kashima_questions.htm

Questions on Kashima Shin Ryu

May 27, 1994

Mark J. Norton

I posed the following questions to Diane Zingale:

I would like to know the names for certain positions and stances which occur during the Kihondachi forms. In particular, after stepping foward and lowering the sword into a ready stance, and also the first strike in form number two where the sword is pointed diagonally at the opponent's left eye.

In the second form, Uke initiates the attack with a Shomenuchi strike. What kind of attack is used by Uke in numbers three and four? Are they Shomenuchi as well?

We've been practicing forms 1 - 4 since you left. In spite of my emphasis on striking softly, the dojo bokkens are taking a beating. Who would I contact in Tokyo to order Kashima-style bokkens?

Diane's response was:

The stance the beginning of each of the Kihondachi, where you drop the sword to fall naturally to the side and down is called MU KAMAI. MU means non-existant or empty. KAMAI means stance. So it is the "NON STANCE".

The first strike of # 2 which is also the first strike of #5 is called KURAI DACHI. KURAI means grade (as in rank). DACHI means sword. KURAI DACHI means the high class or high rank sword. remember to keep the hands at waist height to the left near 6-7 inches left of center and the tip diagonally at the partner's left eye.

In #2 UKE is not doing shomen - you are both actually doing KURAI DACHI at the same time. In #3 UKE does SHOMEN and you cut it down with KIRI WARI (KIRI cutting WARI split apart). In # 4 you both are doing a thrust called TSUKI to waist height. In #5 UKE does SHOMEN and you do KURAI DACHI.

On kashima bokken, if they break or splinter it means shoulders are stiff so the bokken is absorbing the shock and not the shoulders. (bad news to break a real sword in a real battle - so soft is better).

The old guy who used to make the Kashima bokken has retired. So we can't get ones like that anymore without a special order to a carpenter. I'll ask sensei what to do. Its not a wide spread style (its an old budo) so your average martial arts store would not carry those bokken. What Paul Smith did in England was to give a sample to a woodworker there and had some very nice ones made up in white oak. THey came out very nice. You would probably do better to get a woodworker in your area to try. Only requirement is the grain should go as follows on looking at the end of the handle.