Uchidachi assumes morote-hidari-jōdan, and shidachi chūdan. Both sides advance into ma-ai, and uchidachi, sensing an opportunity, steps forwards with the right foot to cut shidachi’s shōmen.
Shidachi, stepping backwards leading with the left foot, performs suriage with the left (omote) shinogi, and steps forwards again leading with the right foot to cut uchidachi’s shōmen. While stepping back with the right foot, shidachi raises their sword into hidari-jōdan to display zanshin.
When uchidachi begins to raise their kensen into chūdan, shidachi steps back with the left foot and lowers their own kensen to meet in ai-chūdan. Uchidachi starting with the left foot and shidachi with the right, both sides take three small steps to return to the centre, then lower their kensen and return to their respective starting location.
This kata was developed from the first form of the Butokukai kenjutsu kata, although there is not much left of the original today. Uchidachi’s attack was changed from a diagonal cut to the upper arm to a vertical cut to the head because the upper arm is not a valid target in modern kendō, and because of this, their sword is not in a position for shidachi to perform uchiotoshi and follow up with a tsuki. Instead, shidachi directly makes a decisive shōmen cut, and steps back into jōdan to show zanshin. In the Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kendō Kata, shidachi’s tate-jōdan was kept from the original Butokukai kenjutsu kata, as can be seen in this enbu by Takano Sasaburō-hanshi and Nakayama Hakudō-hanshi.
The execution of the men-suriage-men was copied from the fourth tachi kata of Takano-hanshi’s Tōkyō Kōshi Gogyō no Kata, where shidachi also steps back into hidari-jōdan afterwards but the kata continues instead of finishing there.
In response to uchidachi’s hidari-jōdan, shidachi raises their kensen towards uchidachi’s left fist. There has been some debate about what exactly this “anti-jōdan chūdan” should look like, and the committee responsible for updating the manual to modern Japanese in 1981 was split between two opinions: that the edge should be pointing straight down, and that it should be angled somewhat to the left. The latter version is consistent with hira-seigan from Ittō-ryū, from where this kamae was taken. In the end, the former faction appears to have scored at least a partial victory, for the final wording was amended to “the edge facing down” (刃先は下を向く) with the specification “straight” dropped from their proposed wording (真下→下). Perfectly clear.
The fact that the committee decided to relax the wording should probably be taken to mean that the edge does not have to be facing straight down, but in any event must not be angled significantly to the left like in hira-seigan. Since the kensen is raised and moved slightly to the right to threaten uchidachi’s left hand, the palm of the right hand will naturally turn ever so slightly upwards, wherefore it is actually a bit awkward to keep the edge pointing completely straight downwards. At the same time, shidachi must not make any conscious effort to angle the blade, so this small natural opening-up of the palm should be considered the acceptable limit.
Again, the choice of kamae follows the in’yō-gogyō system: uchidachi uses jōdan, the downwards-cutting kamae of fire with a strong in aspect; in response, shidachi chooses chūdan, the kamae of water, countering fire. Specifically, they use hira-seigan (or a modernised version of it), which threatens upwards towards uchidachi’s left hand, thereby strengthening the yō aspect of the adaptable chūdan.
When making the failed shōmen cut, uchidachi cuts to the height of shidachi’s chin, and then lets the sword fall through by its own weight into gedan. Extra care must be taken to make a large cut with a sufficiently long step, and not to look at shidachi’s sword.
During suriage, shidachi raises their sword until they can see uchidachi between their own arms. They must also take care that the suriage does not turn into a harai; the shinogi slides along uchidachi’s blade as the sword is raised above the head, and there is no sideways strike or sweep. The suriage and the following cut must be performed without pause or break of rhythm, and the kensen must not be allowed to drop before the cut1. When stepping back into jōdan to show zanshin, it is not explicitly stated anywhere that the kensen should first be lowered to between the eyes, but it is done in all exemplary enbu and exudes more zanshin.
If kendō is treated purely as a competitive sport, the practitioner may easily develop a strategy of waiting for the opponent to attack and then score a point through a quickly executed counterattack. However, this is not the spirit of kendō, and such a mindset will only get one that far: if one learns to use quick but imperfect counterattacks to score points against opponents of the same or lower level as oneself, one will be completely destroyed by a more skilled opponent who understands proper timing and is able to see through their opponent’s techniques. To foster good counterattacks, the fifth tachi form teaches shidachi to see through uchidachi’s men strike and evade it without breaking posture or rhythm, and subsequently to make their counterattack in the gap in their opponent’s rhythm when uchidachi’s own posture is disturbed. It is important for shidachi to execute the suriage-men without losing momentum, but through practice they can develop yoyū, the margin to attack without hurry. Uchidachi, as the teacher, plays an important role in helping shidachi do this, so they must execute their own attack correctly with sufficient attention to distance and timing.
Good news, everyone: there is no mention of jōdan, and the only requirement is for the kensen not to drop, so it’s technically still perfectly acceptable to strike from tate-jōdan. Be cool. Do it at your grading. Put the sunglasses on after leaving the enbujō. ↩