One-legged Stance

[glad2bhere]

Dear Folks:

As always, research continues. Currently I am examining KEISHI-RYU kata for recognizable characteristics also found in traditional Korean sword method.
I was immediately drawn to the use of the "geum-gye dok-lib pal-sang-se" (one-legged posture with sword in high guard position) which is found in the first kata as an evasion to a shallow descending cut to the lower leg. I quickly went checking through various resources I have here and cannot find this method in any of my JSA books. This is all the more curious since the KEISHI-RYU kata were drawn from traditional Japanese arts.

Are there practitioners who use a one-legged stance in their own training who would want to speak to this?

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Vile]

I have no idea of the purpose of the one legged stance in either of these schools (Kashima Shinden Jikishin Kage ryû is very elusive in its esoteric looking kata to me anyways ), but KSJKr and Shojitsu Kenri Kataichi ryû (http://www.koryu.com/photos/shoji1.html) both have one legged stance in their kata.

IIRC both have the stance after a cut: KSJKr practioners lift their leg up to their front (foot about knee high) during a cut sometimes (usually at the end of the kata) and SKKr practioners start with other leg up, like in the picture from koryu.com at the link above, and change their leg during a cut (also usually this seems to be the last cut in their kata).

[kenkyusha]

Kukishin Ryu and and Itto Ryu (by extension, Muto Ryu) also use similar kamae. I can't speak to any esoteric reasons for it.

Be well,
Jigme

[nicojo]

There is a one-legged waza in Araki Mujinsai ryu iaido, but I can't really tell you about it since I haven't learned it or anything about it. It is an unusual kata altogether that has this technique.

[gmanry]

The Bujinkan employs a one-legged kamae, derived from the Kukishin Ryu in its curriculum. It is typically an avoidance of follow through from a cut to tsune. The way I have seen it demonstrated is with the tachi braced to the outside hip/leg, allowing for more stability in deflecting the cut with the blade.
However, the leg is brought up to prevent the ankle being cut if the deflection should fail.

It does make more sense if someone is wearing armor than if somebody is not. If you don't have armor on, you would have a better chance of moving out of the way and just using gedan no kamae of some sort.

Typically I think this is more likely against naginata than against another swordsman, but I could be wrong. With the naginata you have a chance of seeing it before it is too late (unless the person is really precise and has excellent technique).

[gendzwil]

Originally Posted by gmanry

Typically I think this is more likely against naginata than against another swordsman, but I could be wrong. With the naginata you have a chance of seeing it before it is too late (unless the person is really precise and has excellent technique).

I know that in isshu-jiai with kendo vs atarashi naginata, sune-nuki-men is pretty common. Just lift your foot up and let the naginata pass underneath, attack the resulting open men. Not really a kamae though, just a transition.