This was the grand finale of a four-hour workshop in tameshigiri, or test-cutting, where earlier 20-odd students ranging from fifth kyu to 4th dan had been practicing special movements with bokken that would translate to smooth and hopefully non-injurious sword handling.
While aikido may encourage compassion for one’s opponent, there was no mercy for the tatami targets - when the aikidoka at Ikazuchi Dojo weren’t moving through them fast enough, Jim Alvarez Sensei of Aikido of Livermore-Shinrei Dojo (Aikido 6th dan, Shinkendo Kyoshi, Toyama Ryu Batto-do 5th dan) would pick up his blade and demonstrate the speed, precision, and technique of a virtuoso. It was a beautiful June afternoon in Irvine, California, and five hunks of damp, rolled-up tatami thudded to the floor as honed and whetted swords whooshed through the air. Please do not attempt to wield a sword without proper training and/or supervision. Important Note: Tameshigiri is a highly disciplined art that involves intensive training and stringent safety practices.
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