Mae - shoulder back.
Cut - arc shaped, like fishing rod but finish cut with body and left hand, not leaning forward
Keep tip pointing to oppoinent as you move out and in for chiburi
Raise up on heels and thighs, keep foot in line, knees wont hurt

Ushiro
Dont spin out left foot as you turn. Keep it in position

Morote Tsuki
Make cut to chin a PROPER cut

Shiho Giri
Look follow cuts down then look up at other opponent and go into Waki Gamae. You KNOW there are four opponents.

1) Noto - keep little finger GLUED to hip, dont let hand come out. All the way round but little finger shouldnt leave. Don't push saya OUT either.

2) Ganman Ate - final sayabanare links with turn, dont have sword waving around too much

* HIPS square, your foot is wandering out

* As you turn to cut, dont let left hand come on too soon, it's at end

3) Yoko Chiburi PARALLEL WITH FLOOR AND POINTING IN A BIT but ALWAYS PARALLEL and LEVEL with left hand.

4) Tsuka Ate
* right foot in more on ball of foot, dont need to blade - then you can launch off. Left foot behind at 45 degrees as you tsuki then back round for cut so hips are LEVEL. Yoko chiburi level with knee.

5) Morote Tsuki
Dont blade body for first cut to face, keep hips square Then chudan, then middle level, then tsuki with arms and body.

Dont keep hands too tight to centre - pararellel ok but keep it natural. PASS THROUGH JODAN as you cut without dropping tip

GENERAL POINTS
KEEP SWORD OUT MORE
RIGHT HAND BIT HIGHER ON CUTS (LEFT HAND DROPS)

1) Ukenagashi
Keep tsuba closer to head as block. Pointing kashira at opponent puts your hand in right place for cut. KNEE KNEE KNEE. It's a deflection

2) Sanpo Giri/any kata with turn
DONT LET TIP DROP KEEP BLAD PARALLEL WITH FLOOR. Brings hands in closer to hips for cut but DONT LET TIP drop down back

also keep tip POINTING at opponent until hips almost turned again this stops tip dropping

Extra look in Sanpo Giri to to centre, to left

3) Mae - on chiburi angle of hand is wrong bring in more with kashira pointing then sweep out. Existing angle of wrist very wrong.

DONT LET WEIGHT FALL OVER RIGHT KNEE, centre of gravity needs to be back - you are LEANING forward. At teh same time, imagine you have lego blog under back foot.

HANDS STILL TENSE on noto and all hand movements

http://budobum.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/nin-perseverance.html

Sanpo Giri
LOOK first then cut
cut as you turn, dont square hips then cut
Still leaning forward on chiburi
when tip is pointing, keep it there and move hips back first before going into Jodan (this is general point)

Morote Tsuki
first hand to move on draw is LEFT.
Make proper cut to face, more te no uchi
Turn - keep tsuba glued to hip, keep blade parallel. Then step through and cut but keep right hand hand higher than left

MAJOR fault - tip is disappearing down back, left hand ending up higher. Focus on tip

Soete Tsuki
Cut is a diagonal kesa and must time with step back, Dont step back then cut
Dont let blade drop down when you tsuki, keep level
Before doing chiburi, dont raise right hand too high

Kesa Giri
when draw, really move left hand back as you turn saya then aim to punch the sky to cut the upward diagonal cut. Sword path still not great

Tsuka ate
Right Knee forward

Ukenashi
Feet not right again. Dont really know what I am doing. But sword needs be more forward

1) Dont practice so slowly that  you add tension, need to think about acceleration too.
2) You are not just showing that you know the choreography
3) Ushiro - up on toes then start to draw as you face door and turn - left leg is forward always with cut.
4) tsuka ate - right foot touches left knee in tate hiza
5) Sanpo giri - dont let sword go right down back. Make first cut count. LOOK before cut.
6) Shiho giri - look before cut.
7) Nuki uchi - sword goes up above head, not shoulder - shoulder is So Giri.

BY MOVING BACK FROM CENTRE YOU KEEP BOSHI ON OPPONENT LONGER - NOT JUST AESTHETICS BUT SEME

HEEL IS TOO HIGH OFF GROUND - should be height of pound coin only. TOO HIGH making you lean forward.

Chiburi - snap is by movement of chest as shake off blood and hands back on saya but not tense. Work on this
Yoko chiburi - keep blade more level, not pointing down - remember brushing carrots off table.

PROBLEMS AND FAULTS OFTEN IN HANDS

Relaxation
It's not just relaxation in body and shoulders it's about hands and particularly chiburu and noto and you can relax more generally. Remember with the swing, it's 85% relaxation, 15% focus and tension. Only areas where you should have tension are the te no uchi grip, the cut and the part of noto where you sheathe the sword to begin with and are vulnerable. Rest has to be really relaxed

So Giri - you showed no acceleration or focus. It's bloody hard though.

Kesa Giri - on upward cut need to remember you are cutting their side, or Do. Then you cut down again in another diagonal cut. Dont try and cut their face on first cut.

Morote Tsuki
Got to have more focus on the face cut. Sword not straying out so much but again tension and dont go into a weird Jodan and freeze before cutting. Hands should be very loose and the Kashira guides where the attack is going - seme.

Keep right hand higher than left - dont let the sword fall behind your back. Right hand higher than left

Shiho Giri
Dont sweep the brush literally, keep hands on hips but raise up to your head ASAP as you cut. More work on this needed but better

I dont really understand difference between Yoko chiburi and bigger ones. Need to work on this

Mae chiburi - slow, slow, fast

Rhythm
Acceleration
Relaxation
Body movement is improving but hands still need work 

Bumper lesson today so many tips

1) Seme, Seme, Seme - seme means it's not stop start and keeps it flowing if done properly

2) Mae - got to move forward. Then push sword more up to ceiling rather than behind. Then, KKTI on back leg. Then Wrist Elbow Shoulder. Then push slightly forward and out before curving outwards.

DRAW. As you push out with kashira, smoothly pulling back in saya biki - two opposing movements gives you the power

3) NOTO - must be 45 degrees to begin with. Only part of NOTO that should be fast is first part of sheathing as this is when you most vulnerable

4) BIG breakthrough. For Morote Tsuki and Sanpo Giri. From Hasso Gamae, imagine tip sweeps forward like a broom but hands stay on hips, then simply raise up. Your tip was going way out in a big sweep - WRONG. Same for Morote Tsuki cuts. Keep hands relaxed. This SHOULD help you keep hands more parallel

BIG ISSUE IS STILL RELAXING ON ALL THE MOVEMENTS NOT JUST CUTS. Handle sword in more relaxed way

Saya banare gets better with practice, again about being relaxed

http://www.britishkendoassociation.com/381-2/

Saya-banare literally means to "release or let go of the saya", i.e. letting the tip go, letting the draw happen, letting the arrow off the bowstring...etc etc etc...

Saya-biki is the drawing back of the scabbard.

Saya-banare is the uncapping of the cutting part or kissaki.

Interesting bunkai on the first 10 or so
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8_llxYGsu8

1) Mae: you are unsheathing the sword way to soon, rushing it and getting the scrape. Unsheath the sword as you move forward in a controlled way, with lots of saya biki, then cut, but not too high. Pivot from wrist to bring sword back behind head, without allowing tsuba to cross your centre.

2) Kesa giri. Raise sword a bit to keep on SEME pressure with koshira. Only 50% withdrawl before turn and make upward cut count, then STEP IN - i had forgotten that.

3) Sanpo is THREE opponents, Shiho is FOUR - you are getting confused

4) Shiho - you need to smash down with your hand OVER the handle or it gets tangled, and keep HIPS square. Then have feet pointing same direction as you tsuki, your feet were SPLAYED

DONT TENSE UP HANDS when you try to keep them in

5) chiburi. Practice on ground, horizontal, pointing towards opponent WHO IS ON THE FLOOR so keep tip POINTING TOWARDS them and keep the whole thing DOWN

Ganman Ate - when you strike with kashira, turn slightly to look as you draw and then strike. THen look back slightly before cut.

Generally look out for adding flourishes, keep hands on seams of hakama

BACK FOOT more active to help with KKTI

feet not right on So Giri and step when doing horizontal cut

Dont draw so fast, start drawing more smoothly as you move - tend to jerk the saya

Soete Tsuki - draw when fully turned and cleave from left to right diagonally. As you tsuki, move in back foot for KKTI

Uke nagashi
Raise saya up in a pronounced way before drawing to save time on draw. Get awkward feet position better.

Kesa Giri
Draw and turn saya on SECOND step. Third step is upward cut then cut down again. As you come into Hasso Kamae, push out with sword as you move back for better Seme.

Morote Tzuki
Keep hands closer in to stop sword wandering out and sticking out away from body. Sword should be closer to body as you cut and remember to go through Jodan

Ushiro
Practice - cut should be on left knee (check this). You were getting wrong knee forward.

Mae
Rather than thinking of pushing back after Kiri o roshi, imagine pointing back and upwards to ceiling

General point. Look first then move hips and body - dont move heads hips body at same time.

1) Ganmen Ate
James said put left foot behind after blow while doing saya biki to get in right position for tsuki. Bit confused about this to be honest - check with Mick. It makes me off balance?

2) Morote Tsuki
Brought sword way too far back down back for cut - remember to pass through Jodan on both cuts. Sword shouldn't be behind back. Use the Kashira as a targetting system all time and sword will follow in right place

3) Soete Tsuki
Remember to 'pull out' tip before dropping sword with hand and watch fingers dont intrude onto blade in a risky way

4) So Giri
Good but dont stop and cut - try and keep it going.

5) Kesa Giri
Draw blade out more to 60% to fool opponent, and point kashira at opponent for more accurate upward sword path. Chiburi needs to be down a bit and tip not angled

6) Sanpo Giri
Watch feet on first cut to chin - still slightly wrong. Get in right place and hips automatically square when doing second cut
dont get glommed on to an opponent you have cut, keep moving and looking at next opponent

7) Noto - blade should be flat when doing noto, then it won't ride on your hand in a dangerous way

General points
* Feet still not always square, particularly left foot, still tendency to turn out
* Hakama was rubbish, it fell apart. Try tying not so high up belly, also make it easier to draw and do noto. So long as main flower KNOT is over tanden, all is ok. Not sure I am tying my obi that well

DONT PAUSE KEEP IT MOVING OR PAUSES SHOULD BE MINISCULE

1) Mae - bigger cuts! Still too high on first cut. Back foot not straight enough on Noto. Hooking on Noto. Knees hurt a bit.

2) Morote Tsuki - aim for straight cut on head to chin and it will appear diagonal (Jim said).

BIGGEST THING WAS THIS: dont pull the blade back to do tsuki. Keep it in position from after first cut, and then move your body to give power to the tsuki. Don't bring feet up so far that they are even, need to keep stance. If you pull blade back to your centre to do the tsuki, it's telegraphing, and is very weak.

CUTS INCLUDING SANPO AND SHIHO GIRI - finishing cuts too far out with left hand too far from your centre. I could do it when i did it slower. Mick said 'bringing in biceps' has same effect as pulling in left hand to centre. Big elliptical cuts like casting a fishing rod.

3) Nuki Uchi - chiburi was better but still a bit high. Watch this. dont angle tip down either

4) Kesa Giri - Mick reckons blade is about 60% out before you turn saya. Try it. This does make it easier. I was not drawing blade out enough before turning left hand so saya flips

GENERAL TIP - KEEP LEFT HAND MOVING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, USE AS A PIVOT on all cuts, keep blade moving. Makes it more flowing and dynamic

GENERAL TIP - NOTO, absolutely it's about PUSHING saya on with the LEFT hand.

Here is the full Ogura sensei Seitei and Reiho in colour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ5_JaRaOtQ

Lesson 15 January.

Dont look too camp or angry. Keep expression neutral.

When doing Ukenagashi, make sure there is plenty of saya biki and the sword is raised to protect your body - not too far back. Try angling the arm to keep the tip on your knee. LOTS more saya biki on that difficult noto.

Nuki uchi. You are adding an extra movement on the chiburi. Try pulling your centre back first (this applies to a lot of the katas) then simple arm movement, imagine you are sweeping peas or carrots off the top of a table. Dont overextend chiburi and dont cross your centre line.

Soete tsuki - push left shoulder forward before the tsuki to make it more pronounced. Watch you dont get tip tangled with your sageo which happened TWICE

Sanpo/Shiho - i got them mixed up. Remember on Sanpo Giri, make sure hips facing opponent (look first too) BEFORE the cut. Kashira is targetting system, as always

Good digest of main teaching points from the dreaded book:
http://ejmas.com/tin/2012tin/tinart_taylor_1212.html

NOTE on Morote Tsuki, only cut down to chin. And dont let blade drop during Mae. Tighten little finger of left hand to keep it up

This is interesting. I am going to try the 'palm' tip for morote tsuki. http://ejmas.com/tin/tinart_taylor1_0300.htm

I like this quote. "The index finger overlaps the thumb, and is used in the grip. See how this changes the angles between the blade and the forearms, and how it is now impossible to extend the tip forward, or touch the right thumb to the left wrist without "breaking" the wrists. This grip is common in beginners, and gives a short, circular shaped chop as opposed to the lovely elliptical slice we so prize in iai."

An ellipsis looks like this

Lesson 8 January 2017

* Cutting – move tip first by tightening left hand. Tip needs to be firs thing to move

Kesa Girl

* Keep right hand in place draw blade and simply turn saya upside down with left. Right doesnt move. You then need to do a cut up but make sure blade is in right place for cut down

* Chiburi on Shiho Giri

Move centre and bum back first before sword

* Chiburi on Kesa Giri

Kind of push out sword before making chiburi for seme