Aikido ABC - Vol 4. Aiki Bokken

Start in ken-kamai, migi-hamni. That means that your basic stance is with your right foot forward facing your opponent and your left back foot in 45 degrees on the line behind. As a beginner have a rather wider stance than what a more advanced student would have. Only to appreciate the movement you'll need in your hips and to learn to stabilise your centre through your legs and stance.

In the KAMAE, the ready stance, hold the bokken with your left hands little finger at the edge of the hilt. Your right hand is placed a hands width above. Hold the bokken from above, elbows in, like with a Yonkyo grip. Extend the tip of the bokken toward your opponents eyes, reach forward from the height of the solar plexus. Balance the feet evenly in right (migi) Hanmi. Open your chest. Connect and align your body vertically and diagonally from the back leg to the tip of the bokken. Spend time in Kamae to settle your body, connect and extend.
Raise the bokken above the head pointing up, elbows in. Left hand just above the forehead. Do not tuck your neck in. As you raise the bokken drop your centre slightly, feeling a pull from Hara to your hands. As you cut down, just let your arms fall, do not use shoulder power. Draw with the left hand the bokken down with a full body movement and with the right hand extend the tip and bokken forward, away from your body. Cut the bokken to a horizontal flat angle, settle it with your hips. Hold it there two seconds (Zanshin) before raising it for the next cut.
Use a mirror to make sure the trajectory of the bokken is straight above your head without any wobbles.

From Ken Kamae, migi hanmi, draw your right leg back, dropping your centre as you raise the bokken above your head pointing it upwards. To cut, bend and pull your left leg (front leg) drawing you forward as you take the step. Draw your arms down cutting a straight Shomen. Extend as in the first suburi. Have a clear Zanshin composure before the next cut.

Raise the bokken straight up vertically as you step back. Extend the bokken upwards as you inhale down the bokken. Hold your breath as you lower it to your side, compressing the air slightly. With a connected body trace the bokken in the same path back over the head to cut straight as in the second suburi, breathing out. Return to kamae before executing the next one. This suburi is done with one cycle of breath.

Fourth suburi. Walk forward cutting straight. Draw or pull your knees forward as you bend/bow the forward leg to initiate the step. Synchronise and coordinate your arm movement with your step. Land the cut as you plant the front foot.

Begin by stepping back raising the bokken overhead. Cut forward. Begin the next move by raising the bokken in a protective wedge manner avoiding the opponents bokken as we drive in and pivot around cutting yokomen to the side of the head. It’s a very narrow cut, not a wide slash, so cut all the way down to horizontal before continuing.

Begin like 5th suburi, step back and raise the bokken above your head, cut yokomen and then Tsuki, thrust towards your opponents chest stepping forward extending without overreaching. Continue as in fifth suburi, yokomen into left hanmi, then tsuki forward on your left foot. Repeat.
7th suburi begins in the same manner with a yokomen strike and then a Tsuki, thrust stepping forward with your left foot, extending the range considerably. Repeat, cut Yokomen on your right side, Tsuki on your left side.

Happo giri means Eight cuts. We cut Shomen-uchi in eight directions. Straight overhead basic strikes. It’s an exercise in movement. We strike in pairs; 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8. Right hanmi and left hanmi. Movement of the hips (Koshi) is crucial in all Aikido movement and is here emphasised. We move with two simple steps, front foot first then back foot. The cardinal directions are North-South (1-2), East-West (3-4), Southwest-Northeast (5-6), Northwest-Southeast (7-8).

This sequence allows for the longest turn (4-5). Some teachers change the sequence but then miss out on this difficult rotation.

As in Suburi practice the cuts are clear and precise. Do not rush and do emphasise the zanshin at the end of each cut. Hold the Bokken in the right manner, hands not too far apart. On the left hanmi strikes you can bring your right hand even closer to the left hand to enable proper hip turn without raising your shoulder.

All bukiwaza exercises can be done on the spot if you do not have much room. The importance, once you learned the moves, is to coordinate and synchronise the whole body as one movement. No need to do it fast, do it connected and mindfully. Once you feel stability and balance you can add speed.