Left handed Kenjitsu

The sword and more importantly the Daisho( long and short) where the
badge of the bushi class. Yet in my research and pratice of sword
arts I have to wonder if there was ever a left handed swordsmen?( I
use the term men for that while there where woman bushi they used
mostly the naginata and shoto forms of tanto)

While the movies do show all rightys, I remember seeing a movie,
Christopher Lambert but a non Highlander, film where he was being
taught by a Japanese swords men who knocked the sword from his left
hand and told him that he must be a righty.

Form my experiance in both European fencing and Kenjitsu at times the
Lefty has an advantage over the righty. So it leads me to wonder if
the left handed bushi would have some sort of advantage. If there is
anyone who is either a lefty, fought a lefty or knows anything about
such things help would be welcome

Arigto gozimashita
Atsi

Konnichi wa Kazuari san
I completely understand what you mean, being a Kenjutsu & Kendo teacher, I have done some integrate study into this matter.
In Japanese fencing (Kendo), the left hand is the stronger of the two..and are often forgotten by practitioners...The left maintain center, co-ordination, motion and balance. The teachings of some martial forms actually cultivate the usage of both left and right, there should be no strong and weak side, that's why a technique have Hidari & Migi. If ones' lefthanded it is of great advantage in Kendo, especialy in the Jodan Kamae forms...there the left need to execute a Men with accuracy and speed..whereas the rightys will try and throw it...where the left cut.
In Kenjutsu, balance is of utmost importance as you know.....Balance of the spheres in respect to Left and Right movements. I was asked by a denshi which hand are much stronger, and best to use in Kenjutsu and I said "Yes".
The body parts works together as a unit of efficiency and organized motion. The Left...is of vital importance, so if someone's left-handed..less cultivation in co-ordination is needed But!!!..this must be remembered..once the practitioner utilize strength..left or not..such technique and motion become no good..the essence aspect of Kenjutsu is application for the blade is sharp enough..so no strength is needed....only technique in application of form.
There is one technique that can outmove any righty....due to the consistant use of the left throughout the leftys life....that hand with the eye and motion of efficiency are oiled for a faster response.
That technique is common in Kenjutsu teaching, and can be seen at the very end of Kurusawas movie Yojimbo....Before the uchidashi could draw with his right..Yojimbo drew his blade with the left and guided it with the right through the opponents chest under the arm cavity.
Regards
Deon
Atisi Kazuari <broccolihead30@...> wrote:The sword and more importantly the Daisho( long and short) where the
badge of the bushi class. Yet in my research and pratice of sword
arts I have to wonder if there was ever a left handed swordsmen?( I
use the term men for that while there where woman bushi they used
mostly the naginata and shoto forms of tanto)

While the movies do show all rightys, I remember seeing a movie,
Christopher Lambert but a non Highlander, film where he was being
taught by a Japanese swords men who knocked the sword from his left
hand and told him that he must be a righty.

Form my experiance in both European fencing and Kenjitsu at times the
Lefty has an advantage over the righty. So it leads me to wonder if
the left handed bushi would have some sort of advantage. If there is
anyone who is either a lefty, fought a lefty or knows anything about
such things help would be welcome

Arigto gozimashita
Atsi


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

There really isn't any advantage of a lefty over a righty. However, opposing
hands like that makes the duels more dangerous since the body is more
exposed. Just my thoughts.
JK
<============}xoxoxoxo oxoxoxox{============>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Reply to both Deo-n and Jk

Well, there would be a problem if a lefty and righty where engaged
in a battle where the weapon had not yet been drawn, such as within
Iaido. But even with that the first person to draw often wins. Also
due to the crossing of bodies lefty drawing from right and righty
from left. Though there is one attack that it difficult drawing from
saya in R is the strike down to the left, as it is hard to get the
blade all the way clear of the body. Where as the L doesn't have that
trouble.

But within something like Kendo, where the sword, shinai is already
drawn such thing would perhaps be an advantage( at the moment I am
blanking on weither or not one puts the dominant hand closest to
Tsuba or not). There is also the question of phycological aspect,
often, at least within styles of European fencing with both live and
pratice weapons, one's adversary often goes for the hand they would
use to fight with. As there are more rightys fighting rightys the
obvious thing would be go for that hand/Arm.

I also wonder if it is considered dishonorable to have the left be
the domainant hand( though I think Deo-san already covered that) I am
grateful for your advise and words.

Atsi

Reply to both Deo-n and Jk

Well, there would be a problem if a lefty and righty where engaged
in a battle where the weapon had not yet been drawn, such as within
Iaido. But even with that the first person to draw often wins. Also
due to the crossing of bodies lefty drawing from right and righty
from left. Though there is one attack that it difficult drawing from
saya in R is the strike down to the left, as it is hard to get the
blade all the way clear of the body. Where as the L doesn't have that
trouble.

But within something like Kendo, where the sword, shinai is already
drawn such thing would perhaps be an advantage( at the moment I am
blanking on weither or not one puts the dominant hand closest to
Tsuba or not). There is also the question of phycological aspect,
often, at least within styles of European fencing with both live and
pratice weapons, one's adversary often goes for the hand they would
use to fight with. As there are more rightys fighting rightys the
obvious thing would be go for that hand/Arm.

I also wonder if it is considered dishonorable to have the left be
the domainant hand( though I think Deo-san already covered that) I am
grateful for your advise and words.

Atsi

All-
I have read that the true "secret" of Yagyu Shinkage-ryu was
that in the advanced level you change your stance and grip to that of
a lefty. This changes the distance between opponents and confuses the
righty as he is used to fighting other righties.
During Tokugawa times left-handedness likely would have been
an impediment to ones career so discouraged. During the sengoku
uniform movement of large groups of men would have required
left-handedness to be trained out of a soldier as it is today I
believe. However, in this same era if one were born of sufficient
rank you might have been allowed to be a lefty especially if it meant
you excelled at the martial arts. Standing out on the battlefield was
what one wanted unlike today (nails and all...). Though I have yet to
hear of "the famous left-handed general..."
Keep in mind also that Musashi is believed by many to have
been a south-paw, thus making it only natural for him to pick up that
second sword...
Still struggling with the right hand,
Tom

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

.....Not sure if this will help you at all,
I have been doing iaido for a number of years,and i`m left handed,i
dont have a problem with drawing the sword out of the saya or
returning the sword back in,i have read a lot about babys being born
in japan who have had the left arm tied down so that the child can
not use the left arm,and then is made to use the right.
I have not heard of a left handed samurai but then i dont know all
there is to know about the samurai,maybe some one else here can help
more than me.
All i wanted to do is to say it is possible to be left handed and
still use a sword,as i am doing.

> All-
> I have read that the true "secret" of Yagyu Shinkage-ryu was
> that in the advanced level you change your stance and grip to that

of

> a lefty. This changes the distance between opponents and confuses

the

> righty as he is used to fighting other righties.
> During Tokugawa times left-handedness likely would have been
> an impediment to ones career so discouraged. During the sengoku
> uniform movement of large groups of men would have required
> left-handedness to be trained out of a soldier as it is today I
> believe. However, in this same era if one were born of sufficient
> rank you might have been allowed to be a lefty especially if it

meant

> you excelled at the martial arts. Standing out on the battlefield

was

> what one wanted unlike today (nails and all...). Though I have yet

to

> hear of "the famous left-handed general..."
> Keep in mind also that Musashi is believed by many to have
> been a south-paw, thus making it only natural for him to pick up

that

> second sword...
> Still struggling with the right hand,
> Tom
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dave,
The question is do you where your sword on the right hip? Is
your dominant hand closest to the tsuba? As was noted if your wear
and wield the sword as a righty then you have an advantage (use of
the left hand is key in Japanese swordsmanship). If your sword is on
your right hip, aren't you forever committing saya-ate?
-tom

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In samuraihistory@yahoogroups.com, tom helm wrote:

> Dave,
> The question is do you where your sword on the right hip? Is
> your dominant hand closest to the tsuba? As was noted if your wear
> and wield the sword as a righty then you have an advantage (use of
> the left hand is key in Japanese swordsmanship). If your sword is

on

> your right hip, aren't you forever committing saya-ate?
> -tom
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thats a good question,i should have answered that in my first post.
ok,i wear my sword on my left side,and yes my dominant hand is on the
suba,i`m not so sure it would give me much adavantage,it would depend
who you was facing at the time.
And yes you would be right,had my sword been on my right side,i would
be commiting saya-ate,i dont think that being left handed make`s a
lot of difference really,i have tried drawing the sword useing my
left hand,and to be honest i found it very difficult and i could not
resheath the blade afterwards,but thats just me,you may well get
different replys from other people.
Hope that helps you ....dave