「本筋の稽古をやりなさい、誰が見ても美しい剣道をやりなさい。 Do correct kendo, do kendo so that whoever looks at you thinks it is beautiful.
盆栽のように縮こまった剣道はよくない、大木のように根を張った剣道をやりなさい。 Small, shrunken kendo like a bonsai is bad, do kendo like a big tree with strong roots.
剣道は理屈じゃないんだ。自分から求めてガンガンやるんだ。やったら、ハッとわかる。 Kendo isn’t about theory. Its about seeking yourself through intense keiko. If you do this you will come to understand.
無理だけども、無理を承知で破って行かないかん。相手の剣先を避けていたら、いつまでたってもその剣先を破れないんだ。 If you accept that something is impossible then it always will be. If you always avoid your opponents sword tip then you will never be able to defeat them.
閃いたら捨てろって言っているんだ。日頃それで稽古するんだ。試合の時にその半分も出たら勝てるって言ってるんだね。 They say “do kendo with abandon.” If you do your daily kendo like this, and if even 1/2 of this comes out during a shiai, you will win.
竹刀振るのに力はいらん。持ち上げるのに力はいらないんだ。力んだらいかん。さっとおろしたら切れるんだ。 Even though you are swinging the shinai you don’t need power. Even though you are lifting the shinai up you don’t need power. Physical power is unnecessary. If you simply bring the shinai down it will cut.
どんな人でも、打つ前は必ず手元が上る瞬間がある。そこを打つんだ。そこまで辛抱るんだ。それが溜だ。 It doesn’t matter who you are, every person raises their hands before striking. Strike there. You have to be patient and wait until that moment.
剣道は一生のもんなんだ。打った、打たれたいうようなケチなもんじゃないんだよ。 Kendo is a lifetime activity. Its not just about striking and being struck, kendo isn’t as small as that.
剣道は和なんだ。相手がいるんだからね。相手の気持ちを汲むんだ。一人でやるもんじゃないんだ。 Kendo is about harmony. You have a partner after all. You must consider your opponents feeling. Kendo isn’t something you can do on your own after all.
理屈で覚えたって駄目なんだ。剣道はみんな体得なんだ。相手が小手来たから、そんなら抜いたろうなんて考える暇なんてないんだ。相手も生き物なんやからな。打たれまい、打たれまいしているんだ。そんな時に考えて打って行っても駄目だ。捨てるんだ。身を捨てて打つんだ。 Simply learning the theory of kendo is no good. Kendo is only understood through physical experience. If you see the opponents kote come and you think “I’m going to evade it!” well, there simply isn’t enough time. Your opponent is also a living being. They don’t want to be hit. Thinking then attempting to strike is no good. You have to abandon oneself. Throw away everything and strike.
若い間は無理をしなさい。無理をしている間に打つ機会とか、理合とかが分かってくるんだ。無理をしない稽古は、小さく固まった剣道で終わってしまうんだ In your youth you must physically exert yourself to the utmost. During this period you will start to understand things like the correct opportunity to strike, and the theory behind actions. Keiko without exertion leads to nothing but small and hard kendo.
上に懸かるときは、攻められても、そこで「何をっ」って頑張るんだ。それで、今度は打つ機会がなかっても、捨て身で相手を動かすだけの打ちを出すんだ。ズバーンとね。それをくりかえしてたら、精神力、いわゆる「心」というもんが出てくるしね。相手が動じるような打ちが出るようになってくるんだな。相手が受けに回ったら、次々、次々て技が出て来るでしょ・・・ When you are doing keiko with senior people, even if you feel their strong pressure, you should attempt to strike. Even if it wasn’t the correct time to strike, aim to throw yourself into the cut and make your opponent move by doing so. If you do this over and over your emotional spirit, that is to say, your “heart” will come out. Eventually you will be able to cause your opponent to strike when agitated. He will end up simply blocking your attacks and your attacks/techniques will come out one after another.
「いい技だな、自分の物にしたいな」思うたらそれを盗んでみることだ。寝ても醒めても、それを頭の中に描いてみるんだ。そうしたら自然に身についてくる When you think “Wow, thats a great technique, I want to learn it” you should steal it. Whether you are asleep or awake you should draw a picture of it in your mind. Naturally/eventually you will become to be able to do the technique.
守破離というもんは繰り返すもんだ。何段までが守で、何段までが破で、何段以上が離というものじゃないって、わしゃ言うんだ。いくつになっても基本に戻りなさいって言うんだ。 “Shu-ha-ri” is something you repeat over and over. Whatever grade you become “shu,” whatever grade you became “ha,” its not “once you get to x-dan” then you are now in the “ri” stage, at least this is what I believe. It doesn’t matter what grade you are, you must always return to basics.
稽古は形のごとし。形は稽古のごとし。 Do your keiko like your kata and do your kata like keiko.
形を見たら、その人の剣道がわかる。刀の振り、足の運び、構え、気位、すべてが出てくる。 Watching someone’s kata you can understand their kendo ability. How to grip the sword, how to move the body, kamae, presence… everything comes out in kata.」