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If you haven’t done so already, please read Rick Tew’s Intro to Martial Art Weapons by following the link below:
Martial Art Weapons
One weapon that stands out from almost all martial art and military training, is the sword. When we think od Sword we think, Ninja Sword, Samurai Sword etc.. Whether gleaming in the hands of a Hollywood actor or brought back to life via the imagination while reading Myamoto Musashi†s, "Book of Five Rings," one thing stands clear: along with this popularity comes the quest for developing HIGHLANDER like skills. A desire to wield the sword with precision and deadliness. And if you are to be the one on the safe end of the blade, it is wise to get some kind of instruction. It isn†t likely that you will find a master swordsman hiding in the bushes waiting to teach you the Yojimbo quick draw. And since this is the Internet, it isn†t likely that this article will give you the skills to chop your way through a fruit stand either. However, I can offer some tiny bits of information that will assist in your training.
In the Martial Science we have 3 specific ways that we teach the sword and each of these ways requires the use of a different sword. First you have a Bokken or wooden sword. Then you have a Shinai or bamboo sword and last you have a Katana or Real Sword. When learning to master the sword, it is important to have the right tools. Now there is also training in different sizes of swords - such as the Wakizashi, but the training principles are the same; you simply substitute the weapon in question.
Level 1: The Bokken
The wooden sword is probably the best tool for training in swordsmanship. Not only will you keep from cutting yourself, but also you will have a weapon close to the same weight as a real sword. Now when I say, "wooden sword" I mean, a real hard wood. Don’ t go and buy one of those dinky ninja bokkens only to be disappointed when you end up with a broken bokken. Get yourself a real wooden (heavy) sword. The straight sword concept is a MYTH anyway. I like to use the ninja bokken when training in hanbo or half-staff techniques. Once you have a good wooden sword you are ready to start training.
1. Sleep with it
Make that sword your companion for the duration of your training. Keep it by your bed, take it with you into the kitchen. Constantly have it near you for practice. When I hike in the back country, I often take with me a wooden sword as a hiking stick. I can train as I hike. Even if you are only working on basic strikes and slices - it helps to develop a kinship with the weapon (or Kenship).
2. Grip
Use your bokken to practice grip and basic strikes. Sit in Seiza or seated posture and simply work on overhead strikes (vertical down #12). Then switch grips and do the same. Do this over and over - I mean, get in that repetition, at least 100 times. This will develop the grip you need for cuts and control. Once you have the vertical strike, add in the diagonal down #4, & 5 strikes.
Attack Primary striking area Angle or direction
 01 thrust inward
02 horizontal left
03 horizontal right
04 diagonal down
05 diagonal down
06 midway horizontal
07 midway horizontal
08 diagonal up left
09 diagonal upright
10 low horizontal left
11 low horizontal right
12 vertical down
13 vertical up
14 thrust down
3. Basics
Once you have worked on your grip you can move on to basic strikes. Now sometimes I teach a number of stances before going into strikes, but you can simply take the stances you already know and find a way for the sword to fit into them. For example, a cat stance is great for a crossed sword position. Combat stance is great for a mid-level sword position. The basics include cutting with your sword at all the 14 angles of attack. Simply swing the sword in each angle and adjust your stance accordingly. This will be your most important sword exercise. Every time you pick up your bokken you should review the 14 angles and adjust your stances. This is the foundation of your sword training.
4. Timing
From the seated position go back to step 2 and repeat the strikes, only this time, you are trying to control the swing. To do this requires that you place something on the floor to strike at. A half tire is great, even a thick pillow. The goal is to work on striking and stopping as close to the target as possible. This will build up an even better grip and develop timing and control in the process. Eventually, you will want to move to advance stages of this type of training. Which would require striking at a target using all the angles of attack. When you do this, you will need a strong target to hit. Trees are best for this type of exercise (don†t bang the tree to death). Trees are more realistic. You can put up pieces of carpet to protect the bark.
5. Freestyle Forms
The next step in bokken training is designing your freestyle form. In the Martial Science we have a pre-developed form that we teach students as a guide to swordsmanship. But it is still important for you to develop your own set of movements. A form is a combination of movements (strikes etc.) performed in a fluid and natural manner. Natural according to you. It is also good to add in a number of body movements such as, stances, rolls and strikes. The goal is not to be flipping out in a sword fight, but to develop great control of the weapon. The form will be a set of movements that you perform in one continuous series. You can even imagine opponents as you perform a variety of strikes, blocks, stances and rolls. Throw in a kick here and there. The key is to keep an open mind and expand your abilities.
Once you have practiced the above five steps, you will be well on your way to developing successful sword skills. It is important to remember that this and any training is simply a guideline. You will discover numerous training concepts just by following these rules. It is required for you to step out of these lines to enhance your own personal skills that are designed around your own strengths and weaknesses. Ask your instructor to assist in finding your personal strategies.
Level 2: The Shinai
After working with your bokken it is time to move on to the Shinai or second level of training. The purpose of the shinai is to introduce you to the art of the sword combat. Sword against sword. To most people this will be the most exciting part of their training. Basically, you will be sparring with two swords. We start with shinai’ s because they do very little (if any) damage when hit. But like any training program you don’t just start hitting your opponent in an attempt to reenact Star Wars (which, by the way is based on a Ninja Story).
1. Block and Counter
To begin, you face an opponent and work on simple blocks and counters. It is important to get instruction on what exactly you can do with a sword. But for those training in the Martial Science we are talking about the Triangle Defensive Strategy (includes the Roof and Wing Blocks). The triangle is a symbol of what angles to follow when being attacked. In order to understand this concept you will have to be taught (or make an attempt at figuring it out). Let us say that your opponent strikes with a vertical down cut #12. To use the triangle theory, imagine your sword being the bottom line of the triangle (hilt at the left and point at the right). Your defense would be to adjust it from the bottom line to either of the sides of the triangle. You do this by tilting the hilt up and down or tilting the tip up or down. For this particular defense we would lift the hilt up to match the right side of the triangle creating a diagonal block. This is also called a Roof block. The theory is (like that of a roof) that rain and snow will fall off of a slanted roof - and so will the opponents sword. Once the opponents shinai hits your block (you know this because of the loud snapping sound) you then carry your sword into a counter - such as a diagonal down strike #5 onto the side of the neck. This is called a block and counter. It is important to note that you are only training various techniques for developing skills and handling. You would continue this block and counter strategy against all of the 14 angles. Advanced students can add one more levels to the training by blocking and countering the opponents counter to your first strike. Experiment a little.
2. Combat
Now the fun part. Once you have become familiar with striking areas and some basic blocks and counters, it is time to actually sword fight. Be sure and start with Shinai’s. And before you begin, make sure each practitioner has on:
A pair of gloves (usually padded)
A cup
Eye protection.
Head gear if needed
You can also get geared up in a full Kendo armor, but that isn†t necessary. If you are going full out (real hard) then get all the protection you can. We use baseball gear and pads. Okay, once you are ready, you simply need to know the rules of the game. This is a game that is designed for you to have fun with. Please don’t take to competition. The rules are designed to develop your skills and not to prove your are the next generation Musashi.
The rules are simple, you are dead if: you get cut on the torso, back, hit on the head or hit on any two limbs (hands are optional).
If you get cut on one limb, you lose the use of that limb. A cut is not a scratch; it has to be obvious to each participant. So if it grazes your clothes, it does not count. If it makes a sound, that usually will do it. You start the match by crossing swords with your opponent. As soon as the swords are not touching, the match begins - so pay attention. An instructor can also say, "GO."
Start off slow and work on controlled strikes instead of wild swings. Also, don‘t use strikes to the head in the beginning. Once you have gotten comfortable with the rules and the training add some spice to the fight by playing teams or even join an all out war at CAMP.
Level 3: The Katana
Okay, you have done a lot of playing around and training. Now you want to get your hands on a real sword. Even though you will have been training in swordsmanship the Katana will still feel really weird. Especially if you don’t have a Tew Ryu modified version. The handle may feel small, the hand guard may be irritating and the weight may feel awkward. This is all okay. Just don’t start swinging it around, thinking you’ll just get the hang of it. Whenever dealing with a real sword it is important to treat it with respect.
1. Respect
The first part of working with a real sword is to make sure you maintain a high level of regard. I don‘t want you worshiping the weapon, but pretend if you will, that you are always on display in front of the worlds greatest swordsmen. How would you carry your sword at a ceremony? How would you sit? How would you act? Think about this and maintain that high level of respect. This will not only keep you alive, but also develop some proper etiquette. If you’re not sure how to carry a sword - then try to use your common sense. Don‘t worry about whether to use your left or right hand. Just carry it in a stern manner, a manner that suggests wisdom and patience.
3. Draw
Most of your training so far has been (or should have been) in the manipulation of the blade. But drawing the edge from its sheath is half or more of the skill needed in a true sword fight. Of course you will most likely never end up face to face in a real sword duel. Still, it is part of the training and important you know how to draw the sword. There are a few important things to remember. First, your sword is or can be very, very sharp. So it would be nice to keep from slicing into your hand when drawing the blade. This can happen when you hold the scabbard with one hand and draw the blade along the wall of the sheath. So the basic way to draw a blade would be to actually pull the scabbard and sword hilt forward and then pulling the scabbard back as you draw the blade outwards - along the back of the blade. Practice this very slowly and make sure you get some kind of instruction. As with all of these techniques, don‘t do this at home.
Be sure and get some coaching and then use this as a guideline or an enhancement to your previous training. The draw is very important and can actually take years to master. It also might help to get some old Samurai and Ninja movies to watch. Try Yojimbo and Sanjuro as well as some others based on Myamoto Musashi. Look for Lone Wolf and other movies as well.
4. Movement
Now it is time to actually practice with the sword. Start with one that is not sharp. Simply go back to level 1 training and repeat what you learned with a bokken by using your katana. Be sure to work slow and remember that even an aluminum sword can have a sharp point. I never suggest wielding a sharp edge, even the masters can make mistakes and you wouldn‘t want to lose a leg because a fly flew up your nose during a cartwheel. So be careful, remember to respect the blade.
Once you have worked on all this training, come join us in a martial arts demonstration to offer a great hour of viewing pleasure to the audience. This training guideline for the sword is applicable with many other weapons as well. The key is to be creative, there is no one way to do anything. Just by starting, you will discover numerous other skills and natural strategies - keep an open mind and have fun.
For more videos on the Sword please keep an eye on the Sword Videos Page
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