Application from Form

         I've been really enjoying the exercises we've been doing where we're pulling techniques out of our forms and utilizing them as applications.  It's been a great way to break down and practice certain techniques and apply that to our forms, but also neat to see how we can apply these techniques outside of the forms.

        Last night we got the opportunity to take some techniques out of the broadsword form and create an application for them.  There had to be an attack and a defense.  Admittedly it was difficult as I flipped through the catalogue of movements in the form.  There are lots of slicing motions up and down, and as for defense, lots of spinning the sword in-front and behind.  My partner and I ended up choosing an upward slice (slide step from a bow stance), bell block for defense, (move into a horse stance), followed by a downward slice from the defending person (projection while still staying in horse stance), and a downward slice from the offensive person as they step back to retreat.  I know in the past we did the jump back, horizontal slice, spin, sword goes around head, and horizontal slice again, while your partner brings the sword around them to defend.  It is a great lesson in vectors of attack, proper slicing motions, and footwork.

        Using weapons really emphasizes our movements as we know, as they become an extension.  Having to practice in this way makes you pay attention to what you're doing, because you have something at the end of you that you have to pay attention to, like which way is the blade being directed, etc..  Be an interesting practice to utilize this kind of training in my weapon form that I'm creating.