Cutting practice ( Shizan / Tameshigiri ) in Tenshinsho Jigen Ryu -
Shihan Toru Hara
Tenshisho Jigen Ryu Lecture & Workshop in Washington DC, USA, Dec 4-6, 2009
2009年12月4-6日、アメリカ合衆国ワシントンDC、天眞正自源流兵法セミナーにて
http://jigenryu.jp/demo-and-workshop/44-event-english/62-tenshinsho-jigen-ryu-lecture-a-workshop-in-wv-usa-dec-4-6-2009.html
( We are grateful very much to the big help of Sensei Tom McDermott and Sensei Luis Feliciano of Virginia, USA, for proof reading the English translation of the original text)
1)試し切り、据えもの切り
Tameshigiri / Suemonogiri
1-1) 試斬は、古くは試し切りまたは据え物といい、できあがった刀の切れ味を試すもので、主として罪人の死体で行われ、切り込む部位が細かく定められていた。胴体一つを切断した刀を「一つ胴」とよび、「七つ胴」もあったという。 試斬には鉄の兜に切り込むものまであった。 随って巻きわらや竹を切るのは本来の試斬ではない。
Practice cutting was called "Tameshigiri (practice cutting)" or "Suemono (still target)" in the old times in Japan. The main purpose was to test the sharpness of a newly produced Japanese blade. Corpses of condemmed inmates were often used for this. The body was postioned in varrying angles to allow for multiple cutting targets and areas. The sword which was able to cut one trunk was called "Hitotsu (One) - Do (Trunk)". It was said there was a sword which was able to cut up to seven trunks altogether ( Nanatsu (Seven) -Do (Trunk)). Sometimes the tester tried to cut even an iron helmet. People use rolled-up straw mats or bamboo stems today but it was not a formal style of practice cutting in the past.
1-2) 試斬には試斬だけの刀法とその流派があり、いわゆる剣術とは全く異なるものである。試斬を生業とした名人では、江戸期から幕末まで九代続いた山田朝右衛門がもっとも有名である。
There were some styles and schools which specialized in only practice cutting. They were totally different from fighting arts. The most famous one was the Yamada clan, the official executioner, who had inherited the name of Yamada-Asaemon as the name of the sucessor, over 9 generations from late 17th century to late 19th century.
2)剣術の修練としての試斬
Practice cutting, as the training of sword art (Kenjutsu)
2-1) 真剣は、竹刀や木太刀とは異なり、切る対象に対して正確に刃を立て、刀の旋回する面と同一面に刀身を保たなければ切ることはできない。これを刃筋を立てるという。
Unlike using a bamboo or wooden sword, you need to pay good attention to the angle of the cutting edge to the target when you manipulate a live blade. The blade should slide along the plane created by the swing of the sword. This is called "Hasuji wo tateru", which means making a good cutting angle to the target.
2-2) これが狂うと真剣を振ってもはじき返されたり、曲がったり、刃が欠けたりして正確に切り込むことはできない。これを身につけなければ、木太刀で型を使えるようになっても実戦では通用しないのである。この刃筋を立てて切ることができているかどうかを確認するために行うのが、剣術での試斬である。
If you can't make a good angle, you'll fail to cut the target correctly with a live blade. Your blade will be repelled by the target, it may bounce back and sometimes it may be bent, or nick it's cutting edge. It is no use in real fighting if you haven't mastered the way to cut the target at the best angle for a blade even if you are good at a form practice with a wooden sword. Thus the main purpose of cutting practice for a practitioner of sword art is not just cutting itself but checking your blade manipulation.
3) 自源流の刀法と試斬
Cutting practice and sword manipulation in Tenshinsho Jigen Ryu
3-1) 真剣で人を切ると想定するとき、相手の刀をかわし、あるいははねて、一刀のもとに切り捨てるという「一刀両断」を思うことが多い。現在に伝わる多くの剣術流派の教えがそうなってしまっている。しかしこのような強い切り込みにはいくつかの欠点がある。
When you picture a swordman fighting with a live blade, many people imagine that you begin to dodge the opponent's blade and reject it first, and then cut down your opponent to death with just one powerful shot. It is called "Ittoh Ryodan" in Japanese. This fighting attitude is generally taught in most of major sword styles. However, there are several problems clearly if you follow it.
3-2) 一つは強い切り込みのために、かわされると体勢が崩れやすく、反撃されれば隙だらけとなること。二つ目は切り込みが成功しても、深く切り込むだけに刀が抜けなくなったり、曲がったり、骨に当たって刀の刃が欠けることである。三つ目は敵が複数の場合には一人にしか対応できないことである。四つ目は強い切り込みを意識するために、体が硬くなり、刃筋が狂ったり、自由な刀法が使えないことである。
Firstly, if you put all your power into one shot, you tend to loose your body balance easily if your opponent dodges your blow and eventually you give your opponent a good chance to attack you. Secondly, even if you succeed in hitting your opponent, it often results in a situtation in which you can't draw the blade back from the opponent's body. Some cuts go so deeply into the body it gets stuck there, or sometimes you may bend the blade, or hit the bone and break the cutting edge. Thirdly it's only one opponent that you can deal with in that way of power oriented sword fighting style. If you face multiple opponents, it doesn't work at all. Fourth, it's hard for you to keep your flexibility in movement and you can hardly make a good cutting angle in that style of sword fighting.
3-3) 自源流では初めから複数の敵を想定し、一撃で生死を決するのではなく、素早く相手の戦闘力あるいは戦闘意欲を奪うことに主眼を置く。そのために片手で自在に剣を操り、相手の急所に正確に必要なだけ切り込む刀法となっている。
In cutting practice of Tenshinsho Jigen Ryu, you are supposed to picture multiple opponents and focus on putting opponents out of action or disarming them as quickly as possible. You don't focus to cut your opponent in one good shot alone that may cause instant death. So the practitioner use single hand techniques alot and he is supposed to aim only the vital parts of the target correctly and cut the minimum so that he can deal with multiple opponents swiftly and most efficiently at the same time.
3-4) たとえば両目の視力を奪えば相手は戦闘不能になる。また手首を切り落とさず、内側の動脈と腱を切断すれば戦闘の続行は不可能である。首の動脈を撥ねれば直ちに行動不能になる。背筋を切断すれば刀は振れなくなる。
For example, if you cut the opponent's forehead just above his eyebrow very shallowly then he can not fight anymore because he looses his eyesight. Or, if you aim inside opponent's wrist and cut artery and tendon slightly, also your opponent is unable to keep fighting because he can't hold his sword anymore. You don't need to cut off the your opponent's entire wirst. Your opponent is instantly unable to move anymore if he is cut at the artery in his neck. You attacker is unable to swing a sword if his back muscle is cut.
3-5)これらの切り込む箇所は柔らかく、刀を痛めることがないばかりか、ただの一太刀で戦闘不能とすることができるため、熟練すれば複数の相手に同時に対処することができる。自源流の試斬では、これらを念頭に置き、正しく刃筋を立て、正確に狙った箇所に切り込み、浅く切ることも切断することも自在となるように行う。
Those body parts are soft, so you don't need to worry about damaging your blade, but it is also very economical because you need only one quick and shallow cut to put your opponent out of action. This is the best way to face multiple opponents. Making a good cutting angle, aiming correctly, and being able to cut any vital part sometimes shallowly or deeply, those are what you are supposed to strive for in the cutting practice of Tenshinsho Jigen Ryu
4) 天眞正自源流における試斬稽古の過程
The general process of cutting practice in Tenshinsho Jigen Ryu
Phase #1 まず両手で「切る
Cut the target with both hands
様々な構え(陣)から両手で正確に斬る。
The student should be able to cut the target holding the sword with both hands from various stances.
Phase #2 「切る」から、「術で斬る」へ
From mere cutting to cutting in the motions of forms (kata) and techniques.
様々な構えから切ることができるようになれば、術で切る事へと進む。たとえば自源流の「曇耀」や「電光」で切るのである。これは片手切りとなる。片手でも刃筋を立てる。
Once you get accustomed to cutting the target from various stances with both hands, now you are supposed to train to be able to cut the target in the motions of various forms (kata) of Tenshinsho Jigen Ryu, like Inazuma, Denkou, and so on. You cut the target with single hand by necessity and must pay more attention to the blade angle to the target.
Phase#3 正確に狙ったところを斬る
Precision in cutting In real fighting situations.
実戦ではただ切ればよいのではない。相手の手首に切り込むつもりで刀の柄に切り込めば、刀は刃こぼれし、あるいは曲がり、非常な不利となる。随って、狙うところに正確に切り込むために、巻きわらに印を付け、そこに切りつける修練を重ねる。
Sword waza are of no use if you don't have a skill to aim and hit the target precisely. Then what happens is that your blade may hit the handle guard of your opponent's sword even though you aimed to cut opponent's wrist and it results in your disadvantageor you damage your blade by this action, and sometimes bending it or breaking its cutting edge. Now what you are supposed to practice is precision in cutting. For example, you make small marks on the target and practice to cut only those marks correctly.
Phase #4 切っ先で浅く切る
Use only the blade top to cut the target.
骨を切れば刃こぼれがし、深く胴に切り込めば刀は抜けなくなる。敵が一人であればそれでもよいが、複数を相手にする場合はこれも不利となる。随って急所を切っ先で浅く切り、相手の戦闘力を失わせることに主眼を置く。巻きわらを切断せず、浅く切るのである。これには間合いをしっかりと把握することが必要になる。
If your blade hit the bone of your opponent, it may break its cutting edge. If the blade cuts too deep into the opponent's trunk, it will be difficult to draw the blade back from the flesh. If you are facing a single opponent then it may be OK to manipulate the sword in this manner, but clearly you will be put in difficult situation if there are multiple opponents. So now you are asked to practice cutting only the soft and vital parts of youropponent's body precisely and focus on putting him out of action rather than cutting him down with a single powerful shot as a fighting stratgey. You don't need to cut through the target completely but cut it shallowly only on its surface (skin cutting), sometimes deeply, whatever you depth you deem correct. You have to train with good spatial sense between your target and your blade at all times.
Phase #5 実戦想定での試斬
Practice cutting as if you are in a real fight.
巻きわらはじっと立っているが、実戦では相手は動く。またそれに対して自分も動く。随って動きながら切る場合でも、正確に刃筋を立てなければならない。巻きわらに対して体を円転させながら、切る箇所をしっかり想定し、狙ったところに正確に浅く、あるいは深く、片手で、両手で切り込む。
A cutting target never moves but your opponent moves freely at his own will in reality. Responding to the opponent's reaction, you also move and will make some actions. So you must be able to cut the target while you are moving. You must be able to make a good cutting angle to the target when you cut. Sometimes you cut shallowly, or sometimes deeply, sometimes in straight movements, or sometimes in circular movements, sometimes with your both hands, or sometimes with single hand, sometimes a still target, sometimes multiple moving targets, you must be able to cut the target in any situation at will.
