On Being Uchitachi

This past week our Headmaster was at our dojo for an Iaijutsu seminar.  I always feel fortunate that I practice an art where I have be able so often to see the head of our school (this is the eighth time training with him in 9 years of training).

One always hopes that one will a) not make any grievous errors, and b) learn something that one can put into practice in the greater pursuit of life through martial arts.  I truly never know about the first one, but am confident on the second.

Most of the seminar was spent practicing kumitachi, or paired drills, in which one person is shitachi (the "winner", if you will) and one is uchitachi (the "loser", or the one against whom the ultimate technique is practiced).  It is an important part of our training because it teaches each practitioner about the importance of timing and distance (true not only of Iai, but of life itself).  Instead of rotating as we often do, one side - my side - was largely responsible for being uchitachi.

An interesting point is that the role of uchitachi is traditionally given to the more experienced students, the thought that the more senior student - in a real encounter - would be more likely to come up with the defense or action needed to at least block or get out of the way of the strike or to regain the equilibrium of the situation.

And so, as I continued to "lose", my mind started to go to how the situation could be redeemed:  A step back here and then strike, a block there and returning to center.  The "finality" of any attack suddenly began to blossom with the possibilities of recovery. 

In most things in life, like Iai, there are some things that are very final and cannot be redeemed.  But these are much fewer than we think.  And it all begins in training our mind that not only can we defend or move out of the situation, but we can take action to return to center.  And, perhaps, even advance.