Cutting from daijodan with the katana seems like it should be simple enough, swing the sword straight down at your opponent. There are a number of subtle points the swordsman needs to take into account to make an effective cut. One factor to take into consideration is the footwork. The step one takes when cutting with a katana is smaller than the lunge a fencer takes with their weapon. Keeping one's balance and being able to deliver power with one's cut is better facilitated with a smaller step. Gripping the sword is fairly straightforward with the right hand near the top of the tsuka and the left hand near the bottom. The proper gripping of a sword is well illustrated in the Genbukan Ninpo BugeiBiken-Jutsu Kyukyu-Gata DVD. During the daijodan cut, the hands rotate on the tuska. This motion is often explained to students as, “wringing water out of a washcloth.” The problem with this description is that it can cause a student to over-rotate their wrists. The idea is to rotate the palms over the back of the tsuka to better transfer force into the cut. This concept and others pertaining to gripping the katana are explained well by Nicklaus Suino in his article, “Properly Gripping the Sword in Muso JikidenEishin-ryu Iaido,” from the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Volume 15, Number 2. Oh, and while bearing all that in mind, remember to not over-think it and just make the cut.
