Any women that practice tameshigiri? ...

[pgsmith]

Don't know if there are any women on this forum that practice tameshigiri with their iai. If so, how have you personally overcome the problem of things getting in the way on left to right kesagiri?

A young lady in my dojo is struggling with that, and I was looking for insights.

[yoda-waza]

Sports bra?

[pgsmith]

Sports bra?
So, you're now a woman that practices tameshigiri, or did you just feel that you had to throw your two cent's worth in despite the fact that you can't possibly understand the problem? :ermm:

[Inner_Silence]

...or he might have being really trying to help, and he didnt know he was gonna get bulled becouse of that...

[lucy]

...or he might have being really trying to help, and he didnt know he was gonna get bulled becouse of that...

Honestly, don't you think that any women would already have thought of wearing a sports bra?

Sorry for my post, just had to reply... I'm sure there is someone out there who can help.
I don't practice tameshigiri, at least not yet, so I can't.
But, what is so different between normal Iai and Tameshigiri?

[pgsmith]

...or he might have being really trying to help, and he didnt know he was gonna get bulled becouse of that...
If he was trying to help, perhaps he shouldn't have assumed that both me and the woman in question are morons and wouldn't have thought of something so patently obvious! If he was familiar with tameshigiri himself, he would have known that squishing them does nothing to help the problem I was talking about. So, he obviously knew nothing at all about what I asked, yet he felt that he had to reply anyway. Not helpful at all!

But, what is so different between normal Iai and Tameshigiri?
Mainly the cut directions. Straight downward (kirioroshi) is the predominant cut in iaido. When doing tameshigiri, the predominant cut is kesa giri. It starts from the same position as the straight downward cut, but ends with the hips and sword angled to the side. Everyone has a harder time cutting left-to-right kesa giri than right-to-left, because of the fact that the left arm ends very close in to the body. Women have additional problems because "nature's gifts to men" are exactly where the arm needs to go.

[lucy]

Mainly the cut directions. Straight downward (kirioroshi) is the predominant cut in iaido. When doing tameshigiri, the predominant cut is kesa giri. It starts from the same position as the straight downward cut, but ends with the hips and sword angled to the side. Everyone has a harder time cutting left-to-right kesa giri than right-to-left, because of the fact that the left arm ends very close in to the body. Women have additional problems because "nature's gifts to men" are exactly where the arm needs to go.

Thanks for the explanation, I just grabbed my bokken and tried it, I see where the problem is... :nervous: Honestly, no idea what to do about it. Pretty uncomfy, that's all I can tell. :wink: During my first few Iai lessons I also had similiar problems, even though I only did some basic suburi... Strange, must have gotten used to it.

Now I'm curious to see whether any women out there can help.

[rottunpunk]

ive only done tameshigiri once, and i sucked-i could only cut through a thin mat
but now i have an inckling of the ideas of hara and a bit more of an inckling on tenouchi, so it would be interesting to see how i fair
(darn shame im missing the christmas seminar :( )
anyhoos, as for bits getting in the way, i tend to open my elbows to go round them at the end of kirioroshi, i have a wide rib cage also, but i try to keep my elbows in as much as possible, so aim to hit or brush my ribs
only thing being that this results in me loosing correct grip also

i dont think i have any problems with kesagiri
do you mean cutting upwards or downwards or acrosswards?
my assumption is you mean upwards, in which case nothing gets in the way at all
my advice would be to find some way of adapting the cut some how
sorry i couldnt be more help
good luck in finding a decent answer
:p

[lucy]

i dont think i have any problems with kesagiri
do you mean cutting upwards or downwards or acrosswards?
my assumption is you mean upwards, in which case nothing gets in the way at all


I thought downwards, left to right?! Only then there is a real problem.

[rottunpunk]

hmmn true
in which case it should really be done like normal kiritsuke, the right hand just changes the direction of the blade
but yes, i can see why things would get on the way
perhaps twisting the hip more would help?
:p

[h2o]

in which case it should really be done like normal kiritsuke, the right hand just changes the direction of the bladeNow I have only done tameshigiri once, but we were then taught to do kesa giri in a way so that your left hand actually left center. And by kesa giri I am speaking about the downwards angled cut, not the ZNKR kata.