- Joined
- Jul 15, 2003
- Messages
- 12,554
It's been a while.
Due to many issues, the dojo where I trained for 15 years no longer teaches Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iai heiho.
My Senpai(6th Dan) and I got together for casual tameshigiri yesterday...that is not getting dressed up in traditional garb to do do, just shorts.
We cut four single mat rolls in rokudan giri pattern. I usually start from the right.
1. Downward(hidari) kesa right to left
2-3. Downward(migi) kesa left to right(2x)
4. Upward diagonal(gyaku kesa) from right to left
5. Downward(migi) kesa left to right
6. Horizontal(yoko) cut from right to left
(photo from toyamaryu.org)
This is proper tameshigiri for training skill and spirit. I handed my wife who has cut one time before a katana and she executed two very good hidari kesa cuts with maybe 30 seconds of instruction. Something like a well executed gyaku kesa or yoko cut is significantly more difficult. Our focus was on the totality of what we have trained so diligently for....timing, distance, angle, extension, sword control and speed.
We had to cut the stands down to 24" high and re-drill the ana for the mat peg, so that is why the hand tools are in the photo.
The swords I used were a 29" custom L6 through tempered katana by ABS MS Bailey Bradshaw who no longer makes many knives or swords, but instead focuses on double rifles. The other is a CAS Hanwei Tiger Elite.
Both swords perfomed well, and there were no missed cuts, and only one failure out of perhaps 50 cuts that did not completely through the roll.
Best Regards,
STeven Garsson
Due to many issues, the dojo where I trained for 15 years no longer teaches Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iai heiho.
My Senpai(6th Dan) and I got together for casual tameshigiri yesterday...that is not getting dressed up in traditional garb to do do, just shorts.
We cut four single mat rolls in rokudan giri pattern. I usually start from the right.
1. Downward(hidari) kesa right to left
2-3. Downward(migi) kesa left to right(2x)
4. Upward diagonal(gyaku kesa) from right to left
5. Downward(migi) kesa left to right
6. Horizontal(yoko) cut from right to left
(photo from toyamaryu.org)
This is proper tameshigiri for training skill and spirit. I handed my wife who has cut one time before a katana and she executed two very good hidari kesa cuts with maybe 30 seconds of instruction. Something like a well executed gyaku kesa or yoko cut is significantly more difficult. Our focus was on the totality of what we have trained so diligently for....timing, distance, angle, extension, sword control and speed.
We had to cut the stands down to 24" high and re-drill the ana for the mat peg, so that is why the hand tools are in the photo.
The swords I used were a 29" custom L6 through tempered katana by ABS MS Bailey Bradshaw who no longer makes many knives or swords, but instead focuses on double rifles. The other is a CAS Hanwei Tiger Elite.
Both swords perfomed well, and there were no missed cuts, and only one failure out of perhaps 50 cuts that did not completely through the roll.
Best Regards,
STeven Garsson
Last edited:
