Planting of the leading foot

[DCPan]

Hi all,

A common theme that I hear from the folks that do cutting is that the foot is planted before the cut to give the cut a foundation.

So, it was really interesting to read the following on Page 60 of volume 2.2 of Kendo World regarding Suio-Ryu:

"Throughout the practice of techniques in the Suio-Ryu, practitioners are made aware of the difference between practicing on level wooden floorboards and the reality of more natural ground. Thus when a cut is made the practitioner is expected to coincide their impact on the visualized opponent with the planting of the forward foot, ensuring body weight is driven through the target and so even if the foot were to slide this would only be after impact had been achieved."

Is this unique to Suio-Ryu?

Thanks! :D

[Brian Owens]

Originally posted by DCPan
Is this unique to Suio-Ryu?
No. :D

[glad2bhere]

In Kumdo the imperative is "Ki- Kum-Chae" (lit. "Energy, sword, body"). This bespeaks the need to coodinate among the intention, item and body to form a unified result and is continually emphasized in the more sport-oriented side of the house. However, on the Kum-Bup side of the art where the use of the sword is practiced as a weapon, the planting of the forward foot actually is encouraged to occur a split-second BEFORE the the sword impacts its target. In this way the foundation from which the actions follows is set a split-second beforehand. FWIW.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[renfield_kuroda]

This is one of Niina-gosoke's biggest beefs. He spells it out in terms of distance: you and your opponent are aquared off, kissaki to kissaki. Neither of you can reach the other without stepping in, but obviously if you step into his maai to get within cutting distance, your bring yourself into his maai and he can cut you as well.
So here are three possibilities, from say jodan:
1) You step in, your sword still high above your head, plant your stepping foot, and begin to cut. Unfortunately, as soon as you step in, your enemy drives his kissaki into your invitingly open throat.
2) You lean in, leading with your arms, attempting to cut your enemy without stepping into his maai. Your weak and unbalanced attack is easily countered/side-stepped and you get destroyed with a driving counter attack.
3) You drive into his maai, foot, kissaki, whole body moving in unison. As you enter his maai, he enters yours, and your monouchi is well on its way into his head. As your stepping foot touches down your kissaki drives into his head and your monouchi plunges through his forehead, overpowering and commandeering of the centerline.

When cutting a stable target that doesn't move or counter with a sword of his own, it's fine to put the lead foot down first, establish a strong base, and follow through with a solid cut. But grab some bokken and try that with a buddy. As soon as your foot steps down, if your sword isn't just about to crack him in the head, you'll eat his kissaki.

Regards,

r e n

[glad2bhere]

Dear Ren:

".....But grab some bokken and try that with a buddy. As soon as your foot steps down, if your sword isn't just about to crack him in the head, you'll eat his kissaki....."

As well I should for allowing that hole in my defense as I advance. In sport application such "holes" are discounted in deference to making the point (first to count coup, as it were). However, in actual combat the raising of the sword , in and of itself, is a defensive parry, deflecting the opponents sword point to one side, taking control of the centerline and performing the descending cut before the opponents can reassert himself. Said parry, for raw beginners such as myself (3rd dan) tend to be large over-stated affairs. However, the refined parries of upper ranks seem almost magical in that they appear to be perfectly straight cuts whose preparatory rising motion gives no hint of its double duty except for the "accidental bumping" of the partners' blade. ;)

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Tim Atkinson]

Glad2bhere,

In SMR Jo, Nishioka Sensei likes to use the expression Ki, Ken, Tai, Ichi. The spirit, sword and body are one. We treat the jo as a sword.

[ulvulv]

Originally posted by renfield_kuroda


When cutting a stable target that doesn't move or counter with a sword of his own, it's fine to put the lead foot down first, establish a strong base, and follow through with a solid cut. But grab some bokken and try that with a buddy. As soon as your foot steps down, if your sword isn't just about to crack him in the head, you'll eat his kissaki.

Regards,

r e n

My teacher has also emphasized the point of not moving in unless your sword is already on the move, giving no suki to the opponent.

[etoebudo]

I've been attempting to get a grasp on the Suio Ryu concept of the usage of the long sword for a bit of time now and, with this particular question, I can think of two highly relevant learning periods which helped instruct me in what the more senior students were attempting to explain about how the front foot should be planted before the cut of interest.

Background:
Always, always, always, as far as what I've learned is concerned, one should plant the foot and let the arms take the inertia forward. Energy should not be coming from the shoulders (wings) so much as just resulting as a consequence of the entire body coming to a stop. Of course, one can always provide strength to the cut, but that's simply additional and is nothing compared to the power that comes from the arms whipping downward when the entire body comes to a stop.

As for "those two lessons", one was organized within the dojo and the other was personal:

The first, we were working on exactly this concept. The senior students organized an exercise wherein we placed slippery mats down on the hardwood floor in front of a target. We were then instructed to attack the target while keeping a light forward foot so as to show how one can place the front foot so as to derive power, without transferring a large amount of the body weight to that foot in case the foundation is unstable. This realization was made excessively clear when the mat shot away when someone put too much faith in their front foot.

The second, more personal one, I came across when I took my bokken with me while camping in Joshua Tree (national park in California). I found some quite fine rock structures that provided a solid foundation, unlike sand, upon which I could practice. These rocks, especially those that were covered in a light sprinkiling of gravel or sand, were completely unusable as a solid foundation for the front foot. If ever I tried to _plant_ that front foot so as to do an overhead cut, it would slip and thereby rob me of all the power I was depending on from foundation. This, in no uncertain terms, let me know the value of testing the working conditions of the field and not overly relying on the front foot for a plant to pivot from.

Strength comes from the center. If the front foot slips you cannot afford to be lost. There is enough power in the body to deliver an effective strike without shifting weight forward. This is the attitude I've attempted to understand.

I apologize if my transmittal of what I think I have learned is insufficient, to both the others in Suio Ryu and those that are reading this and not understanding my point.

[glad2bhere]

Dear Eric:

Thanks for the elaboration. I feel a bit ashamed as I always thought that I was pushing the edges of the envelope by practicing on grass in my barefeet over the usual work-out on a hardwood floor. Certainly gravel, sand, dirt, and mud all offer challenges of their own and I wonder how my cutting would suffer on each. Thanks for the food for thought! ;)

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Andy Watson]

I have to agree with Ren here. The power you have in your cut is totally irrelevant if the opponent's sword is stuck in your eye. We train so that the sword enter's the opponents head just as the front foot is about to settle. This is the only way to utilise the 'safe' space you have created in your maai.

Anyway, you don't need much power to seriously injure or kill people with a katana. In contrast to what kirioroshi might look like, you don't need to cleave your opponent down the centre (and you probably couldn't anyway).

[hyaku]

It depends where you plant it!

Hyakutake Colin

[hyaku]

Sorry Double post Server went funny,
Hyakutake Colin

[renfield_kuroda]

Yup, that too. Once we finally start figuring out the timing, Niina-gosoke messes with us by saying "Now at the last second your enemy has come deeply into your maai, so now RETRACT the foot and cut."

Regards,

r e n

Originally posted by hyaku
It depends where you plant it!

Hyakutake Colin

[Brian Stokes]

Hi All,

The FOURTH alternative is to move in such a way as to open yourself up to an attack so that the opponent will attack, into which you launch a counterattack and defeat the enemy.

This is, however, and extremely agressive technique and timing is critical .. but that is another story.

As to training. IF you notice, most of the older koryu have their back foot planted when they cut. Practice on uneven ground and you will quickly find out why. Train cutting that way and you will understand what was written earlier about Suio techniques.

Keiko!

Brian Stokes
Shinei Ni
Suio Ryu Iai Kenpo

[DCPan]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to thank you all for your responses :D