KODOKAN Koryu Kata Seminar - Spring 2008

Presented by Matsumoto Jumpei Sensei, Paul Budden Sensei and myself, and with special thanks to the members of the Kodokan who helped out as Uchikata in the morning.

On a grey Saturday in April some 30+ kendo warriors gathered together at the Princess Marina Sports Complex of the Royal Masonic girl’s school in Rickmansworth to re-enact the grisly business of killing people with Japanese swords.
One could ask the question How do we really know what really happened all those years ago on the battlefield and in duels. The answer is simple, we can study the KATA that have been passed down over hundred of years by the myriad schools that trained and developed these warriors.
Katas are of course pre-arranged sequences of movements practiced either solo or as a pair. They were developed to pass on the curricula of many traditional Japanese arts such as kabuki and the tea ceremony. However they are most commonly known today for their use as a training and examination method within martial arts. Some would say that they are the most important learning tool in a traditional Eastern martial art.
The core philosophy of a set of KATA is what differentiates schools (ryu or ryu-ha).
When the underlying principles of the KATA are changed a new system (ryu) is born.
Sadly many practitioners of modern martial arts see kata as something of a chore, a part of the training that must be endured if they are to progress through the grade structure. Happily this is not everyone’s view.
Kata is an activity where people with diverse martial backgrounds and interests can come together and train mutually. Learning from each other’s strengths, and this is just what we attempted to do on this seminar.

Some Koryu use only kata for training whilst others combine kata with kihon and Keiko. Originally it was possible to test one's level of understanding on the battlefield. In modern kendo we test ourselves through shiai and shinsa.
But what is the most effective approach? How can we best teach/learn the basic principles of a traditional, physical, spiritual and mental art such as kendo?
I believe that without all three of these elements and considerable thought and concentration it will not be possible to really understand kendo and progress your character through the application of the principles of the Katana.

Morning Session
We began the day with a study of the Ono Ha Itto Ryu. The Itto Ryu was founded by Itto Ittosai a famous and mysterious swordsman rumoured to have never lost a battle. His “One sword” or "One stroke" school of swordsmanship probably evolved from the earlier Chujo-ryu style.

Ittosai trained many pupils including Ono Tadaaki his successor, who went on to become very influential in his own right, serving the Tokugawa shogunate at the height of its power as a sword instructor. Ono Tadaaki’s contact with the famous priest, Takuan Sōhō led to the inclusion of Zen elements (directness and simplicity in the technique of the "one stroke.").
At that time the Tokugawa doctrine was heavily influenced by Neo-Confucianism, (established by Chu-His, whose concept was to treasure ‘solemness’ in daily life) this then had a profound impact on the school’s RIAI and is perhaps responsible for the lack of kiai/shouts in the performance of the kata as the use of the Kiai would be contradictory to this concept.

Ono-ha is the oldest of the Itto-ryu styles and one of the most influential, and together with Nakanishi- ha Itto ryu and Gekken has exerted a major influence on modern kendo's kata, tactics, and aesthetics.

The Ono-ha style consists of 150 techniques for both long and short swords and has as its core technique Kiri-otoshi, ("cutting down"). In addition the style can be recognised by the use of Oni-gote (devils gloves) and an unusually short but thick bokken - Hamaguri. The gloves are reinforced with a metal frame and are frequently struck heavily during the kata to simulate the Utsu Renshu – (A practice cut with the feeling of “Todome” like a ‘coup de grace’) Sasamori Junzo, a high ranking kendo sensei, took over the preservation of the system in the Taishō period after studying Itto-ryu under the Tsugaru clan and becoming the 16th Soke. His son Sasamori Takemi succeeded him as the 17th headmaster.

During the morning session we practiced 4 kata from the Go Jupon (the first 50). This is from the original teaching of Ono Torao sensei who received his Menkyo-kaiden from Sasamori Junzo sensei.

1. HITOTSU GACHI (single victory), the basic application of the Kiriotoshi technique
2. TSUKI KAESHI (MUKAE ZUKI - NORI ZUKI) a way to deflect a tsuki: (thrust and counter thrust)
3. TSUBA WARI (Tsuba splitter), a precursor of men nuki men\\ 4. GEDAN NO GASUMI (smoke or mist Kamae of Gedan), a way to probe the opponents defence and get them to commit to an attack

There was detailed instruction on how to do the footwork and movement, and how to apply the techniques effectively.
Everyone managed to work through the four kata competently by the end of the session.
We discussed the principle of ITTO. Today we use the term Ippon in a similar way although the outcomes of the two are clearly very different. If unlucky enough to be caught by the former you will need at best a doctor, in the latter you may leave the practice grumbling that the referees don’t know what they are doing, or you may just gracefully accept that you have been overcome and use this to spur you on to improve.

After lunch we practiced the NIHON KENDO NO KATA:
The Japanese police force first established a unified system of kendo kata by combining various traditional sword schools. The system was known as Keishicho Gekken Kata or Police Department Attack movement Kata.
This process began in the1880s when outstanding swordsmen, from different ryu were hired by the police in order to standardize the instruction of kata and develop a new police kata system. By 1886 ten Kata had been created based on different kata of traditional ryu ha. Later in the mid 1890s the Dai Nihon Butokukai (Great Japan Martial Virtues Association) was established to preserve and maintain the cultural, spiritual and traditional aspects of Japanese martial arts. At the turn of the century the Butokuden was built as a central venue for the sharing and study of these important aspects of Japanese culture.
In 1906 kendo was introduced as a subject within the public school system and the Butokukai unified kenjutsu ryu ha in order to standardise what was taught.
In 1911 Kendo became a junior high school subject and the Dai Nihon Butokukai started the Butoku Gakkou School increasing the growth of kendo. It was decided that a standard kata set which did not favour any one particular ryu was needed for kendo instruction. The Ministry of Education formed a committee to establish a standard kata throughout Japan and the Butokukai provided the members for this research committee.
By 1912 the Dai Nihon Teikoku Kendo Kata was complete, and consisted of 7 Tachi forms and 3 kodachi forms.

In 1917 additional material was added to the standard forms by various influential teachers including:

NaitoTakaji Takano Sasaburo KadonaTadashi NakayamaHakudo MinatobeKuniharu

Further additions/ changes were then made in 1933 giving us the kata forms that we know and love today.

To summarise: The kendo No kata tradition goes back to the early 20th century and was influenced by many of the most skilful kendoka of that era. It was formed as a way of standardising swordsmanship and was used as a tool to examine those wishing to progress through the ranks. But it is also a distillation of the RIAI of many different ryu ha going back some 600 years, and as such is our link back to the tradition of the Japanese sword.

For this session we split into three groups by grade and began to polish our KATA forms.
In my own group I tried to explain why we assume a particular Chamae or Maai and what we are attempting to do to the opponents mind and body. I never think of the kata as a set of mechanical movements but as a series of strategies and adjustments that can be applied. These same strategies can be applied equally well with a shinai during Keiko.
Everyone seemed to enjoy this opportunity to learn something new or just improve on kata they have done many times before. Hopefully all the participants left with an enhanced view of what the kata are for and how they can be used. In Matsumoto sensei’s group they concentrated on the concept of having an ‘attacking mind’ even though the forms may be predetermined, this coming from both Uchidachi & Shidachi and in Budden sensei’s group the theme was ‘eye’ contact, ‘joint mind’ – flexibility in both mind and body including the correct use of the Kodachi and correct Kamae and posture.

Session 3 - The Mizoguchi
The Mizoguchi Ha Itto Ryu was founded in the early Edo period (1630s) by Mizoguchi Jingozaemon Masanori a direct student of Ono Jiroemon Tadatsune (The second headmaster of the Itto Ryu and founder of the Ono Ha tradition).

In the Sayu Tenka Demi No Hitachi there are five odachi and three kodachi katas.
Uchidachi begins with pressure to develop suki and initiate sen, then uses a feint to draw out Shidachi’s attack. The attack is then reflected back at the shidachi by evasion or deflection. This is quickly followed up by a decisive cut (Kazushi), usually to the back of the neck (Kesa Gake, an angled slicing cut with the mid point of the blade into the side/back of the neck, striking down between the second and third vertebrae.

The kata are done with silent kiai and should build in speed and intensity from odachi Ittenme to Gotenme, and then again from kodachi Ittenme to Santenme. The footwork and movement should be smooth and light.

A major difference with this series of kata is that Shidachi leads/teaches and Uchidachi performs the techniques (a complete reversal of the kendo No kata).
During the afternoon we managed to practice the first three forms.

Practical Application
The final session was the application of kenjutsu waza using shinai and Bogu. A few participants dropped out at this point as not all those present practice kendo.
We practiced suri men - omote and ura (suriotoshi), Tsuki kaeshi men, shinogi nagashi (suriage), Tsuba wari (kote nuki men) and finally Kiriotoshi.
All the waza seemed within grasp and I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to put the waza we practiced earlier in a more formalised way to practical use. Yes! It really does work to learn waza through kata and apply them fluidly in Keiko and kihon. By learning through kata we also get an inkling of how it may be possible to draw the opponent in so that a particular waza can be applied.

Final Note
In the study of kata there are three stages:
SHU: Following the kata as exactly as possible. Changing the way you think and move so that it is exactly like that of your teacher.
HA: Experimenting with the kata and adapting it to suit your body, strengths and interests.
RI: Emerging from the kata. The underlying principles have become a part of your nature.

A set of kata contains three elements: Heiho (Strategy), Te no uchi (Skills), Waza (Techniques). The why, how and what of the moves contained within the kata (Riai).
Mastery of the kata does not necessarily imply mastery of the art.
To quote Hiroshi Ozawa Sensei “All of kendo is contained within the KATA”

I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to discuss, learn and practice kata both in and out of armour and am looking forward to taking this study further later in the year at the autumn seminar.

G.O’Donnell (DO SHIN KEN YU KAI)