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.