Towadanosai

Towada-no-sai
(Metal truncheons of Towada)

100 to 150 years old (late 1800’s).
Dragon tail block is used against a frontal kick aimed at your tailbone.
Contains nighttime situations, left sided scenarios, Bo VS Sai and hand VS Sai.
Contains many attention stances. Medium forward stance is the most oft used stance.
The crane stance is used as a training technique; shifting all weight off one leg and onto the other. Balance training.
Punching or striking with both hands is training expedient; in actual application only one hand would be used to deliver the punch.
Small frontal strike is used to smash the forward hand of the attacker (staff).


Kata Sequence

1. Attention stance with both sai held with right hand at hip. Bow;


2. Transfer one sai into left hand, kamae-te (natural stance).


3. Step left into side looking forward stance, block left upper, block right down.


4. Step forward block left center, step right block right center, step left block left center.


5. Step right medium forward perform right upper level throwing block (block an upper level thrust aimed at the defender’s face from a staff).


6. Step left medium forward perform left upper level throwing block.


7. Step right medium forward perform right upper level throwing block.


8. Right slide foot and perform a small frontal strike and down block (blocks a center punch) with right sai.


9. Right slide foot and perform left center punch right center punch.


10. Left back cat foot, perform a double forearm block.


11. Step right into medium forward stance perform splitting blocks (block against a frontal kick).


12. Left back cat foot, connection technique on left hip.


13. Step right medium forward stance and perform double filtrum strike.


14. Step back into the attention stance with sai pointing at the ground.


15. Perform upper level cross blocks (blocks a frontal strike from staff).


16. Step right medium forward stance and perform both hand upper level side strikes.


17. Pivot 180 degrees and perform dragon tail block from medium forward stance.


18. Perform left down block, left slide foot and perform right punch left punch.


19. Step right at 45 degrees into left upper, right down block kamae. (Searching the dark).


20. Pivot 90 degrees into left medium forward and perform left down block.


21. Left slide foot and perform right, left center punches.


22. Step right 45 degrees into medium forward stance kamae perform right down block and left upper block.


23. Slide right (back online) and perform right upper level throwing block.


24. …
    


25. Look to the right side, Step 90 degrees right and perform right upper lever level throwing block.


26. Slide foot and perform small frontal followed by right down block.


27. Slide foot and perform left, right center punch.


28. Pivot to front in attention stance, place kamae on right hip.


29. Slide foot left into medium forward and perform left upper throwing block.


30. Slide foot and perform left small frontal, left down block.


31. Slide foot and perform right, left punch. (A left sided scenario)


32. Turn 90 degrees to the front and perform…


33. …


34. Look right; step small basic left and perform a left one-legged stance and a right downward sweeping block against a foot jab from an attacker’s staff.


35. Step 90 degrees and perform right down block, slide foot and perform left, right center punches.


36. Step 90 degrees left into a right one-legged stance and a left downward sweeping block.


37. Step 90 degrees and perform left down block, slide foot and perform right, left center punches.


38. Step 90 degrees (back online) right and perform…


39. …


40. Step left leg back and perform upper level cross blocks.


41. Step left; step right; perform large frontal strike in rear cross-legged stance.


42. Step back right into a quasi cat foot (backward stance); hold left sai vertical while right sai touches vertical sai with the point at eye level.


43. Step left; step right into the attention stance and slide strike right sai along the shaft of the left sai. (Upper level thrust; spirit shout.)


44. Step back right 180 degrees into square stance; perform left center block and right down block.


45. Step back 180 degrees into square stance; perform right center block and left down block.


46. Step forward left into a left one-legged stance (crane stance); perform left high-level block and right low-level block. Probably the most difficult technique in Towada-no-sai.


47. Step down into a natural stance; return left sai to the right hand; attention stance; bow.