by
Russell McCartney / Modified by Lynne Myerscough-Newton
The
subject of Japanese swordsmanship during the holidays is a delicate one. Christmas
Day is definitely not the time for practice. When you’re standing in front of a
roasted turkey, katana drawn and relatives looking on, the last thing
you want to do is rehearse your swing. It won’t impress anyone. The time to
hone your technique is now. Then, when the moment of truth arrives, you’ll be
able to razor off perfect slices of juicy white meat like Miyamoto Musashi. (If
you tried to slice up your bird this Christmas and ran into trouble, then this
article is for YOU so you can bone up for next year’s celebrations.)
To do
this without breaking a sweat, you’ll need to develop the “inner principles” of
movement:
Breathing
The
primary element of action is breathing. The flow of air into and out of your
body is directly connected to how smoothly you flow from one slice to the next
and how cool you look. Caution: Inhaling the aroma of your Christmas meal can
stimulate your salivary glands, causing uncontrolled drooling. If that happens
while your mouth is positioned over your blade, you’ll need to wipe the
droplets from the metal and immediately apply vegetable oil to prevent
corrosion.
Make
your inhalations and exhalations calm, smooth and full. It’s essential to
observe the transition between moving air in and moving air out. When standing
in front of a golden-brown bird and being watched by family members who may not
understand the intricacies of swordsmanship, nerves can cause you to gulp in
air. Proper training beforehand, perhaps using a cheaper form of fowl, can
prevent that.
Footwork
Don’t
stand flat-footed with your feet relaxed. The bones of your feet can move a
considerable distance within the skin that encases them. Their musculature must
exert firmness to take up that slack. No matter how hungry you are, take time
to use your muscles to anchor yourself to the floor. Go barefoot if it won’t
offend your guests; then you can actually “grip” the floor with your toes.
Even
though you’re facing a foe that not only has been slaughtered but also has
spent the past three hours at 450 degrees Fahrenheit, you should imagine that
it’s a wild animal, coiled and ready to strike. Hear its breath flowing in and
out. Envision its muscles ready to drive its beak into your neck and tear out
your windpipe. Calm yourself by breathing properly while glancing down at the
3-foot-long piece of hardened steel that separates you and the beast. Release
all the tension in your body but remember it.
Posture
Your
posture should provide balance during your action. Give it too much angle, and
you’ll lose your balance. Give it too little, and you’ll fatigue your muscles
more quickly. The result: slices of turkey breast that are anything but parallel.
Even worse: an errant cut that severs the wishbone and injects fragments into
the meat.
Don’t
let your contracting muscles shrink you. Strive for height in your posture. Use
the length of your arms and legs to enhance your stature. Tower over that fowl.
Your hips and core are the connection and energy-transfer point for generating
power and moving it through your swing. Firmness should be the norm in the
pelvic region, back and tailbone area — yours, not the turkey’s! With practice,
you’ll be able to create energy and hold it in place before spreading it
throughout your body and into your blade.
Swing
Strive
to ground your structure from the waist down and elongate it from your torso to
the base of your skull. This may sound contradictory, but the balance of power
and unified articulation of these areas depend on inner awareness. That
connection and the energy of your grounded body are transferred to your
shoulders during the swing. Your shoulders and the rest of your being must cut
down into the target.
But
don’t cut down too much. Remember that there’s a platter underneath, and
damaging it may not be viewed kindly by your spouse. That’s why our warrior
ancestors — in both the sword arts and the empty-hand arts — emphasized
control. Paramount in their practice was the ability to perform a precision
technique and stop the motion a half-inch from the target. That skill is often
mistakenly thought to be an effort to promote safe sparring; in reality, it’s
to prevent the sword from cleaving the dinner table.
Happy
Thanksgiving!
Sensei’s Note:
Obviously,
this article was written with tongue in cheek. The IJJA strongly advises
all martial artists to learn how to safely wield a sword under a qualified
instructor. Do not practice test cutting with anything other than rolled tatami
mats.