Nov 11 Iaido and Karate – Two Sides of the Same Coin

Written in 2001 by Martin Gatter

It never ceases to amaze me when I am told that one Martial Art is totally different to another. With some minor variations, human bodies are very similar. There is really only one way to move effectively and safely. So whatever Martial Art someone chooses to practice it should share the same fundamental characteristics with any other, good style or Art.

I have had no problem in interchanging ideas, applications and training principles between any of the Arts that I study – Karate, Taiki, Tai Chi Chuan, Iaido and Jodo.

I started practising one of these Arts – Iaido (the art of the Japanese sword) about fifteen years ago. I was looking for something to enhance my Karate training and to give me a different perspective on the art of the empty hand.

As well as giving me much enjoyment, and introducing me to an inspirational Sensei, Iaido has provided what I believe is a much deeper understanding of Karate. I have also found that the principals of strategy, movement and dealing with an opponent are very closely linked between the two Arts.

These are some of the basic principles and ideas that can be transferred and that can aid the understanding of other Arts;

Metsuka No Ensan

Which can be roughly translated as “Look at the mountains in the distance to see all around you”. Less romantically, it can be partially described as using and enhancing peripheral vision. The idea is not to focus directly on your opponent or any part of him/her, because when you focus on one point you are likely to miss movement from somewhere else.

In addition, peripheral vision is a “key” to activate the right side of the brain. This shuts down the analytical process, which is too slow for combat. There is no time to focus on a punch and try to work out exactly how fast it is moving and where it will hit, before sending signals to the appropriate arm to deflect it. The right brain reacts and responds without analytical though and is therefore much faster. 

I can still clearly remember my first Iaido Sensei – Okimitsu Fujii – repeatedly cutting towards my head and halting the blade just above my nose until I could keep my vision beyond the sword, beyond him and beyond the wall of the Dojo. The fact that he used a Shinken – a sharp sword – was a great help to my concentration!

I still use, and teach, this principal when training with an opponent. It helps to prevent falling for a feint. It also slows to opponent’s attack, or at least makes it seem slower. If you concentrate on the limb moving towards you it becomes almost too fast to deal with. But, looking beyond the person and picking up the attack with peripheral vision has the effect of making it appear slower

Extension of Ki

It’s inevitable that you learn how to extend Ki – energy – beyond your body when using a sword. Constant practice of slicing teaches you to extend concentration and focus to the tip of the sword. Fujii Sensei would always say “srice (his pronunciation) Martin, don’t cut”.

This is a very effective principal to use when punching or kicking. The feeling of extending force beyond a foot or a fist, and being able to control the force at a particular point adds to the penetration or “dig” of the strike. One of the most common problems with punching or kicking is the inability to project and control a strike. Not projecting gives a “pulled” strike with no real impact, not controlling it gives a push where the force is only used to move an opponent backwards.

Counter Balancing

When you first cut with a sword, the tip (Kissaki) will always “nod” back up from the finishing point of the cut. It requires very precise control of muscles throughout the body to stop the sword, and all body movement, at the same point. Over or under balancing always means a “nod”.

The same skill is easily transferred to a punch. If the body is not used to exactly counterbalance the force of the punching arm, it is impossible to properly focus. Either the fist will still be moving after the body has stopped, or the opposite where the body will still be moving after the fist has stopped.

Tenouchi

The grip on a sword during a cut. The grip is incremental, starting with the “baby” fingers and finishing with the thumbs. It is balanced equally between both hands. Any imbalance will cause the sword to wave from side to side. The grip is timed to start and finish as the sword cut impacts and finishes. Excessive tension in the grip, or a grip that comes from the arms, would slow the cut.

The same grip works with closed fist techniques. Squeezing the fist in this way ensures that only the right amount of tension is used and that it is used at the right time.

Nagashi

To flow. Because the sharpened edge – the Ha – of a Japanese sword would be damaged by collision, contact between swords tends to be “glancing”. The receiving sword flows around the attack, unbalancing the attacker and extending his movement directly into a counter strike.

Nagashi in Karate terms is very similar. There is no direct collision. A very slight angle to the attack is taken, just enough for it to be gently guided away and continued on, leading the attacker straight into a counter. Nagashi, if used correctly in Karate, needs no strength in either the glancing avoidance or the counter strike. The opponent is deflected and virtually runs onto an extended fist.

Zanshin – Awareness

The risk of training with a sword does wonders for focusing the mind. Particularly as the risk is as much to yourself as to anyone else! A slightly mistimed noto (replacing the sword in it’s scabbard) can result in some very bloody damage to your hand, and this is only one of several ways to injure yourself.

Dealing with this kind of risk is about as close as many of us will ever get to the way of life that honed the Japanese warrior’s spirit. It’s also probably as close as many of us would like to get.

Recreating and dealing with the image of that risk when training in Karate helps to build on the martial arts spirit and enhances techniques.

I find that Iaido is one of the most physically exhausting things I have ever done, but at the same it is one of the best methods that I have found to create a clear and focused mind. Applying the same principals to Karate has helped me to find the same state of mind there. 

These are just some of the connections that I have found. They are by no means new findings, many people have been there before, but they have helped me to a better understanding of the other Arts that I practise.

I also hope that this article might encourage you to look at other arts and styles to find the common threads. A different way of explaining something, which can often come from a different “school”, often helps to get a clearer understanding. Because the principles are similar, training properly in either Iaido or Karate or any other Art will develop similar skills.

Steve Rowe

Steve Rowe is a highly successful Martial Arts instructor - an International Neigong, Qigong and Tai Chi Teacher and an 8th Dan Karate with many other senior dan grades in other martial disciplines.

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