My First Lesson in Battojutsu: Rurouni Kenshin
By Jerome Brand
Jerome is a student at Zentokan Dojo.
“In this essay I’m writing about traditional Japanese sword techniques and concepts. I’ve been training for about two years, so I am not an expert. What follows are just my observations. In addition to reading this article, please consider referencing written work by senior practitioners who have much more of experience than I do.”
For many martial art students pop culture plays a pivotal role in their motivation to start formal study. For example, Kung Fu experienced an increase in students after the arrival of movies like The Matrix.
I started studying Japanese swordsmanship thanks to my favorite anime titles such as Afro Samurai, Samurai Champloo, Yasuke, One Piece and the subject of today's article, Rurouni Kenshin, also known as Samurai X. As a budding practitioner, it's interesting to watch these animated sword fights. Sometimes I recognize a certain stance, cut, and movement from my classes. Recently when rewatching Rurouni Kenshin, I was surprised by the number of battojutsu techniques I recognized from class in certain scenes.
Battojutsu (抜刀術) is a legitimate term for Japanese sword arts, and the way they are portrayed throughout Rurouni Kenshin is not wholly inaccurate compared to what I’ve learned in my battodo classes. So, for this article I would like to explain the portrayal of battojutsu in a scene from the series.
Rurouni Kenshin is a pseudo-historical anime that takes place in a fictionalized version of Japan during the Meiji Period, a time of great systemic and technological change for the country.
The Boshin war had taken place 11 years prior to the main story in which the titular character, Kenshin, served as a highly skilled assassin using an obscure sword style called “Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu” (飛天御剣流 , Flying Heaven Govern Sword-School) earning him the epithet “Hitokiri Battosai” (人斬り抜刀斎, "Sword-drawing Manslayer). After the war’s conclusion, when the final sword was sheathed, Kenshin, in an effort to make up for his atrocities, vowed never to take another life and began wielding the Sakabatō (逆刃刀, reverse bladed sword). The story begins when Kenshin meets a young woman, Kaoru Kamiya, and begins living at her family's dojo. Throughout the story Kenshin fights many enemies that threaten his new friends, life, and the peace of the era.
I found one scene in particular to be especially accurate. When Kenshin is in a battle against the brutal assassin Kurogasa and decides to use “Battojutsu” — a term I hadn't heard until that scene in the episode. Kenshin's latest opponent at this point in the story is a man named Jinei Udo, codenamed “Kurogasa”. He and Kenshin have something in common: they were both “hitokiri” or manslayers during the war. Seeking an exhilarating fight Jinei decides to challenge Kenshin to a moonlight duel and kidnaps Kenshin‘s friend Kaoru to draw out his latent hitokiri.
Nearing the end of the heated battle, Kenshin decides to use a battojutsu to defeat Jinei. At that point I became curious — what is battojutsu?
Battojutsu is a general term that refers to “the technique of drawing a sword.” It's an older and less common term, especially in the west. The term appears in the name of sword sword schools, for example Shinmei Muso Ryu Battōjutsu (神明夢想流 抜刀術), which was created 400 years ago by Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu 林崎甚助(源)重信. As the name implies, all battojutsu revolves around drawing the sword out to strike an opponent. In the modern era we also call these drawing arts iaido. In case you're wondering, techniques that are done with the sword already out of the scabbard or saya are called kenjutsu (sword techniques).
As I’ve only studied one style, I can't write on other forms of battodo but in my experience the battojutsu I practice has four parts:
Iai Goshi (居合腰): the most complex and layered of these terms, iai goshi refers to the preparation and unification of the lower body, centered around and in the tanden (丹田 / body center) and koshi (腰 / loins and hips). In this moment the body is “setup” for using the sword. Although this process eventually becomes invisible, spontaneous, and instantaneous, as beginners we learn to notice it as a discrete action.
Batto: often this takes the form of nukitsuke, drawing the sword out and cutting in one motion. This is something you may have seen in many samurai films and anime. The nukitsuke is usually followed by a finishing cut of some kind.
Chiburi: contrary to popular belief, the chiburi motion is not a method of removing blood from the blade. It is more of an ending ritual that maintains zanshin, the “remaining mind” that is flexible and at ease with the situation.
Noto: After the chiburi the blade is returned to its saya. Chiburi and noto look different depending on the kata or situation and are often dramatic in anime and samurai films. In real life these movements are more simple and dignified.
Those the basic elements in all battojutsu techniques, although I'm willing to bet different styles and teachers will say and teach these differently.
So, did Kenshin really perform battojutsu in this scene? Did Kenshin do all the movements noted above when he used his technique against Jinei? Let's go through the scene step by step:
Did Kenshin perform iaigoshi?
Yes, Kenshin acknowledged Jinei's intention to charge at him and prepared his weapon for the draw.
Did Kenshin perform batto?
Yes, when Jinei came within range, Kenshin drew his sword with a sweeping suehei cut across Jinei’s head. As I mentioned earlier this was a nukitsuke.
Did Kenshin deliver a following cut?
This part may be open to interpretation. After Kenshin narrowly missed Jinei with his nukitsuke, believing he was out of danger, Jinei came in, but this was a ruse on Kenshin’s part. Kenshin delivered another blow not with his sword but with his saya, crushing Jinei's elbow. I like to think that this was a secondary cut but what do you think?
Did Kenshin perform chiburi and noto?
Actually, he didn't. Although Kenshin had a good excuse in Kaoru's sudden recovery. Nevertheless, Kenshin did not do any form of chiburi or noto after he incapacitated Jinei.
So, was this scene really battojutsu? While it was not terribly realistic I still felt a martial spirit behind every movement, and I was surprised at how much I recognized. Not surprisingly, Noburo Watsuki*, the author and illustrator of the Rurouni Kenshin manga, was also a kendoka. It’s very possible he saw or practiced battojutsu. If not, I suspect he did his research.
Being motivated by your favorite action scenes in entertainment is nothing to be ashamed of. As it turns out they may be educational, to some extent. But remember that these are works of fiction and not realistic. No one should attempt these techniques unless they are in training with a knowledgeable teacher. Suffice it to say I'm still amazed my first lesson in battojutsu came from an anime called Rurouni Kenshin.
*Noburo Watsuki was charged with possession of child pornography in 2017.
