Kissaki and grip — perception and actuality

We learn numerous aspects of cutting in class. We want to reach out with our kissaki. We want good edge angle. We want to keep the cut straight from beginning to end. We want good tip speed and weight. All these considerations are important.

However, there are numerous other details not directly associated with the sword that play key roles in the success of a cut. Bending the front knee. A straight back. Chin up. Eyes forward. Relaxed shoulders. Feet about shoulder width apart. A proper grip on the sword.

Carl Long sensei offered a bit of advice at a seminar that I've found very useful over the years — when you first see a problem, the actual cause of the problem is often two steps behind what you think it is. With regards to cutting, sometimes the problem one has with a cut isn't with what you are doing with the sword, but with the rest of your body.

I want to focus here on insights I was reminded of having to do with gyaku kesa and grip. Gyaku kesa is an upward diagonal cut. Our hands end up at roughly eye level. Our kissaki is pointed forward, not upward. Our kissaki should have cut through a torso-wide target, so assuming our tip is not trailing, our kissaki should be slightly past the line of our front foot. Assuming we are reaching with our tip, our hands should be located relatively forward, and not crowded near the head in a way that forces the arms into "chicken wing" positions.