Hayasuburi is the technique of executing vertical strikes in the air. Two more groups of Japanese sword fighting iai techniques are the iwaza, which involves attacking while sitting, and tachi waza, which is used to attack while standing. The basic strikes in kendo are do-uchi (a strike to the body), mein-uchi (a strike to the wrist), and kote-uchi (a strike to the wrist to disarm the opponent).Ī quick-draw move of iaido is the nukitsuke, which involves drawing the blade to cut and place the sword back in its scabbard. The maki waza technique of Japanese sword fighting, involves connecting the shinai with that of your opponent’s, and spinning the shinai in a 360-degree angle. While practicing kenjutsu or kendo, the harai waza technique is used to flip the opponent’s shinai (wooden sword) with your own, and then strike him. The swing is executed by positioning the sword behind you, and making an arc to cut your opponent. The most basic move is the forward slicing cut, that begins from the overhead position until it makes contact with the opponent’s shoulder or head. Japanese sword fighting advocates the practice of one-sword as well as dual-sword techniques. Having said that, there are many styles that encompass Japanese swordsmanship, like Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu, Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu, Ono-ha Itto-ryu, Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, Jigen-ryu, and Tamiya-ryu, to name a few. You practice with a wooden sword, shinai, or bokken. It has 3 basic styles – kenjutsu (Japanese way of the sword), battoujutsu (art of drawing the sword), and iaijutsu (a quick draw technique). Japanese sword fighting focuses on one-on-one fights. Shift your weight in such a way that it’s concentrated on the balls of your feet, which gives you the advantage to move to either side at a moment’s notice. The sword should be held in the hand that corresponds to the trailing foot, and should be kept with the blade edge down. The feet should always be at a 30-degree angle, while the hips are cocked slightly to give support to the shield. Most of the moves are based on stances and quick sword attacks.
This is a Medieval form of fighting practiced with a broadsword and shield. In this manner, the attacker is pushed back, and the defender retains his position.Ī circle parry is a move in which the sword is bent in a circular manner to catch the tip of the attacker’s sword and deflect it. The defender either strikes back using a lunge or a parry.Ī parry is a counterattack to lunge, and lets you block the attacker with his sword. Defensive MovesĪ riposte is counterattack made by the defender after a lunge. It is commonly countered with a circle-parry.Ī remise is a second attack after the first has been parried or deflected.Ī flick is a technique used to bend the blade so as to strike the opponent.Ī beat Attack aims to beat the opponent’s blade continuously, and attack the target area with the intention of disturbing the opponent’s aim. The feint is a move in which you provoke the opponent into lunging or making a mistake, so you can attack first.Īn attack is a thrusting attack made by extending the front leg, and propelling the body forward with the back leg.Ī disengage is a move used to trick the opponent by attacking a specific target, and moving in a semi-circle arc to attack a different area. The lunge is the most basic move, and involves attacking the opponent by taking a step forward in a striking form. Now, fencing exists as a competitive sport in the Olympics, where the person landing the first strike is awarded a point. The main weapons used in fencing are the saber, foil, and épée.Īlthough fencing has been glamorized by Hollywood, and popularized by actors like Antonio Banderas and Errol Flynn, it was actually aimed to kill. This martial art taught only to the aristocrats. It was a technique brought to England by Domenico Angelo. Fencing, although now known as a sport, was a deadly martial art practiced by the Spanish and Italians.