[Ken] playing with our swords
- Thread starter 'Kurapika
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I first want to go through the basics, just a couple more questions:
1. Do you know the difference between a one handed attack and a two handed attack [Holding the sword with one hand vs holding it with two].
2. Do you know the difference between an upward slash and a downward slash? What about sideways?
3. Is body position important?
1. Do you know the difference between a one handed attack and a two handed attack [Holding the sword with one hand vs holding it with two].
2. Do you know the difference between an upward slash and a downward slash? What about sideways?
3. Is body position important?
Without doing any research
1. A two handed attack should have more force behind it than a one handed attack, but a one handed attack leaves your other hand free to do something else.
2. I don't beyond that a downwards slash should be stronger as it goes in the same direction as graving. I sideway slash has a wider range for its cut, thus harder to avoid.
3. I would think so, although I do not know the specific effects of any specific body positions. What I know is that your swing will not be as preciseif you aren't well settled and balanced on the ground, but a leap can added force into your attack.
Well you are correct, to a degree. You hit the nail explaining the concept behind the one handed vs two handed.
Now, the difference between the direction of a vertical attack, being downward or upward, is very important. When you are slashing downward, you are increasing the amount of power behind your strike, but your body elevates slightly upward due newton's law, making you less "heavier" and making you prone to lose your balance quicker. At the contrary, an upward slash, though it holds less power than the downward slash, it actually helps the wielder obtain a much more greater balance and precision due the sword movement pushing your body downward. If two swordsmen of equal strength were to clash with a downward and an upward slash, they would arrive at a stalemate.
A sideways strike is also called the "neutral strike". The attack is not supported nor defied by the law of gravity as much as it would with a downward/upward slash. These are excellent when opting for a greater amount of agility and precision. Your body is able to move and react much quicker.
So, in summary:
Downward: +Strength/+Speed/-Balance/-Agility/=Precision
Upward: +Strength/-Speed/+Balance/-Agility/=Precision
Sideways: =Strength/=Speed/=Balance/+Agility/+Precision
Then there are diagonal slashes too, which are a combination of the three main categories. It is up to you to understand which would be the most appropriate in different situations.
Another important factor, is the speed and force that your swing has; which is highly relative of the amount of hands you are using, stance, and direction.
Finally, deepness. This will determinate if you are only scratching a person's nose or actually cutting him in half. Remember to be highly detailed in this, as it not only put the enemy under pressure, but also explain better were your body position and distance is compared to the enemy's.
Now, before continuing with the concept of body position, do you have any questions?
Now, the difference between the direction of a vertical attack, being downward or upward, is very important. When you are slashing downward, you are increasing the amount of power behind your strike, but your body elevates slightly upward due newton's law, making you less "heavier" and making you prone to lose your balance quicker. At the contrary, an upward slash, though it holds less power than the downward slash, it actually helps the wielder obtain a much more greater balance and precision due the sword movement pushing your body downward. If two swordsmen of equal strength were to clash with a downward and an upward slash, they would arrive at a stalemate.
A sideways strike is also called the "neutral strike". The attack is not supported nor defied by the law of gravity as much as it would with a downward/upward slash. These are excellent when opting for a greater amount of agility and precision. Your body is able to move and react much quicker.
So, in summary:
Downward: +Strength/+Speed/-Balance/-Agility/=Precision
Upward: +Strength/-Speed/+Balance/-Agility/=Precision
Sideways: =Strength/=Speed/=Balance/+Agility/+Precision
Then there are diagonal slashes too, which are a combination of the three main categories. It is up to you to understand which would be the most appropriate in different situations.
Another important factor, is the speed and force that your swing has; which is highly relative of the amount of hands you are using, stance, and direction.
Finally, deepness. This will determinate if you are only scratching a person's nose or actually cutting him in half. Remember to be highly detailed in this, as it not only put the enemy under pressure, but also explain better were your body position and distance is compared to the enemy's.
Now, before continuing with the concept of body position, do you have any questions?
Body position, also known as stance, basically helps you to gain maximum strength and/or defense for a certain attack when attacking, or to be able to absorb an attack much more effectively when defending.
There are a vast amount of stances, but we are only going to talk about the 5 Basic no Kamae: Chudan, Jodan, Hasso, Gedan and Waki.
It will be a long read, but worth it.
Chudan
Your body:
Your right foot most be in slightly front of your left foot. Your left foot will work as your base support, as you will be standing with the front area of it. Your legs must be parallel to your shoulders, this means your right knee most be in the same Y-axis as your right shoulder, and your left shoulder in the same Y-axis as your right shoulder.
Your back most be straight, though because of your footage, you may seem to be a little inclined forward.
Sword position:
Your sword most be in front of you. With your right hand, you will hold the sword close to the tsuba (hand guard), the hand back of your hand facing outward. Your left hand will be close to end of the tsuka (the handle), the back of the hand facing downward.
Your sword most be inclined above the X-axis from your waist. The tip of the sword will be pointing the eyes, throat or mouth of the opponent. When confronting an opponent with a steel sword the effect is that of an invisible weapon, since the opponent cannot see any part of the blade except for the very tip.
This is how it should look:
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Jodan:
Your body:
Your body settings are very similar to Chudan no Kamae. Your left foot most be in front of your right foot, wide. You will incline your right foot a little, ready to make a step, your weight will be in your rear foot. Your knees and shoulders need to be parallel with each other. Your back most be straight, as it will contain your explosive power to swing downwards.
Your sword position:
Your sword most be above your head. With your right hand, you will hold the sword close to the tsuba, the back of your hand facing upward. Your left hand will be close to end of the tsuka, the back of the hand facing outward.
The sword most be between 3-5 inches apart from your head. If seen from the end of the handle, your sword most be 135 degrees from the X-axis is creating (45 degrees backwards).
Jodan kamae is the most fearsome of kamae. It is both an open invitation for the opponent to foolishly try to strike at the abdomen, yet a deadly trap because the person in jodan kamae can easliy strike and cut men or kote. When a steel sword is used the effect is that of an invisible weapon since only the cutting edge is seen by the opponent. This will cause great fear in the opponent, and doubt of the distance from the where you are.
Here is an image (the second image is a slight variation of Jodan, but still falls into Jodan no Kamae):
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Hasso
Your body:
Your back must be straight, showing no weakness to your opponent. Left foot slightly in front of the right foot; left knee bend forward, right knee “locked” straight. Shoulders and feet must be parallel. Your body will seem to be rotated toward your right (the chest and overall body), though your left foot and head direction will be facing the opponent.
Your sword position:
The hands are positioned near the face, with tsuba of the sword near and level with the mouth. The sword will be pointing upwards, 90 degree if possible. Right hand close to the guard, left hand close at the end of the handle.
Hasso kamae is not comonly used in kendo matches, it is deceptively open to attack. The opponent is likely see this kamae as an invitation to attack which is just what a person in hasso kamae wants, who instantly strikes men or kote.
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Gedan
Your body:
The position is exactly the same as Chudan.
Your right foot most be in slightly front of your left foot. Your left foot will work as your base support, as you will be standing with the front area of it. Your legs must be parallel to your shoulders, this means your right knee most be in the same Y-axis as your right shoulder, and your left shoulder in the same Y-axis as your right shoulder.
Your back most be straight, the leverage of the sword will help you maintain it.
Sword position:
Right hand close to the tsuba, left hand directly behind it. Your sword most be pointing at "the opponent's knees". Your arms stretched, though having your elbows bent a little in order to manuever easier. The sword will be inclined in a lower Axis than your waist.
Image:
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Waki No Kamae
Your body:
The position is almost the same as Chudan, though with some modifications.
Your right foot most be in behind your left foot, leaving a gap between both legs of approximately the distance between one shoulder from the other. Your right foot will be facing the direction of your body, that is, outside; your left foot will be facing toward your opponent.
Your back most be straight, the leverage of the sword will help you maintain it.
Sword position:
Right hand close to the tsuba, left hand directly behind it. Your sword most be pointing at the opposite direction you are facing, with the sharp side away from your body. Your arms shouldn't be so stretched, as you would use a whip-kind motion to slash and gain momentum. The sword will be inclined in a lower Axis than your waist.
Waki kamae is not used in kendo matches, the kamae places the sword to rear opposite from the opponent effectively hiding the sword. Hiding the sword makes it difficult for the opponent to judge the distance for a strike. Appearing defenseless, or inviting the opponent to make a careless attack creates doubt and even fear in the opponent.
Image:
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So once read and reviewed, please tell me the 5 different stances, their strength and weaknesses.
There are a vast amount of stances, but we are only going to talk about the 5 Basic no Kamae: Chudan, Jodan, Hasso, Gedan and Waki.
It will be a long read, but worth it.
Chudan
Your body:
Your right foot most be in slightly front of your left foot. Your left foot will work as your base support, as you will be standing with the front area of it. Your legs must be parallel to your shoulders, this means your right knee most be in the same Y-axis as your right shoulder, and your left shoulder in the same Y-axis as your right shoulder.
Your back most be straight, though because of your footage, you may seem to be a little inclined forward.
Sword position:
Your sword most be in front of you. With your right hand, you will hold the sword close to the tsuba (hand guard), the hand back of your hand facing outward. Your left hand will be close to end of the tsuka (the handle), the back of the hand facing downward.
Your sword most be inclined above the X-axis from your waist. The tip of the sword will be pointing the eyes, throat or mouth of the opponent. When confronting an opponent with a steel sword the effect is that of an invisible weapon, since the opponent cannot see any part of the blade except for the very tip.
This is how it should look:
You must be registered for see images
---------------
Jodan:
Your body:
Your body settings are very similar to Chudan no Kamae. Your left foot most be in front of your right foot, wide. You will incline your right foot a little, ready to make a step, your weight will be in your rear foot. Your knees and shoulders need to be parallel with each other. Your back most be straight, as it will contain your explosive power to swing downwards.
Your sword position:
Your sword most be above your head. With your right hand, you will hold the sword close to the tsuba, the back of your hand facing upward. Your left hand will be close to end of the tsuka, the back of the hand facing outward.
The sword most be between 3-5 inches apart from your head. If seen from the end of the handle, your sword most be 135 degrees from the X-axis is creating (45 degrees backwards).
Jodan kamae is the most fearsome of kamae. It is both an open invitation for the opponent to foolishly try to strike at the abdomen, yet a deadly trap because the person in jodan kamae can easliy strike and cut men or kote. When a steel sword is used the effect is that of an invisible weapon since only the cutting edge is seen by the opponent. This will cause great fear in the opponent, and doubt of the distance from the where you are.
Here is an image (the second image is a slight variation of Jodan, but still falls into Jodan no Kamae):
You must be registered for see images
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Hasso
Your body:
Your back must be straight, showing no weakness to your opponent. Left foot slightly in front of the right foot; left knee bend forward, right knee “locked” straight. Shoulders and feet must be parallel. Your body will seem to be rotated toward your right (the chest and overall body), though your left foot and head direction will be facing the opponent.
Your sword position:
The hands are positioned near the face, with tsuba of the sword near and level with the mouth. The sword will be pointing upwards, 90 degree if possible. Right hand close to the guard, left hand close at the end of the handle.
Hasso kamae is not comonly used in kendo matches, it is deceptively open to attack. The opponent is likely see this kamae as an invitation to attack which is just what a person in hasso kamae wants, who instantly strikes men or kote.
You must be registered for see images
-----------------------
Gedan
Your body:
The position is exactly the same as Chudan.
Your right foot most be in slightly front of your left foot. Your left foot will work as your base support, as you will be standing with the front area of it. Your legs must be parallel to your shoulders, this means your right knee most be in the same Y-axis as your right shoulder, and your left shoulder in the same Y-axis as your right shoulder.
Your back most be straight, the leverage of the sword will help you maintain it.
Sword position:
Right hand close to the tsuba, left hand directly behind it. Your sword most be pointing at "the opponent's knees". Your arms stretched, though having your elbows bent a little in order to manuever easier. The sword will be inclined in a lower Axis than your waist.
Image:
You must be registered for see images
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Waki No Kamae
Your body:
The position is almost the same as Chudan, though with some modifications.
Your right foot most be in behind your left foot, leaving a gap between both legs of approximately the distance between one shoulder from the other. Your right foot will be facing the direction of your body, that is, outside; your left foot will be facing toward your opponent.
Your back most be straight, the leverage of the sword will help you maintain it.
Sword position:
Right hand close to the tsuba, left hand directly behind it. Your sword most be pointing at the opposite direction you are facing, with the sharp side away from your body. Your arms shouldn't be so stretched, as you would use a whip-kind motion to slash and gain momentum. The sword will be inclined in a lower Axis than your waist.
Waki kamae is not used in kendo matches, the kamae places the sword to rear opposite from the opponent effectively hiding the sword. Hiding the sword makes it difficult for the opponent to judge the distance for a strike. Appearing defenseless, or inviting the opponent to make a careless attack creates doubt and even fear in the opponent.
Image:
You must be registered for see images
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So once read and reviewed, please tell me the 5 different stances, their strength and weaknesses.
As I've never held a sword before, I can only try to guess.
I believe Chudan is the best stance to begin a fight with, as it allows you to defend the incoming attack by deflecting them sideways while not showing the length of your blade. With your opponent's blade thrown aside, a simple push forward would stab him. I think lol
Joden seems too risky for me, as someone can potentially stop your blade with their own, and while you're less balanced than them due to being the one pushing their sword down, a taijutsu kick will send you flying back. Also, as it's a vertical slash, it would be easier to avoid that a vertical slash or a stab.
Hasso also seems inconvenient to me, as it doesn't seem to allow free movement. I keep imagining how one can defend and attack after having assumed this position and I fail.
Geden seems to have that advantage if Chuden, but with a upwards slash in mind. I'm assuming it will be better suited for a defensive approach.
Waki is up there with Chuden for me. Seems very useful, especially if I'm pulling my sword midfight. It's ready to make either a horizontal or upwards slash, or a diagonal one, which is very versatile and covers what I am expecting to be my most used slashes.
I believe Chudan is the best stance to begin a fight with, as it allows you to defend the incoming attack by deflecting them sideways while not showing the length of your blade. With your opponent's blade thrown aside, a simple push forward would stab him. I think lol
Joden seems too risky for me, as someone can potentially stop your blade with their own, and while you're less balanced than them due to being the one pushing their sword down, a taijutsu kick will send you flying back. Also, as it's a vertical slash, it would be easier to avoid that a vertical slash or a stab.
Hasso also seems inconvenient to me, as it doesn't seem to allow free movement. I keep imagining how one can defend and attack after having assumed this position and I fail.
Geden seems to have that advantage if Chuden, but with a upwards slash in mind. I'm assuming it will be better suited for a defensive approach.
Waki is up there with Chuden for me. Seems very useful, especially if I'm pulling my sword midfight. It's ready to make either a horizontal or upwards slash, or a diagonal one, which is very versatile and covers what I am expecting to be my most used slashes.
Correct on the stances. Just a few notes:
Judan in real life is usually used by very tall men, since their stature imposes fear. Even if you know their swing will be a downward swing, just knowing the repercussions of failing to block are terrifying. Additionally it gives greater momentum when initiating an attack thanks to gravity, it's a bit faster in that sense.
Hasso is actually known as the defensive-style of the Kamae stances. It virtually allows you to block any incoming attack with minor effort and prepare for a counter attack. It also allows for much closer combat, if you wish to employ taijutsu in your attacks.
Now to move on, I'll go with exchanges.
Now within the concept of exchanges, usually these are fabricated much more fantastical in stories, while usually sword fights tended to end in a single swing. Both samurais and knights used attacks to cut through armor, though their style of fighting was completely different, since it was based on armor and weapon type, as well as physical build and other factors.
While styles, weapons, etc tend to be different, the rule of exchanges rarely ever changes, even when fighting a man with a spear or a lasso. I am teaching you how to battle with a sword, but you can use a sword to not only fight against another sword, but for a lot of different styles. So here is the trick. I am sure you are familiar with rock-paper-scissors.
In the middle of engaging, it's usually incredibly difficult to pull away from a decision you have made unless you have super amazing reflexes and are in a good body position. Thus, it is the reason why sword fights usually end in a swing.
Now, there are three actions you can perform while actively in combat (Other than waiting for your opponent or not attacking). These are: Attack, Counter and Feint. Now I want you to think Attack as Rock, Feint as Scissors and Counter as Paper.
Rock -> Scissors | Attack -> Feint
Someone who is attacking will beat someone who is simply feinting.
Scissors -> Paper | Feint -> Counter
When someone is planning to block in order to counter, a feint usually leaves them open for attack.
Paper -> Rock | Counter -> Attack
Being able to wait and counter an enemy's attack can be highly rewarding, especially with the right body position and orientation.
Again, all of this was very simplified, but these moves have advantage types over the others. You will still need to take into account what weapon they are using, the type of swing or thrust, and their body build (Are they fast and short or tall and strong). For example, trying to counter an attack holding the sword with one hand might leave you at a disadvantage against someone using a two handed swing, depending on the circumstances.
Questions?
Judan in real life is usually used by very tall men, since their stature imposes fear. Even if you know their swing will be a downward swing, just knowing the repercussions of failing to block are terrifying. Additionally it gives greater momentum when initiating an attack thanks to gravity, it's a bit faster in that sense.
Hasso is actually known as the defensive-style of the Kamae stances. It virtually allows you to block any incoming attack with minor effort and prepare for a counter attack. It also allows for much closer combat, if you wish to employ taijutsu in your attacks.
Now to move on, I'll go with exchanges.
Now within the concept of exchanges, usually these are fabricated much more fantastical in stories, while usually sword fights tended to end in a single swing. Both samurais and knights used attacks to cut through armor, though their style of fighting was completely different, since it was based on armor and weapon type, as well as physical build and other factors.
While styles, weapons, etc tend to be different, the rule of exchanges rarely ever changes, even when fighting a man with a spear or a lasso. I am teaching you how to battle with a sword, but you can use a sword to not only fight against another sword, but for a lot of different styles. So here is the trick. I am sure you are familiar with rock-paper-scissors.
You must be registered for see images
In the middle of engaging, it's usually incredibly difficult to pull away from a decision you have made unless you have super amazing reflexes and are in a good body position. Thus, it is the reason why sword fights usually end in a swing.
Now, there are three actions you can perform while actively in combat (Other than waiting for your opponent or not attacking). These are: Attack, Counter and Feint. Now I want you to think Attack as Rock, Feint as Scissors and Counter as Paper.
Rock -> Scissors | Attack -> Feint
Someone who is attacking will beat someone who is simply feinting.
Scissors -> Paper | Feint -> Counter
When someone is planning to block in order to counter, a feint usually leaves them open for attack.
Paper -> Rock | Counter -> Attack
Being able to wait and counter an enemy's attack can be highly rewarding, especially with the right body position and orientation.
Again, all of this was very simplified, but these moves have advantage types over the others. You will still need to take into account what weapon they are using, the type of swing or thrust, and their body build (Are they fast and short or tall and strong). For example, trying to counter an attack holding the sword with one hand might leave you at a disadvantage against someone using a two handed swing, depending on the circumstances.
Questions?
Alright, so now let's work on some freeform. I will perform an attack, and what I want you to do is to define your initial stance (can be one of the Kamae or custom), as well as a counter for my move. Detail is important.
"I attack by swinging my sword right to left, hitting your chest"
or
"I begin with a Waki no Kamae stance, with the sword on my right side. I quickly cut the distance between you and me, swinging my sword right to left upward diagonal with a two handed grip the moment my sword enters striking range, with the intention of producing a 5cm deep cut. As I swing though, my left foot is in front of my right by about 1 meter, paying careful attention to your footing and the point of your blade. The swing is performed at a 30 degree angle with respect to the ground, thus the cut will go from the bottom of the left rib to the center of the sternum."
After we polish your freeform a bit we will go to techniques.
"I attack by swinging my sword right to left, hitting your chest"
or
"I begin with a Waki no Kamae stance, with the sword on my right side. I quickly cut the distance between you and me, swinging my sword right to left upward diagonal with a two handed grip the moment my sword enters striking range, with the intention of producing a 5cm deep cut. As I swing though, my left foot is in front of my right by about 1 meter, paying careful attention to your footing and the point of your blade. The swing is performed at a 30 degree angle with respect to the ground, thus the cut will go from the bottom of the left rib to the center of the sternum."
After we polish your freeform a bit we will go to techniques.
As son as you grab onto your sword, my right foot takes a step forward, putting me in a waki no kamae, with my left arm grabbing my sword's sheath and my right holding onto the handle.
Without enough time or space to fully unsheathe my own sword, which would be on my left side as I'm right handed, I would pull out the sheath with my left arm while grabbing the handle with my right, blocking the attack with the sheath while I unsheathed the blade so that both my arms' strength contribute to halting your attack's momentum. Without delay, I continue unsheathing my katan as I push your sword back with a twist, aiming to send it downwards, twisting your fist so it make lose grip of it. I would be attempting to stab you in the heart with my right arm at the same time and before assuming a Jaden no Kamae.
Without enough time or space to fully unsheathe my own sword, which would be on my left side as I'm right handed, I would pull out the sheath with my left arm while grabbing the handle with my right, blocking the attack with the sheath while I unsheathed the blade so that both my arms' strength contribute to halting your attack's momentum. Without delay, I continue unsheathing my katan as I push your sword back with a twist, aiming to send it downwards, twisting your fist so it make lose grip of it. I would be attempting to stab you in the heart with my right arm at the same time and before assuming a Jaden no Kamae.