Uchidachi and shidachi both start in chūdan and advance into ma-ai. Uchidachi senses an opportunity and, stepping forwards lightly and turning the edge diagonally down to shidachi’s left, makes a two-handed thrust sliding in along the shinogi to shidachi’s chest area.
Shidachi, pulling their body back starting with the left foot in accordance with the length of uchidachi’s advance, pushes both hands forwards as if thrusting while turning the edge diagonally down to their own left, and uses the shinogi on the monouchi to support uchidachi’s sword. This action will naturally cause both kensen to rise somewhat.
Both sides return to ai-chūdan with equal kigurai. Uchidachi steps in with the left foot, and while stepping forwards with the right foot makes a cut to shidachi’s shōmen without regard for their own body. Shidachi steps forwards and out to the right with the right foot, and while stepping with the left foot and passing uchidachi’s body cuts uchidachi’s right dō. Continuing with another step with the right foot, shidachi places their right knee lightly on the floor diagonally forwards to their right and standing on the toes of the right foot, left knee raised. Both hands are sufficiently outstretched, and the sword is roughly horizontal on the same level as the hands and pointing diagonally to the front right, edge angled to the right.
During the cut, uchidachi will have lost eye contact with shidachi for a moment, but as soon as the cut finishes, they must restore eye contact. Shidachi must keep their eyes on uchidachi’s body throughout their own cut.
After a brief pause in a moment of transition, shidachi moves the sword into wakigamae and displays zanshin. Uchidachi straightens up and, while bringing the sword above their head in a large motion, pivots on their right foot and pulls their left foot back behind the right to turn towards shidachi. As uchidachi begins to lower their kensen into chūdan, shidachi likewise brings their sword above their head in a large furikaburi and pivots on their right knee to face uchidachi to the left, and lowers their own kensen into chūdan.
As shidachi continues by standing up while displaying strong fighting spirit, uchidachi steps back starting with the left foot, and the swords reach ai-chūdan. Without breaking connection, uchidachi and shidachi return to the centre point starting with the left foot.
Since nanahonme marks the end of the tachi kata, both sides assume sonkyo and sheathe their swords before returning to their respective starting positions and performing a mutual standing bow. In the event of continuing with the kodachi kata, uchidachi waits in sonkyo while shidachi is switching weapons.
Uchidachi and shidachi both start in chūdan no kamae, balanced equally between in and yō. This form does not appear to be based on any earlier kata, but the method of countering a tsuki with a counterthrust is used in the Tōkyō Kōshi Gogyō no Kata.
Being the last of the tachi kata, this form was meant to represent the pinnacle of swordsmanship and morality. Shidachi is now skilled enough to lure uchidachi into attacking in such a way that they are completely at the mercy of their opponent, and yet shidachi does not kill. Instead, shidachi achieves victory by showing uchidachi in no uncertain way that they could have easily killed them had they wanted to.
Upon reaching ma-ai, uchidachi makes a tsuki to shidachi’s chest area. In the discussions leading up to the 1981 revision, it was suggested to clarify that “chest area” referred to the solar plexus (suigetsu), as it was common for practitioners to aim the thrust too high. Although it was decided to keep the original wording, the tsuki must be made to the suigetsu in the same way as in tachi sanbonme, angling the edge down to the right in order to go around shidachi’s sword.
Shidachi’s counterthrust is rather different from the nayashi-ire of the third long-sword form, and in some ways its opposite. By angling the edge down to the left and pushing forwards and slightly upwards as if supporting the enemy blade with the shinogi from below, shidachi utilises the curvature of the blade to push uchidachi’s kensen off centre. It is stressed to “support” the blade because contact with the full shinogi and not just the edge must be maintained throughout the technique. Done correctly, this will cause both kensen to rise to around shoulder height, with shidachi’s kensen remaining in the centre while uchidachi’s is pushed aside.
As shidachi’s sword is returning to chūdan, uchidachi sees an opening to cut shōmen. The distance is too great to reach in one step, so uchidachi must step first with the left foot and cut on the second step. This sort of misute1 attack is dangerous, and may appear foolish. Executed well with strong seme, however, it can be quite effective. A good example of a successful such attack can be found in the third Butokukai kenjutsu kata, where shidachi forces uchidachi to retreat and block in a position from where they cannot gain the advantage.
Nevertheless, it was all a cunning trap set by shidachi. Because their sword was supporting uchidachi’s from below, as both return to chūdan, shidachi’s kensen will be slightly lower, inviting a shōmen cut. Stepping first with the right foot to the front right diagonal to get off the cutting line, shidachi cuts horizontally across uchidachi’s obi (or more likely tare during practice or a grading) while continuing with the left foot, cutting through as they pass uchidachi to end up with the right knee on the floor. In order not to lose sight of uchidachi, shidachi rotates their body during the third step using the left foot as a pivot, which is why the right and not the left knee is placed on the floor. As in all cuts, the left hand stays in the centre throughout the cut.
The important thing to note about shidachi’s dō cut is that it is not meant to kill or even injure uchidachi: it slices through only the outermost layer of the obi. The message could not be any clearer: shidachi had full power over uchidachi’s life and death, and made a conscious choice to spare them. This is subtly different to the kuraizume of tachi sanbonme, where uchidachi is forced into a corner and left with no choice to surrender; here, shidachi makes an unquestionably decisive attack, but with enough margin that they can make it a pure, powerful yet non-lethal, statement. After such a display, uchidachi would be a fool to do anything but surrender and be grateful that they are still alive.
With the final step of development in both proficiency and morality taken, mirroring the progression found in the first three kata devised by the Monbushō, this form fittingly marks the end of the long-sword kata.
身捨て; literally “throwing away one’s body”. ↩