JODAN - High stance
CHUDAN - Middle stance
GEDAN - Lower stance
HASSO - stance for Tombo, remember!!! ear to ear
WAKI GAMAE - to the side, make sure your sword is hidden
SEIGAN - longer chudan, being "aware"
CUTS AND BLOCKS OF THE SWORD
AIUCHI Strike together.
ATE Strike.
GYAKU KESA GIRI Diagonal upward cut.
KATATE UCHI One handed cut.
KESA GIRI Diagonal downward cut. A kesa is a sash worn diagonally across the chest by buddhist priest.
KIRI Cut. (kiru: to cut)
KIRI AGE Same as gyaku kesa giri.
KIRI GAESHI Large diagonal cut, sword finishing in waki gamae position. Different meaning in kendo, refers to
partnered practice with attacker performing successive yokomen and defender blocking.
KIRI KUDASHI Finishing cut.
KIRI OTOSHI Dropping cut, straight down.
MOROTE UCHI Two handed cut.
SHOMEN UCHI Strike on front of head.
SUNE GAKOI Block to protect the leg (shin).
TSUKI Thrust.
UCHI Strike.
UKE NAGASHI Receive and deflect.
YOKOMEN UCHI Strike on side of head.
SUI HEI Horizontal cut.
OPENING AND CLOSING REI
KIYOTSUKE attention, ready
SHOMEN NI REI bow towards the front
SHINZEN NI REI bow towards the shinza
OTOGAI NI REI bow to each other
TO REI bow to sword
(closing uses the same commands just in different order)
