Japanese Swordsmanship

Over 200 years ago the samurai class was abolished in Japan. To most people the Samurai are only a footnote in history or those larger than life figures in cinema and anime. The Samurai are gone, but their spirit lives on. Men and women from Japan and around the world are dedicated to keeping their legacy alive. Toyama Ryu is a Japanese sword style founded in 1925. It keeps many aspects of more traditional Japanese schools but stresses combat effectiveness.

Toyama Ryu Batto Jutsu is not a sport. It is a discipline, an educational process for training the mind, body, and spirit. While perfection is never reached, it is always the goal. Each Sensei passes all their knowledge of the sword to their students. It is passed from Sensei to Sensei through the generations. Each is given the task of passing on the legacy they have inherited.

Kata teach proper movement and timing. They are drills holding the core knowledge of a Japanese sword style. Japanese kata are not long flashy shows of twirling blades and gymnastics, they are short and focused. Kata are used to teach the basics of swordsmanship and are not intended to be entertaining. They must be effective and are more than just choreographed movement. Students repeat kata until the movements become ingrained. The movements become natural reactions without thought.

Kumitachi are kata for two people. Students learn how to gauge distance and match the timing of an opponent. Inches and fractions of a second make the difference between living and dieing. There are two concepts that are the core of kumitachi. The first is Go No Sen which means responsive initiative. You strike an opponent as a response to their movement. The refinement is Sen No Sen. You strike as an opponent commits to an attack but before he moves. Attacking between the opponent's decision to attack and his movement.

We use bokken and shinai for Ken-Jutsu practice since real swords would quickly reduce the number of students. Even wooden swords can cause serious injuries, so safety always comes first. Unlike theatrical sword work, your training partner IS trying to hit you.

Tameshigiri - or test cutting - is the most dramatic part of our training. Students undergo months of training before starting Tameshigiri. The Japanese in feudal times tested swords on convicted criminals. We use rolled up Japanese tatami omote targets for tameshigiri. These targets simulate flesh and bone and are not easy to cut.

Tameshigiri keeps the lessons learned in kata effective. It tests both the sword and the skill of the person using it. Mastering the six cut sequence marks the completion of the first stage of training in Toyama Ryu. The cleanness, angle, and timing of the cuts are critical. As skill levels progress, larger more difficult targets are used to test cutting ability, focus, and technique. A single tatami is equivalent to an arm or neck, two are equivalent to the thigh, and three are equivalent to the torso.

The essence of Batto Jutsu is drawing and attacking in a single fluid motion. You eliminate your opponent before they can react or draw a weapon. It is the combination of efficiency and deception that leaves an opponent unaware and unprepared.