Pattern Practice

Post date: Dec 29, 2011 2:32:33 PM

Farug had asked last weekend if I had any sword patterns that he could practice by himself at home with his bokuto.

The short answer was no, but that I would send him some links with patterns that he could practice.

I general you can take any iaido kata and practice it with a bokuto. And, you are certainly welcome to do them standing rather then sitting or squatting, and decompose them as much as you wish. That's what I have always done. That and just practising the basic cuts over and over.

Anyway, I had come across a series of videos that I think would be useful if you wanted to do pattern practice at home.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Learnthesword/search?query=101

This link shows the the "Japanese Sword 101" videos that Sensei Dana Abbott has produced.It's a kind of promotional material for his site "Learn the Sword".

I'll keep my opinions of this site/product and Sensei Abbott to myself, but think these videos will provide Farug and the rest of you with more than enough individual pattern practice.

I think most of the patterns are made up of kata from the Seitei set and Toyama Ryu (which i know next to nothing about. Anyway, sword is sword.

Here's a couple vids. You can find more in the above link.

[youtube]QNPqljQJ--0[/youtube]

[youtube]j3lkx6f2QbE[/youtube]