You push through the opponent's defensive area and take the right distance for the next attack. Mushuken practices finding the right distance to the opponent and being able to react to changing distances during combat. It is an example where offensive action, sen-no-sen, is combined with matsukoto. The technique is the same as used in mutodori.
Uchidachi:
tombo – kirisage – tombo
Shidachi:
muniken – shishi – haneuchi – tsuttachi – tsukiage – shishi – muniken
Shidachi stands in muniken no kurai and uchidachi in tombo no kurai. When shidachi reaches issoku itto no ma, he steps resolutely close to uchidachi (chika ma) and lowers his center of gravity to shishi no mai with the tip of his sword aimed at his throat. Uchidachi is forced to retreat and slashes kirisage. Shidachi meets the slash with haneuchi, moves his left leg forward next to his right with the sword in tsuttachi no kurai and thrusts tsukiage at his throat.
When uchidachi retreats again, shidachi advances with his right foot and takes shishi no mai. As uchidachi remains passive, shidachi steps forward with his left leg to the right with the tip of his sword aimed at his throat.
Shidachi retreats to muniken no kurai and uchidachi returns to the starting position in tombo no kurai.