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.
In the first waza, Ranko, the shidachi holds his sword in yoko-raitō no kamae, which exposes a large part of the body to the opponent, and it requires courage to put himself on the line between life and death. In Matsukaze, the shidachi holds the sword in a low position, mukei no kamae. Uchidachi holds a high position to attack, but the shidachi attacks diagonally from below with determination. After completing the attack, he advances further and attacks once more, which the uchidachi catches with torii no kamae. This subsequent attack is called ni no kiri, which means second strike.
In the first waza, Ranko, the shidachi starts with the sword in kurai no kamae and raises his sword to yoko-raitō no kamae with his right foot and shoulder forward. At this point, he exposes his right arm as mukae. The uchidachi slashes at the shidachi's right arm, the shidachi, observing the uchidachi's attack, executes kobo-uchi while quickly moving out of reach. The kobo-uchi is decisively slashed at the uchidachi's right arm. Shidachi turns to face uchidachi and presses kensaki to the body with kuraizume. Uchidachi steps back and raises his sword to torii no kamae and shidachi follows up with ni no kiri.
In the third waza, Hanaguruma, shidachi holds a position that is the mirror image of Yoko-raitō. This is called shitekisei no kamae. Uchidachi holds his sword in a mirror image of a high position, called gyaku-tombo. Uchidachi slashes at shidachi's left arm, whereupon shidachi takes a large step in with his right foot and slashes the sword at uchidachi's neck while avoiding uchidachi's strike. Again uchidachi steps back and raises his sword to torii no kamae and Shidachi follows up with ni no kiri.
In the fourth waza, Chōtan, shidachi assumes the position of toradake no kamae. This position hides the shidachi, that is, he is protected from attacks from the front, which causes uchidachi to slash diagonally at shidachi's left shoulder. As uchidachi slashes, shidachi executes hitoemi with a one-handed thrust to uchidachi's neck. Uchidachi steps back and with their sword tips facing each other they execute aya and seek a position to thrust or slash, but find themselves in a deadlock. To break this deadlock, shidachi lowers his sword in a half maai, han no ma, uchidachi attacks but shidachi breaks the rhythm and pushes the sword with his sword edge angled, kuraizume, against the back of uchidachi's sword. When shidachi moves a few steps forward, uchidachi retreats.
The fifth waza, Tetsutei, continues immediately after the fourth, where both execute aya. Shidachi then steps back three steps and to break out of maai, turns the sword into kurai no kamae with the sword tip pointed at uchidachi's eyes. Uchidachi takes tombo no kamae and slashes at shidachi's head. As soon as he sees the sword begin its path, shidachi immediately performs mawash-iuchi and finishes with a slash to uchidachi's neck.