As the goal of sword and staff training is to rediscover the ability to move freely in the face of uncertainty, we will need a way to both spur and test our progress. Both are accomplished in the study of paired forms. In terms of the sword, we learn and practice forms taken from two sources:
- Nihon Kendo Kata
- Shinkage Ryu (school of swordsmanship).
In general, we should approach the training in paired forms to experience the progression from thinking through seeing to moving freely.