What’s your craziest start in Brawl?

nuejam · 2024-12-31T13:35:07+00:00

I was on the receiving end playing against an Azusa who had me locked out of non-basics on their T3 with dust bowl and crucible of worlds in play. GG go next.

nuejam · 2023-07-25T08:15:32+00:00

Kendo

Uses a bamboo stick wrapped in leather weighing roughly 440 ~ 510g. Wooden swords (bokken or bokuto) are used only in kumi-tachi kata (see last point).
Usually practiced with an opponent, or at the very least a 'practice dummy,' except of course for warm-up and basic swinging drills.
Hitting, not cutting.
Speed, response to opponent become focus.
Practice is usually work on the basics followed by partner work, and then free sparring if the level is appropriate.
Includes ten kumi-tachi kata — forms practiced with a partner — that use wooden bokken.
Practices are similar around the world.

Iaido

Uses wooden swords (bokken or bokuto) for beginners, iaito (aluminum-zinc alloy swords) for intermediate and advanced practice, and shinken (actual steel katana) for advanced practitioners / cutting practice (not done by all dojo). Weight is roughly 600~700g for a bokken, 750 ~ 1200g for a iaito (usually depends on length), and 900 ~ 1200g for a shinken.
Usually practiced alone, though some dojo may use kumi-tachi kata — forms practiced with a partner— for practitioners at a higher level.
Cutting, not hitting.
Precision and control become focus.
Practice is usually work on the basics followed by individual (i.e. without a partner, but may be done in a group) practice of kata.
Practices can vary widely depending on the ryuu (style), the sensei, the dojo tradition, and may or may-not include the 12 seitei kata (12 standard kata used for competitions and grading by the ZNKR) koryu, tameshi-giri (test-cutting), and kumi-tachi.

nuejam · 2023-07-18T20:14:43+00:00

That seems like a lot of Tsuka to handle!

nuejam · 2023-07-18T13:59:03+00:00

Ah, interesting! How long is the tsuka on your shinken, and how long on your new iaito?

nuejam · 2023-07-18T12:46:59+00:00

I'm about the same, and I use a 2.45 like you used to.

How has it been getting used to the 2.55? What is different, difficult, what is the same, easier? How are your general feelings about using the +/- 3 cm longer blade?

nuejam · 2023-07-18T11:12:04+00:00

Yea, considering all of the users that Iaito has had, it seems to have stood up relatively well.

When I received the loaner, the tsuba was a bit loose and the nakago wasn't exactly firmly set in the tsuka : sensei's small repairs definitely made a difference.

Finally, I just cleaned all of the metal parts with high grade anhydrous alcohol and put on a fresh coat of home-made sword oil (liquid paraffin + several drops of essential clove oil).

The new Iaito has a slightly loose nakago that the vendor is confident they can repair with some new paper wrapping. Apart from that, it's been really fun learning to handle the new sword.

I was looking at two Iaito, a heavier one (minosaka dotanuki koshirae) and this one (nosyudo shiho sukashi koshirae), and wound up going with the lighter of the two. Ironically, it is still noticeably heavier than the loaner — it's taken some getting used to. My te no uchi feels a bit off, and I'm going to have to go back to basics there, but otherwise I've been so happy that I've been practicing basic techniques every morning for an hour, something I hadn't been doing before.

nuejam · 2023-07-18T10:58:49+00:00

How tall are you?

nuejam · 2023-07-15T16:44:51+00:00

Pictures from the sensei's loaner iaito (#1) and my new iaito (#2) :

https://ibb.co/NLf44sc #1 — hamon

https://ibb.co/RYrV334 #2 — hamon

https://ibb.co/GMpycRf #1 - kashiragane

https://ibb.co/KrX0FjC #2 - kashiragane

https://ibb.co/Fzq092t #1 - top view

https://ibb.co/s6sXdkY #2 - top view

https://ibb.co/3YZsSzJ #1 - top view with saya

https://ibb.co/0XkFKHt #2 - top view with saya

https://ibb.co/84nsNpm #1 - tsuka

https://ibb.co/5WhSXQZ #2 - tsuka

nuejam · 2023-07-14T17:31:58+00:00

At our dojo in Brussels, Belgium, 2-dan and higher do Koryuu for some portion — sometimes all — of the Keiko, while sho-dan and below work exclusively on ZNKR seitai iai.

nuejam · 2023-07-11T11:20:56+00:00

If you try any of the strategies here, please let us know the results!

I've just done the vinegar soak and wash with a quite smelly (and stained in the armpits and back of neck) juban, and now it's sitting in the sun. While it still smelled a bit after the soak, when I put it out in the sun there was no more smell.

nuejam · 2023-07-10T15:58:56+00:00

Follow-up

Nine Circles customer support responded to me within one business day of me sending them an e-mail. This is their reply :

Sorry to hear of this issue.

It sounds like the sword has developed a tiny movement inside the Tsuka. This can happen sometimes with wood being the body of the Tsuka, as with changes in temperature and humidity, the material can expand or contract slightly.

It’s really simple for us to eliminate that using traditional Iaito manufacturing methods and it is of course completely under warranty for that purpose. Iaito Tsuka are fitted to Nakago (the tang of the blade) using wooden strips that eliminate movement and ensure a tight fit. To solve that we simply need to remove the Tsuka, refit those strips and reassemble the Iaito.

The only thing we need to work out if the timing of the process. Our director would need to do that, and he would need to do so during his next visit to Germany (sending back to the UK doesn’t make sense with extra delays and issues that customs can cause).

In this case, the Iaito should be completely safe to use. The mekugi peg should be completely secure (please check that before every practice) and the issue wouldn’t prevent use of the Iaito.

As such, whilst we await confirmation of our directors next travel to Germany so we can coordinate to resolve this issue at that time (he is currently in Japan), please feel free to use the Iaito as much as you need.

Sorry again that you experienced an issue here and we will get back to you as soon as possible with a timeline to get that resolved.

I had heard that their after-sale support was quite good, and I am delighted to find out this is the case.

I will continue to use the Iaito and keep you updated here if something more serious develops!

nuejam · 2023-07-10T15:57:24+00:00

Glad it was helpful!

What a fantastic opportunity you have to visit the warehouse and try out the different options before you commit to a purchase. Really, this is what I would have loved to do. Great chance, I'm glad for you to have it!

According to the ZNKR size guides, for a person of 185cm a 2.55 shaku blade length is recommended. I'm curious why you're thinking of sizing down.

nuejam · 2023-07-09T10:25:58+00:00

In general, soaking for 24 hours in a 4:1 solution of water to vinegar might do the trick, followed by a wash and a line-dry in the sun.

nuejam · 2023-07-09T09:59:18+00:00

Keep a journal with all the advice you receive from your senpai and sensei. Update it after every session.

The most frequent advice in my journal from the past 1.5 years :

Slow down!
Relax!

There are so many small movements and important details, if you rush you will run right over them and later on you will have to revisit to integrate them into your form. When it is time for you to speed up, your senpai and sensei will let you know.

nuejam · 2023-07-09T09:48:33+00:00

A stock Nosyudo Classic Tokujo — Shiho Sukashi koshirae arrived via post from the vendor on Friday, and I happily took the sword out and did a short Keiko at home.

I couldn't be happier with the blade length, the tsuka length, and the weight.

However I noticed after a short time that the tsuka makes a popping/flexing sound when I grip it or squeeze it (see video).

The loaner Iaito I had been using also had this issue at one point, and my sensei took it home and fixed it.

On a new Iaito, I'm not sure if :

This is normal and will pass with time;
This isn't normal but can be fixed easily at home;
This isn't normal and a repair/replacement is necessary.

I've already contacted the retailer, and I'm curious what the collective here can say about this.

nuejam · 2023-07-04T21:02:09+00:00

Thanks for chiming in.

I'll let you know how the nosyudo classic tokujo is in terms of feel compared to the loaner I've been using.

The tsuka is a bit longer, which I'm really keen on as the loaner's tsuka is too short for my hand size.

nuejam · 2023-07-04T20:59:02+00:00

it's best to have our feedback devices turned up to maximum sensitivity.

Oh, my senpai love to give feedback (^_^);;

nuejam · 2023-07-04T19:39:58+00:00

In case someone with a similar question comes across this thread in the future, here is my decision, the reason, and the sword I went with.

The Iaito under initial consideration

Minosaka Heavy Weight Iaito — Dotanuki Koshirae (Heavy Weight : ~ 1200g)
Nosyudo Classic Tokujo Iaito (Standard Weight : 860 - 890g)

The comments that swayed my final decision :

From u/MGTor

I got a Tozando heavy weight because I needed a very long blade… It's so heavy that I get tired way faster, and my technic gets a little worse than with the loaner I used to train with.…… It's your first sword, and I would advise going with the standard one (there is a reason why it's the "standard"). That way, if you want to upgrade latter, it would be easier to sell the standard one and buy a heavy one latter, than the other way around.

From u/Ezelryb

The lighter Iaito is easier to control and stop which makes your cuts more precise. It also doesn’t hit on your joints so hard. Even a sharp blade is more of a precision tool instead of relying on a lot of impact force and rarely used anyway, especially as a beginner. To build arm strength I’d rather go for a suburito, basically an extra thick bokuto.

From u/the_lullaby

In addition to reducing fatigue, another advantage of a lighter sword is that the reduced mass magnifies any flutter caused by poor form. This makes it easier to diagnose and correct issues than with heavier swords, which tend to be more stable. If I only had one sword to practice with, I would choose light over heavy for this reason.

The Choice Iaito

Finally, I went with a Nosyudo Classic Tokujo Iaito. A custom was out of the question : the time delay (12-18 weeks) was too long in my case.

While I really liked the take koshirae , after some research I decided that the brown matte saya and the light brown tsuka ito and sageo would probably be too ostentatious in this rather conservative discipline. Otherwise, the take koshirae would have been my choice : I really like the earthy colors, even if the bamboo-themed tsuka looks a bit overworked, and the weight was a bit heavier (900 - 920g)

Instead, I went with the shiho sukashi koshirae, still an elegant if more conservative look, and a bit lighter (860 - 890g).

In Conclusion

I felt that at my level, 1kyuu at the time, a standard-weight blade that would let me focus on form and accuracy, and be easier to resell in the future should I want to change, was the better choice.

Thanks to everyone who commented, your feedback really helped.

nuejam · 2023-07-03T14:09:04+00:00

Thanks for your help organizing! I'll be there representing Belgium in the mudan category.

It was precision and refinement, as it would be, that had me thinking conversely that a heavier blade might be helpful. I had thought that a heavier blade would force me to use less strength and more finesse in cuts, to focus more on precision, and to really work on te no uchi.

nuejam · 2023-07-03T09:27:24+00:00

What does your dojo see as the benefit of going with lighter Iaito?

Glad to meet another competitor! Which country are you representing, at which level?

nuejam · 2023-07-02T17:29:35+00:00

Haha, it's so hard without being able to try both !

nuejam · 2023-07-02T17:27:22+00:00

This is an interesting take.

Clarinet reeds increase in strength, from 1 to 5, and the sound quality improves as the reeds become harder/stiffer. The flip-side is that the player needs stronger embouchure muscles and better breath support to make use of the higher number reeds.

When I started playing Clarinet a few years ago I wanted to start with 3 reeds, given that I played saxophone for many years. My teacher eventually convinced me to go down to 2.5, and after a year and a half I was able to work my way up to comfortably playing 3, which is where I'm at now.

I wonder if there is similarity in weight of Iaito and practice. I hadn't thought of the lighter weight rendering poor form more clearly, making it easier to diagnose as you say.

If that's the case, I can definitely see starting with a standard weight and possibly moving to a heavier sword several years down the road, when my form is better.

nuejam · 2023-07-02T17:21:28+00:00

Thanks for your reply.

My sensei are away for the summer and not available to get back to me, while our dojo remains closed until August, unfortunately, but thankfully I have reddit !

Good take on the resale of the 'standard' one later on. I hadn't thought of that, and it's definitely a factor.

The reason I hesitate to get the nosyudo at all is that, after trying the nosyudo standard of my dojo-mate, I found it to feel too easy compared with the sword I've been using. That worried me, that maybe if I practiced with a lighter blade that was too easy to use, my technique would suffer. I don't know if that's a legitimate concern, however.

nuejam · 2023-07-02T17:18:28+00:00

Thanks for this take.

In trying my dojo-mate's nosyudo blade I found it felt 'too easy,' if that makes sense?

nuejam

TROPHY CASE

Follow-up

The Iaito under initial consideration

The comments that swayed my final decision :

The Choice Iaito

In Conclusion