During Inyo-Shintai version 2, is the third technique a cut or a block? Which side of the blade faces out? I'm asking because my instructor was taught two ways from separate sources and actively does both because he himself is not sure. Can anyone verify this for certain?
The way I was taught Sakate (not sure about spelling here) Inyo-shintai was to treat that part as a block. As for the blade orientation its a bit hard to try and explain in text, and I am not experienced enough to go into too much detail. I guess the simplest way would be to say you are blocking with the side of the blade so the edge is facing foreward and slightly to the left. Someone more experienced will have to explain in more detail. Hope that helped. Matt
I believe Gyakute Inyo Shintai is the MSR name for the kata, and MSR practices with a cut instead of a block. However, I practice neither art so I cannot tell you for sure. I remember hearing something about it from a long while back on iaido-L though. Well, it bugged me so I tracked it down. Here's the original post on iaido-L about it from Kim Taylor. (From 1994! God I'm getting old!) http://listserv.uoguelph.ca/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9408&L=iaido-l&P=4451 Hope that helps, but I feel it will just muddy the waters. There are many MSR and MJER practitioners around, so hopefully an experienced exponent of one of those will help you out.
Interesting read, the MSR kata discussed in the digest is Inyo-Shintai, so kata number 5 in the Shoden Set. That kata has a horizontal cut for the second nukitsuke. In Gyakute Inyo Shintai, Kata number 11, the second nukitsuke is very similar to the description of the block in MJER Yae Gake, so instead of a horizontal cut, the tip is directed down to and to the right to protect your right foot.
Listing MJER/MSR Seiza no Bu waza, a.k.a. Shoden level or Ōmori-Ryū Waza: 1. Mae - Shohattō 2. Migi - Satō 3. Hidari - Utō 4. Ushiro - Atari-tō 5. Yaegaki Omote - Inyō Shintai ... Yaegaki Ura - Gyaku Inyō Shintai* 6. Ukenagashi - Ryūtō 7. Kaishaku - Juntō 8. Tsukekomi - Gyakutō 9. Tsukikage - Shinchūtō or Seichutō 10. Oikaze - Korantō ... MSR #11 - *Gyaku Inyō Shintai 11. Nukiuchi - (MSR #12) Battō or Nukiuchi The names on left are MJER specific, names on right are the previous naming convention also used as the MSR standard. In the Chuden level, all ten techniques are named the same in both styles (MJER/MSR) then within the Okuden level there are (sometimes) different names. Just to confuse us Westerners, eh? I use to spend too much time thinking about this, but you have to understand almost all these "core waza" have a least one (standard) variation to learn as you progress upward - known as kae waza - and sometimes more than one kae waza. It's just dealing with "what-if" scenarios - or distance/timing variations with your opponent(s); along with specific lineage/headmaster preferences which also impacts what "other sets" are to be learned and when. Work on your basics and learning to move and cut correctly, the waza collecting comes later. That's what I'm told... again and again. And one day I will finally listen!
I've always studied inyoshintai kaewaza with a block using the mune which requires a partial rotation of the toshin on release from the saya.
