Anyway, in today's training I was thinking of the three ways we meet shomenuchi.
1. The wave
2. Opening the door
3. The irimi cut
Before this, I've taken all three as seperate methods or techniques. But as I explored it today, I feel I understand that the three are levels of the same thing. With the wave, the no 2 won't work as well. Without no 2, no 3 wouldn't work either.
In the wave, the attackers power is diminished upwards upon contact. And we follow this with a cut through his center using our center as impetus. The sword doesn't cleave, it shears and so should our center movement.
In opening the door, for it to work we cannot wait for contact. The wave must be implemented well before contact and this as his power dimishes, we can safely contact his attacking hand and at that point in time, use chushin to move his center away.
In 3, we cannot irimi and cut without diminishing uke's power and then changing his line of attack using no 2, and only then irimi and cut. If you try to avoid uke's cut by sidestepping, inevitably, the uke will change direction to follow suit,
Well practice this more. For now, its bed time to reflect.
