Mae

Sitting in seiza facing shyomen, begin to draw the sword. As your hands begin to draw, making circles front to back with the right and back to front with the left, your knees slowly move together. Keep your body upright and your shoulders back as you rise and continue drawing the sword. On the nukitsuke/nukiuchi cut, keep the right arm slightly flexed, not completely straight; do not overextend the right wrist. Make a large circular cut. Your right foot goes straight out toward the opponent and is slightly ahead of the cut: Ashi…koshi…te. The sword should be level with the cutting edge flat and slightly below the level of the right shoulder. Always use the hara with a feeling of moving forward.

Furikaburi making sure that the left hand crosses over in front of your body to grab the tsuka. Push your hara forward as you slide your right foot slightly forward and straight. During furikaburi, the sword should be anywhere from just below level at the back of the head, to almost touching the floor. Keep your metsuke to the opponent.

Kirioroshi making a large circular motion with the sword. Remember jo ha kyu and begin the strong/fast part of the cut at the top of the opponent’s head. Cut through and hikigiri; pull the sword toward you so that the tsukagashira ends up close to your body. Cut from the hara with a feeling of “guuuuutttttt!”

Push the hara forward as you o chiburui. The sword stops, then your left foot comes up to your right. Be sure to bring your right hand with the sword in front of your face when doing chiburui. Keep your knees slightly bent and your upper body straight.

Move your right foot back {wide for beginners and for stability} keeping the head at the same level. Noto being sure to make a large circular movement with the sword between your left shoulder and elbow. When the sword is halfway or so into the saya, begin to go down to your right knee. Slowly finish your noto, stand up, maintaining zanshin, and slide your right hand along the tsuka to the tsukagashira. Reverse your grip, hold for a short time, and then relax your right hand down to your right side.

Step back, beginning with your left foot.