Katori Shinto Ryu Kata

[Nakita Heitmann]

Whilstreading about the various traditional Japanese sword schools (Kukishin-ryū, Nen-ryū, Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, Gyokko-ryū, Hōzōin-ryū, Ittō-ryū, Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū, Kashima Shintō-ryū, Maniwa Nen-ryū, Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū, Musō Shinden-ryū, Takenouchi-ryū, Tatsumi-ryū, Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, Hoki-ryū, Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū, Isshin-ryū, Kitō-ryū, Shintō Musō-ryū, Sōsuishi-ryū, Suiō-ryū, etc, etc, etc), I have noticed frequent comments about the recommended length of sword used for iaido/jutsu varying widely from school to school.

Otake sensei of the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu comments (in his book "The Deity and the Sword") that the daisho used by a famous master of the Yagyu style were both particulary short and Otake sensei's own katana (an o-suriage 15thC tachi I believe) also looks fairly short in photos and video-clips.

I know that many iaito manufacturers and iai books have their own recommendations about sizing a katana to an individual but these often vary greatly (even when the books are concerned with the same style - usually the Seitei iaido of the All Japan Kendo Federation) or tend toward particularly long swords.

One of the reasons I'm asking about this is that I'm a caucasian of 5' 9" in height but, in my very far off days of practicing iai in the UK, I always felt most comfortable with a katana of only 27" in blade length.

I'm sorry I can only be brief as I'm about to leave for the airport. I think I may have mentioned that I study Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu and Toda-ha Buko Ryu (which also includes sword work but focuses on the naginata). As you know, MJER is a very big school so there is a rather wide variety of preferences, not only with respect to swords but also with respect to executing techniques.

Nevertheless, it is generally important to match your sword length to your height (or arm length) so that the MJER nukitsuke (drawing of the sword) can be performed correctly. If your sword is too short it will fly out of the saya, if it is too long you will have to do contortions to get it out. Some people check the length of a sword by holding it loosely in their right hand with their arm relaxed at their side - the tip of the sword should just touch the ground in front of your feet.

I know I haven't really answered your question about schools that favour short swords. However, if you ever want to give MJER a try, I am happy to take you to my dojo in the Jiyugaoka area of Tokyo (several of the guys there are sword collectors so you should feel at home).

From age 16 till 22 I have trained Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei Iaido (commonly referred to as "Seitei-Iai") and also Muso Shinden Ryu. I know some people in Muso Shinden favour rather long swords but this did not seem like a strict standard to me.

As Matthew mentioned, also in our school the importance of a good drawing motion (nukitsuke) was highly stressed. If your sword is very short it flies out of the saya very quickly as you draw it, but then your left hand has little or no function. With a longer sword, your left hand must actively participate with pulling the saya backwards as your right hand draws the sword forward (the terms "saya-banare" and "saya-biki" are used to describe this if I remember correctly). This backward action with the left hand and saya also makes your cutting action stronger (you can compare it with "hiki-te" when performing "tsuki-waza" in karate), so it is very important that your sword is long enough to be able to perform this technique correctly.

Now to give you an idea, my own body length is 192cm and I trained with a 2.5 shaku iaito (approx 75.7 cm). Most people in our dojo used swords with a standard length of 2.4 shaku, sometimes a bit shorter or longer according to their own arm length.

But in the end, as long as you can perform the techniques correctly, the rest is up to personal taste I guess. One of the sensei I admire the most here in Belgium is a bit smaller than myself (around 180 cm I guess) and he trains with a shinshinto katana which is 2.7 shaku in length ! (almost 82cm!). I have always wondered how he is able to handle this sword but he is fast as lightning with it, so I think good technique is most important after all.

Concerning other schools I don't have a good view on them. I know of one dojo near my town where they teach Katori Shinto Ryu. I have visited them only a few times but they did not seem to use especially long or short swords, somewhere around 2.4 shaku I would think. (73cm)

The same sensei is also a dealer of both antique blades and shinsakuto and so I'll probably get one of the latter from him. The only drawback is I'll probably have to sell the majority of my collection (it's only 4 blades and 4 tsuba) in order to buy a brand new shinken!

As to Gassan Sadakatsu/Sadatsugu gendaito, check out the prices for a reason for me not to buy one! Also, most of their blades are standard gunto length which kind of defeats the issue if I need one at 2.4 shaku and above.

As an interesting postcript to the question of length, I was reading "The Art of the Japanese Sword" by Kunihara Kawachi yesterday and found the following references to the various swords owned by Bakumatsu Jidai hero Ryoma Sakamoto.

At age 21, Sakamoto favoured an 85.4cm sword by the contemporary smith Minamoto Masao. As Sakamoto was 176cm tall (interestingly only .74cm taller than me) this was an exceptionally long blade for him to wield and was more than likely simply a young man's "fashion statement" rather than a practical weapon.

He carried this sword whilst his experience of swordplay was limited to the dojo but, tellingly, once he had participated in actual life or death fights and had to use his sword to desperately defend himself, he very quickly switched to a Yoshiyuki blade measuring only 60.6cm (this sword was a gift from Saigo Takamori and was worn by Sakamoto on the night of his assassination) and a Bizen katana of 61.8cm.

I think that this admirably illustrates the difference between a truly practical combat blade and the longer versions which were admired in the dojo in Sakamoto's day and which continue to be insisted upon even now.

I fully understand the good form in pulling the saya back as you draw but, if your life was actually on the line, you would probably want something that "flew out" of the saya and which was small and light enough to use effectively anywhere.....not just in a spacious dojo.

Very interesting article, thank you. IMHO, beside the length of shinken, its weight is another major concern. Especially for Iaido practice a heavy sword, which usually comes with the longer swords, will become a burden soon. As you know in Iaido all drawing, chiboris and notos are done with one hand. Practicing with a heavy sword could cause pains in arms and shoulders as well as tendonitis after a while. Most Iaido Senseis regardless of their style agree that the shinken should be light and practical for one hand practices. I'm 178 cm tall and all my shinkens are between 700-800 grams (blade only). Total weight with tsuka and tsuba between 1000-1100 grams and the length of between 2.3.7 and 2.4.2. An average iaito including tsuka and tsuba weighs about 800 grams. Generally a bit shorter shinken than your practicing iaito is recommended. Balance of the blade is another important factor in choosing a shinken.

I am now planning to join this ryu myself - especially as Otake sensei encouraged me to use my 2.2 shaku katana. He told me that Donn F Draeger sensei (his most famous foreign student) was a very tall man but even he only used a 2.3 shaku blade whilst performing iai-jutsu.

Hi, Simon I must disagree with you. Though they were originally intended for swords they can be quickly adapted to the use of other things, like the way the Okinawans did. Prime example in today's society: taking a stroll through the park a would be robber with a knife attacks you could fend him off using a branch in the manner of a katana. Just my 2cent

Kenjitsu kata: Paired attack and defense exercises using the boken (wooden sword) or fukuro shinai (padded bamboo sword).

Batojitsu: Cutting practise. A live blade is used to cut prepared targets made out of wood, bamboo, or grass mats.

Iaijitsu: The practise of drawing the sword, cutting instantly in any direction, and returning the sword to the scabbard. In the beginning stage of learning a boken is used and thereafter an iaito (blunt sword) and finally a live blade.

Free Sparring: For safety, protective clothing and boken or shinai are used.

Traditional schools of kenjitsu such as katori shinto ryu and kashima shinto ryu date back far into the warring states period of japanese history. Samurai (literal meaning "live to serve") were the ferocious and fanatically loyal knights of feudal Japan. They refined their skills in swordsmanship over a period of almost a thousand years of constant war. Skills were compiled into schools (ryu) and usually taught and kept secret within clans. A samurai depended on his sword skill to survive on the battle field, but also saw the pursuit of kenjitsu as a refinement of his character and a matter of honor. A samurai considered his sword to be an extension of his soul and his only true possession. The traditional katana was a weapon of which every part was a work of art, crafted by master artisans. Swords that remain today are considered to be objects of the highest level of art and certain swords dating back to the 12th century contain a level of metallurgy which is unparalleled even in our high tech age today. Swords were passed down through the ages, usually from father to son or within a clan.

The Freedom School approach

Freedom kenjitsu is influenced by elements of kashima shinto ryu, katori shinto ryu, and aiki-ken (aikido sword). Students are taught various basic cuts (suburi), stances (kamai), footwork, eight directional cut (happo-giri), sword drawing (iai-jitsu), contact sparring (sticky sword), flow sparring, and kata that contain essence of the winning cut. Wooden swords (bokken) are used for sparring, partner work, initial cutting and sword drawing, to avoid injury or sword damage. Freedom sword makes use of single or double swords, long or short swords.

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