Kagami Biraki 2024

Kagami Biraki held at Lonin League in Seattle, Feb 2024. Our group performed selected from the curriculum of Jiki Shinkage-ryu; we were honored to be able to watch the demonstrations by Tenshin Buko-ryu and our guests Japanese Fighting Arts Northwest.

In hōjō, movements are often symmetric, where both participants move and cut and nothing happens at all or both participants mirror each other directly, moving towards each other, throwing their lives away. These actions develop a particular mindset important for the art, and are not meant to be introductory tactics.

To no kata in contrast is supposed to contain tactics. Its first ideogram means to wrap or surround and today is often glossed as referring to the implement used (a bamboo shinai wrapped fully in leather). But an older meaning is form of tactics, as it common in combative engagements to seek to envelop, surround, control, and eliminate an adversary.

Mark Raugas
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