Tameshigiri Series: FirstCuts
It not about strength.
In recent posts to our Tameshigiri series, we showed the carving of the cutting post and the rolling of the tatami mats. With those tasks completed, the remaining two tasks are 1) how to prepare the mat, and 2) how to mount it to the post for FirstCut.
Make a hole
While the carving on the post is purely decorative, the post’s purpose is to be a platform for the mat. For the rolled mat to stay upright right on the post, it can either stand freely or be helped to stay in place by a rod/dowel of some sort. For the rod option, we decided that making a centered, 1/2″ wide, 2-ish” deep hole on top of the post would do the trick.
For the hole to provide the needed stability for the rolled mat, it needed to be straight down, and we needed the following:
The rig was important, as drilling straight down is not something that’s easy to do freehand. The hole drilled using the rig came out centered and straight, exactly as we had hoped!
Mount the mat
Tatami mats need to be soaked in water for 12 to 24 hours prior to mounting it on the post for cutting. A rolled-up tatami mat will float…so it had to be weighed down. Luckily, we had some rubber coated 8lb hand-weights which were perfect for the job!
Also, we needed to find a container long enough to soak the rolled up mats in…and as luck would have it, this blue one was available locally on Facebook Marketplace for $10…normally it’s quite a bit more!
We don’t yet know/have figured out what will be the best way to hold the rolled-up mat on the post: a piece of the 1/2″ PVC pipe; a long piece of dowel; just something just long enough to hold it upright? Each option has its advantage. We’ll find out which works best when we use them for real.
Once the hole was made, we put each of the three staking options to the test, and they all worked in keeping the mat vertical. The cutting test will be the true test, though.
FirstCuts
Ideally, cutting through the air should be exactly the same as cutting through something for real, but it isn’t.
By the way, it’s no coincidence that the diameter of the rolled up mat is close to that of the forearm. This IS a martial art, after all.
There is nothing like videos to show you the flaws in your technique. The feedback is valuable for improving both form and technique, but it is always humbling when one can clearly see all the things one could do better.
After not cutting an actual target for over a decade, the first three cuts were not clean through, for a variety of reasons. The results were examined, adjustments were made, and the fourth cut went through cleanly!
With the distance dialed in and using the beefier part of the blade, the rest of the cuts were successfully executed. It was a delight to understand and see the results of “doing it right.”
FinalThoughts
We like having this outside setup that we can use whenever we want to do some mat cutting to check our technique. Consistent practice is key to good form, but objective feedback is important as a reality check on the effectiveness of one’s technique.
Whether or not one can cut through a tatami mat is one aspect of that feedback. However, knowing that cutting through should not be an end in itself, especially if one becomes more concerned with cutting than the technique for making the cut, is what can keep you focused on form and technique.
Cutting is not about strength. Cutting is actually a mental exercise. It is about bringing different things into focus: Move from center, control the sword, and let the weight of the blade (not you) do the cutting.
Simple…but as Gleason Sensei constantly reminded his students, ‘”Simple” is not the same as “easy.”‘
What’s next? Multiple cuts in sequence, what else? Of course, that might take another ten years 🙂
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