We'd like to remember all of our students interested in taking a Kyu exam that they will be held at the end of the lesson on Monday 7th November 2016.
Please also remember that on Saturday 12th November this year's beginner's course will end. Already subscribed members can still go normally to practice during the usual hours. The next beginner's course will start on the 11th of February 2017, so anyone who didn't already contact us and is interested in joining the course or coming for a trial lesson should write us to book a space for the new course. As availability is limited to a few beginner please write us with good advance!
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Today we will go on, after a small break, with some ancient Japanese brief poems about Iaido, and in particular about the traditional school of Muso-Shinden-Ryu and some of its most iconic katas. On the faraway mountain the storm seems to rage Miyoshino's flowers are like a sky of dark flat clouds Okuyama wa arashi fuku kaya Miyoshino no hana wa kasumi no yokogumo no sora This poem is about the kata Yokogumo, which translates roughly as flat, horizontal cloud. The idea is that the sword during nukitsuke should be flat and horizontal as the cloud, to reach and cut the opponent, rehepresented by the image of the mountain, as it almost always is in these writings. There's no time to change the boat's course if the stony wave crashes on it with strenght Yuku fune no kaji torinaosu ma mo naki wa iwao no nami no tsuyoku atareba The name of this form is Iwanami, "the stone wave", symbolizing how strong the impact of the sword against the opponent needs to be, like the waves on the shoreline. The scales of the countercurrent swimming Carp repel the water and the Carp doesn't fall back Okitsu nami sse noboru koi no urokuzu wa mizu sekiagete otsuru koto nashi The sword should be used like the Carp trying to swim upriver, avoiding and overcoming obstacles without losing balance. This is the suggestion for the kata Urokogaeshi. In Akashi Sea There where the wave crosses the strait, I don't know if rock and peak will survive takitsu se no kuzuru kogotoku nagarureba mizuto arasou iwa mo nakikana The sword's movement should be in Namigaeshi like the waves coming and going on the beach. When the water runs from the waterfall is born and flows powerful, to stop it a stone won't be enough akashi gata seto kosu nami no ue ni koso iwao mo mine mo tamaru mono kawa In the form called Takiotoshi, the tsuki should be powerful and strong as the water gurgling out a waterfall. In the video below, you can see some of the katas related to these poems, performed by a famous Muso-Shinden-ryu Master. I hope that by seeing them after or while reading their poem, their true beauty can reach you! We will practice these forms on advanced class also in our Singapore Iaido Course. |
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