Iaido curriculum

An explanation of the kata names in Iaido

The following is provided to assist people in understanding the meaning of the individual kata names in Iaido. Typically the ZNKR Seitei Iai names are reasonably modern, simple and self-explanatory. The names within the koryu can sometimes be derivatives of older names and the original meanings may be lost in history and altered through the lineage. 

ZNKR Seitei Iai

1. 前　Mae: This simply means "front" or "forwards". In normal language, saying "(something ) no mae ni" means "before (something)". It is almost certain though that this kata name, derived from the Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu (MJER) line, means "front" to indicate where the enemy is sat and where the exponent is drawing to. The Chinese reading of this character is "zen" and is found in terms such as "zen shin chuu" (while walking forwards) in the ZNKR manual.

2. 後ろ　Ushiro: This means "behind". Again in normal language, saying "(something) no ato de" (ato being another reading of ushiro) means "after (something). This kata name is also derived from the MJER line kata and means "behind" to indicate where the enemy is sat and therefore where the exponent must turn to face and draw to.

3. 受け流し　Ukenagashi: This is made up of two words ukeru meaning "to receive" and nagasu meaning to "make flow off". Ukeru is the same character as the name of the role Uke found in other grappling martial arts such as Aikido.  Nagasu is a transitive verb, the intransitive of which is "nagaru" meaning "flow". There is an important distinction in the construction of this word in that although the word is made up of two verbs, they are not connected using the -te form thus this kata does not mean to receive in one instance and only then to make flow off but instead to receiver and make flow off in a combined, fluid movement. 

4. 塚当て Tsukaate: Tsuka refers to the handle of the sword. Ate is the nominalisation of the verb ateru meaning to hit or contact. It is the same  use ate used in kata no.8 as well.

5. 袈裟切り Kesagiri: The kesa is a monk's stole which was hung from one shoulder diagonally across the body. It has become something of a commonplace term to say  to refer kesagake to any piece of clothing hung from the shoulder. The reference is here is the fact that it runs from the shoulder, across the chest, more or less finishing at the hip. Giri is the compound of the verb kiru meaning to cut. It may be of interest that modern texts, such as those for ZNKR iaido, use the kanji 切 which is a neutral word meaning simply to make a cut whereas in older texts, such as those used in koryu, use 斬 (compounded from the radicals meaning wheel and axe) which specifically means to cut and kill using a sword. It also contains the meaning to behead.

6. 諸手突き Morotezuki: The term moro means "both" and is fixed to te meaning "hands".  Zuki is the compounding of the word tsuku meaning to thrust or stab. It should be noted that this compounding ensures that the pronunciation is zuki (like saying "zoo key") and not tsuki. This is confirmed in the Japanese version of the ZNKR manual where each kata is labelled with its respective furigana (phonetic captioning) and is for the same reason that, for example, kesagiri is pronounced that way and not kesakiri.

7. 三方切り Sanpougiri: Sanpou means three directions and -giri is the compounding of the word kiru meaning to cut.

8. 顔面当て Ganmenate: The ganmen refers to the face (both kanji actually mean "face"). Ate, like kata no.4 means to strike or contact.

9. 添え手突き Soetezuki: Soeru means to accompany, support or reinforce. It is compounded with the word te meaning "hands". Again zuki is used as a compound of tsuku meaning to thrust.

10. 四方切り Shihougiri: Shihou means four directions-giri is the compounding of the word kiru meaning to cut. Shi is only occasionally used in Japanese to mean four as it is a homonym of "to die" and so is avoided use in many circumstances.

11. 総切り Sougiri: Sou means general, whole and full and -giri is the compounding of the word kiru meaning to cut.

12. 抜き打ち Nukiuchi: Nuku means to draw (as in nukitsuke) and Uchi comes from the verb utsu meaning to strike. In fact the word nukiuchi has a few meanings in Japanese generally and a multitude of applications in iaido. In general Japanese it measn to draw and attack with a sword in the same stroke. Additionally it means suden and without warning. For iaido applications, it also refers to a technique used in this very kata to bring the sword instantly into a pre-cut grip as soon as sayabanare occurs. It is then used also for the names of several kata in Muso Shinden Ryu.