Sword Cycles

March 30, 1992

Mark J. Norton


Kathy Fitzgibbon and Duane Loose were present to hear me speak about circularity, cycles, and breathing in wielding the sword. I spoke first about the circular nature of a sword cut. The sword is lifted up and cut with a round motion outwards, with extension. At the bottom of the cut, the sword returns to your center, completing the circle.

I explained the cut in term of potential and kinetic engery. Engery is put into the sword by lifting it up over your head. When the sword falls during the cut, energy is expended as motion and then comes to rest again. If you put energy into a cut by forcing the blade down faster, a means must be found to recoup that energy somehow, or it will be lost forever. I explained that inner energy comes from your center and is expended out through your arms. By completing the motion of the sword back to your center, a cycle of energy flow is established which be maintained for a long time.

Breathing is another cyclical element of the sword. When we breath in, it settles in to the hara. During the cut, that stored energy is released to add more power and focus to the blow. Breathing is representative of the chemical cycles within the body. Air is needed to oxidize stored sugars and starch which produces the enegy needed to strike. I explained how to use the breath was a means of focusing the attack and how ki-ai is used to add energy.

Breathing is a weakness, as well. There are very brief moments of vulnerability when we breath. At the start of a breath, we are slightly off balance. These can be exploited during an attack. When a person ceases to breath, death starts to creep into his soul. He is weakened at this moment.

I also tried to explain how a seemingly linear stroke such as tsuki ( a sword thrust) could in fact be considered a circular strike. Using the concept of simple harmonic motion, I showed how the motion of the trust is a circle viewed edge-on. Force is gathered as the sword is drawn in, then expended again as the strike. Practiced repetitively, one can start to see the circular nature of this.

These are advanced concepts in sword practice. Kathy, as an advanced student could see many of the principles that I was explaining. Duane was able to grasp the philosophical points involved, but is so new to the boken, that pratice eluded him. There is no replacement for long, lengthly practice to truly understand these things.