Hasso-no-kamae

[John W]

In the position of hasso-no-kamae, is the only option to attack when you lift the sword over head and strike men like kata no.4?

Also is hasso-no-kamae used often by other kendoka here with any success in keiko?

I read a little passage about this stance, it reads..

Hasso-no-kamae
"Also called the tree kamae, use it to attack your opponent after carefully observing and adapting to their movements."

I still cannot understand if this stance is defensive like gedan-no-kamae or an offensive stance like hidari-jodan-no-kamae.

:confused:

[mingshi]

Hasso... in Kanji, means "eight directions". Ideally you can cut 8 parts of your opponent??

I was told that Hasso was used in ancient combat. As the Japanese armors were quite bulky, especially around the helmet, it's relatively difficult to go up to Jodan/raise your sword above your head.

...but I'm not sure if this is the practical reason to use Hasso~

???

[Hyaku]

In the search for why we do these things in Kendo like Jodan and Hasso kamae it gets to an utterly confusing state in trying to compare them with older Budo. I think we just have to accept that they are modified versions of old techniques.

Principally we are confusing them with styles of swordsmanship that worked on cutting unprotected parts of the body such as into the neck, under the arms,wrists, under the chin, in between the legs, etc.

The practice of bringing the hands behind the head to cut from hasso all seems slow and strange to me. I have only ever seen it in Kendo related kata. But I am sure others must do it some form.

In doing this one is momentarily blinded by ones own sleeves when wearing Japanese clothing. One sees the use of tasuki for demonstrations in some ryu. But under normal circumstances this was not done.

Also cutting from either right or left hasso in older styles sees the hands raised so high that the lower wrist is tucked in and is higher than the ear. Cuts are directed up and forward. Body cuts sometimes finished in gedan. We never see arms straight and outstretched on completing cuts even in Iaido.

Much different to the adapted kata we now see.

Many thing to consider. Its fun to adapt and try things out if possible. But that's exactly what it is.

Gedan Kamae is defensive? That's news to me. I don't consider any kamae as defensive. Maybe Shinkage ryu as taught to people of high standing with the purpose of nullifiying the opponent?

Hyaku