Sword Form Three – (“Parry, Slide & Cut”)
- In the Seitei Iaido the front, is always the front. Therefore starting by facing the front, turn 90° to the right and face the right. Assume the seiza position.
- An opponent to your left suddenly moves to attack you. Snap your head in that direction, move your left foot towards your right knee as you stand drawing your sword as the left foot completes it step, continuing stepping now with your right foot being sure your body has moved under your drawn sword’s protection (blade at an angle) permit the opponents blade to slide off your blade (the parry).
- Stepping back to your rear with your left foot, perform a downward kesagiri (diagonal cut). (Note many, utilize a vertical downward finishing cut instead of a kesagiri in this movement. This changes the execution slightly inasmuch as the left foot tends to move farther behind the body with more hip twist for the kesagiri, and more forward if a downward cut is utilized. )
- Ukenagishi Chiburi and Noto (will come back and describe in detail)
- Note, Unkenagashi’s main focus is learning to use the blade to defend via the parry and to learn that at times the body must move about one’s blade for protection (we need not always move the blade but our body can move to our blade)…Also, the triangular footwork in this kata is stressed, teaching practitioners how to move to generate power in our cuts, and to get the cut in position to strike an opponent.