Original Post Date: Oct 20, 2016
This is a compilation of my “good cuts” from our latest Siljun Dobup retreat, I wanted to share it with you all. I subscribe to ichi go, ichi e philosophy, try to keep my zanshin intact, in mushin throughout. I do not like to draw, pause, get ready, adjust the sword, fine tune the stance and then perform the cut. At my level, I aspire to the correct Iai: draw and cut at once without hesitation and with purpose. I try to keep moving and not stopping, not adjusting – as dynamic and natural and real as I can get with the flow. Some cuts are good cuts, but not correct cuts; some cuts are bad cuts but correct forms; and some are good throughout. Practice, practice, practice. I hadn’t cut in over a year and I missed tameshigiri. We will try and go back to our old schedule of twice a year, at least two days of practice with these retreats.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichi-go_ichi-e
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanshin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushin_(mental_state)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iaido
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tameshigiri
See you in class!
#tameshigiri #katana #iaido #siljundobup #swordretreat #swordpractice #tatami #cutting #cuttingpractice #tatamicutting #hakama #martialarts
