Handling the Sword

It is of the utmost importance to hold the sword correctly.

Long or short, one hand or two, there are gripping and handling techniques that enhance your control over the sword.

Whether wielding a katana, bokken, shinai or choken, it is imperative that you relax, loosening your arms and shoulders.

A tense combatant is not effective in the fight.

Gripping the handle also requires relaxed and limber hands and wrists.

Eighty percent of power and strength default to the rear hand, with the front gripping utilizing the remaining twenty percent.

For visulization, imagine that the rear hand is an automobile’s engine/drive train and the front hand is the steering wheel. Holding a sword and the grip for shaking hands are remarkably the same.

Grip the handle with the little, ring and middle fingers.

The forefinger and thumb should lightly pinch the handle.

The front hand should employ the same grip, but using only 20 percent of the combatant’s strength.

When holding a sword with one or two hands, there should be enough space where one could rest a golf ball between your hand and the sword’s hilt.

Your hands should not be touching, but have a 2-3-inch gap between them.

The closer one hand comes in contact with the other, the more the striking patterns resemble that of a baseball bat’s swing – which is not desirable.

Strong, smooth and large arched strokes are encouraged, thus creating hundreds of possibilities in regards to technique.

First and foremost, relax your shoulders and arms.

Short, choppy strokes might feel strong and fast but create bad habits, thus hindering your offensive and defensive abilities.

Position yourself in a center stance, lift the sword above and slightly behind the forehead.

Cast the sword upward and outward, then downward to your target.

Your hands are slightly wringing the handle to keep the sword's blade true and stable.

Wringing the handle also offers 10-20 percent more snap and increases the speed.

Wring the handle by turning both hands inward; but not too hard; as your shoulders will rise up and telegraph your moves.

To be proficient the combatant must have a system to practice.

Many martial systems are difficult to follow and understand.

We have done our best to simplify these systems as shown in our book, Cutting Through the Mystery. Goshindo’s techniques and methods have been used and proven in battle for hundreds of years.

Katana Cleaning

Katana must be cleaned immediately after tameshigiri and at the end of class.

Unlike most decorative wall hangers - real katana rust! If the blade is touched - it needs to be immediately cleaned unless you want to personalize your blade with rust fingerprints.

You can find Katana Maintenance supplies at the Nihonzashi online shop.

These should also be available from most quality stores carrying swords.

We recommend using the proper supplies to minimize risk to your investment, but we also let you know alternatives that can be used.

	What You Need
	Quick Cleaning
	Normal Cleaning

What You Need

Nuguigami: Wiping Paper for Sword Made of a soft, sensitive pulp tissue Made exclusively for wiping your sword.

Wipes off the excessive oil and unnecessary dust.

Common substitutes are soft paper towels or tissue paper (don't use those with scents or lotion).

Wiping cloth: A flannel cloth, old towel, or hand-cloth can be used for quick cleaning to wipe debris and residue from the blade after tameshigiri or handling. This cloth can be reused multiple times.

Nuguigami, paper towels, or tissue paper (don't use those with scents or lotion) can also be used, but should not be reused.

Choji Oil: A superb rust preventive oil. This is not clove oil which will cause your blade to rust.

Common substitute is camelia or mineral oil.

Oiling Cloth: Flanel cloth in a storage case used to apply a coating of choji oil to the blade.

This cloth can be reused multiple times.

Nuguigami, paper towels, or tissue paper (don't use those with scents or lotion) can also be used, but should not be reused.

Uchiko Ball: Finely ground stone powder (hazuya and jizuya) in a silk ball.

Quick Cleaning

Your should do a quick cleaning immediately after handled your sword or after performing tameshigiri (test cutting).

This cleans off any corrosive residue off the blade.

Prepare all the materials you need before removing the katana from the saya (scabbard).
You will not be setting the katana down and everything you don't do here will need to be done with one hand.
You will need a wiping cloth, oiling cloth, and choji oil (sword oil). Make sure the oiling cloth is saturated with choji oil.
Carefully remove the blade from the saya.
The saya should be held in the left hand and the sword should be drawn out with the right hand.
The left hand should remain motionless with the right hand doing the effort.
The sword is held edge up and the blade should slide on the mune (back surface away from edge).
The kissaki (tip) of the katana should be always be kept pointing slightly upwards.
This is a good habit since a katana may not always have a mekugi (bamboo pin in handle) to keep the tsuka (handle) on.
Gently tap any debris from the saya (scabbard).
Tameshigiri (test cutting) often leaves pieces of the target on the blade and these can build up in the saya.
These can cause the blade to become corroded and eventually cause the katana to not seat properly.
The koiguchi (mouth) of the saya can be tapped on a semi-hard surface, but care should be taken since the water buffalo horn ring on some saya tend to fracture. The saya can then be laid down on your left side.
Wipe any debris and residue from the blade with the wiping cloth.
Hold the tsuka (handle) in your left hand with the ha (edge) pointed away from yourself.
Lay the wiping cloth on the top of the blade at the habaki (blade collar).
Wipe only in one direction from the tsuba (guard) to the kissaki (tip).
Use your thumb running along the mune (back of the katana) to keep you fingers away from the ha (edge).
You should only need to wipe the blade once or twice, but make sure all residue has been removed.
Lay the wiping cloth on your hand and repeat the process on the bottom of the blade.
If your katana has bo-hi (grooves) make sure you wipe them by pinching the wiping cloth between your fingers.
Oil the blade using the oiling cloth.
This is the same process as the previous step.
The blade only needs to be wiped once.
The entire surface of the blade needs to be covered.
Try not to get too much oil on or under the habaki (blade collar).
Put the katana back in the saya reversing the process used to remove it.
The katana should not be slammed back into the saya since this can damage the koiguchi (mouth) of the saya.

Normal Cleaning

You should do a normal cleaning before putting the sword away.

This should be done at home after training.

Prepare all the materials you need before removing the katana from the saya (scabbard).
You will not be setting the katana down and everything you don't do here will need to be done with one hand.
You will need two pieces of nuguigami (wiping paper), oiling cloth, choji oil (sword oil), and an uchiko ball (cleaning powder).
Make sure the oiling cloth is saturated with choji oil.
Carefully remove the blade from the saya.
The saya should be held in the left hand and the sword should be drawn out with the right hand.
The left hand should remain motionless with the right hand doing the effort.
The sword is held edge up and the blade should slide on the mune (back surface away from edge).
The kissaki (tip) of the katana should be always be kept pointing slightly upwards.
This is a good habit since a katana may not always have a mekugi (bamboo pin in handle) to keep the tsuka (handle) on.
Gently tap any debris from the saya (scabbard).
Tameshigiri (test cutting) often leaves pieces of the target on the blade and these can build up in the saya.
These can cause the blade to become corroded and eventually cause the katana to not seat properly.
The koiguchi (mouth) of the saya can be tapped on a semi-hard surface, but care should be taken since the water buffalo horn ring on some saya tend to fracture. The saya can then be laid down on your left side.
Wipe any choji oil from the blade with a clean piece of nuguigami (wiping paper).
Hold the tsuka (handle) in your left hand with the ha (edge) pointed away from yourself.
Lay the nuguigami on the top of the blade at the habaki (blade collar).
Wipe only in one direction from the tsuba (guard) to the kissaki (tip).
Use your thumb running along the mune (back of the katana) to keep you fingers away from the ha (edge).
You should only need to wipe the blade once or twice, but make sure all oil has been removed.
Lay the wiping cloth on your hand and repeat the process on the bottom of the blade.
If your katana has bo-hi (grooves) make sure you wipe them by pinching the nuguigami between your fingers.
Use the uchiko ball (cleaning powder) on the blade once the choji oil has been removed.
Choji oil will clog the surface of the uchiko ball if it has not been removed.
The uchiko ball is tapped every few inches along the shinogi (flat surface on the top side of the blade).
Uchiko is a very mild abrasive and should not be used on aluminum iaito blades.
Wipe the uchico off the blade with a fresh piece of nuguigami using the same process as the previous step.
Note that this is the best time to view a katana.
You will need to repeat this step if you use this opportunity to view or show your katana.
Oil the blade using the oiling cloth.
This is the same process as the previous steps.
The blade only needs to be wiped once.
The entire surface of the blade needs to be covered.
Try not to get too much oil on or under the habaki (blade collar).
Put the katana back in the saya reversing the process used to remove it.
The katana should not be slammed back into the saya since this can damage the koiguchi (mouth) of the saya.

Katana Disassembly

A proper katana can be disassembled for inspection, repair, or a thorough cleaning.

It is also fairly easy to customize you katana by swapping tsuba.

This guide will walk you through the process of disassembling and reassembling your katana or wakizashi.

This process involves handling the bare blade and great care must be given to avoid injuring yourself.

This process may damage soft mekugi pegs so make sure you are ready to replace them if needed.

You can find Katana Maintenance supplies at the Nihonzashi online shop. These should also be available from most quality stores carrying swords.

We recommend using the proper supplies to minimize risk to your investment, but we also let you know alternatives that can be used

	What You Need
	Removing The Mekugi
	Removing The Tsuka
	Removing The Tsuba and Seppa
	Removing The Habaki
	Reassembly

What You Need

Mekuginuki: Mekugi (peg) removal tool. The standard mekuginuki has a punch that unscrews from top of the hammer. A brass hammer or wooden mallet and a punch can also be used. We do not recommend that steel tools be used that could damage the blade.
Hammer and Splint: Used to remove stuck tsuka (handles). While some tsuka are easy to remove, other seem to be hammered on by the manufacturer. A brass hammer or wooden mallet and a bamboo or hardwood splint can be used.
Washcloth: Clean washcloth or 1 foot x 1 foot piece of an old towel. Expect this to become damaged so use something appropriate.
Softwood Block: This should be a piece of scrap wood at least 4" x 4" x 1". It should be a softwood like pine.

Removing The Mekugi

Katana have from one to three mekugi (bamboo pins) securing the tsuka (handle) to the nakago (tang).

These should be hard bamboo on a shinken (real sword) used for martial arts practice.

Hardwood and Buffalo horn mekugi are not recommended for swords that will be used for that purpose.

Proper mekugi are tapered and can only be removed in one direction.

The should be oriented so that the palms of your hands are over the larger end of the mekugi, but your katana may have straight mekugi or they may be backwards. The small end of the mekugi may also be hidden under the tsuka-ito (handle wrap).

The standard Mekuginuki (mekugi removal tool) is a small brass hammer that has a punch that unscrews from top of the hammer. A brass hammer or wooden mallet and a punch can also be used. We do not recommend that steel hammers be used that could damage the blade. The punch is used to drive the smaller end of the mekugi. Mekugi made of soft bamboo are often damaged when inserted or removed. This is a good opportunity to inspect mekugi for any damage and replace them. Check out the Mekugi Replacement page for more information. The tsuka-ito (handle wrap) may need to be pushed aside if the mekugi ana (peg hole) is under it. Make sure to note which mekugi is which since they may be slightly different.

If you can not find any mekugi on your katana, it may not have a removable tsuka.

Removing The Tsuka

The kissaki (point) should be kept pointed up once the mekugi are removed since the blade can slip out if it is loose.

This is an important safety rule! Once the mekugi have been removed, the tsuka (handle) is ready to be taken off.

This may be a simple process if the tsuka is not too tight. The katana needs to be removed from the saya.

With the kissaki (tip of blade) pointed upward grasp the tsuka (handle) with both hands.

The ha (edge) should be towards you and your right hand should be just below the tsuba (guard).

Push on the tsuba with your right thumb. If you are lucky the blade will pop loose and you can skip the next section.

Most production katana have the tsuka stuck tightly to the blade. Use a clean dry washcloth or a 1 foot x 1 foot piece of an old towel wrapped around the blade to protect it and make it easy to grip the bare blade. It should be tight so it does not slide (and slice) and positioned next the to habaki (blade collar). Lay the blade flat on a table or counter top with the tsuba (guard) hanging off the edge. Hold the blade in place with your left hand. A hammer and splint are used to forcibly loosen the tsuka. Use your right hand to place the splint and tap with the hammer. The splint is placed on the side of the habaki (blade collar) against the seppa (spacer).

Removing The Tsuba and Seppa

Once the blade has been loosened it can be handled by the nakago (tang). The seppa (spacers) and tsuba (guard) should be loose. Make sure you know which seppa is placed against the habaki (blade collar) and which is against the tsuka. One should match the size of the tsuka while the other should match the saya. There will probably be an impression of the habaki on the seppa that goes on that side of the tsuba. The orientation of the tsuba should also be noted. The front of the tsuba usually faces the tsuka (handle).

Removing The Habaki

The habaki (blade collar) is often stuck on the blade.

It is easy to damage the habaki and you need to be careful when removing it.

Use a block of hardwood slid along the blade to tap the habaki off the nakago.

Reassembly

The habaki (blade collar), seppa (spacers), and tsuba (guard) and slipped back on the nakago.

They should be pushed onto the nakago (tang) as far a possible, but they may not go all the way on.

The tsuka (handle) is held upright and the nakago is slipped in.

The tsuka is held with the kissaki (point) of the blade up.

The kashira (end cap of the handle) is tapped against a softwood block to tighten the fittings.

This process uses the weight of the blade to force the fittings into place.

The mekugi are put back in and tapped tight with the mekuginuki.

The mekugi should be flush with the same (ray skin) of the tsuka.

8 Basic Cuts (Toyama Ryu)

8 Toyama Kata (Toyama Ryu)

6 Kumitachi (Toyama Ryu - two person forms)

Tameshigiri (Toyama Ryu and Seizankai)

Tameshigiri Videos

Toyama Ryu Batto Do is a Japanese sword style which uses tameshigiri (test cutting) to develop proper sword technique.

Practitioners use bamboo and tatami-omote targets. This is only one aspect of our training.

Please do not try tameshigiri without proper instruction and supervision.

We require six months of classes before students begin this type of training.

Stainless steel replica swords are not used since they can easily break and cause serious injury.

	Inazuma Giri
	Mizu Gaeshi
	Kawasemi
	Rokudan Giri
	Mizu Garuma
	Nami Gaeshi
	Batto Giri
	Nuki Uchi
	Syo-hattou
	Tombo
	Tsubame Gaeshi

Inazuma Giri - Lightning cut - A kesa

(downward diagonal), gyaku kesa

(upward diagonal), and kesa

(downward diagonal) are performed in under a second. See Video

Mizu Gaeshi - Returning wave cut - A gyaku kesa (upward diagonal)

cut is done on the bottom of the target and the severed piece is cut in two with a suihei

(horizontal) cut before it falls. See Video

Kawasemi - Kingfisher cut - A kesa (downward diagonal)

cut is performed on the top of the target. A gyaku kesa

(upward diagonal)

cut is done on the bottom of the target and the severed piece is cut in two with a suihei

(horizontal) cut before it falls. See Video

Rokudan Giri - This six cut sequence is from the fifth ZNBDR shoden seitei kata. See Video

Mizu Garuma - A gyaku kesa

(upward diagonal)

cut is done on the bottom of the target and the severed piece is cut in two with a gyaku kesa

(upward diagonal) cut from the opposite side before it falls. See Video

Nami Gaeshi - Wave cut - A kesa

(downward diagonal)

cut is performed on the first target.

A gyaku kesa

(upward diagonal)

cut is done on the second target followed by a suihei

(horizontal) cut on both targets. See Video

Batto Giri - Draw and cut - The katana is drawn from the saya and cuts in a single motion.

Gyaku kesa (upward diagonal),

kesa (downward diagonal),

and suihei (horizontal) cuts are performed in this sequence. See Video

Nuki Uchi - These two cuts are from the second Toyama Ryu kata.

A batto suihei

(horizontal draw and cut) is followed by a kesa (downward diagonal) cut. See Video

Syo-hattou - These two cuts are from the first Toyama Ryu kata.

A batto gyaku kesa

(upward diagonal draw and cut)

is followed by a kesa (downward diagonal) cut. See Video

Tombo - Dragonfly cut - Two kesa

(downward diagonal)

cuts are performed from hasso on a freestanding horizontal target. See Video

Tsubame Gaeshi - Swallow cut - A kesa

(downward diagonal)

cut is followed immediately with a gyaku kesa

(upward diagonal) cut.

The two cuts are performed from both sides of the target. See Video

TAMESHIGIRI JUTSU is a part of the NIHON KOBUDO IAI JUTSU.

Blade types

A Tachi Chokuto
B Tachi Chokuto
C Tachi
D Katana
E Wakizashi

Kiriha zukuri
Hira zukuri
Shinogi zukuri
Shinogi zukuri
Shinogi zukuri

F Wakizashi
G Tanto
H Ken
I Naginata

Hira zukuri
Hira zukuri
Moroha zukuri
Shobu zukuri

Japanese longitudinal dimensions

10 rin= 1 bu= 3 mm
10 le = 30.3 mm= 1 sun
10 sun= 303 mm= 1 Shaku

Komei Jyuku sword lengths

Blade for beginners - 2.3 - 2.5 shaku

Blade for progressing - 2.5 - 2.6 shaku

Blade for Sempai - 2.6 - 3.3 shaku

Methods of the blade folding

A B C D E F G H I

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I

Maru
Makuri
Kobuse
Gomai
Hansanmai
Orikaeshi Sanmai
Shihozume
Soshu
Wariba Tetsu

Shigane
softly

Kawagane
centralhard

Hagane
hard

The sword forging art has than thousand-year old tradition in Japan one more and enjoys world-wide an outstanding call.

When after the Second World War seven years long the preparation of sword was completely forbidden by the Allierten, large danger that the delivered, existed age-old techniques completely is lost.

Nowadays a new generation of Schmieden has the tradition continued and meanwhile celebrates this handicraft art a shining reon purchasing.
A pupil of Yoshindo Yoshihara, the poles Janusz Lukaszcyk manufactures blade for us.

The waiting period is appropriate approximately between and for two years.

The production of the blade (Kobuse)
(after Yoshindo Yoshihara)

That forge takes pieces of rawsteel Tamahagane,

forges these to flat plates out and breaks the plates to small pieces of 1-2-3

Then a plate is provided with a handle, the other pieces of rawsteel are stacked on it.

The pile in eat heated up and by Schmieden with one another welds 4-5

That forge folds the ingot and forges it then, thus it to be folded again can 6-7-8-9

The steel is folded still several marks
and then divided into three parts. Four pieces of steel from different forging procedures are together-forged to a new block,

which is again forged and folded six times or still more frequent. Thus Kawagane originates in - to 10-11-12-13

That forge forms the coat steel Kawagane to the U-form, inserts in in long piece core steel

Shingane and heats both parts up in the fire, whereby it works on it regularly with the forging hammer,

around it to weld together un into the length out auszuschmieden.

The result is the blank Sunobe - 14-15

After the shaping and rough-machining the hardness line is attached by means of a special loam mixture.

The dramatic instant is Yaki Irish the hardness process.

That forge heats up the blade up to the red glow around it afterwards in a Wasserbecken to deter.

It is almost a mystischer procedure, with which the metal structure of the blade is converted and a sword is born.

The Art of Sword Drawing

Katana Cleaning

Katana Disassembly

Tameshigiri Videos

TAMESHIGIRI JUTSU is a part of the NIHON KOBUDO IAI JUTSU.