Differences between the Japanese Sword arts?

[Hyoho]

Yes nugu is from the verb to take off. My Ryu just holds the blade point lowered until zanshin is finished. We have never done chiburui so see no point including it now. The earliest notes I have on Embu procedure are from 1850. Sword etiquette is also done before we enter an area. Choken Battojutsu Kageryu. Renmei that do tameshigiri use the method you describe of a cloth in the keikogi.

 

[Chris Parker]

Thank you for the clarification. I've seen a clip (since removed) of Kage Ryu Batto... very impressive! I'm also aware of a number of Ryu that don't use chiburui, such as Tatsumi Ryu, Yagyu Seigo Ryu etc, and I agree that it shouldn't be added "just because". Systems such as Sosuishi Ryu use chinugui, I'm aware of them doing tameshigiri, but not that that was the reason for the chinugui, as it's also done (more ritualistically, sans cloth) in their regular Iai (Koshi no Mawari).

 

[DEvanHall]

It makes sense that shaking off the sword is more a way of returning to "normal" after an extreme event. Many of the arts were interwoven with the religious values of the era and place, so I wouldn't doubt there being an emotional/spiritual meaning to the idea as well, followed by reflection and meditation.

 

[Chris Parker]

Yeah... but again, it really depends on the art in question. I am familiar with a number of Japanese sword arts that have alternate applications of their Iai waza as being Shinto-related, but then again, I'm familiar with others that have little to no influence in that regard at all... some that have great Buddhist influence...

You can't really say "this is why this is done" in anything other than a very general fashion, unless you're saying "this is why this is done in this particular system".

 

[Ken Morgan]

Without trying to bait Chris, which at times is ridiculously easy to do….
There is no real difference between the sword arts.Period.
Just. Go. And. Practice.
Chiburui is impossible. One can never shake off congealing, clotting blood and body bits off of a blade. Hell, try it with water, you can’t dry a blade by shaking water off. In reality, you are getting the blade away from your clothing, which is likely covered in gruesome bits too, keeping it out there, taking an old dirty rag and field cleaning off your blade. In a battle you’d not put it away anyway, and if you did put it away with some blood on it, so what? Clean it when you take a break, later pop down to the shop and buy a new saya.