Today I'd like to share a few Japanese poetry pieces related to Iaido. They were originally published by Ide Katsuhiko Sensei (Iaido 8th Dan Hanshi) in a series of notes for Japanese and International students. They are all ancient pieces, composed over 300 years ago. They are presented here in the English translation, followed by the Japanese romanji translitteration of the original. Iai means don't be cut by others and don't cut others. Hard on oneself, Iai is a straight road. Iai to wa hitoni kirarezu hito kirazu onore wo semete tairaka no michi This piece tries to express the essence of Iai: winning by saya-no-uchi, without even unsheating the sword, is the ultimate goal, only reachable after a very long, hard and honest practice. If you don't ask to the Teacher, how can you learn the most important things? With a pure soul, ask with kindness. Shi ni towazu ikani daiji wo osoubeki kokoro wo sumashi nengoro ni toe The attitude in Iaido should always be inquisitive: always challenging oneself and the reasons why we do a certain movement; and after experience and with a curious mind ask the teacher the right questions. For the strong and lonesome tiger the longest walk is brief, it comes back faster than how it left Takeki tora no senri no ayumi toukarazu yuku yori hayaku kaeru ashibiki This poem is about the Musoshinden-ryu Kata named Toraisoku (from the Hasegawa-Eishin-ryu series). The name of the Kata means literally "The Tiger's Step". In the same night a tiger walks a long road without slowing its steps rythm, and in the same way you should apply constant and equal energy throughout the Kata. Everybody knows the lightning's flash, but not the following thunder's boom. Morodomo ni hikaru wa shiredo Miyoshino no atonaru rai no hibiki shirarezu This piece is about the Kata called "Inazuma", lit. "The Lightning". It means that during the extraction the sword should reflect light like a lightning flash in the darkest night. A floating cloud From the mountain's base rises with the wind, surrounding the peak from all sides. Fumoto yori fukiage rareshi ukigumo wa yomo no takane wo tachi tsuzukuru nari This is the form known as "Ukigumo" ("Floating Cloud"). It means that the extraction/unsheating movement should be like a cloud that rising it opens up horizontally. The "mountain" in these poems always rehepresents the opponent. When the wind coming from the peak is strong, on the trees at the base of the mountain snow can't survive. Takane yori fuorosu kaze no tsuyokereba fumoto no kigini yuki mo tamarazu This is the poem for Yamaoroshi (Mountain's Storm), maybe the most famous and practiced Kata in the second series of Musoshinden-ryu and Eishin-ryu; It means that when a strong, aggressive action comes from the opponent, you should attack him from below. Thanks for taking the time to read this ancient Iaido poems, and try to remember some of them during your next lesson!
Next week I will publish the remaining poems, every bit as interesting and deep as today's.
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