Chiburi and Noto
      CHIBURI, or "blood removal motion" is useless as it is presented.  Try it sometime.  It does not work.  Only a very strong person could succeed at "removing the debris" from a sword blade by the flick of the wrist and elbow.

    
    So what is it for?  There are two reasons for the practice of CHIBURI that make sense.  In the first case it is the KAMAE or stance that is assumed during CHIBURI.  It is a very aggressive stance (Figure 1) . Here, the tip of the sword, or KISSAKI, is pointed either at your fallen TEKI, or enemy, or, if he is still standing, the point is aimed at the inside of his right thigh.  A cut here is considered a "clean" cut since it is not "outside" the body and your enemy does not look bad as he bleeds to death.
       The second reason is to get ready for NOTO, the resheathing of the sword.  Please note that the time from the end of CHIBURI until the sword has begun to slide back in the SAYA is the weakest and most in-defensible moment in swordsmanship.  What if your opponent gets up or an ally of his runs up looking for another fight?
It would be difficult to defend yourself while the KISSAKI is moving in the direction of the SAYA.  In order to be properly prepared for an attack during this time, the NOTO must be done at the correct speed.  It must be done fast, although not too fast.  At the end of the swing and as soon as the MINE touches the web of your left hand holding the SAYA, (Figure 2),rapidly push the sword forward.  The KASHIRA should be pointed in the direction of the enemy as if to strike him with the end of the handle .

    
    The correct way to perform this movement is to raise and point your right elbow forward and then "throw" your forearm in a fashion so that the KASHIRA is whipped out as far as your right hand can
go without leaving  your body.  A slight pivot is O.K., but leaning or swaying your upper torso is a flat no-no.  Remember that is you pivot your shoulders you must equally pivot your hips so that you maintain the correct posture by keeping your shoulders over your hips at all times.  At this point drop 3 or 4" of the KISSAKI into the SAYA rather quickly.  As soon as this is done slow the speed of sword entrance into the SAYA dramatically.  Each DOJO has their own tempo for NOTO.  Just as there are 3 speeds to a draw, there are 3 speeds to NOTO.
    It is at the point where you are pushing the sword forward that you want to have the first 3 fingers over the SUKA at the first knuckle and the tip of the little finger just hanging on the HA side of the handle (Figure 3).  This allows for a quick response from the SAYA in case of an attack at this point.  If you do have to draw from this position, once the sword has cleared the scabbard, merely close the little finger into a fist.  This gives correctness to the technique and allows for a loose and flexible wrist which allows for maximum tip speed.  This also helps to avoid "muscling" the cut.  A common problem for Americans in any martial ar is the tendency to be upper body strong and not to do the technique from the hips.
    It is imperative that the squeeze of the little finger frings the tip of the finger to point at the fleshy pads at the base of the palm, the thenar-hypothenar region (Figure 4).  We have all seen someone lose their grip on a sword or BOKUTO and throw the thing away.  This stems from an incorrect grip where the handle runs from the web to in between the pads near the wrist (Figure 5).  Anyone who had trained in any martial art will be shown that the thumb is the weak link in a grip on someone else.  It is common in IAI DO to use this grip.  However, if you are cutting, it is a very dangerous way to hold a sword.  In one of our classes a beginning cutter literally threw the sword out of his hand.  He was doing NIHON ME where you are walking with the target to your right, turn and cut SUI HEI, or a one handed horizantal cut.  Because both palm pads were not on the top of the TSUKA, the sword quite naturally slipped from him and stuck through a curtain into some judo mats!
Bob Elder
      Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
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