Tameshigiri...and food?

**Wraith** · 24th January 2012, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by Jonathan

Me and a few friends nursed a wounded tengu back to health and he's expressing his thanks by helping us out for a while.

How's it doing that then?

Originally Posted by Jonathan

I also work with 3 formerly licensed instructors from the Nami ryu, one of whom spent a few years traveling to NY to study Toyama ryu.

Ah I thought so, that would explain the short tsuka comment.

**Jonathan** · 25th January 2012, 12:24 AM

Originally Posted by Wraith

How's it doing that then?

Pretty much the same way any good teacher would: calling me on mistakes and helping me correct them. A lot of "not like that, like this".

Ah I thought so, that would explain the short tsuka comment.

While that's where I got introduced to the longer tsuka, they didn't invent the idea.
Coincidentally, a 12" tsuka would be perfectly scaled for my much smaller friend, so it isn't necessarily a specific set length.

Anyway, boy that Machii guy has great aim.

**Jonathan** · 25th January 2012, 01:59 AM

Originally Posted by Maro

As someone who practices Toyama Ryu, it would be interesting to see what your instructor thinks.

Hi Maro, hadn't forgotten your reply.

"Firstly, it is not a bullet.
Plastic bee bee is at 200 feet per second. about like an arrow.
Bullet is about 1200 feet per second......BIG difference. And this from a pistol not a rifle at 3,000 FPS.
That said, I observed his cut a number of times and he uses the same technique [REDACTED] is telling us about.
He is in constant peripheral vision and uses senses he has developed over time, as he cuts he does not look at the cut or try to see the pellet."

I showed him http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzhs1Z8Rwnk

Anyway, we're definitely not talking about cutting food at this point, and I sense a disturbance in the force. You asked, and I said I'd find out.

Best wishes.

**Anorymous** · 25th January 2012, 02:00 AM

I hope it's not too late to bring this into the conversation.

So far as I can tell, that's what Isao Machii is doing. I can't comment on how easy or hard it is, as I have never attempted it... Some of his cuts I think I could emulate, others I'm fairly certain I couldn't. But, even without reading the forum's opinions of him, I could tell that it was not a martial art. There's much more to that than sword trajectory, hence I'm not exactly awe-struck by him.