Foundation: The Rising Draw Cut Principle

The Rising Draw Cut (furika-buri) transitions the sword from the completed draw position (oku-chimonji) into an overhead attack stance (jodan). This movement bridges the initial draw with a follow-up cut, requiring seamless connection without interruption or stalling. The instruction is presented from the Muso Shinden Ryu perspective, though variations exist across other koryu schools.

Critical Error: Maintaining Hand Level During Elbow Compression

A common mistake occurs when practitioners lower their hand while bringing the elbow inward, causing the sword to drop dangerously and deviate from the attack line. The correct technique requires keeping the hand level with the shoulder while the elbow compresses against the body. This ensures the blade maintains its trajectory and cutting edge alignment.

Points One Through Five: The Initial Compression Phase

The movement consists of five sequential points: (1) bring the elbow inward while maintaining alignment with the shoulder, (2) bring the hand across the body to the inside of the centerline, (3) bend the wrist toward the body, (4) position the hand just inside the centerline, and (5) position the sword outside the shoulder with the blade angling upward. These five points establish the sword's readiness for the upward strike.

Points Six Through Eight: Preparing for the Two-Handed Strike

Point (6) involves bringing the scabbard hand (left) back to its natural resting position to clear the path for the strike. Point (7) directs the right hand upward toward jodan position while maintaining blade momentum. Point (8) has the left hand trailing to rejoin the handle (tsuka) for the two-handed cutting technique (kirirosh), with the right hand always positioned higher than the left.

The Eight-Point Sequence: Complete Demonstration

The full sequence flows as follows: elbow in (1), hand across level (2), wrist bent (3), hand inside centerline (4), sword outside shoulder (5), scabbard hand returns (6), right hand rises (7), and left hand joins at tsuka moving to jodan (8). The cutting edge begins angling forward throughout this progression, establishing the proper blade alignment for an immediate follow-up strike.

Bundling Movements: Integration of Left and Right Hands

Rather than performing each point sequentially, the practitioner combines the first five movements with simultaneous scabbard hand repositioning. The elbow compression, hand transfer, and wrist bend execute smoothly while the left hand returns to position, creating a unified motion that eliminates unnecessary pauses. This integrated approach reinforces the continuous flow essential to the technique.

Preventing the Fatal Pause: Continuous Momentum to the Cut

The furika-buri functions as a transition, not a destination—practitioners must avoid stopping at the jodan position before executing the cutting strike. The hands rise to the top position and immediately flow into the attack without hesitation or repositioning. This continuous motion prevents an opponent from exploiting a moment of vulnerability and maintains the sequence's tactical advantage.

How to connect the Japanese Sword from the draw to the cut!

Roger Wehrhahn

Rising Draw Cut

3 min read·7 key moments·PT8M9S video

Key Takeaways

•Foundation: The Rising Draw Cut Principle
•Critical Error: Maintaining Hand Level During Elbow Compression
•Points One Through Five: The Initial Compression Phase
•Points Six Through Eight: Preparing for the Two-Handed Strike

How to connect the Japanese Sword from the draw to the cut! This month we will be covering the "furikaburi" or the movement of raising the sword between the nukitsuke (draw) and the kiritsuke (cut). This movement should be a smooth, circular, non-stop continuous connection of the two techniques. There are nine points in this motion that are covered one by one. Bring the right elbow in toward the body Bring the right hand across at the same level it finished nukitsuke at Bend the wrist inward as the hand is coming across The right hand stops just inside the center line of the body The sword is angled upward outside the left shoulder with the cutting edge beginning to turn forward toward teki The left hand returns the saya to its' original start position The right hand begins upward to the Jodan or high position The left hand follows along and joins the right hand on the tsuka The left hand anchors at the front of the forehead a fist away with the right hand above it There are also several drills to define and improve your technique starting with the 2 step bundling drill. This drill shows what each hand is doing and when it is doing it! The next drill, named the first position continuity drill is designed to prevent people from stopping the sword at its high point before it drops into the attack. I cover these points and more in the second chapter of the DVD video based on Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido with the title "Secrets of Japanese Swordsmanship - The Hidden Movements". Although the video is based on the MSR, the many of the points are universal and can be applied to any style you may practice. The video took the 5 major movements of the sword in order as they appear in the kata and detailed them individually point by point. The video begins with the Nukitsuke, containing 25 points and continues through the furikaburi, kiritsuke, chiburi and noto. As I said in May's blog, I believe that in order to develop ones technique first they have to understand how their technique works! Without this understanding there is no path to mastery of the Sword and sadly no functionality in its' movements. There is no free, flowing reaction to teki (enemy) and consequently no "Mushin". Loosely translated, Mushin means action without thought. Engagement without thought is essential to successfully reacting to an opponents challenges. It is my hope that through this series on the "points of technique" of the Sword that I might shed some light on the inner mechanics of how each of these 5 essential movements is done. The video details the furikaburi and the positions of the sword as it moves from the draw through the upward position and down into the cut. These points are excerpts from the Instructional video Secrets of Japanese Swordsmanship "the Hidden Movements" available at: http://www.mountainteachings.com/store/p30/The_%22Hidden_Movements%22_of_Iaido.html www.mounteachings.com P.S. To see a clip on the 15 essential points of drawing the sword go here: https://www.mountainteachings.com/hidden-movements-landing.html

Related Techniques

Horizontal Draw Cut

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this video teach about rising draw cut?

This video covers foundation: the rising draw cut principle, critical error: maintaining hand level during elbow compression, points one through five: the initial compression phase. It provides detailed instruction from Roger Wehrhahn.

How long does it take to learn rising draw cut?

The basic mechanics can be understood in a single session, but developing reliable execution requires consistent drilling over weeks of practice. This 7-part breakdown helps structure your training by isolating each phase of the technique.