, ki, mind, is a tai, and when things come out of the ki and work variously, they are called yu. ... so do such moves as tsuke, kaka, double-dealing, and ken-tai come outside because of the existence of the ready ki inside. Such external workings are called yu. Dai of daiki means 'great' and is honorific."

"...A Zen phrase says, 'When a great yu manifests itself, it transcends rules.' A man of daiki taiyu does not at all concern himself either with things learned or with laws. In everything , there are things learned, laws, and proscriptions. Someone who has attained the ultimate state brushes them aside. He does things freely, at will. Someone who goes outside the laws and acts at will is called a man of daiki taiyu."

Noumenal training: training which aims for the free state, the void, in which you do not concern yourself with anything and you discard your mind. But phenomenal training is the training of kata, postures, blows, etc; though you have mastered the ultimate noumenal training, without phenomenal training it is nothing. "Noumenon and phenomenon ought to be like the two wheels of a cart."

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