In a certain sense, we study the sword in order to better study the staff. We study the staff to see more clearly. And we strive to see more clearly to move more freely in the face of uncertainty.
Our study of the staff is that in defense of the sword. But, all of the staff techniques and forms are based on the attacks of a skilled swordsman. So, in order to understand the staff better, we need to understand the sword better.
The study of the sword is a study both in structure and letting go. That is, when we train with the bokken (wooden swords), there must be a good deal of structure and an attention to detail. When we train with the shinai (bamboo sword), we can emphasize a great degree of freedom … a great degree of letting go.
But the study of the sword is a path unto itself. There are a multitude of stances, variations in footwork, and types of cuts. To accomplish this, training is broken down as follows:
And paired forms are further broken down … as we learn and practice forms taken from two traditional sources: