Battou-Noutou （抜刀・納刀）

Battou-Noutou

抜刀・納刀

1)

"Battou-Noutou" is a very basic practice to become familiar with handling a Japanese sword in our sword style. Battou means drawing a sword and Noutou means putting it back into its sheath (resheathing). You draw the sword from its sheath on the left side of your hip, make a beautiful cutting line from left to right, then put it back to the sheath, this time from right to left, running the blade on the same track as it was drawn.

「抜刀納刀」という稽古があります。文字通り、腰に差してある刀を抜いて左から右に空を斬り、また鞘に戻す稽古です。

2)

It is said that this is the very basic and the most important in our style of Japanese sword art. I didn't understand why it is so important when I started the training but became fascinated by its profoundness after a period of time, especially after beginning to use a live blade.

これは、流派の剣法の基礎中の基礎、と言われています。はじめの頃はなんだか良くわからなかったのですが、真剣を使うようになってから、俄然面白くてたまらなくなりました。

3)

You don't just draw and resheath the sword but strive to draw it at the best angle, the best position of your body, and the best moment considering your breathing rhythm. Then make the most beautiful and graceful line with the blade when you draw and resheath it. Like the ocean weave comes and goes. There's "something better", which you can hardly express it in words but you can see just a little bit ahead of you, never able to reach it though. Sometimes I feel it is like a meditation.

ただ漫然と抜いて納めるのではなくて、呼吸を含めた自分の体全体で一番いい時にいい角度で抜いて、一番良い弧を描いて、また戻すことを目指してます。そこには、言葉にできない「あと一歩先」があります。それを求めてひたすら抜いて納めるのは、瞑想のようです。

4)

I hit an interesting idea one day regarding this practice. This simple practice of drawing and resheating a sword looks like a life of a human being, I mean, from its birth to death. When the blade is in its sheath, it is like a baby in the womb, the state of "Oneness". Then it is triggered to pop out into the world.

この抜いて納めるという動作、人の一生のようであると気がついたこともありました。剣が鞘の中にある間は、まだ世界に生まれでる前の一体の状態。そこから、きっかけがあって生まれ出る。

5)

In a sense, a human life is a process in which you distinguish yourself from the world as your "self-ego" grows and develops, but also at the same time, you seek the way how to get together with the world, the state of "Oneness" again.

人の一生って、いかに自分は自分をとりまく世界と違うモノなのかを見いだしてゆき、そしてその中でいかにしてその世界とまた一つになるのかを探していく過程とも言えます。

6)

A sword is a tool to cut, to divide and split something apart. A human being is split from the world when he/she is born, develops one's ego and distinguishes the surrounding world with the use of language. It looks like drawing a sword from its sheath and swing it up to some point in the air.

剣は、モノを斬る、分ける道具です。私たち人間もまた、生まれ出たときに世界から切り分けられ、自意識を発達させ、言葉を使うようになって世界を切り分けてゆきます。それは、剣を抜いて振り切るまでのよう。

7)

At some point of one's life, he/she start to think about passing away from the world and lettting his/her soul go to heaven and body to earth back again. It looks like the process of putting back the sword into its sheath.

人はまた、いつの時点からかは、この世を去ってまた土に、空に戻ることを意識し始めます。それは、振り切った剣をまた、鞘に納める過程のように感じます。

8)
That's what I think sometimes when I practice "Battou-Noutou". I hope someday when I become to be able to do "Battou-Noutou" at the best form ( Maybe then I will be able to perform every other different sword forms from something the same root as "Battou-Noutou",) , I also want to be able to apply my achievement of sword practice to the other aspects of my life.

そんなことを考えながら抜刀納刀を稽古します。そしていつか最高の形で抜刀納刀ができるようになれた時に（それは全ての剣法の所作を抜刀納刀と同 じ”何か”から繰り出せるようになることだと思っています）、自分の生き方や物事との関わり方にもそれが生かされていたらと願います。