IT WAS GENERALLY KNOWN, THROUGH Simone de Beauvoir and Fernando Gerassi, that Jean-Paul Sartre had had substantial talks in the late twenties with an unnamed Japanese philo- sopher who had just met...
KUKIS ISH H INDE N RYU RY U
BISENTOJUTSU
KOTSU
According to legend the Bisento was introduced by Izumo Kanja Yoshiteru. He fought against Fujiwara no Tadamichi and was beaten by his army. This was some ti me du ring the mi d !! "s As such he went to Izumo to a ca#e called Inome. Here he was instructed in the use of the Bisento by Tetsujo a $hinese master. %r according to legend he may ha#e esca&ed to $hina where he met Tetsujo. 'hen using the Bisento you must use smooth su&&le mo#ements due to the e(treme weight of the wea&on. You must use the body rather than using the hands alone.
. )se the flow of the Bisento"s weight to *ee& control of it. +. Ta*e ad#antage of the weight of the Bisento to aid your mo#ements .
3 . You must ma*e good use of your Taijutsu. Kee& good control of your Knees and s&ine.
KAMAE 1.
SEIGAN NO KAMAE
This is the same as Bojutsu ,eigan no *amae- but it has the blade forwards &ointing towards )*es face.
2.
HASSO NO KAMAE
This *amae is the same as the Bojutsu Tenchijin no *amae. The blade is at the to&. The cutting edge of the blade faces to the right
3.
ICHIMONJI NO KAMAE
This is the same as the Bojutsu Ichimonji no *amae- with the blade forwards. Yo*o Ichimonji no Kamae- is Ichimonji no *amae- done diagonally.
BISENTOJUTSU 1.
OBURI - Deep and bro ad !"n#" n #
Hidari ,eigan no Kamae. ,te& bac* to Hasso- then ste& in with the right foot with a r l /o )chi or Kasu mi )chi. 0aint ain a ,eig an no *amae. Bring the
Bisento blade bac* to the right to the rear- rotating it o#er head to bring it to th e le ft fo r a 12 cu t 3 th e Bise nt o is t uc *e d u nd er t he ri gh t ar m &i t4 . )nwi nd th e ar ms for th e Bisen to to co me bac* across to the lef t th en straight down for a 5odan Kiri.
No$e% Bringing the Bisento bac* to Hasso is a mo#ement in itself- as if winding u& for the first cut. 0a*e good use of the *nee"s and s&ine. 0a*e the s&ine almost arch when you bring it bac*- but too far which may cause you to fall ba c* wa rd s or da ma ge th e s&i ne .. 6ach m o# e me n t wh en co m& le t e th en starts afresh. Almost as if you ha#e wound u& a s&ring in doing the cut then releasing it for the ne(t cut. For this techni7ues the ,eigan is on the left side. 2.
KAKU G&AKU - 'ar$"n # re( er a)
Kee& th e e lb ows tu c* ed in wi th t he Bise nt o in on e ha nd 3ri gh t 4 al mo st #ertical. Hold it so that you can tilt it left or right. 'ith the elbow tuc*ed in this is your &i#ot. )se the left hand to &ull the lower &art of the Bisento u&. )se this mo#ement to aid the flow of the Bisento as it cuts down. Turn the Bisento o#er in front of you and cut on the other side.
No$e% By &lacing the left hand below the right - with the right at the &i#oting &oint you may dro& the Bisento blade down as the weight of the blade ma*es this techni7ue do it on its own. The main &oint is to *ee& the elbows tuc*ed into the ribs and letting the Bisento dro& by it"s own weight. 3.
CHIKUSHA - Ba*b o o d"a#o n a)
Ha#e the Bisento in Hasso no *amae and cut with a Kesa Kiri. Then lift the Bisento #ertical and switch it o#er tot he other side. 'ith a switch ste& cut down with a Kesa Kiri.
No$e% ,witch the Bisento from one side to the other by ha#ing the hands do the switching close together at the balance &oint. The u&&er hand holding the shaft at the &oint of balance. 'hen doing the switch ste& the *nees come together. This *ee&s the bac* straight and #ertical and the weight central. 'hen you switch ste& bac*wards- the lead *nee is then bent to hel& with
the balance as you cut down. If the distance is wrong you may ste& forwards when you swi tc h ste& . You ma y rest th e Bisen to on th e should er s betwe en cuts. 'hen you hit draw the Bisento bac* to cut. You do not need to &ush do wn on th e shaf t too m uc h as it"s own wei gh t wi ll aid wi th the cu tt in g motion.
+.
NAMIBA - ,a( e b)ade
This techni7ues is the same as $hi*usha but with it"s own differences. Hold the Bisento a little more rela(ed and use an e(&losi#e body action when you ad#ance into your o&&onent. You may hold the Bisento on your shoulder to ta*e some of the weight as you mo#e forward.
. Hold with then nec*
B AT TO - D ra ! " n # a !o r d the Bisento in Ihen no *amae. As you ad#ance ra&idly- jab at )*es feet the Ishizu* i- do th is a few times th en cut down with a Kesa 8iri. Tori rotates the Bisento o#er the head- and cuts down on the left side of the with a Kesa Kiri.
No$e% 9ull the Bisento into he body as you cut. If the Bisento is resting on the shoulders at the start you may still jab by using your Taijutsu and *ee&ing the Bisento still resting on your shoulders.. 6#en if )*e bloc*s your jab you may still dro& the Bisento forwards into him. If you don"t cut him it may still ta*e him down with weight alone. 'hen doing this if he lifts his sword you may tra& his arms against him between the shaft and his body. If he uses his sword to try and bloc* the Bisento the Bisento should cut through his sword. You may also dro& onto one *nee when you jab. .
GISEN - S/n)"#0$ $"p
0igi ,eigan 3or $hudan no *amae4 0o#e in with Yo*o Aru*i ste&s raising the Bisento as you mo#e forwards. )*e is in ,eigan and *noc*s the Bisento to your left. )sing your s&ine and no ste& bring the Bisento bac* in to cut 12 cutting into the waist. Turn the Bisento o#er onto the right 3the shaft is still on the left side4 and cut with a 21 /o Kiri or cut to his legs. 'hen his down cut at him with the Bisento.
No$e% For the 12 mo#ement the left *nee is bent facing to the left- but turn the body from the hi&s *ee&ing the bac* straight. Hold the Bisento tight into the left hi&. .
SHINTO - S$re$ 0" n# !ord
'it h a Hida ri 8eda n no *a ma e- swi ng th e Bise nt o u& *e e& in g t he ar ms straight 3the swinging motion is li*e a swinging &endulum4 then ste& across to the left with the left foot- and as the Bisento comes down in an arc- cut across to the right with the Bisento. The mo#ement loo*s li*e you will cut to the right rear.
No$e% 2ise and cut across in a single motion. Brace the shaft across the to& of the right thigh. 'hen you swing u& he may and try and *noc* the Bisento to the side. ,te& to that side- and come bac* in with a cut. .
SEITO - C)ean !ord
0ig i Ichi mo nj i no *a ma e. 2o ta te t he Bise nt o in fro n t of yo u to a Hid ari Ichimonji- and bring the left leg across to the rear of the right foot. At the same time lift the Bisento u&- then 7uic*ly dro& it down on to& of the hands.
No$e% /e&e nd in g on ho w yo u int en d to cu t yo u ma y lift th e left leg u& to aid balance. You may lift the Bisento slowly- but you must dro& it ra&idly- using the Bisento"s weight to hel& you. 4.
MIKEN - Be!"$ 0 e d !ord
Holding the Bisento in Hasso- using the ,&ine- jum& forwards a single ste&and cut with a 8ya*u Kesa 8iri. Turn the Bisento o#er onto the left side and re&eat the jum& and cut.
No$e% 'hen you jum& against a sword cut you may sue the raised shaft from the start of the 8ya*u Kesa Kiri to bloc* his downward stri*e. Then cutting u& into him. The downward sword cut may also s&eed u& the 8ya*u Kesa Kiri.
