From Kodachi to Kogusoku

Using kodachi practice as an example, we discuss how different kata sets in Jikishinkage-ryū relate to and inform one another and describe some applications and variations on standard practice. Kodachi can be an entry point to close-range armed grappling, which we call kogusoku.

According to the Koyo Gunkan Massho Ketsuyobon, related in Chapter 5 of Takeda-ryū Gungaku Zensho Kanokai (1935), the founder of Jiki Shinkage-ryū, Matsumoto Bizen no Kami, fought in combat with the spear 23 times in the battles of Kashima and Katori and claimed the heads of 25 officers and 76 ordinary soldiers. Yamada Ippusai, the 4th generated head of Jiki, is supposed to have arranged To-no-kata, and likely added the unpo, a-un kokyu, and long kiai we see in Hōjō. Jiki Shinkage-ryū before Yamada Ippusai was likely closer to other forms of Shinkage-ryū. One area of study maintained in some lines of Shinkage-ryū is close-quarter armed combat called kogusoku.

In this esssay, I talk a bit about formal Jikishinkage-ryū kodachi practice and one (somewhat idiosyncratic) perspective on how breaking down the kata in a process of kuzushi can reveal much more than first is apparent.

Preparing for Kodachi

Kodachi is the first "upper level" kata set in Jikishinkage-ryū and it starts to involve refined body mechanics that would be very difficult to just jump into without doing unpo, Hōjō, and To-no-kata first, or having some other training of some kind to rely on. Even though there are only six kata, they take some time to develop skill at. In addition, they are more heavily modified from their true intention/application, potentially in order to conceal what is going on from outsiders. Hōjō and To-no-kata have many layers of meaning as well, but in Kodachi we can't just jump in and do that without having solid Jiki Shinkage-ryū body mechanics established. It is dependent on the person already being a Jikishinkage-ryū practitioner, as opposed to teaching someone how to become a Jikishinkage-ryū practitioner.

Posture and stepping methods taught in Hōjō help us avoid attacks and also generate power. Hips are straight in pure Jiki, and this is something that takes time to cultivate if a person has practiced other martial arts. Other Shinkage-ryū will pull across the lower back (koshi) to generate power. Jikishinkage-ryū in the line I was taught keeps the hips straight. When entering in kodachi, it is especially important on the initial contact to keep the hips square and not tilt the upper body or lean to either side. Doing so will weaken the entry and leave the swordsman vulnerable to the power of the tachi.

One example of how earlier sets prepare for later practice is the early introduction of tai atari. Tai Atari performed in Hasso Happa at first seems like a ritualistic movement, but it sets in place a mindset important for later sets such as kodachi, where one has to attack in a fully commited manner, not being concerned with success or failure. One throws one's life away to get close enough to the tachi to survive.

Tai atari, in kuzushi (application/analysis) can be continuous and upward angled to continue to advance after a downward cut forces an opponent back. One can add a sideways deflection if needed, but should not wait or try to time a perfect engagement. This is a half sword position called Torii-dome (gate block), which can be useful in an emergency. However, many things are not final – uchitachi can press upward against that movement to deflect. Shidachi can flow over the top in a forward version of the half sword position with the left hand on the forehead (normally in kata shown retreating vs a lateral pressing cut).

So, sometimes movements taught moving forward in pattern practice, if reversed, exhibit deeper levels of practice. There are many riddles such as these. For example, the upper level (jodan) Tai Atari from the last kata in Hōjō, called Chotan Ichimi, can be an upward deflection against a downward attack that then twists immediately to the side to stab the face or cut the side of neck, instead of a ritualistic stab from long range, as initially presented.

In the dojo I trained at, we did long Ya Ei kiai extended for breath training during Hōjō. Other groups do shorter sharper kiai in Hōjō and To-no-kata. There are said to be three levels of practice of each kata set in Jikishinkage-ryū. One can imagine the first as being to draw out the spirit in the practitioner, with a focus on breathing and long powerful kiai. The second could be refining that power into a sharper, more precise, instrument. The third quiets the practice, and develops the ability to respond and move unencumbered, driven by intuition and wisdom.

The next Jiki Shinkage-ryū kata set after Kodachi is called Habiki. Habiki refers to the use of actual swords instead of shinai or bokken, albeit with a rebated edge. A challenge will be finding suitable implements. The practice is destructive – habiki-to (rebated edge swords) used for this practice will invariably get damaged over time. Historically, people would use older swords they didn't care about as much. These are now called "antiques" so one needs suitable alternatives. Generally, we want swords that are sturdy, so that they are safe to use and do not fall apart on us, but we run into the problem that higher-quality modern swords are also expensive, even if they are not antiques.

There is a complex body mechanics involved when executing the yielding (nagashi) movement in the outer (omote) way of practice in kodachi, where a person rises up with ankles crossed on the outer edges of both feet. This trains the lower tendons in the ankles and shins but is likely not actually combative – you would not do that against an opponent as you wind up unstable – in fact, there very little power associated to the final cut in each kata when performed that way, unless you connect the two arms across the back. In that omote manner of performance, it is a slow ritualistic downward cut performed with the kiai of "mu".

Kodachi is in some ways closer to Hōjō than To-no-kata, in that a lot of its true intentions are obscured. Hōjō is "explained" quite a bit by a later set, Habiki, which some view as an older version of Hōjō, but I believe is also a bridge to applying what a person has learned in Hōjō to combat. If Hōjō is similar to or related to Sangakuen no Tachi in other lines of Shinkage-ryū, then Habiki is similar to or related to Empi no Tachi in other lines of Shinkage-ryū.

What is different about kodachi compared to Hōjō in Jiki Shinkage-ryū is that the upper-level set performed with kodachi, called Marobashi, is heavily ritualized and obscured and does not explain kodachi very much at all. Hōjō provides basic foundations of practice, To-no-kata develops basic tactics and the concept of centerline, Kodachi teaches infighting and also stability around the central axis. Habiki puts it all together and refines lower body connection and back bow in the practitioner, for stability, agility, and strength.

Kodachi Kata

At the Gassankan, we practice applications in armed grappling, which Shinkage-ryū calls kogusoku (a term used by several arts). In the way I am organizing my teaching, kodachi is the last kata set of the first group of teachings we focus on, and kogusoku is the first private set. I will only discuss it at a high level here. The six kodachi kata are:

1. Fūsei
2. Suisei
3. Kissaki Gae(shi)
4. Tsuba Jiri
5. Toppi Oppi
6. Enkai

Fusei and Suisei are paired — winding up in a bind (tsuba zerai), right hand palm down. Fusei enters from above while suisei enters from below. Kissaki Gaeshi and Tsuba Jiri are also paired — also winding up in a bind, but right hand palm up. Kissaki gaeshi enters from above and Tsuba Jiri enters from below. On the first 3 kata, we enter with the left foot forward. The fourth kata (Tsuba Jiri) begins with the right foot forward, but has two sections, so we end with the left foot forward ultimately.

Fusei & Suisei

On Fūsei and Suisei, there are several kuzushi or kogusoku applications, which depend on how uchidachi is affected by the initial entry. If you both meet and feel uchi is strong, then you yield as in the formal kata, ideally off balancing uchidachi. But, instead of lifting the left arm and doing the slow downward cut with "mu" kiai, control from the inside of his right arm with your left hand to further off balance him and then cut his neck immediately. If you meet and he remains connected at the tsuba (tsuba zerai), slip to the right, pulling him to the left with your left arm and cutting horizontally to the right. Since the kodachi is shorter, you can get past his blade. If you meet and he bounces off you, due to your momentum and posture, step forward and cut his face mask (ganmen) vertically, continuing to drive him back. There is also a more subtle or "ideal" application, which is not kogusoku per se, as it does not involve body to body contact. You perform slightly different footwork on the entry to bypass his cut and directly cut his neck. This is best done with armor, as it is very direct and dangerous. This is hard to do, as it requires you to still have the same full weight on the lead leg and feeling of stopping immediately, but from a different angle. This has to be explained in person and is not for the uninitiated.

Kissaki Gaeshi

On Kissaki Gaeshi, there is an alternate footwork that allows you to cut the neck directly, bypassing his sword. If you wind up in tsuba zerai, then there are kuzushi that more closely mirror the standard slow practice. Enter as usual and lift uchi's arm and roll it over, controlling their scapula, to double them over and cut downward at the back of their neck. This more aggressively doubles uchi over than in the standard kata. This is a one-handed arm bar type of motion, but you do it just long enough to cut or stab. I generally curve the arm here more than some of my compatriots, closer to how the Ku-un kai demonstrates the kata than how it is practiced in some other surviving lines of the art. You can also enter with the left foot after you have control of the upper arm, to throw uchidachi down and back, for a second variation. From the initial tsuba zerai position palm up, you can pull his arms to his right with your left arm, instead of trying to control his elbow, and cut directly outward across his neck. Then turn your palm to face down and pull his sword down, keeping his momentum going, and cut directly outward across his neck. The left arm can come forward to engage and control his arm. This can be done in place or adding a cross step with the left foot to the outside of the right foot.

Tsuba Jiri

Some kogusoku applications on Tsuba Jiri, from the second part, where you are pushing downward on the tsuka (hilt) between uchidachi's grip and would formally do a long slow circle and stab with "mu" kiai, include: taking uchidachi down to the left, over your left leg; scooping the leg if uchidachi squats down; driving directly forward to take uchidachi down and back along his line of attack; and turning inward slightly and entering with the left leg and elbow to take uchidachi down sideways and back (to his left). These train different directions to take uchidachi down, and in each you follow and stab as he lands.

One also can attack the proximal side of the neck quickly, making sure to keep downward pressure on the tsuka as you do so. The sweeps and throws are useful if they begin to grapple with you, or draw another weapon (e.g., their own kodachi or tanto) once at close range. Other related arts that preserve a jujutsu curriculum (e.g., Kashima-shinryu) perform movements like this, albeit with tachi instead of kodachi.

On Tsuba Jiri, we also can also practice kuzushi from the initial palm up, right foot forward, entry. We want the direction of contact to begin to drive uchi backwards and onto his heels or arching his back a little bit if possible. If that begins to drive uchi back, we can lever the left grip forward a bit to begin to bend his right arm as we step our left foot forward. As we do so, we can fold the kodachi over the top to cut the right side of his neck. It is important to explore different directions as uchi is having his grip levered and the footwork and counter balance he uses to neutralize temporarily what shidachi is doing.

Toppi Oppi

Toppi oppi is about developing leg strength and helps prepare for the next kata set, called habiki. Classically, it is performed into a half seiza position with one leg extended, from which shidachi springs up, lifting the pelvic floor and engaging the psoas as the bent leg drives upward. I favor a low crouching posture I favor when doing the kata, to be able to spring upwards quickly, which is adopted from Hebei Xingyi. This is one small difference in how I preserve Jikishinkage-ryū kodachi compared to orthodox lines. On the first kneeling position (on the right knee) the kodachi is held one handed at your right side and the left hand at the left side of the body. When you rise up and deflect inwards and upwards, palm up, you kick with the right leg. On the second kneeling position (on the left knee) the kodachi is on your center line, with the left hand on top of the mune (back of the blade).

Enkai

Enkai is the key that unlocks the previous five kata, introducing the concept that leads to advanced kuzushi for the initiated, which I allude to but do not describe above.

Generalizing The Above

Tsuba zerai is not only for kodachi against tachi. One can practice tsuba-zerai (meeting with the tsuba) also with shinai. So, for example, one can start ryubi and uchidachi can do a T step instead of stepping back and meet tsuba-zerai instead of with a cut. We also drill jun (right hand palm up) and gyaku (right hand palm down, hands crossed) entries to tsuba-zerai in free practice, using fukuro shinai. Shidachi can practice meeting their force and off-balancing them slightly and then cutting the side (tare). Uchidachi can practice half-sword techniques and T-step to respond at close range. Uchidachi can also half-sword on the initial T-step, as a separate approach to avoid tsuba-zerai. Usually, this cuts under the wrist. Some of kodachi then informs to-no-kata. In Matsukaze, movements presented in the kodachi kissaki gaeshi allow us to move around the opponent's blade. This is an example of marobashi or "free or unimpeded movement".

In Shinkage-ryū, there is a maxim: one mind, any weapon.

The triangle step of Sangakuen is presented/encoded within Jikishinkage-ryū in the kata Ryubi (Tail of the Dragon) and Menkage, but one has to explore kuzushi and variation in order to find it. Doing so then prepares the practitioner for more advanced kuzushi with kodachi. These are but some of the concepts that make Jikishinkage-ryū a lifelong practice.