The Dojo

"... And so one must attack with the fullest extent of their soul.. to fully commit, like a boulder being made to fall, into an infinite void."

Sharp, persistent, and riddled with poetry, the ramblings and lessons passed down to Miyoko by her father were expected to be absorbed with due diligence. He rounded the corner, both he and his daughter wearing plain, free flowing kimono and hakama as they entered the dojo. She was but two years from adulthood, and the pressures of assuring she was prepared to fulfill her samurai duties were growing exponentially on lord Nobuhide. These days, it seemed as though every aspect of her behavior was closely scrutinized. He removed his katana, placed the lower end of the scabbard in his right hand, and the hilt end in his left, holding the weapon horizontally as he bowed respectfully to it by slightly lowering his head.
He then placed the sheathed sword in his right hand, holding it by the upper end of the scabbard. His arms and legs against his body, he bows again - this time to the dojo.

It is only after the ritual that his white socks meet the polished hardwood floor of the practice area. He turns to Miyoko.

"Bow in."

"Very good. When you are bowing to the sword, make sure your left hand is not on the tsuka, but upon the upper end of the saya. It is important," he continued sagely, "for your hand not to touch the sword hilt at all during the bow... refraining from touching the hilt is a symbolism of respect for the sword, the master, and the dojo."

He studied her seiza for a moment. She held her posture with perfect grace.

"It is similar, to how we hold the sword in our right hand when moving throughout the dojo. Because kenjutsu technique is taught with the right dominant hand, most students are less able to draw the sword when it is held in their right hand. And when you are sitting in seiza, place the sword upon the ground to your right side, with the hilt facing forwards."

Such may be true, but for now, he had a warm-up in mind, one with which she was quickly being made familiar. To hone her focus and spirit before training, he had recently increased the frequency of cutting exercises. He moved quickly to the edge of the dojo and dragged three tameshigiri cutting targets to the center.

Her sword is sent, but its edge bites slightly into the side of the target, knocking it askew of its wooden stand. The collision turns her sword aside, and there is a thump as the cut is halted within the bamboo of the target.

"A good spirit. Begin with your left foot back, your right forward. This will allow you to twist your torso. Turn slightly left when reaching for the sword hilt. Align straight at the hips when you attack. That power, in your waist... you want all that power in your sword."

He fixes the target, as much as it could be fixed, and decides it's still in good enough shape to be recycled.

"Again."

"Better. You are good at using your voice. If you are being attacked, you want people to hear and to investigate. Never be afraid to be loud," he said, praising her spirit. Miyoko's sword did much more damage this time, nearly managing to fell the target. One thing she might have noticed, though, was as her sword's blade accelerated, the tip met with some friction against the wood on the inside of the saya, due to the length of the sword, and having to draw it into a curved attack.

"But we're missing something. Your technique, there is a part of it that is holding you back."

"It could become even stronger. A sword cuts true, only if the path it takes through the air is pure. Your hasuji must not deviate," he said. "When the tip of your blade catches the inside of the scabbard when you are drawing, it upsets the angle of the blade very subtly. Your hasuji deviates, and your sword does not cut."

He nods, meaning for her to try once again.
"The sword is too long to pull from the hip. Place your left hand upon the upper end of the saya. With that hand, tilt your sword aside in your sash, so that its edge curves out to your left. From there, when your right hand is drawing, your left hand shall pull the saya backwards, simultaneously. This harmonious motion will be the essence of any battoujutsu."

She'd find that with the proper form, with more of her body's movements coordinated, the sword's edge would cut through the target, seeming to sail through the air and clip through the tameshigiri with a bit of jarring resistance. With a straight cut powered partly from her midsection, she'd find it took surprisingly little force for the katana to cleave its target.

"Much better. We'll work on this some more. Cut the other two."

"Very good. You look tense. Remember... always breathe. When you are holding the sword, grip the tsuka tightly with your last two fingers. The middle finger should be moderately gripped, with the thumb and forefinger almost hovering."
Lord Nobuhide took her by the hands to demonstrate, with her own fingers and sword, how best to grip the weapon.

"This will prevent your wrist from going too sore, and it will increase your range of motion."

He removed the targets from the dojo floor. They were now warmed up, and ready to begin.

"Very good."

He retrieved two wooden swords, known as bokudo, and offered her one. This was a tool she'd be familiar with since early childhood.

"Please stand, and bow."