http://www.miamivalleykendo.org/suburi.html
In iaido yesterday, during hosoda ryu, Travis implicitly questioned the idea of having jodan at 135° (using the perspective of the study linked, normally called 45° when considering it from the other direction).
I often hear that jodan should be at 135° for a few different reasons
Two questions to that are
Regarding actual speed, this research on suburi suggests that going further than 135° behind you is in fact faster! In fact, going a full π rad behind you, sticking it into the wall, horizontal to the ground, with your elbows behind your head, was beneficial. Why would taking a longer route be faster? As we are told in iaido, there's a benefit to the elasticity of your muscles, so that might be a factor. You thrust back as far as you can to increase elastic potential energy and then release it with greater force than if you prematurely activate your muscles to stop your sword at the top, and then activate them to force a cut down. (Note that this research considers the upswing and downswing together, rather than just the downswing when parked at jodan.)
I do have a question about that, though. In the research, they describe the power you have in your cut from 135° being from your 'hands'. I wonder whether the subjects were indeed cutting with their hands as opposed to (as we hear in iaido) closing their armpits. Anecdotally, if I practise both suburi (hands vs armpits, at 135°) here, I can appear to achieve greater speeds and force by trying to close my armpits and ignoring my hands in suburi, than by focusing on my hands. I wonder whether part of the benefit measured in going further back comes from that requiring more armpit closure than just going back to 135°. Does anyone have a high speed camera to measure that?
Also, it would be interesting to measure the psychological impact of 135° versus a greater angle hiding the shinai on kenshi across a spectrum of skill. Are beginners affected more by the sight of the monouchi and a closer edge? Does it differ when someone is holding a shinai versus a bokuto versus a iaito? In iaido we're often told that it's important to exert seme by keeping some part of the weapon visibly on your opponent at all times, whether it's the monouchi, the kissake/kensen or the tsukagashira.
If you do manage to exert greater control over your opponent through seme in this regard, perhaps the ~20ms difference in time will not be overshadowed.
There is also a nice discussion about whether you should stop your shomen strike with your right hand level with your right shoulder, or whether you should stop it with your sword level with their men. This is one of the rare times where I see someone acknowledge that the two are different. Oh my!
In iaido yesterday, during hosoda ryu, Travis implicitly questioned the idea of having jodan at 135° (using the perspective of the study linked, normally called 45° when considering it from the other direction).
I often hear that jodan should be at 135° for a few different reasons
- it's closer to your opponent so you'll strike sooner
- it's more intimidating, as it looks closer, and the opponent can see the blade, so it's good for seme
Two questions to that are
- does it even feel faster? is it actually faster?
- would it actually be more intimidating/exert greater seme on someone more experienced, who is used to having a sword in their face, and who, importantly, may not believe it's actually faster?
Regarding actual speed, this research on suburi suggests that going further than 135° behind you is in fact faster! In fact, going a full π rad behind you, sticking it into the wall, horizontal to the ground, with your elbows behind your head, was beneficial. Why would taking a longer route be faster? As we are told in iaido, there's a benefit to the elasticity of your muscles, so that might be a factor. You thrust back as far as you can to increase elastic potential energy and then release it with greater force than if you prematurely activate your muscles to stop your sword at the top, and then activate them to force a cut down. (Note that this research considers the upswing and downswing together, rather than just the downswing when parked at jodan.)
I do have a question about that, though. In the research, they describe the power you have in your cut from 135° being from your 'hands'. I wonder whether the subjects were indeed cutting with their hands as opposed to (as we hear in iaido) closing their armpits. Anecdotally, if I practise both suburi (hands vs armpits, at 135°) here, I can appear to achieve greater speeds and force by trying to close my armpits and ignoring my hands in suburi, than by focusing on my hands. I wonder whether part of the benefit measured in going further back comes from that requiring more armpit closure than just going back to 135°. Does anyone have a high speed camera to measure that?
Also, it would be interesting to measure the psychological impact of 135° versus a greater angle hiding the shinai on kenshi across a spectrum of skill. Are beginners affected more by the sight of the monouchi and a closer edge? Does it differ when someone is holding a shinai versus a bokuto versus a iaito? In iaido we're often told that it's important to exert seme by keeping some part of the weapon visibly on your opponent at all times, whether it's the monouchi, the kissake/kensen or the tsukagashira.
If you do manage to exert greater control over your opponent through seme in this regard, perhaps the ~20ms difference in time will not be overshadowed.
There is also a nice discussion about whether you should stop your shomen strike with your right hand level with your right shoulder, or whether you should stop it with your sword level with their men. This is one of the rare times where I see someone acknowledge that the two are different. Oh my!
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