Sangaku no komakai koto is a translation from Japanese documents describing the performance of the form Sangaku. They were recorded during the Edo period. Positions were given the name kamae instead of kurai. Notably, only the first three waza are similar to our version of Sangaku. The fourth sequence is divided into two waza and our last two are missing entirely. However, through our research we have found that our waza five and six correspond to two waza in Kumitachi, a kata found in Hikita Kage-ryū. Sangaku consists of five waza: Ranko, Matsukaze, Hanaguruma, Chōtan and Tetsutei. Sangaku, which means threefold training, consists of positioning, calmness and clarity. The training is about holding positions, calming the mind and achieving clarity. Sangaku is also called Sangaku-en, where the “en” refers to the reversal of movements without stopping, in harmony and flexibility to adapt to changing situations. Sangaku expresses marobashi in a form that eliminates all unnecessary work.

Uchidachi: tombo – kirisage – torii – tombo Shidachi: mukei – massugu – seigan – yokoraitō – kobouchi – menuchi – massugu – mukei Sangaku teaches us matsukoto; to entice the opponent to attack. It also teaches us the principle of sassōkoto, to open up a striking surface on our body and through the choice of position, kurai, to counter the attack while moving so that the opponent misses his target and we hit ours. In four waza, uchidachi initiates from tombo no kurai while shidachi starts from mukei no kurai, which is the kurai that we usually start from. Shidachi then assumes massugu no kurai. A few steps before maai, he steps back with his left leg to seigan no kurai. When uchidachi reaches issoku ittō no ma and launches a strike, shidachi straightens his body by stepping back with his right leg next to his left, his right foot lightly touching the ground, and lifts his sword to yokoraitō no kurai. In the same movement, shidachi steps to the right with his right foot and rotates his

Uchidachi: tombo – kirisage – torii – tombo Shidachi: mukei – massugu – mukei – kiriage – menuchi – massugu – mukei In Ranko we chose to use seigan no kurai, to await the attack and give uchidachi a target for his attack. In Matsukaze we choose to take mukei no kurai, with the sword pointing under uchidachi's knees. Here uchidachi gets his entire upper body as a target and when he launches his strike from tombo no kurai, shidachi steps diagonally to the right with his right or left leg and simultaneously slashes kiriage towards his unprotected body. At the end of the step, shidachi follows with the other leg so that the feet come close together, rotates the body counterclockwise and quickly steps forward towards uchidachi and slashes menuchi (nikiri) towards his head, which is intercepted with torii no kurai. Uchidachi returns to the starting position in tombo no kurai; shidachi in massugu no kurai and finishes in mukei no kurai.

Uchidachi: gyaku-tombo – kirisage – torii – gyaku-tombo Shidachi: mukei – massugu – jokakugyaku – shitekisei – seiraitō – kobouchi – menuchi – massugu – mukei Hanaguruma resembles a mirror image of Ranko. Shidachi steps forward in massugu no kurai and uchidachi in gyaku-tombo no kurai; a high position on the left side with the sword held with the left hand grip. A few steps before issoku itto no ma, shidachi steps back with his right leg to jokakugyaku no kurai and mirrors uchidachi's position as he reaches issoku itto no ma and launches his strike. Shidachi avoids the strike by straightening his body, stepping back with his left leg next to his right, with his left foot lightly touching the ground, and raising his sword to shitekisei no kurai. Still in the same motion, shidachi steps to the left with his left foot, rotates his right shoulder and slashes kobouchi from seiraitō no kurai and locks the opponent's sword, hands and arms with kuraizume. At the same time, the right leg also

Uchidachi: tombo – kirisage – tombo – kirisage – tombo – kirisage – tombo Shidachi: mukei – massugu – toradake – hitoemi – toriikuzushi-tsuki – torii- kuzushi-tsuki – seigan – mawashi-uchi – massugu - mukei Chotan has the same starting positions as the first three waza in Sangaku. As the shidachi approaches the position for issoku itto no ma, he steps forward with his left leg and assumes toradake no kurai with the tip of the sword pointed low, towards the uchidachi's abdomen. When the uchidachi cuts, the shidachi steps to the right with his right leg and follows with his left leg into a narrow stance while straightening his body and thrusting towards the neck or chest. This position with the subsequent one-arm thrust is called hitoemi. From the one-handed thrust, the shidachi attacks with a two-handed thrust with his left hand supporting the back of the sword, this thrust is called toriikuzushi-tsuki. Uchidachi retreats to tombo no kurai and then advances to cut towards the left leg.

Uchidachi: massugu – junsha – yokogiri – katate-mawashiuchi – katate-mawashiuchi – massugu Shidachi: tombo – kirisage – seiraitō – kirisage – seiraitō – kirisage – tombo – massugu Shidachi stands in tombo no kurai and uchidachi takes massugu no kurai. Shidachi attacks with kirisage against uchidachi's hands. Uchidachi steps back with his right leg and moves his hands out of reach to junsha no kurai. As shidachiraises his arms to prepare for another attack, uchidachi advances with his right leg and slashes yokogiri. Shidachi steps back to a position with his feet together and his sword in seiraitō no kurai, steps forward with his right leg and immediately slashes kirisage at uchidachi, who parries with one-handed ukenagashi and slashes katate-mawashiuchi. Shidachi steps back again to a position with his feet together and his sword raised to seiraitō no kurai, and slashes kirisageagain without taking a step forward. Uchidachi parries with one-handed ukenagashi and slashes katate-mawashi