Aikido KEN SUBURI, basic solo sword exercises, by Stefan Stenudd, 7 dan Aikikai shihan

Suburi, sword strike exercises, with shinken (a sharp steel blade). The Japanese sword arts have influenced the aikido techniques and principles greatly. Therefore, aikiken – sword practice in aikido – is an important part of the curriculum. Katana, the Japanese sword with the two-handed grip, takes a lot of practice to handle with some skill. Already the grip is quite difficult to get right. Most important is to be able to cut straight, exactly in the direction of the edge. Otherwise, its legendary sharpness doesn’t do much good.