Tachidori - Are Samurai Arts Practical?

Tachidori is the art of defending against the sword and originally involved disarming a Samurai. Quite an undertaking! Tachidori is now seen most often in the practice of Aikido, a relatively gentle art for someone taking on a tachi, a long sword, longer than the traditional katana.
The emergence of MMA and UFC has apparently diminished interest in traditional weapons and weapons-defense arts in favor of empty-hand brawling. I think this is a big mistake.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m all in favor of grappling, getting tough and winning! But Tachidori, while a truly traditional practice, is actually a very practical art for street fighting. Not everyone who attacks you will do so just with his/her fists. Your opponent might be carrying a baseball bat, a piece of pipe, a big stick or a big knife. You might want to know what to do in such a situation.
Many empty-hand principles apply to weapons disarms. Paying attention to those principles becomes much more important with weapons. A good punch can travel up to about 35mph. The tip of a 24" stick can travel around 150mph. A knife slash will run somewhere in between. The punch can do some damage – but the stick or the knife is more likely to kill you if it lands a good strike.
Tachidori is forever getting its devotee away from the “business end” of the sword. Hey – that’s a good idea for a knife or a stick too!
Traditional maneuvers, such as using precise timing for entering the opponent’s space and blending (turning sidestep), still work. Principles and angles of Aiki Jiu Jitsu – the more martial precursor to Aikido embraced by the Samurai – are used to take control of the opponent’s center and balance and remove the weapon from his/her control. Those still work, too.
So use the principles of arts such as Jeet Kune Do and Nei Wai Chia – gather from many sources to use what works. Don’t give up the study of the traditional weapon and disarming arts in favor of exclusive attention to the brawling arts. Learn it all! Every art has limits, unless you remove them by learning more.
Remember, the ancient fighting arts were used in war. Nations depended on the effectiveness of their technique and their warriors. They absolutely had to work. Everything from the traditional arts is transferable to the development of great fighting skills for the 21st Century.
Tachidori is no exception.
Juli Hartmann
Master Instructor and Owner
Texas Holistic Arts Center / Sacred Source
For more information about martial arts classes, tai chi classes, kickboxing classes, kung fu classes, weapons workshops, qigong, bellydancing, massage, Reiki and holistic healing in Leander, Texas, visit http://www.texasholistics.com, or call 512-778-5778
Copyright © Juli Hartmann 2009