noto

[jezah81]

My flatmate and I are really interested in starting shinkendo or Nakamura Ryu Battodo. We were just watching a few videos of the both ryus and noticed the noto was a little different than the iai i have been used to. Do both Shinkendo and Nakamura ryu have 8 different noto methods and do they fully extend their arm when doing noto?
Kind Regards,
Jeremy Hagop

[Bullbrand]

I do not know about Shinkendo, but in Nakamura ryu there is 8 noto, along with 8 cuts(happogiri) and 8 kamae. I am sure there will be some overlapping between the two styles, since they both share Toyama ryu and Obata Sensei used to be a pupil of Nakamura Sensei.

Perhaps some more knowledgeable people can give you more information, i.e. Nathan Scott re: Shinkendo or Guy Power re: Nakamura ryu.

I am not sure what you meant with the arm fully extended during noto?

Hope this helps.

[jezah81]

Thanks for the reply. What i meant was if the right arm is fully extended for noto or if there is a bend in the elbow to drop the kissaki in the koiguchi. Sorry for not explaining myself better.
Kind regards,

[Jock Armstrong]

B/brand is dead on. In Nakamura ryu there are 8 noto, of which seven are extant in the kata. The cheeky little "hold the shinogi with the thumb and forefinger while changing hands" is for when you just feel like a change I guess. The noto differs among practitioners too. At the dojo I trained in in Handa, noto, while following some basic precepts was coloured by each individual's size and arm length.
Most of the older gents used a noto which had the left hand low and close to the obi/stomach and ran the mune of the blade along the notch formed at the base of the thumb. The hand formed around the koiguchi with the "V" of the thumb and forefinger at the "top" of the saya [like the position of the hand on the tsuka] which put the koiguchi in line with the hand. The blade was placed on the hand about 3/4 of the way up the sword, making for a short noto. They drew the blade across the hand so that as the right arm extended the point naturally dropped into the saya mouth roughly at the point when the arm was almost fully extended [but not locked] They very consciously did not use the fore finger as a guide. They tended to take the noto across the body rather than forwards.
In general, what suited you was good as long as you completed noto;

1] Without cutting the saya.
2] Without cutting you.

I hope this helps. I believe that Howard Quick teaches Shinkendo in Melbourne, though where I don't know. I would imagine a search would turn up plenty of information.
Good luck.