The descriptions that follow are derived from notes taken in the 1990s by Robert Lange at Nikko Dojo in Texas, and by me at Itten Dojo, during visits by Lovret Sensei to our respective dojo or at seminars. The photos were taken in 1998, with the model (a much younger me) being posed by Lovret Sensei and sternly directed to avoid so much as twitching prior to the shutter being tripped. Any errors in transmission or misinterpretations are mine alone.

Kiku no ka ya (“Ah! The scent of chrysanthemums”). The swordsman should feel as though he is in a field of flowers and tall grass, full of awareness and looking for an enemy until, with “Ya!,” the enemy is discovered—thus the exclamation on this syllable.

Each of the kamae in the kata is named for a single syllable of this poem, and the swordsman quietly recites the poem as he cycles through the set.

When executing the kata, every syllable, except “Ya,” is pronounced without accent or emphasis. Each kamae should be assumed with the feeling of settling into it, rather than with a snap. There is an omote (literally “the front,” the aspect of a technique that is described openly) and an ura (“the back,” or hidden/secret aspect) for this kata. The omote is:

As described in the recent, October/November issue of Sword and Spirit, the 2019 Taikai of the Itto Tenshin-ryu focused on Gekken-sho, a set of devastating techniques of bokken-jutsu used for surreptitious dueling in Meiji-era Japan when dueling was outlawed. Each of the 17 techniques in the set utilize a unique and specific kamae (posture) from which shitachi launches his counter. The Haiku-gamae kata, a mnemonic device used to memorize these postures, is based on a poem made famous by Bassho (Matsuo Munefusa, 1644–1694):

仏たち Hotoke tachi

The Haiku-gamae

A Deeper Exploration of the Martial Arts...

菊の香や Kiku no ka ya奈良には古き Nara ni wa furuki

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• Enhancing your physical health and capabilities.

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Regardless of the times you live in, or the

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Ke-no-gamae should have a feeling of the swordsman being very relaxed, yet full of awareness.

Think of the Gekken bokken as weighing 100 pounds in Ni-no-gamae, to aid in preventing bent wrists and helping provide the correct feel of dropping and sinking into the kamae.

Be aware of Minari-no-heiho (the strategy of using appearances) throughout the kata, but especially in Ho-no-gamae.

Remember, each kamae should have a feeling of settling into it, not just a simple shifting of weight distribution backward or forward.

To-no-gamae is extremely aggressive, with a feeling of “Let’s cover some ground and clear some space,” and should have a distinct lean forward. Ya is the only syllable uttered sharply, with an

exclamation and a bit of a snap at the moment ofassuming the kamae.

No-no-gamae and Ka-no-gamae are jodan-gasumi, and should provide a view to aite (the opponent) of nothing more than the kissaki (the tip of the weapon).

Ki-no-gamae and Ku-no-gamae are old forms of chudan-gamae.

Hotoke tachi (“many Buddhas”). Mu — nothingness. The ura involves each kamae separately and is taught to the student by his instructor at an appropriate time.

Nara ni wa (“in Nara”). The feeling here is tranquil. Furuki (“antique”). The kamae in this section are old postures, not seen in modern styles, and should be puzzling to an observer or adversary.

Yoi: The kata commences and concludes in seigan-gamae. The right foot remains in its 45-degree position, and never moves throughout the kata.

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Ki-no-gamae: As the bokken is swung into position, step deeply back with the left foot, such that the toes of the left foot are at a 45-degree angle outward from the chusen (center line) and in line with the heel of the right foot in a “no-width” zenkutsu-dachi (this foot position will be referred to as Stance A). The tsuka (hilt) should be settled into the left hand, which is held six to eight inches in front of the left hip, kissaki pointing toward aite’s left eye, and the body in hanmi (half-facing the opponent).

Ku-no-gamae: Swing the left hand straight across the hips, from left to right, until the hand stops in front of the right hip. At the same time, slide the left foot straight forward, deeply, with the inside edge of the foot on the chusen (this foot position will be referred to as Stance B). Flare the elbows slightly outward, making a circle with the arms.

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No-no-gamae: Without moving the lower body, raise the arms and assume jodan-gasumi-gamae, kissaki toward aite’s left eye, ha (edge) up. (Note that, properly speaking, an Itto Tenshin-ryu Gekken bokken does not have an edge. “Ha” will be used in these descriptions to clarify the alignment of the weapon.) The arms should not be pulled backwards such that there is created a sharp angle at the elbow, but rather should be shaped in an elegant curve. This necessitates raising the bokken slightly above head height, as opposed to the common practice of extending it beside the head and trying to sight down the bokken. Proper positioning will also alleviate the tendency to lean the head toward the bokken.

Ka-no-gamae: Slide the left foot back into Stance A (as in Ki-no-gamae) and rotate the arms clockwise, not allowing the kissaki to drop, and assume hidari jodan-gasumi-gamae.

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Ya-no-gamae: Slide the left foot forward, along the chusen, into Stance B, and raise the bokken to ken-jodan-gamae (in which the left forearm and the weapon form a continuous line).

Na-no-gamae: Without changing the stance, lower the tsuka to the right until the right hand is in front of the right shoulder, and allow the kissaki to angle backward in an old-style hasso-gamae. The transition to Na-no-gamae should be a relaxed drop, as though the bokken suddenly weighs 100 pounds.

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Ra-no-gamae: Twist the hips clockwise, such that the body is facing 90-degrees right, with the left side leading, while placing the bokken as if in chudan-gamae to the right side (yoko-gamae). As you pivot right to assume yoko-gamae, do not allow your head to move from its forward-facing alignment.

Ni-no-gamae: Pivot the body forward again, with a feeling of leaning forward while lowering the kissaki to the rear, ha down, in waki-game. The common tendency to avoid is leaving the hands up near the waist while lowering the kissaki, resulting in bent wrists and producing inelegant lines.

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Wa-no-gamae: Slide the left foot back deeply into Stance A and allow the bokken to swing left into gedan-gamae. Keep the upper body straight, but with a feeling of leaning slightly forward, to prevent the left wrist from bending downward.

Fu-no-gamae: Extend the left hand, allowing it to push the kashira forward, flipping the kissaki back into a katate kuruma-gamae, kissaki straight to the rear, ha away, the right wrist resting upon the left wrist. The left hand should be turned so that the lateral aspect is vertical, with the palm opened as if grabbing something, and with the thumb closer to the chusen than the other fingers.

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Ru-no-gamae: The left hand is drawn back along the left hip, while the right hand moves to the right, such that the bokken is at a downward angle, ha away.

Ki-no-gamae: Slide the left foot forward into Stance B, body in hanmi, while moving the left hand forward from the hip to a position about 10 inches in front of the hip and level with the bottom of the obi, fingers only slightly spread apart and palm down.

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Ho-no-gamae: Use the left hand to fling the bokken up and to the rear, to ten-no-gamae. Shift your weight slightly forward, keeping your head straight. The left hand moves back to a position on the left hip, fingers relaxed.

To-no-gamae: Shift the hips a bit more forward—as though pulling a heavy wagon—into a very aggressive katate waki-gamae, and allow the bokken to drop straight downward.

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Ke-no-gamae: Shift the left foot back to sankakudai, while allowing the kissaki to lower toward the ground. This motion will turn the right wrist from a position of palm toward your right to one of palm toward your left, and form a slight curve in the right arm. The temoto is also loosened such that the bokken appears to be dangling from your hand, ha away.

Ta-no-gamae: Slide the left foot back into Stance A while swinging the right arm around the right side, keeping the kissaki toward the ground, ha away, until the bokken reaches a position in front of the face. Your upper right arm should be parallel to the ground.

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Chi-no-gamae: Maintain the lower body posture and use the right wrist to roll the bokken back to the rear and up, past the left shoulder, and forward into a position with the kissaki straight up, ha away, and with the right arm almost fully extended. Relax the temoto but keep the bokken vertical.

Robert Wolfe, the chief instructor at Itten Dojo, began martial arts training while in college in 1975, has taught since 1985, and holds senior ranks in Itto Tenshin-ryu kenjutsu, Yamate-ryu aikijutsu, and Isshinryu karate. His articles addressing martial arts have been featured in publications such as The Bujin, Budo Shinbun, the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Bugeisha, Aikido Today Magazine, Inside Karate, Martial Arts Training, and Martial Arts Professional.