Roshukai Ireland Iaido

Japanese Swordsmanship by Don Draeger, great historical information, Seitei Kata 1 to 10 explained alongside photographs.
At the start of the book he shows the correct grip of the Tsuka,as performed by Otake Risuke, showing where the left little finger is off the Kashira.After this we see the Seitei Kata grip, performed by Mitsuzuki Takeshi with the more common closer grip.
Otake Sensei explains in greater detail why Katori Shinto Ryu uses this grip in his own books however most schools, our own MJER uses the closer grip.
Small differences, different reasoning, hopefully same results...
As always, happy to hear other opinions.

A strange position, using the sword in a close situation.How deeply you cut is determined with how you visualiise where your imaginary opponent will be.
We do practice going very deep to have the flexibility if it was actually needed.

Photo by Chris Martin.

Nukitsuki, there are many variations, speed, intensity, target etc. It is likely the first thing we are taught in Iai and is our most practiced technique.
It may be our most important defence ,Sen Sen No Sen.

The Japanese sword, practicality and beauty from the fittings to the blade.

Makino Sensei, from Chiba, he was a great teacher, he trained intensely alone, even as he was in his early 80s at the time.He was deeply interested in applications to the forms.His skill with how to use your body was inspiring, I believe his Karate training helped with his own Iai and teaching Iai.When he heard I was a Karateka as well he did some Karate with me.The translator was also a Karateka so we were all doing Sanchin , with Katana in our Obi, fun times, while I was trying to be strong and getting whacked.
Although not my style, I told Sensei that it was Shotokan that I studied, and his reply was that he used to do Shotokan prior to starting his Goju Ryu training,I asked who his teacher was , Chojun Miyagi was the reply.He knew many things yet when Iwata Sensei spoke about the school he listened intently, like he was just starting out.
Dedication can last a lifetime.

We are called Roshukai because our Sensei, Iwata Norikazu Hanshi named his teachingsRoshukai.
He spent most of his life practicing with the Deshi of Oe Masamichi, and continued to meet old Iaidoka who had practiced under other teachers who practiced under Oe Masamichi.
His name choice was to pay the utmost respect to Oe Masamichi, his teaching were directly from the lineage, hence he named it Roshu kai.
He saw how Iai was changing, with Seitei and other reasons, and his writings, his group and his extensive travelling was to keep Oe Masamichi Iai from dying.
Today we have people saying his teachings are Iwata Ha, the teachings have always came from what way his teachers performed the forms.He knew many variations and tried to teach them.
He had been so strict so that we wouldn't start doing our own things, but keep the forms. I can think of maybe one form where he combined several of his teachers forms into his , but still taught how each teacher performed each Waza.
I don't think he would approve of Roshukai being called Iwata Ha, even if it does come from a place of respect to him.
We just didn't get enough time with him.

Pretend, pretend, pretend.

Iai, the imaginary opponent does X. you do Y, you do X and the imaginary opponent does Y.
Of course we can practice Bunkai, and we also have two man "partner" work, both also pretend.

Okay , don't get too offended.

Traditional Martial Arts have maintained some movements and strategies from, hopefully, actual fighting experiences and this is all we have left. It could all appear very negative, a hopeless place to try to discover the reality of battle or at the very least ,a mild confrontation.
This is why we don't say we are going to become skilled swordsmen, we might , albeit unlikely, become great at the sword performance so what is the actual point of our many hours in the Dojo?
Well, we all get different things and maybe all of our pretending isn't a complete waste of our lives.

Hanmi or Shomen, the big hip question.Too much either way is probably wrong.Natural movement is always the correct way.

Theatrics
Noun, dramatic performances.
excessively emotional and dramatic behaviour.

Yes the traditional arts have obviously very pragmatic origins, we can only imagine how these fighting systems developed into what we identify as Martial Art. However some may say we have the leftovers, a pale insignificant version of what was actual practice, and we now have a flowery, overly beautified dance routine ,heavily fortified with much pomp and circumstance.
We don't want to believe that the arts we have , in some cases, spent a lifetime trying to polish and honour for no reason, instead we want to think we are helping to save a potentially dying art from fading away, and hopefully we have gained insurmountable benefits from the practice, and that time wasn't wasted at all.
In this modern world, the ancient arts are not so welcome, in fact, modern laws will soon have it almost impossible to practice with Shinken, a final realistic aspect to training.
Most people have no interest in Iaijutsu, memberships are small, the dropout of students is high,maybe the future isn't so safe.
Comments always welcome.

Gripping the Tsuka. Three late ,great sword masters and their grip, first is Sasaburo Takano, Kendo master, second is Iwata Norikazu Sensei ,Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu and thirdly Otake Risuke, Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu.
The close hand grip is not used.

Dragonflies, a symbol of the Samurai.
Dragonflies were thought to give protection and ultimately victory to Samurai in battle.