In this Issue - US Federation of Batto Do

In this Issue
 “Chance!” and “Challenge!” by Zach Biesanz
 2013 East Coast Tai Kai Winners
 Nukitsuke by Sang Kim
 Ranks and Responsibilities by Kevin Gerard
 Tatami Fever
by Noah Mitchell
 A Kohai Abroad
by Alex O’Dell
From the President
Hi everyone! Hope the new year is starting off
strong. I feel like I’ve finally recovered from
handling the 2013 Tai Kai. I don’t know how Elder
sensei has done it year after year. What a beast!
Although the Tai Kai was tough to handle, there
was so many great things that came out of it.
Whether it was new experiences, or seeing
veterans in a new situation, I enjoyed seeing the
event unfold. One of my favorite memories from
Tai Kai was seeing many of the Florida guys come
up to New York for the first time! To me, it felt
kind of like having my relatives come to my new
home.
This year, although there is no Tai Kai on our side,
we will be having some big seminar events in NY
and Florida. Just because there is no Tai Kai
doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our best to grow
and get ready for next year’s Tai Kai. Let’s do our
best and work at it! Cheers!
President/Technical Director of Training,
Sang Kim
Special thanks to Relentless Warrior Studios and Mike Femal for allowing us to use so many of
their superb photographs.
“Chance!” and “Challenge!”
Two Training Attitudes I Carry With Me Everywhere
by Zach Biesanz
In Byakkokan Dojo, we have two interjections that we use quite
frequently in class, but that are much less common in other contexts. A
sudden opportunity is greeted with “Chance!” and an unexpected
difficulty is saluted as “Challenge!”
“Chance!” most often comes up during gekken. Say you parry an
opponent’s strike and he finds himself overextended. Sensei might yell
“Chance!” to indicate that now is the time to strike, quickly, before your
opponent recovers his balance. Or maybe your opponent comes in low
but leaves his head exposed. “Chance!” Well… at least for an ai uchi if
you cannot dodge or parry the low strike. Also maybe a chance to give
him a reminder (read: whack on the head) not to leave himself exposed
like that just to get a hit in.
“Challenge!” is a bit different. We hear this most often in tameshigiri,
though it does arise in other contexts. Oh, the tatami wasn’t soaked very
long? “Challenge.” Your sword needs sharpening? “Challenge!” You’re
going to try to cut tombo on that tiny leftover piece of mat? “Super
challenge!” Essentially, it means that what you are about to do is more
difficult that it usually would be, but that’s ok because you’re going to
do your best, so go on, impress us! There is no need to curse your luck,
or the mat, or your sword. Just do your best and maybe you will discover
that you can do more than you thought you could.
Lately I’ve been thinking about kumitachi as a series of chances. The
Toyama Ryu kumitachi generally play out as pressure-strikecounterstrike. As shidachi, I think of the pressure phase as a time to
make uchidachi think, “Ah, now is my chance to strike.” Really, by
pressuring uchidachi to make the initial strike, shidachi creates for
himself a chance to evade and counterstrike. Developing an awareness
for opportunities and a reflex for pursuing those opportunities is
valuable outside the dojo, too.
“Chance!”can manifest in lots of ways, including meeting people you
think are interesting, learning a new skill from someone knowledgeable,
or helping someone who needs it. In 2012, I was approaching the end of
my first year at a job where I was really starting to hit my stride. I was
enjoying myself and was not looking to leave. However, I saw that there
was an opening for a job I have wanted, and built up my credentials for,
for almost a decade. Chance! I put in an application, went through the
interviews, and despite the extremely competitive state of the job
market, I got an offer. I plan to stay there for many years.
As I write this, I have a variety of challenges to face in class, not least of
which is learning to cut a perfectly flat suihei. I try not to get distracted
by how difficult it is to do such a seemingly simple thing. Instead, I
practice and think about it and experiment with it. Viewing setbacks as
challenges to overcome—rather than something that is unfair or
overwhelming—is a healthy and positive approach to adversity. It makes
some of the most trying parts of life much easier to endure. The key is to
remember what it feels like to take on a challenge and come out
victorious, what it feels like to find out what you’re made of. For me, on
top of working fulltime and an intense training schedule between aikido
and battodo, I’m writing a master’s thesis this year. My friends say I’m
crazy. I say, “Challenge!”
If you would like to know more about Byakkokan Doko, please visit our website at
http://newyorkbattodo.com/
2013 East Coast Tai Kai Winners
First Place
Second Place
Third Place
Shodan and Under
Robert Crook
Noah Mitchell
TJ Hara
Nidan/Sandan
Tract Snell
Kyle Kim
Robert Groce
Yondan above
Daniel Park
Henry Kim
John Boyer
Open Kata
Iai
Tameshigiri
All Levels
Nardu Deborah
Jennifer Hooper
Alberto Grossi
All Levels
Jason Hatcher
Antonio Fabre
Jason Loughran
Tameshigiri
Shodan and Under
Jason Loughran
Charles Choi
Nidan/Sandan
Hideo Murayama
Raphael Lee
Jordan DillonMaginnis
Yondan above
Mike Soriero
John Boyer
Shig Sando
Wakizashi
All Levels
Bob Lampp
Adrian Demoret
Jason Hatcher
Dodan
All Levels
Jason Loughran
Robert Walden
Daniel Park
Kumitachi
All Levels
Daniel Park
Robert Groce
Adam Taylor
Henry Kim
Alex Odell
Tracy Snell
All Levels
Daigo Isshiki
Jason Hatcher
Michael Shapiro
All Levels
Sherry Femal
Brad Slam
Rika Sato
Douglas Bradely
Glen Yancy
Hideo Murayama
Adrian Demoret
Stephen Peck
Shig Sando
Michael Edelson
Alex Odell
Daniel Park
Batto Kata
Haya Nuki
Team
Cutting
Gekken
All Levels
Grand Champion
Jason Loughran
Forth Place
Fifth Place
Matthew Odell
Douglas Bradley
Sherry Femal
Nukitsuke
by Sang Kim
One of the things we need to stress is Nukitsuke. Nukitsuke is the draw/cut that we do at the
beginning of every kata. When I watch people do kata, there tends to always be a weakness in
nukitsuke. Their two handed cuts might be strong, but if you ask them to try to cut with nukitsuke,
you’ll see many flaws emerge.
Some of the biggest problems in nukitsuke is hasuji itself. In kata, if you just get the blade out, then
kata is being done. That is incorrect. Hasuji is important in the first cut that makes contact with the
opponent. If the hasuji is not correct, then it does minimal damage to the opponent. Even more so
because it is a technique that is done single handed.
Second thing is the tip speed during nukitsuke. Most people cut nukitsuke with the tip trailing. If the
tip trails, there is no tip speed. If there is no tip speed, there is no weight behind the cut, that means
there is no extension. Those are all negative elements of the technique. If those elements were
applied to a two handed cut, there would be many corrections made by any instructor but you can
still make the cut work because you have a second hand to make up for differences.
Nukitsuke is one handed so proper tip speed must be generated. This is mainly done with the grip,
but that is a whole different article in itself!
Finally there is sayabiki (pulling the saya back during the draw). People might do sayabiki well during
kata, but if that person was told to cut from nukitsuke, sayabiki becomes very rare. If the sayabiki is
there, it usually happens after the sword has already come out of the saya, which makes nukitsuke a
two step process. If you two time it like this, then there will be a lack of speed as well as a chance of
you stabbing your own hand. So please be careful.
A good nukitsuke can be brought into play by practicing it during cutting. It is quite tough but through
cutting practice, you’ll understand what makes it work and it will make kata ideas much more
plausible. Hope this helps!
Ranks and Responsibilities
From my first year in Byakkokan Dojo up until the East Coast Tai Kai of
2013, I focused on self-improvement. There was little need for me to
share whatever knowledge I gained during that year with other new
students, since I was still a new student myself. Then Tai Kai came,
and the moment I became ranked in a couple of federations,
everything changed. Of course, I knew that going up in rank meant I
would have to work harder, but it was not until a month or two later
that I realized it was a lot more than that.
With more newcomers joining the dojo, there are even more
responsibilities. One responsibility that is fairly obvious is making sure
I am always up to par with my training, and awlays attempting to push
myself further. However, the second responsibility I've noticed got me
thinking about how selfish I've been.
While a dojo is definitely a place you can use to improve yourself,
both as a fighter and as an individual, it is also a place to help others
do the same thing. You are not there just for yourself, but also for
everyone else, especially the ones who are ranked lower than you.
This goes parallel with the aforementioned responsibility, but the only
difference is that there will be times when I am given the task to not
only teach what I know, but also to make sure my kohai are doing
their best at what they are learning. One can say that most of our
learning comes from mimicry. Therefore, if I show I am lacking,
chances are my kohai will adapt the same habits and mannerisms.
The results would be the whole dojo being looked down upon, not
just Sang sensei. I intend on not letting that happen.
Realizing these responsibilities a bit late, I have to admit, is a bit
embarrassing. The moment I was called "senpai" for the first time was
when reality hit me hard. Still, it was also a big reminder that I am
moving
on up. Sensei once mentioned about how he had to change the way
he does his kata during one Tai Kai, from somewhat of a fighting
situation to a method that he would demonstrate to his students. I
can't help but wonder if this is similar.
At any rate, I still plan on moving on up, and at the same time I will
make sure no one else below me is left behind. As sensei once
pointed out, we are one big, happy family after all.
By Kevin Gerard
Tatami Fever
In January of 2013 I experienced the onset of pain and stiffness in my left
hand that I initially attributed to arthritis. The symptoms seemed to be
localized in my 2nd MCP joint, and radiated up into my middle finger.
I am a career martial artist who attends an average of 25 classes per week;
orthopedic pathology is more or less perpetual, and I ignored my hand as I
would any other such negligible symptom. However, over the following
month, the pain became exacerbated to the point at which I could no longer
sleep.
In early March, I sought medical attention from my orthopedist, and
received a cortisone injection which did not help. By the end of the month,
the pain and edema were such that I could neither make a fist nor extend
my finger. Range of motion continued to decrease over the next few weeks.
I saw a surgeon who specialized in hands. He performed blood work and
diagnostic testing (including X-rays and MRI), and I was given another
cortisone injection, which again did not help. Diagnostics revealed acute
tinosynovitis, and the blood work exposed an infection. Upon further
testing, the exact type of infection could not be determined.
In mid-May I consulted with a different hand specialist in New York City, who
felt that surgery was necessary. I also saw an infectious disease specialist,
who, after further extensive testing, asked me whether I had traveled
anywhere in eastern Asia during the past year, as the infection (although still
unclear as to its exact nature) contained bacteria similar to those found on
that continent.
It was at this time that my wife recalled the tatami omote splinter I’d had
the previous December. I had forgotten about it entirely. In late December
2012, I had gotten a small mat splinter in my left middle finger as we were
rolling tatami omote in preparation for tameshigiri. A few minutes with a
needle and tweezers was all it took to remove the splinter, and I thought
nothing more of it. The infectious disease specialist agreed that a splinter
from a dry but bacteria-laden piece of mat could in fact have caused my
condition.
In early July, I underwent surgery during which a Z-shaped incision was made
from my middle fingertip to the middle of my palm. The tendons were
opened and scar tissue was removed. Areas of the wound remained open
for nearly 3 months, and a second surgery was recommended; however,
luckily the wound closed on its own shortly before that surgery was to have
occurred.
Recovery was slow, and to this day my finger remains stiff. I was always
careful to wash up after touching tatami omote, but never gave a thought to
the dangers of infection secondary to a splinter, or from getting dust into an
open cut. Following my recovery, I now always wear thick leather gardening
gloves when rolling, spiking, or touching tatami omote. I recommended the
same to my instructor and fellow students.
Participation in any martial art comes with its share of inherent dangers, and
most participants begin to take these dangers for granted over time.
Infection from used mats that come from other parts of the world is a peril
that can be easily avoided by taking simple precautions. It’s a threat that I
wasn’t even aware existed until it affected me; I believe that anyone who
practices tameshigiri should be made aware of this potential hazard.
By Noah Mitchell
A Kohai Abroad
I am a student from the Genbukan Dojo in White Plains NY, and I was asked to write
about my recent trip to Machida, Japan for the 2013 Tai-Kai. I have absolutely no
experience with travel outside of the country, and the term “culture-shocked” became
a very accurate representation of what I experienced.
Having never done a great deal of long-distance traveling before, the trip to Japan was
a bit more taxing than I originally anticipated. I arrived at the airport, and met up Sang
Sensei as well as a few other students from the Byakkokan dojo who were going to
participate in the Tai-Kai. With a short layover in Canada, it was only 14 hours until we
touched down in Narita Airport. After a few more hours of traveling, we finally
reached the building that housed both Hataya Sensei’s dojo and shop. It was roughly
10:30PM when we showed up and got to watch the end of a cutting class that Sensei
was teaching. After all the necessary clean-up was done and class ended, Sensei asked
us to get dressed into our training attire and warm up. Little did I know that after close
to 17 hours of travel from New York to here, we would be running Gekken drills until
close to midnight! We finally finished all the training, rolled out the futon mats and got
some sleep.
The week leading up to the Tai-Kai was a blur of day trips to ancient temples, futuristic
arcades and everything in between. The grounds of every temple we visited were
beautiful and you could lose yourself for hours just walking around. There were
numerous trips to different sword museums, each filled with some of the best forged
blades I have ever seen, as well as a trip to the Japanese National Museum to observe
the samurai exhibit complete with an original Masamune blade (truly an incredible
work of art).
Of all of the amazing things we saw and experienced that week, what really took me
off guard was the quality of food that you could count on everywhere you went. I do
not consider myself a foodie by any definition of the word, but I could really
appreciate the fact that you could duck into any hole-in-the-wall restaurant and have
the best bowl of ramen or pieces of sushi you’ve ever experienced in your life.
When the day finally came to head over to the large gymnasium that the Tai-Kai
planners rented for the event, we were all exhausted but extremely excited for the
idea of competing in Japan (some of us for the first time). The Tai-Kai itself was much
larger than anything we have hosted here in the states, and I noticed a many schools
that I was unfamiliar with. It was interesting to see such a gathering of practitioners of
different styles of swordsmanship all competing at the same tournament. The events
themselves are the standard ones we all compete in here, Tameshigiri, Kata,
Kumitachi, Etc. The event itself ran extremely smoothly. A local Kendo club did most
of the mat clean-up in exchange for free entry into the Gekken event. Most of the
events were no real surprise to me; with Kata and Tameshigiri graded the same way
they are graded here in the states, but it was Gekken and its popularity that caught me
off guard. The whole atmosphere around that one event made it seem like it was the
one competition to pay attention to, with most bouts being watched by essentially
everyone at the event. Starting at the semi-finals, the event jumped up a few levels
with all the combatants being suited in modified armor and using blunted steel blades.
It was surreal to watch these students fight each other under these conditions with
the entire venue (competitors and staff alike) watching.
Overall, the trip itself was great and I don’t have a single regret. For someone who was
worried about being a bit of an outsider in a country I have never been to, I never felt
for a second like I did not belong with the group I was with. Hataya Sensei and his
students made us feel at home, and every other student we encountered was nothing
but respectful and kind, which in the end made the whole experience one to
remember.
© Copyright 2014 by article authors except where otherwise credited.
© Copyright 2014 by US Batto Do Federation, All Rights Reserved.
By Alex O’dell