"Horizontal Cuts are the Strongest!" ...THINK AGAIN!!

[@chocomalk]

I love how Sensei is super serious looking 99% of the time until he swings or does a technique and then you can see joy on his face.

[@Wyrmshield]

That's what I've noticed too. It's like every time he would land a killing blow if it were real combat, he smiles for the camera

[@ワンダフルバニーモヒロザ]

I think the sheer variety of situations considered in these Katas shows the history and the practicality of the ryuha. Previous masters of the ryuha at some point must have run into every single one of these situations, and came up with a Kata to be ready for it.

[@NemisCassander]

@@unrussleablejimmies4428 Mid-to-late 1600s? No, not really. Mid-to-late 1500s? Certainly. But the 1600s were the start of the Edo/Tokugawa period, which had unprecedented peace after the Senkogu Jidai. Especially by the mid- to late-1600s, as you say, there wasn't a lot of fighting going on.

[@helpdeskjnp]

I really love this channel. It’s opened my mind about many concepts and shown me a major flaw in what I was thinking about sword warfare before. Thank you!

[@HeinrichDorfmann]

Love this channel. I would never leave a negative comment. Thank you for sharing!

[@doombringer3498]

Hi, Shogo! Seki sensei do impress me very much. I am russian guy, not a practicing martial artist, but have seen a number of fights and several true fighters and warriors. And Sensei is definitely a highest grade of a warrior person. His skill reflects in his manner, tone, posture. In every way. Respect, thank you for your content.

[@mikkotoivonoja3187]

Always a pleasure to look at senseis techniques.... a real warrior

[@mountainwolf1]

After all of these beautiful Demonstrations I do not think seki sensei would have much trouble in old japan. He truly is a masterful swordsman and his timing is inspirational thank you for sharing your wisdom with us all godbless and be safe.

[@tx7140]

My dad is a master of the European pole weapon family (spears, halberds, etc.) I have yet to show him Seki-sensei's videos but I would love to see the two of them discuss techniques. They both have charismatic older man vibes that I think would be an amazing experience to be around. Also - I would love to see Seki-sensei's opinions on the use of shields - how would a samurai fight against someone using a shield?

[@danjager6200]

I would also like to see a video about using traditional techniques against shields.

[@HeyYouFromThatGame]

And I would like to see Seki Sensei's reaction to kriegsmesser (war knife)

[@danjager6200]

@@HeyYouFromThatGame my concern would be getting ahold of one. He is running a school and has expenses. If I were wealthy, I would donate some practice leather dussak and ship them. Sadly, I'm not.

[@jamesfrankiewicz5768]

"Before the energy is born, you stop the swing." That is actually a really eloquent way to express the idea in English! We use the same concept regularly in aikido, but, up to this point, I had not heard of a consistent way to phrase the concept that is easy to remember. I'm taking this phrase back to the dojo. Arigatō gozaimashita, Seki-sensei!

[@makukawakami]

In hand to hand Martial arts, that applies as well, sometimes even more effective than straight up blocking.

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

​@@makukawakami correct, in martial arts like boxing, this is usually called "Jamming" Even stuff like clinching with your opponent in order for their strike to not work is an application of this concept, and there are way more

[@makukawakami]

@@jestfullgremblim8002 if you think about it, combat sports is just applied physics.

[@joelmaltez9441]

Seki Sensei your foot work is too smooth. 4:54 I bet you can moonwalk.

[@mikerouch416]

I was trained to horizontal cut inside towards the body and turn the blade so you can push it off your body for two cuts. One towards your body the second being off of your body even if the opponent is right on you. The recovery from the second swings outside extension was drop/lunge forward pulling the handle towards your torso turning the blade forward and bringing your second hand to the handle. Was a dao form but seeing all this showed me how it works and why you have to keep it so. Cus anything else would fail. Thank you!

[@theclocktower3258]

Seki-sensei has been an amazing source of knowledge for my sword training! Idk what I would have done without this channel, it has opened my eyes to so much! Hoping that the sword videos I make will be even a fraction as informative and useful

[@ralfhtg1056]

Those who claim that horizontal strikes are the most powerful have literally no idea of human bodymechanics. The muscles in our back and in our abdomen are much better suited for vertical strikes, thus vertical strikes are much much more powerful than horizontal strikes. BTW, Shogo: great channel and great stuff your teacher and you present here. Keep it up!

[@jimanHK]

Simply beautiful

[@Book-bz8ns]

I'm waiting for my equipment to arrive from Tozando. I'll join classes for Jo staff soon

[@letsasksekisensei]

We are looking forward to seeing you soon!

[@kohikan5180]

There are countless techniques for a sword in its sheath, again we have seen some of those here. Perhaps a dedicated episode to that as well?

[@Queazyboot3]

brilliant video as always

[@Fuji-K.]

『何が強くて、何が弱い』という主張は間違っている事がよくわかる。 どの手段にもメリットとデメリットがあるので、それをよく理解して技を行わなければいけない。それが浅間一伝流での教えであり、ここにある全ての質問の回答でもある。 武を学んでいるすべての者が、自分のスキル、道具、状況について、どんなメリットとデメリットがあるか一つ一つ考えてみる事が大切だと思いました。

[@letsasksekisensei]

仰る通りです！

[@daverage4729]

15 secs in...Love that cheeky strike with the grip of the katana while its still in the scabbard.

[@Lindsay-g6u]

Fantastic video thank you ☸️🙏🇬🇧

[@2t44]

great ryuha great teacher great videos

[@tyrianknight]

Love this channel. お疲れ様です! Might we see videos about the Sai, Tonfa or Jitte? I am particularly fond of the Jitte, as there aren't too many videos of it on youtube, and I rarely see it in media, if ever at all.

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

Thank you.

[@chocomalk]

7:56 haha the look of surprise on his student is priceless.

[@lucashenry6281]

You’re using fewer muscles in the horizontal cut, and you’re still fighting against gravity. A horizontal cut still has a place though, look at the…krumphau (sorry if that’s misspelled). It’s an upward parry from the low guard, turning into a strike aimed at the head or neck.

[@CheapMessiah]

Whats the name f the other sowdsman? I hope to see him one day winning the demonstrations himself

[@THECHEESELORD69]

As far as I can tell (please correct me if I’m wrong) horizontal cuts are better when fighting in a western style, more specifically in armored combat, horizontal cuts are low and harder to block in full armor, and if you are using a mace or a heavy weapon it can crush ribs and break bones, of course it is far more effective to use vertical cuts and swings because they can hit the head easier, but can also be blocked easier, but that’s just what I’ve seen, and Europe developed different ways of fighting then Japan or Asia!

[@peralta8525]

Something I'd love to see, considering the past videos on the Kama, would be how Seki Sensei would fight with C-shaped western sickles.

[@NemisCassander]

Or what about a falx / falcata? Though I guess it's similar to the sakabatou.

[@lolmanboss]

Its cool to see how to defend with multiple weapons in this case.

[@snipertse]

Love sensei's countering techniques. I think almost every school has a series of kata countering horizontal strikes, especially swings from left to right, because it's dead obvious the opponent is targeting either throat, chest, or waist, and is easier to react with your right side. Not sure if everyone back in the days had the courage to read and counter right away, I think I would just back step for safe 😂

[@danjager6200]

At 8:35 through to the end, I can see value for rapier fencing. The parry and counter would be nearly the same.

[@williamwhitlock207]

Love your videos,

[@hengfashi6024]

as a fan of shikomizue I definitely appreciate the jo staff sequence!

[@SuperBuilder7]

I am interested in purchasing the Kama used in the video (or similar). How long is the handle of the Kama?

[@LafayetteCCurtis]

I’ve done very little Japanese sword stuff outside aiki-ken (and anybody knows _that_ ‘s not much in itself) but I’ve been studying with a HEMA club for a few years and what I’ve noticed is that beginners will often default to wide horizontal swings in unchoreographed fencing since that’s what _feels_ powerful to them before they’ve developed the appropriate kinetic chain for efficient cutting motions. Those cuts are much less efficient than the ones shown in this video and would also be much easier to counter.

[@GökhanÇelik-k9v]

Wonderful you are

[@mr-pouc273]

you guys should try to use a rapier, would love to see sensei's opinion on it

[@letsasksekisensei]

We will next!

[@Zenitchik_130]

After watching many video here, I came to a realisation that Tsukada-san not actulally being mentioned for his job in absolute majority of cases. Not only he himsef is very skilled, he also constantly being on reciving end of techniques shown/ It is quite dangerous, in many cases quite painful, but he still does it time and time again, so we viewers can see techniques in best way possible.

[@stampsu]

After couple years of HEMA I can pretty comfortably say (at least from my own experience) that no (real) strike, cut or thrust is objectively better than the other. They all have their benefits and they all can be countered somehow. What matters is when and how you do it

[@miqvPL]

it's biomechanics of the human body- two armed horizontal swings make your arms bend in a way that takes away your range and flexibility while leaving you open after the swing. Vertical and diagonal swings leave you in a much better position

[@gamithemighty5932]

i am curious how many ways there are to use a sword while it is in its scabbard... i couldn't help notice how reserved his sword is

[@nazirkazi2588]

Interesting isn't it?

[@jaha777jaha6]

Domo origato seki sensei

[@thegamephilosopher2214]

The only reason to do a mittelhau(horizontal or middle cut in the way described in your video but I'm a HEMA guy so I will use HEMA terms especially by ignorance of kenjusu terminology) is basically if you do the a transverse step/side step to get out o the way as you do it, but this isn't going to work at all times and will inevitably mostly end in hand hits or arm hits as opposed to more crucial attacks like to the body. Otherwise, one, and I know this from sparring, exposes themselves to all manner of counters that make the mittelhau not worth it.

[@KwizzyDaAwesome]

Kama techniques for October? Because harvesting, spooky, y'know. Also it's my husband's favorite and I know he's not interested in my PH Mair sickle/scythe.

[@TheGoodInquisitor]

Can you examine the Tenshinryu Hyouho validity for us in a new video?

[@zackgarvin7810]

Can we see some students sparring with each other?

[@edi9892]

How to deal with Banana cuts? Many blade related martial arts practice really nice, straight cuts, but beginners, cut in curves and at times, it can work as a feint, even though it was never intended as such...

[@TheSilence1]

footwork

[@LafayetteCCurtis]

In many cases I’d move in closer against such attacks. A crooked/curved cut will often land at a bad angle and turn flat, so even if I fail to parry it I could just counterattack with relatively little risk of serious injury.

[@hiddenbunny7205]

"what if..." are people who practice a kata without knowing what it is supposed to train

[@JonathanParsons-n8l]

How do i sign up for the classes

[@KateJohn2013England]

🎄🎅🙏👍☃️🎄

[@oubliette862]

what sorts of things might a student do that irritate Seki sensei? over the years a lot of people have asked me to teach them, and I always decline because I don't feel qualified. no matter how much I learn I still feel inadequate. especially when I compare myself to people like Seki sensei. I've never been one to seek out weak opponents. I find defeating those that have advantage over me very appealing.

[@Rev_J]

Wincing at using a saya to block. Look at all those notches along it. $100s for a replacement.

[@NaniAgassa17]

Am I the only one who saves all of Seki sensei’s videos 🤣 ?

[@dwainmolinaro2350]

As effective as it may seem...there still appears to be room for the opponent to harm u with the top most part of his blade even if u block with the sheath of your sword as a counter ...in my opinion .

[@Scandic45]

It's like cutting wood you need to have an angle on the blade to get maximum of energy to cut. You see people try cut straight down and the wood absorbs the energy if you cut diagonally you get more energy spread. same with with most blades not all. ^^

[@64Rosso]

Onegaishimasu, Shogo san: isn't that a bit short for a jo? Hanbo will be correct too?

[@mudwalkers8338]

In the Kenjutsu kata where Seki Sensei lured uke to attack his waist and then struck uke’s sword down, why attack the waist and not the neck? (Ignoramus here. Honest question. 🙏🏼)

[@GökhanÇelik-k9v]

Huge

[@santoshgujar5237]

✨🙏🌺✨

[@santoshgujar5237]

✨🙏✨

[@JustClaude13]

I'm shamelessly stealing these principles to develop an ogre fighting style for my fantasy story. I'm having a lot of fun. One question. On the jo against swing defense, what happens if the attacker withdraws as the defender slides along the blade? Does the defender follow with a thrust before the sword can gain space?

[@hypnoticskull6342]

I have a question. What does Seki Sensei think of bare handed styles against weapons?

[@letsasksekisensei]

He didn’t think of it, there are techniques of it in his style that has been brought down!

[@hypnoticskull6342]

@@letsasksekisensei Okay, thank you. I've always been fascinated by the idea of bare handed martial arts vs weapon martial arts

[@vandal9719]

what about diagonal attacks from untrained opponent...it seems stupid but they are hardest to avoid and counter 😅

[@strongskull9160]

We always see a kata when the jo or the bo user is the winner what about a situation when the sword user is the winner?

[@jenbliss1185]

Forget about horizontal strikes, kesa cuts, or stabs; maybe the staff is the strongest weapon of them all.

[@peakexperience01]

Think of this KAta as being boxing. Mr. Seki avoids the opponent's preemptive punch and hits the counter punch. It is inevitable that the sword side this time was defeated. It should be considered that he underestimated Mr. Seki's ability and attacked him because he attacked very easily. The first surprise attack method was a mistake.

[@ayhcenkard2965]

Chain knife/rope dart?

[@evloh]

So why doesn't the katana wielder just stab? I've always wondered this when seeing all these moves starting from high, low or to the side... wouldn't you be able to just make a quick jab at them before someone could move their sword from so far away?

[@kohikan5180]

There are counters to thrusts as well. We have seen some here. Perhaps an episode dedicated to thrust counters?

[@user-kh7kking]

it is possible to stab with a katana, but it take risks. In japan, stab is also said to be the ``sword of death.'' That is, if you are dealing with multiple enemies, even if you decide to ``pull'', This is because there is a concern that a sword that has entered an enemy's body may not come out and be cut by another enemy.

[@SpecJack15]

I practised kenjutsu before and I can tell you that thrusting attacks are very easy to counter using a katana. We do not encourage thrusts as a primary technique for attack as it can be easily deflected, sidestepped and countered by an opponent who spent any amount of time with a sword. Thrusts also leave you open to attacks from other directions and is therefore not a good primary technique, it is usually a secondary or even last-ditch technique when you're in a pinch.

[@letsasksekisensei]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/r37WmaWfndJki8ksi=u_sKfOLv_vpLwsWq That is a question we’ve already answered in a previous video!

[@evloh]

@@letsasksekisensei thankyou so much for the response! I posted a further question on that video! I really love what you are doing with these videos :) I actually was injured ands then covid happened, but my friend has been trying to get me to join his school for sometime and these videos have really amped me up to go!

[@mikecardwell5793]

Wasn't that a hanbo and not a jo staff?

[@letsasksekisensei]

In our Ryuha we call it a Jo too

[@mikecardwell5793]

@@letsasksekisenseiThank you

[@Vespyr_]

I think common sense states vertical (downward) cuts are strongest, just due to the nature of gravity no? 🤔😅

[@Vlad_Tepes_III]

Wouldn't the descending diagonal cut from the wielder's top right to bottom left be the strongest, due to how human biomechanics work? The descending vertical seems like it would be a close second, however.

[@asahearts1]

I think they think that way on japan due to people being longer vertically. So "strong" here means something more like "effective." For a vertical cut, it's easier to step out of the way with little movement, while you can't really fly or duck under a waist level cut and it effects a big area. Edit: Rewatched the video, and I think the reason the horizontal strike here is seen as strong is that it travels a lot of space and engages the whole body.

[@kohikan5180]

People keep commenting on strongest cuts. Perhaps they need to review the episode that shows strength or force is not key to a sword strike. The pressure needed to pierce or cut flesh is quite miminal and one's goal is to disable or end the opponent with minimum effort.

[@asahearts1]

@@kohikan5180 Yes, plus in the video they're referring to the perceptions of a hypothetical third party.

[@letsasksekisensei]

🎫Purchase Your Ticket to the Annual Asayama Ichiden Ryu Training Camp in Japan: www.patreon.com/c/lets_ask_sekisensei/shop ⚔Join the Online Kobudo Training with Seki Sensei⚔ Sign Up HERE (One Lesson FREE): www.patreon.com/lets_ask_sekisensei Interested in taking lessons directly from the 22nd headmaster of Kobudo Asayama Ichiden Ryu, Seki sensei? Sign up to learn authentic samurai skills with 400 years of history with perfect English interpretation from Let’s ask Shogo (kzbin.info). ❶ No previous martial arts experience is required; you can catch up anytime ❷ Every lesson will be RECORDED and will be available to rewatch anytime ❸ You can ask Seki Sensei questions about the techniques and samurai culture/history ❹ You can join even if you belong to another Ryuha style ❺ You can receive OFFICIAL DAN RANKS by taking exams online (and opening a DOJO in the future) 🛍Purchase the Equipment You Need for Training: tozandoshop.com/letsaskshogo🛍 🗡Iaitō (training katana): tozandoshop.com/collections/habahiro-heavy-weight-iaito/products/byakko-tenryu-semi-custom-iaito?variant=34479502164101 *🗡Bokutō (wooden katana) with plastic Saya (scabbard): tozandoshop.com/collections/iaido-bokuto/products/the-nyumon-iaido-beginners-set 🥋Dōgi and Hakama: tozandoshop.com/collections/kendo-uniform-sets/products/basic-synthetic-kendo-uniform-set-1?variant=39417538216069 🥋Inner Obi (any color): tozandoshop.com/collections/iaido-obi/products/cotton-kaku-obi?variant=34282096230533 🥋Outer Obi (must be WHITE): tozandoshop.com/collections/aikido-obi/products/white-aikido-obi?variant=34120442413189 🦯Short Jō staff: tozandoshop.com/collections/polearms/products/4-21-shaku-jo?variant=39604823195781 🦯Long Jō staff: tozandoshop.com/collections/polearms/products/5-shaku-bo?variant=34073586106501 🧐Frequently Asked Questions About Our Online Lessons: Q❓: I have no experience with katana. Will I still be able to catch up? A💡: You don’t need any previous katana martial arts experience to participate in our lessons. Seki Sensei, the instructor of the online lessons, will carefully instruct you on how to handle the katana regardless of your level. You will also be able to access all the videos of the past lessons so you can watch what every other student has learned. You can also send us videos of your progress, and Seki Sensei will be happy to give you feedback. Q❓: What is the right length of the Iaito (zinc alloy training katana) I should use? A💡: Please purchase an Iaitō at least two blocks longer than the standard length. The standard length for Seki Sensei is about 177cm, so he should use a 2.45 Shaku long katana. However, he uses a 2.6 Shaku-long katana that is supposed to be used by someone 190cm tall. If the katana is too short, it becomes too easy to draw, which is not good for training. Q❓: Can I join even if I belong to a different Ryuha style? A💡: Yes, it’s not a problem at all. The Seki Sensei himself has trained in more than five styles and various other weapons. If you don’t want others to know that you are participating, you can join the online lessons with your camera off. To have the Sensei check your progress, you can send us a video of you practicing. 🗡Join the Online Iaido Training with Seki Sensei🗡 Sign Up Here (One Lesson FREE): www.patreon.com/sekisenseiiaidotraining Interested in taking Iaido lessons directly from the 8th Dan Iaido Master with 40 years of experience in Musō Shinden Ryu, Seki sensei? Sign up to learn authentic samurai skills with perfect English interpretation from Let’s ask Shogo. ❶ No previous martial arts experience is required; you can catch up anytime ❷ Every lesson will be RECORDED and will be available to rewatch anytime ❸ You can ask Seki Sensei questions about the techniques and samurai culture/history ❹ You can join even if you belong to another Ryuha style 💻Seki Sensei's Official Website💻 sekisensei.com/ 🎵Original Opening Theme Song "Hyakuren"🎵 Performance: Hanafugetsu (Singer/Suzuhana Yuko, Shakuhachi/Kaminaga Daisuke, Koto/Ibukuro Kiyoshi) Compositions & Arrangements: Suzuhana Yuko Mixing & Mastering: Watabiki Yuta ❓What is Asayama Ichiden Ryu? / Who is Seki sensei?❓ kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJKlfKCNoq-jgNk 📱Instagram📱 instagram.com/lets_ask_sekisensei/ *Please ask us questions through the DM here #katana #iaido #kenjutsu #kobudo #asayamaichidenryu

[@dannydagerous]

hi

[@dissailo361]

Honestly to really prove something is effective just use it in sparing honestly show us seki sparing someone.

[@oubliette862]

I've seen plenty of old Japanese swords and there seems a discrepancy between techniques and practice, or real-world use. that chopping technique he used there, where the edge of Seki sensei's sword hits the spine of his opponents. that would damage the blade. from what I've gathered that would be avoided. he wouldn't do that with a real blade would he? I thought Japanese swordsman avoided crossing their blades as much as possible when they actually used them. I can usually tell when a sword has seen combat even if it's been fixed and repolished.

[@LafayetteCCurtis]

We have an example of a preserved katana with a chip off the enemy’s edge stuck in its back (mune). In a life-or-death fight the survival of the sword takes second place to the wielder’s own survival and a chipped edge wouldn’t have been a big deal if the sword remained intact enough until the wielder was safe. But more importantly, if you look at the technique more closely, there may be hints that it was originally targeted at the opponent’s hand or forearm rather than the sword. I’d speculate that it’s demonstrated as a cut to the sword to spare the teki/uke’s hands but the actual application would go directly for the hands/arms.