Guhapdo (Iaido) video; ilhyeong (ipponme)

[Daniel Sullivan]

I've posted enough video links of others which have garnered commentary on this site. I figure that if I am willing to put other's vids on the critique chopping block, I should be willing to put one of my own up.

Honest commentary is appreciated.

Daniel

 

[Ken Morgan]

Do you practice iaido as your main art?
Who is your iai sensei?

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Do you practice iaido as your main art?
Who is your iai sensei?

My main art is 'kumdo.' Where I learned, my sabeom taught a lot of different things that he had picked up. That one happened to be one of them. We did a lot of solo forms and partnered sets with the mokdo (bokken), as well as shihap kyorugi (shiai sparring, i.e. kendo).

Not a formal guhapdoin or iaidoka.

My main instructor was Master Choi and my former GM was Master Kim, Hee Wk.

Daniel

 

[Ken Morgan]

Sigh, Daniel I'm sure those few of us who do iai as our primary art would have many "pointers" we would like to give you, but at the risk of sounding like an absolute ***, what you are doing looks like what someone remembers iai being twenty years ago, and teaching that.

I looked around for some good video's and sadly the ones I'm thinking of i can't find. This one is not bad,

The ones with my own sensei has him in teaching mode and not proper iai mode. http://sdksupplies.netfirms.com/cat_video_download.html

I can list pointers of you like.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Sigh, Daniel I'm sure those few of us who do iai as our primary art would have many "pointers" we would like to give you, but at the risk of sounding like an absolute ***, what you are doing looks like what someone remembers iai being twenty years ago, and teaching that.

Okay. Is that bad? Indifferent? Something else?

I looked around for some good video's and sadly the ones I'm thinking of i can't find. This one is not bad,

The ones with my own sensei has him in teaching mode and not proper iai mode. http://sdksupplies.netfirms.com/cat_video_download.html

I can list pointers of you like.

Pointers are fine. That is why I posted it.

Daniel

 

[Ken Morgan]

No, I think you were taught iaido as it was taught to you.

Look at the videos I linked to, it should give you a fair idea of what I’m talking about. If you want to really do iai, find someone from the AUSKF.

OK.
- Do not grab the sword on the draw, push the sword out of the saya
- Your grip isn’t bad.
- The draw was way, way too fast. In the ZNKR and Shoden kata of MJER, you should be able to stop the attack at any time up until saya-biki. In the higher kata the stop point is much later.
- You missed your target on your nukitsuke. You are cutting across the forehead/chest of your opponent, which means you need to over compensate and draw/aim towards your opponents left(his right side, looking at hime, the left) shoulder, draw the sword, then cut across the face.
- The kirioroshi cut is very small, and did little damage.
- I’ve never seen that Chiburi done from a seated position before.
- You need to keep your sword on target at all times, during noto, keep your tip on the opponent

That’s off the top of my head. It would be much easier to show you in person. I’m sure Chris and Mark will be along shortly to agree and contradict my thoughts!

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

No, I think you were taught iaido as it was taught to you.

Look at the videos I linked to, it should give you a fair idea of what I’m talking about. If you want to really do iai, find someone from the AUSKF.

OK.
- Do not grab the sword on the draw, push the sword out of the saya
- Your grip isn’t bad.
- The draw was way, way too fast. In the ZNKR and Shoden kata of MJER, you should be able to stop the attack at any time up until saya-biki. In the higher kata the stop point is much later.
- You missed your target on your nukitsuke. You are cutting across the forehead/chest of your opponent, which means you need to over compensate and draw/aim towards your opponents left shoulder, draw the sword, then cut across the face.

Okay. Always thought it was a throat cut. Thanks!

- The kirioroshi cut is very small, and did little damage.
- I’ve never seen that Chiburi done from a seated position before.
- You need to keep your sword on target at all times, during noto, keep your tip on the opponent

That’s off the top of my head. It would be much easier to show you in person. I’m sure Chris and Mark will be along shortly to agree and contradict my thoughts!

Much appreciated!

Daniel

 

[Namii]

I have no place to really say anything other than Im learning quite a bit just from reading.

 

[Ken Morgan]

Okay. Always thought it was a throat cut.

No, though i'm sure in real life if that target presents itself, you take it.

Depending on which version of Mae you are doing, determines what your target is. Your opponent is facing you in seiza, as you rise, he does or does not, hence you target will change accordingly, forehead or chest. Either way you are driving him backwards, you don’t collapse after nukitsuke, you push forward, driving him back and then finally killing him with your kirioroshi cut.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Essentially, Master Choi taught me a lot of things that he had picked up. I have no idea how formal his training was in anything outside of kendo, at which he excelled. Like myself, he just loves sword work.

I had videos up of different forms previously, but those were GM Kim's forms for the federation that he had created. Now that I am no longer associated with him, I pulled those down.

I did not bill them as iaido on Youtube because I hold no grades in the art.

Daniel

 

[Ken Morgan]

That's very common, someone learned an art years ago and is asked to teach it years later, so they teach what they remember.

You obviously like iai, find someone who can teach you. Try here: http://www.auskf.info/index.htm

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

That's very common, someone learned an art years ago and is asked to teach it years later, so they teach what they remember.

You obviously like iai, find someone who can teach you. Try here: http://www.auskf.info/index.htm

I know of a place and am planning to visit, hopefully this week, but possibly next. It is the Shidogakuin (sp?) and is less than a half hour from home.

Daniel

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

If you don't mind my asking, what has changed in twenty years?

Daniel

 

[Ken Morgan]

If you don't mind my asking, what has changed in twenty years?

Daniel

Very little in the art. Depends on the school and on the teacher, slight variations, but they tend to be minor.


I would guess he isn't remembering everything he was taught, or trained for only a short period of time in the art. Iaido is about nuances, little things make a huge difference.


I mean no disrespect to you or your teacher, I just don't think you are getting the full story as it were.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Very little in the art. Depends on the school and on the teacher, slight variations, but they tend to be minor.


I would guess he isn't remembering everything he was taught, or trained for only a short period of time in the art. Iaido is about nuances, little things make a huge difference.


I mean no disrespect to you or your teacher, I just don't think you are getting the full story as it were.

No, you are probably correct. Probably a combination of time between Master Choi learning it and teaching it and when it was taught.

Also, guhapdo was part of what we were doing, but not all, so I wasn't getting the kind of fine detail that I was getting in other parts of the art. GM Kim did not do any of that material; he was strictly kendo.

Daniel

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Daniel in iaido everything is in the little details. Every nuance is important. Ken gave you some great pointers. My contribution would be to slow everything down and concentrate on each individual part. Think of them as "check points" where each one has to be right to go forward. Having an Iaido instructor go through this kata with you will help tremendously in refining what you are doing!

Most importantly is enjoying this form of training! It simply is great!

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Here is a quicktime movie clip of Nicholas Suino Sensei performing.

http://artofjapaneseswordsmanship.com/iaido/1.mpg

Notice the slow draw and precise movement. Each "check point" is met in this line by him. Though to be fair the line he practices and teaches is of course a variant within Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu.

Information on his teacher is found here: http://artofjapaneseswordsmanship.com/about_japanese_swordsmanship.php

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I thank everyone for their input and the links and videos! I also hope to hear from Chris and Mark. Surprised they haven't jumped in yet!

Daniel

 

[Chris Parker]

Ha, sorry my friend, I have had a few things keeping me from here the last two days or so....

Right. Critique, huh? Honestly, Ken and Mark are your guys here, as well as Brian, as Iai is much more their thing than mine. My tradition that features Iai is rather different, as well do look for dynamic and fast action. That said, I'd advise the same as both Ken and Brian here, mainly slow down and look to the tiniest of details. That said, if you want a detailed critique, I will provide one... but be fairly warned, there's a reasonable amount to go through....

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Ha, sorry my friend, I have had a few things keeping me from here the last two days or so....

Right. Critique, huh? Honestly, Ken and Mark are your guys here, as well as Brian, as Iai is much more their thing than mine. My tradition that features Iai is rather different, as well do look for dynamic and fast action.

Like yourself, the tradition in which I learned contained iai, but was not itself iai.

That said, I'd advise the same as both Ken and Brian here, mainly slow down and look to the tiniest of details. That said, if you want a detailed critique, I will provide one... but be fairly warned, there's a reasonable amount to go through....

I have been willing to post links to the videos of people whom I do not know and subject them to critique on this board. I should not consider myself above critique. Frankly, I welcome it. I am first and foremost a student of the arts.

I hold a fourth dan dojo degree issued to me by a self proclaimed ninth dan who 'created' his own federation that consists of his two schools (mine is no longer a part of his federation). My primary instructor was excellent and was driven off due to school drama last Christmas.

Needless to say, critique from you or others is not going to hurt my feelings.

My goal is to learn and membership on this board is, for me, at least, one of the means through which I can do so.

Daniel