JUNICHI HAGA’S SECRETS OF KENDO Volume 2. By Terukuni Uki Text copyright ?2012 Kendo Jidai All Rights Reserved Junichi Haga, genius of the Showa Period. Joined Hakudo Nakayama’s Yushinkan. Along with Kiyoshi Nakakura and Gorozo Nakajima, eventually became known as Yushinkan’s “Three Crows”, a Japanese expression meaning 3 top practitioners of near equal skill. Though after the war, he worked hard to keep the art of Kendo alive, once Kendo regained its place in the mainstream and gained structured organization, he returns once again to being a private swordsman, and focused on honing his own skills and instructing the new generation. Before long, the group of practitioners gathered around Haga came to be known as Haga Dojo. The Kendo and methods for practice that Haga believed in were carefully protected, and that Kendo, some forty years after Haga’s death, is still alive today. Uki Terukuni, who received instruction directly from Haga, explains Haga ’s Kendo. Practice at the Haga Dojo . Kirikaeshi: shomenuchi is worth a thousand strikes . proper use of the upper body. You take the basic chudan position. proper tachisuji or cutting path of the sword. it teaches how to maintain a proper distance. and after a taiatari (body check). and more. execute a shomenuchi from a distance of issoku-itto (roughly six feet). deliver a succession of alternating left and right strikes to the . It is an exercise in which one masters the basic movements in relation to one’s opponent. ashisabaki (footwork).Kirikaeshi is an exercise combining shomenuchi and a succession of alternating left and right strikes to head. An exercise that is emphasized most heavily at the Haga Dojo. where it is standard to take a large back swing and strike. Lastly. When receiving the attacker’s strike with a shinai. . This is also something to which Haga sensei paid special attention. to fully bring out the skill of the attacker. he allowed the attach to approach until it nearly reached the quilted padding of the men. take the chudan position again. the benefits of kirikaeshi can differ greatly depending on the skills of the motodachi (receiver).head starting from the left. and end with a shomenuchi from a distance of issoku-itto. kirikaeishi is executed by fully rotating the shoulders and making sure to firmly strike the center of the men with the shinai. at the Haga Dojo. This is no different from the normal variation of kirikaeshi. However. not by allowing the attacker’s shinai to bounce off his. Additionally. but rather to absorb the power of the attacker’s strike. you must stay focused to the end and deliver the last shomenuchi with momentum. and sometimes he even lowered his shinai to take the strike on the men. Haga sensei received the attacker’s strike. Taiatari (body check): repeated uchikomi taiatari (strike and body check) teaches horizontal movement . At the Haga Dojo. you can shake your opponent’s morale or upset his position and strike. In Kendo in which leg sweeps are not employed. This builds the foundation for striking from the hip. your center of gravity must always be in the center of the body. you should stand at a right angle to the ground and move horizontally keeping your posture. Haga sensei emphasized that “The body must be upright when executing a strike.” When executing a strike. this can still be a valid strike as long as the shinai hits the strike zone. we focus on taiatari in order to master horizontal movement. Imagine your navel bumping your opponent’s navel as you perform taiatari. you throw your body against your opponent following through on the momentum of a strike. Therefore. . but at the Haga Dojo.Uchikomi taiatari is a basic movement practiced heavily in order to master horizontal movement of the body. your body has the tendency to lean forward so as to strike from as far as possible. however. In taiatari from the starting position. By throwing your opponent off balance thus. Practicing taiatari repeatedly will build up your body so you will not get knocked over. and the feet tend to get left behind. such a strike would result in the attacker immediately being knocked over by a leg sweep. while tensing up the lower abdomen he should lower his hands and pulling his left foot up rapidly. then move on to kirikaeshi. stand firm and receive the strike. In a normal practice session. .The receiver should take a small step forward with his right foot. we practice uchikomi taiatari seven to ten times. it is our principle to practice for a short time vigorously. in order to make kakari-geiko effective. he should attack and strike using all of the skills he has mastered thus far until his breath gives out. etc. Therefore. The motodachi should weather out or evade a labored or incorrect strike and divert the strike without letting it hit him. . In this way the motodachi brings out better strikes from the kakarite. the motodachi assesses the calculated strikes the kakarite lets out. The kakarite should be determined to bring out every technique he has and seek every opening to strike the motodachi. so the kakarite quickly ran out of breath. but kakarigeiko is even shorter and more vigorous. It was a tough and exacting practice. the motodachi allows the kakarite realize his mistake and lets him master the knack of striking through correct strikes. It goes without saying that the motodachi plays an important role in instructing the kakarite how to maintain a proper distance. the kakarite (striker) should not be concerned about a counter attack or having his strike evaded. During kakari-geiko.Kakari-geiko: bring out your skills to the fullest within a short time span Kakari-geiko is a training method in which those with inferior skills fight those with superior skills. evade or respond to a strike.. Haga sensei’s attacks did not allow for time between strikes or breaths. Through failure. At the Haga Dojo. give openings for a strike. . practice at the Haga Dojo became exclusively morning practice. “It is always at night when wicked thoughts came to mind. However. At the time. He said. In this way.Junichi Haga Quotes “Vigor in the morning.” . it is more difficult to make the time to practice due to work. there is no reason you can’t practice in the morning. Saturdays. it is possible to go to morning practice as long as you manage your schedule for the previous day accordingly. a four times weekly practice taught by Haga sensei alone had already become established. and intensity at night”—that is where these words probably came from. indolence at noon. and Sundays. but around 1962. indolence at noon. Toshima Ward to come to the National Gymnasium for practice. Chiyoda Ward. At the Haga Dojo.” During the day or in the evening. The All Japan Kendo Federation was established in 1953. and then go to his shop for work. Haga sensei would leave his home in Zoshigaya. when I started going there. Hanshi jyudan Yuji Oasa and hanshi hachidan Toshio Watanabe are shown third and fourth from the right. morning practice is held regularly four times a week on Tuesdays. By “vigor in the morning. “Vigor in the morning. and soon after courses started at the National Gymnasium in Kanda Hitotsubashi. morning practice took place every morning. and intensity at night” Photo: Junichi Haga (center) welcomed as an instructor at the Shibaura Institute of Technology Kendo Club. “As long as you have the right attitude. I still recall Haga sensei laughing as he said. respectively.” Haga sensei meant that early morning was a time when anyone—if they had the determination—could participate in practice. Thursdays. . Practice at the Haga Dojo (2) . Ashibarai: a correction method to make you realize your crumbling posture . . There are basically two types of ashibarai. and for beginners. they can fall without someone holding on to them. and before we know it. we perform ashibarai in our daily practice as a correction method. if necessary. It is dangerous to try to hook your foot around your opponent’s foot to topple him backwards. step on the top of your opponent’s right foot with your left foot as if to hold it there and topple him. However. We strictly warn against such a method. beginners gradually learn how to fall safely. we hold on to a part of their upper body if we perform a leg sweep. For this reason it is rarely seen these days during practice. One way is to hook your left foot around your opponent’s ankle and shove your shinai against your opponent’s left side of the neck and topple him. thus. There is a high possibility that your opponent will hit the back of his head hard. and this may lead to a serious accident. In particular. we aim for a kendo in which your posture does not crumble under any circumstance. we take care to call this to the motodachi or receiver’s attention. at the Haga Dojo.Ashibarai (leg sweep) is a prohibited act in the current kendo competition rules. By falling over. The second way is to circle to the right as your opponent leans forward to strike your men. and if any of his students were practicing kendo with bad posture.without fear of getting injured. he warned that “ashibarai should not be performed on anyone over forty.” . Haga sensei disliked bad posture. he would execute a perfectly timed ashibarai. However. Therefore. and you will not be able to catch your breath. it is impossible to move at all. or someone has been felled by a leg sweep. insert both of your feet under your opponent’s men and twist it up to the left or right. In kendo. Moreover. or in the same position. it is almost impossible to get back up. Haga sensei would concentrate his ki or energy on one point and put all his weight on his opponent when performing kumiuchi and his opponent would not be able to move at all.Kumiuchi: quickly getting on top of your opponent and make them run out of breath Kumiuchi is conducted in situations such as when a match with shinai ends in a draw. once you have been felled it is hard to move quickly and you cannot get back up immediately. It was as if a large . You can perform a reverse arm-lock. when a shinai is dropped. sit on the fallen opponent’s body and grab his men with one or both hands and pull it up. because of the heavy equipment. the outcome of the match depends on whether you can get on top of your opponent before he gets on top of you. if your opponent is on top of you. in kumiuchi. Once your opponent is on top of you and executes one of the above techniques. . so it is not particularly recommendable to practice kumiuchi heavily. Kumiuchi makes you run out of breath at once. but it is something that you should master as a means to protect yourself.rock was on top of your body. It could be said that one purpose of kumiuchi is to master how to regain control of your breath under these difficult circumstances. Photo: Haga sensei’s kumiuchi Kendo is a match of skills using swords. Practice with Haga sensei was exactly the type of practice in which you run out of breath. During practice. It is essential to concentrate your ki and try to bring it all out during practice through your techniques.Short and vigorous: bring out everything you have in each practice session At the Haga Dojo. Thursdays. even three times in a row. Morning practice is before work. . At our dojo. We have a short but intensive session and go to our jobs after working up a good sweat. “Let’s call that a day. but this is not easy to do with a half-hearted attitude. practice is held in the morning on Tuesdays. and Sundays. he disliked long-winded practice more than anything. kotemen. In order to have such a morning practice.” We bring our entire ki to practice. There was a sense of professionalism in each practice session. and you never felt like you didn’t have enough when you requested a practice session with Haga sensei. katate-men (single-handed men) strikes and so on without even giving his opponent the time to assume a position. it is important to exert all your power. I believe that is the significance of having morning practice. His grip was very flexible and he could strike twice. we aim to bring out everything we have during each practice session. we strike continuously with barely a moment to confront our opponent. so we quickly run out of breath. Saturdays. It is not the type of practice in which we say. and there is no point in practicing in a way that would interfere with our work later in the day. He would close in on his opponent and turn out men. “When you are the motodachi. When your opponent gives a good strike. If you are struck. It goes without saying that the ability of the motodachi greatly sways the level of improvement of the one who requested practice. Haga sensei always conducted practice in a way to bring out his students’ motivation.” the motodachi also plays an important role in kirikaeshi. Even if they ran out of breath during practice. let him strike you at the last moment. As can be seen in traditional sayings such as “the ten virtues of kirikaeshi” or “the eight virtues of uke. It is an opportunity for all of us to gather once a year to eat at the same table and hold long conversations about kendo. “As long as you are against an inferior swordsman. respond to the attack in your mind. but hard to put into practice. We take plenty of time to train as well. He especially disliked listless action when practicing with an inferior swordsman and said.” This is easy to say.” This is how Haga sensei explained the mindset of the motodachi. he never did anything to dishearten them. it is because of your inexperience. you must be prepared to fight for your life. and make it a practice in which you can praise your opponent. . we hold a summer camp every August.Junichi Haga Quotes “Counter in your mind but permit the strike and praise the other’s technique” Photo: participants at the Ikkenkai Haga Dojo’s Yamanashi summer camp held on August 26-27. stay on your toes. At the Haga Dojo. You must not complain no matter where you are struck. and I always keep in mind Haga sensei’s mental attitude in serving as motodachi. . The Haga Dojo’s Form of Swordsmanship . All the swords used are shinken (real sword). Haga sensei disapproved of listless practice and at the heart of his disapproval was the fact that we used shinken. That is why the first half of practice is iai. Therefore. if you are not careful. when sheathing your sword or during nukitsuke (the first strike after unsheathing your sword). the scabbard will break and you may seriously injure yourself. Originally. It is necessary to constantly stay on guard and be attentive to your surroundings even during practice. In Japanese. and you will naturally start handling them with care. I joined the Haga Dojo at the same time I entered university. and I can still remember the sobering feeling it gave me. We never use model swords or iai-to (a model sword used to practice iai). and even students and beginners use swords with a dulled edge kept at the Haga Dojo for beginners. . That was when my parents bought me a real sword for the first time. How you handle a shinken is reflected in how you take care of your shinai and your kendo equipment. we also use the word “shinken” to describe a serious effort without any fooling around.Holding a real sword brings a sense of seriousness to practice Everything at the Haga Dojo’s kendo leads to the act of cutting. the scabbards of samurai swords were made to break easily in order to allow samurai to strike with a sheathed sword and still cut down their opponent when faced with an emergency that did no afford them the time to even draw. and the latter half is practice with a shinai. and it goes without saying that taking a shinken into your hands brings a sense of seriousness to practice. Haga sensei stated.” This too . from the viewpoint of kendo. The iai taught at the Haga Dojo now carries on the style that Haga sensei learned and mainly incorporates the Omori style and the Eishin Hasegawa style. that the movement of your two hands is not balanced. and practice so that you can use the sword as if it were a part of your body. Haga sensei received instruction from Sensei Hakudo Nakayama and trained at Yushinkan. “Kendo is the main art and iai is a hidden one. at the foundation of enbu. he considered striking with a shinai—in other words. it is important to take care not to let the sword make a noise when unsheathing it during nukitsuke. but also the knees and hips to move in a consistent manner. Enbu (demonstration) is not a sword dance. Other than the acts of nukitsuke or sheathing your sword. it can be said that iai is a part of kendo. Shinken: everything at the Haga Dojo’s kendo leads to the act of cutting. A sound is an indication of strain. And.Iai: kendo is the main art and iai is a hidden one. iai is kendo itself. It is important to exercise the entire body habitually. the two paths are two sides of the same coin. The basic sword swing at the Haga Dojo is “horizontal and at a right angle. there must always be an awareness that you are cutting. the present day kendo—as a part of iai.” From the viewpoint of iai. Iai training requires not only the hands and feet. Therefore. Holding a shinken in your hands brings a sense of seriousness to practice. and you are not performing hikite properly. . and differs from present day iai.is based on the foundation of cutting. but ura-kesa-giri (backward kesa-giri). in which you cut from the upper left to the lower right. However. it is very hard to cut the straw post. We practice two methods of tameshigiri: kesa-giri. This is the purpose of performing tameshigiri or practice cuts. We use swords that are the same as those that used to be used by samurai. For tameshigiri. and suemono-giri. in which we cut diagonally. There are sword shops that sell swords made for cutting straw posts or tatami mats. Kesa-giri—cutting from the upper right to the lower left—can be performed relatively easily. Therefore. In the past. as they were readily available. by actually cutting something. if there is fault in your grip or the momentum of the swing. is more difficult. we confirm our techniques such as whether the sword is firmly gripped or the swing of the sword is correct.Confirm your kendo techniques through the experience of cutting At the Haga Dojo. there was no trouble in finding material for straw posts. now I feel the need to pass onto the next generation how to make straw posts by rolling straw matting. which we practice now twice or three times a year such as during the summer camp. If you perform a tameshigiri. you would immediately understand that if you do not have a firm grip and your swing does not have enough . Cutting a straw post with a diameter of about 15 cm is said to resemble the feel of cutting a human torso. not just to cut straw posts and tatami mats. we must first start by making a straw post. but we do not use such swords at the Haga Dojo. such as straw rice bags. momentum. you cannot make the cut. . inexpensive. but that we kendo aficionados would also participate in coming up with such equipment. I recall that all of his shinai around that time were of the Kuniyoshi brand. Kendo equipment is said to have been born around the Horeki and Meiwa eras (17511771). In those days they were not readily available as they are now. We are given the privilege of practicing the kendo that we love on a daily basis. Improper handling of a shinken could lead to a life-threatening injury. Since he was the kind of person to run a kendo equipment shop. sturdy. Chiyoda Ward. he had great love for kendo equipment. Haga sensei was considerably knowledgeable about kendo equipment. and he hoped that aesthetically pleasing. we should use the best equipment we can afford and would take good care of. . Haga sensei re-established the old kendo equipment shop Umedago and opened shop in Kanda Tamachi. and for this reason as well.Junichi Haga Quotes “How you handle a shinken reflects on how you take care of your shinai” In October 1954. Therefore. made domestically. and Haga sensei took very good care of them. and easy-to-use kendo equipment would be devised in today’s culturally evolved society. Because of his trade. and was refined to become close to the form they have today. Haga sensei placed great importance on taking good care of equipment. He taught us that we must pay the closest attention in order to make sure that we did not injure ourselves or others practicing around us. I also still recall how he hoped that this was not left up to kendo equipment makers and shops. I mentioned that at the Haga Dojo we used shinken for iai. He also maintained that handling your sword with care became reflected in the way that you took care of your kendo equipment.