This old thing? My first cut. Tools of the Trade 2

During a recent trip home, I picked up an old hakama that was in my storage building. I've had this thing since about 1995 and it feels good to finally be using it. There was a guy named Seok-Bom in my dorm. One Christmas, (Sock-Boom) went back to Korea and I asked him to bring me a hakama. He brought back a top that was about a child's medium and this hakama that was for a 6'5" adult. It is folded in this picture, but it's pretty messy. It was a rush job and I promise to redo it. The problem with it, is that for the last ten years, it's been balled up in a box. That is certain death for the pleats in a cotton hakama.

Last Friday, my battojutsu class practiced tameshigiri (practice cutting). It was my first time and I was a little nervous. The other guys in class all have their own katana with a real blade. Myself and another guy were allowed to use Sensei's wakizashi (the short sword that usually accompanies the longer one). While Sensei demanded various cuts from them, he only wanted kesa giri from myself and another guy. During my first cut, I was a little far away. For my next four, I was right on. It's certainly different to actually hit a target, as opposed to just striking air or an invisible enemy. The picture above is my souvenir. It's the top of the target that I first cut. In the "good" ol' days, they practiced cutting on corpses and on criminals (and on criminals' corpses). Now, we practice on rolled up tatami mats that have been soaked in water. At later stages, mats and bamboo trunks are used. In some schools, the practitioner throws up an apple, draws, cuts, and returns the blade to its scabbard.

All my stuff happened to be scattered about, so I decided to take a picture.

After my last aikido class, we were all sitting around and talking about this and that (they were sitting around talking. I just do my best to listen for the odd word I know). Finally, Sensei mentioned my name and I think he said that I'll be testing again in October. There's nothing like not knowing if an important exam is coming up or not. I'll keep you posted.

A True Cut and the Nobi Dojo

I somehow went through July without an entire entry.

So I was in my new Battojutsu class on Tuesday, and I was practicing a horizontal cut that goes from left to right or right to left. A perfect cut never leaves the horizontal plane. Needless to say, my cut leaves a lot to be desired.

Sensei came over to demonstrate the correct way. First, he held out his wooden sword, vertically, and told me to cut. I hit it a few times and then it was his turn. I held out the bokken and he hit it a couple of times. He said, "No. No. Not this way." He then took up position to do it his way. He swung. One second, I'm holding a healthy practice sword and the next, I'm holding just the handle. He actually cut through my wooden sword with his wooden sword.

It wasn't the same as if somebody just hit it and busted it with a bat. Not a lot of force made it up to my hand. In fact, the first time he hit it (showing me the way I was doing it), my hand reacted violently to the force. This time, he just cut through it. It was a nice demonstration of how to cut.

On another note, I joined up with another dojo. Sunday mornings, I will be going to the Nobi Dojo in The Highlands neighborhood. I'm paid up through August and after August, I'll decide on what to do next. It's kind of expensive and comes out to be 1000 yen per class.