Bokken
Perform the movements as fully as possible.
Make sure your movements are neither choppy nor jerky.
The grip on a BOKKEN or JO is of paramount importance: neither too hard nor too soft. A master swordsman used to say: Hold your sword as if you were holding a bird: grip too hard and you’ll kill it, grip too softly and the bird will fly away.
Stay supple and relaxed without becoming physically or mentally lax.
If you’re too tense, you’ll soon feel tired (with blisters on your hands).
Your shoulders will be the best judges: tension, stiffness, cramps are signs of poor practice. Suburi should not harden the body—they should soften it. They must purify it.
Seek precision, control, exact form, and a harmonious rhythm. Strength alone does not lead to mastery of weapons.
Mechanical repetition will only yield mechanical results. It is through constant and focused attention that your practice will produce real and greater value. Repetition is an absolute necessity, but only the quality of the mind gives it true worth.
If the suburi are making you tense or rigid, stop for a while and replace them with daily breathing exercises or meditation. Once you have a clearer and more precise understanding of your practice, resume them.
Well-executed suburi are worth more than a thousand poorly performed ones!
The Bokken Suburi
ICHI NO SUBURI
Starting from migi kamae, raise the bokken, keep the left arm as straight as possible, and the bokken should end up along the spine. This position is known as the one that centers the weapon. At the same time, bring the front foot back toward the rear foot and open the hips. Step forward and cut simultaneously, rotate with the hips to the right, and withdraw the back foot from the line of attack at the end of the cut.
NI NO SUBURI
Starting from migi kamae, raise the bokken so that your hands finish just above your head with the bokken pointing upward and slightly backward at about 15 degrees. At the same time, move your right foot backward and open your hips (this posture is called HASSO KAMAE). Your entire body should now be out of the line of attack. Your gaze should pass inside your left elbow—do not let your left arm block your view. Extend your left arm so that the bokken ends centered along the spine, then step forward with your right foot and cut. Finish by clearing the back foot as in ichi no suburi.
SAN NO SUBURI
Start in migi kamae and perform ni no suburi until you reach the Hasso Kamae position with the bokken pointing upward and your right foot back. Slowly shift your center backward and bring the bokken down so that both hands are on your right side and the bokken points backward and downward. Move your center forward and raise the bokken back up into a centered position, then step forward with your right foot and cut. Clear the back foot.
YON NO SUBURI
(Cut while advancing) Raise the bokken by extending your left arm and center it. Step forward with the back foot and cut downward. Remember to clear the back foot at the end of the cut. Raise the bokken once again, step forward with the back foot, and cut to the other side. Continue advancing and cutting.
GO NO SUBURI
Start in migi kamae. Bring your hands just in front of your face while keeping the bokken pointed forward and slightly to the right (Note: the bokken is angled toward the front foot). Step forward with your left foot and center the bokken. Cut toward the side of the opponent’s head and clear your back foot at the same time. To cut the opposite side, bring your hands back in front of your face with the bokken pointed to the left. Step forward with your right foot, center the bokken, cut a yokomen strike, and clear the back foot.
ROKU NO SUBURI
Perform go no suburi as described but add a tsuki in front of the front foot at the end of each cut. The exercise then becomes: cut on the right foot, tsuki outside the right foot, cut on the left foot, tsuki outside the left foot. Do not withdraw the bokken between the cuts and the tsuki.
NAN NO SUBURI
Start in hidari kamae. Continue with go no suburi and cut yokomen to the right side. Cross the line of attack and step forward with your left foot while delivering a tsuki. Remember to clear the back foot. Repeat the exercise: cut to the right, tsuki to the left.
JO (JO SUBURI)
Choku Tsuki
(Right thrust) Thrust into the opponent’s body.
Kaeshi Tsuki
(Inverted thrust) Execute a counter-thrust.
Ushiro Tsuki
(Backward thrust) Place the jo under the elbow and thrust backward.
Tsuki gedan gaeshi
(Thrust and return to a low level) Thrust, withdraw the jo, and counterattack your partner’s legs.
Tsuki jodan gaeshi uchi
(Thrust, high return, and strike) Thrust, withdraw the jo over your head, and execute a lateral strike to the head.
Shomen uchi komi
(Frontal strike) Same as the 2nd ken suburi.
Renzoku uchi komi
(Continuous strike) Same as the 5th ken suburi.
Menuchi gedan gaeshi
(Frontal strike and low return) Execute a frontal strike, withdraw the jo to a low position, and counterattack the legs.
Menuchi ushiro tsuki
(Frontal strike and backward thrust) Execute a frontal strike, then thrust backward.
Gyaku yokomen ushiro tsuki
(Inverted lateral strike and backward thrust) Execute a reverse lateral strike with the left front foot, then place the jo under the elbow and thrust backward.
Katate gedan gaeshi
(One hand, low return) Withdraw the jo with one hand, strike diagonally from bottom to top.
Katate toma uchi
(One hand, long-distance strike) Raise the jo above and to the left side of the head, take a large step forward, and execute a lateral strike over the shoulders.
Katate hachi no ji gaeshi
(Figure eight) Rotate the jo with one hand in a figure-eight motion and finish in the “hasso kamae” position.
Hasso gaeshi uchi
(Figure eight and strike) Hold the jo as you would hold the ken, change the hand position while withdrawing the right leg, then execute a frontal strike from the “hasso kamae” position.
Hasso gaeshi tsuki
(Figure eight and thrust) As above, thrust high from the “hasso kamae” position and return to the “hasso kamae” position.
Hasso gaeshi ushiro tsuki
(Figure eight and backward thrust) As above, thrust backward from the “hasso kamae” position.
Hasso gaeshi ushiro uchi
(Figure eight and backward strike) As above, strike backward from the “hasso kamae” position.
Hasso gaeshi ushiro baraï
(Figure eight and sweep) As above, take a large step backward and execute a sweep.
Hidari nagare gaeshi uchi
(Left return and strike) Hold the jo as you would the ken, withdraw the right foot, and execute a lateral strike starting from above. Pass the jo to the left side by taking it with the left hand above the right hand, and strike backward.
Migi nagare gaeshi tsuki
(retour droit et piqué) Tenir le jo comme le ken, avancer le pied gauche et exécuter une frappe latérale de revers. Changer la position de la main gauche et pivoter sur l’arrière avec le pied droit et le jo. Piquer vers l’arrière.