居合ー「型」以外に、巻き藁も毎週斬っています/Iai－I’m doing real ”Cutting” except Kata

居合はもともと無双直伝英進流から始めました。英進流と言えば現代の居合諸流派の中でもメジャーな方ですが、その中でも土佐の源流に近い古流と呼ばれる型を学び始めたのが自分と居合の出会いでした。日本刀の本来の目的は人を斬ることですが、この本来の目的を満たすことは現代社会では不可能。それでも刀をパターンに従って美しく振ることは、それはそれで楽しく病みつきになるものがありました。特に目標とする先生のレベルに近づこうとすることに夢中になっていた時期もありました。
もっともそれからやや紆余曲折を経て、今では実際に巻き藁を斬る流派で毎週稽古しています。もちろん型稽古の意義と重要性を忘れたことはありませんが、やはり刀本来の存在理由の一部でも満たしてやることはやりがいがあります。

*Kata
-a sought of choreography which contains certain movement of Budo pattern
My first experience of Iai-do was Muso Jikiden Eishinryu which is one of major schools of Iai-do in Japan and I had practiced only “Kata” of “Koryu(classical type)” which was close to original Tosa Iai. The Katana (Sword)’s substantial reason of existence is off course to cut human bodies which is impossible to realize in modern ages. Nevertheless it was so interesting to learn how to swing Katana according to certain Katas. Especially it was a fun to chase Sensei and try to catch up his level.
However through twists and turns I started Iai-do school of real cut of Makiwara (bundle of Tatami mat surface) and practice it every week. Even though I recognize the importance of Kata practice, it is very curious to realize a part of existence reason of Katana.

(English text continues to the latter half of the page)

ちなみにこちらが稽古に使う真剣。価格は軽自動車1台分くらい。2005年制作の現代刀です。日本刀のコレクターには鎌倉時代以降の“古刀”が人気のようですが、実際に斬るために使うのは、身が厚い現代刀が適しているようです。

実際に斬るのは、この写真のように並んだ巻き藁です。畳表を水に数日間漬けおいて巻いたものです。実際にどのように制作するかと言うと・・・

畳屋さんから廃品としていただいた古い畳表がこれになります。

この畳表をこんな感じに水に漬けます。畳表はけっこう浮力がありますので、重りが必須。

水に浸しておいて数日たったものを取り出して、これを1枚ずつ硬めに巻いていきます。水に浸すのは巻き藁の状態を人体に近いものにするためとも言われますが、何と言っても乾いた巻き藁は斬るのに重過ぎ、場合によっては刃こぼれを起こすためでもあります。

そしてこれらの巻き藁を実際に斬っているのが、以下の動画になります。

この動画の中に面白い場面があります。実際に居合をしている方にはお馴染みですが、巻き藁を斬った後に英進流の血振り（刀身についた血や脂を振り落とす動作）を行いますが、思い切り刀身を振っても巻き藁の藁くずや水気はさっぱりとれていません。これはどんな高段者がやっても同じこと。このまま納刀（刀を鞘にしまう動作）すると鞘の中が濡れて汚れてしまうので、しっかりと紙で拭い落とさなければなりません。「血振り」は居合道のなかでも伝統的な所作ですが、やはり刀身を振り回しただけできれいになるというのは無理があるようです。

*Kata
-a sought of choreography which contains certain movement of Budo pattern

My first experience of Iai-do was Muso Jikiden Eishinryu which is one of major schools of Iai-do in Japan and I had practiced only “Kata” of “Koryu(classical type)” which was close to original Tosa Iai. The Katana (Sword)’s substantial reason of existence is off course to cut human bodies which is impossible to realize in modern ages. Nevertheless it was so interesting to learn how to swing Katana according to certain Katas. Especially it was a fun to chase Sensei and try to catch up his level.
However through twists and turns I started Iai-do school of real cut of Makiwara (bundle of Tatami mat surface) and practice it every week. Even though I recognize the importance of Kata practice, it is very curious to realize a part of existence reason of Katana.

Above is my sword. It is as expensive as small sized car. It was manufactured in 2005. Maniac Katana collectors often like classic Katanas after Kamakura era (AD1200-) but real cut requires thick body and modern produced Katanas are more suitable.

These are Makiwara stands. I describe how to make these.

Those are old Tatami mat surface. We acquired those from Tatami producer as industrial wastes.

Tatami clothes are soaked in water for days like this. Weights are inevitable as buoyancy of Tatami is quite strong.

After days to a week, Tatami clothes become very wet. These clothes are to be bundled one by one. Those clothes should be wet partly because it becomes closer to natural human body, but maybe because dry bundle is very heavy to cut and might cause blade spill.

And finally those bundles are used like the video below.

If you are keen on Iai-do, you can find very curious scene in the video. After the cut I played the action of “Chiburi” (round swing of Katana to shed off blood and fat) but on the surface of blade you can see makiwara trash and water still remain. I have to wipe off those by paper before the blade is installed into the sheath. This is not because I am still poor. This is all the same even with real experts. “Chiburi” is a conventional movement of all Iai-do but it actually doesn’t work out. It is hardly possible to shed off all residue on the blade by just a round swing of Katana.