Correction video of Tsurube-Nuki

First of all, the height. Match the tsuba’s and your chin’s height. Please check this properly.

Next is the thumb after cutting the koiguchi. Position your right hand like this. Then, after cutting the koiguchi put your thumb on the saya since you won’t use it any more.

If you leave it there and happen to bump into something by accident, you might end up cutting your finger. Also, as another drawback, you might not be able to properly do the sayabiki, so definitely attach your thumb to the saya like this. When you attach your thumb your hand should assume this kind of shape. Only half of your thumb and index finger should touch the saya.

If you hold it like this, you might end up cutting yourself so make sure to hold it diagonally. Please be careful!

Next, let’s talk about sayabiki. Bring the tsuba to the height of your chin, put your right hand on the tsuka, but when you do the sayabiki you might be prone to moving your right hand as well. On the beginner level, just don’t move the right hand at all and do the sayabiki with your left hand all the way down.

Only when you can’t go any further with the sayabiki, you stretch your right hand. Please always follow this procedure.

Cut the koiguchi, lower the saya first. This is important.

Moving on, we’ll have a look at the movement of the tip of the sword.

Cutting too hastily, one might be prone to turning around the tip of the sword over the left side like this and ending up doing the cut/slash just halfway in.

This is not good.

After completely drawing the sword, move your arm a little, use this twisting motion and bring the tip of the sword right behind you.

Please have a look from the side.

Once you’ve fully drawn your sword, let the twisting motion and the gripping of the sword work together.

Then, when slashing down we’ve seen people make the mistake of bending the elbows. After the noutou fully stretch your right elbow.

Then grasp the tsuka with a stretched left elbow as well and from there cut down with both elbows still stretched.

Please work on cutting down while keeping both elbows stretched after the noutou. This is extremely important on the beginner’s level.

Then, lastly, one more thing: when you cut down without bending your elbows, it’s extremely important to instantly stop exactly here.

You might be prone to let the tip of the sword spring back up. Sure, we return to Seigan after this, but please make sure to halt for just a moment before you do that.

Putting in force will end up in a recoil, so don’t use force but instead just the gripping of your hand to do the cut/slash, be careful to not use unnecessary force and you will be able to instantly stop the tip of your sword and then immediately return to Seigan.

These were the points on Tsurubenuki you as a beginner can work on and improve.

We would like to see you correct and improve the aforementioned things about Tsurubenuki.

Let’s first have a look at the beginner revisions!

Next up, we’d like to revise a few things about the 守 (shu) level from 守 (shu), 破 (ha), 離 (ri).

On the level of 守 (shu), you draw the sword not after bringing it up, but rather at the same time. Pick up the sword just like you were to fold your hands from below. The tsuba is positioned at the 中墨 (nakazumi), right in the exact centre, your right hand might end up coming from the right side a bit, but make sure to let your right hand go up right along your own central line. You might be apt to overdo it and move the right hand to the left side, but please be careful move it up as if you were drawing a straight line.

The other noteworthy points are in general the same as the ones for beginners.

Put both hands on the sword as if you were to fold your hands,

Once you’ve drawn your sword, cut down, then instantly stop and return to Seigan.

During the very first movement, put your hands on from below without opening your armpits. Then without fully grasping it, ‘pinch’ the tsuka within your right palm.

Please keep those things in mind as we will continue with some 守 (shu) level training as well.

Lastly, let me explain some things about the 離 (ri) level of Tsurubenuki.

Since 破 (ha) is right between 守 (shu) and 離 (ri), we’ll omit it for now.

As you draw and cut as quickly as possible on the 離 (ri) level, the movement of bending your body back fuses into the overall motion and barely surfaces at all. This basically makes a huge difference.

I think you’ll understand if you see it from the side: this bending backwards motion almost disappears. Same goes for the tiptoeing, which will make you assume a forward-bent posture.

Additionally, how you put your hands on differs a bit as well. Since moving the sword up is necessary, we cut the koiguchi while we move the sword up, but when doing this agile movement we will end up with a delay one way or another. Therefore, we won’t do the usual right-then-left-hand order, but go right, then left hand instead.

I think you’ll understand if you see it in slow motion: the right hand is quicker by just one moment. Then, after creating this angle, cut the koiguchi and draw the blade.

It’s basically the same, but I think you’ll understand it even better when viewed from the side, but we bend the elbow a little bit.

Quickly drawing the sword will result in bending the elbows a bit, but that’s fine when performing a technique on the 離 (ri) level at the 急 (kyuu) speed. However, if you thoroughly bend the elbows on the 守 (shu) level, you will end holding aloft your sword, therefore, please be careful to not mix them up.

With this I’ve presented to you the points to be careful about that you can brush up on the beginner level as well in regards to the three-level division in 守 (shu) and 離 (ri). We really hope you can have a look at these and pay more attention to them during your training.