Another basic attack in
Japanese swordsmanship.
This one is a sideways drawing strike that starts with the
katana inside the
scabbard. A properly performed nuki uchi on an opponent of roughly the same height is akin to playing a game of
connect the dots. The dots being your opponent's
nipples and the pencil being your
katana.
Start off in a neutral stance. Your feet should be slightly apart and facing fowards with your right hand at your side and your left hand on the scabbard. The left hand is always on the scabbard just in case a fight suddenly breaks out. You'll have a split-second advantage since your hand is correctly positioned,
but in a real swordfight that may be all you need. But is your scabbard
properly tucked in? If so, let's begin.
So your left hand is on the scabbard. Now make sure your thumb is placed on the edge of the
tsuba (also known as the
hilt of the katana). The
thumb should be bent. Now, push outwards with your thumb. This should move the blade about a couple of centimeters out of the scabbard.
For those of you unfamiliar with
Japanese swordsmanship, this action is the equivalent to the cocking of the hammer of a gun.
The edge should have been facing up, if it was properly tucked into the belt. Twist it to the left, so the edge will be facing away from your body. Reach over with your right hand and grab the
tsuka, or the handle of your
katana. Draw the
blade outwards while taking a small step forward with your right foot. Once the tip has left the scabbard, your arm should be at your imaginary opponent's
chest level. Pull it in a rightward direction
parallel to the
horizon. When the cut is finished, your hand should not be on the plane that is created by your chest. It should be a little bit
behind, so it looks like you are sticking your chest out.
It should be noted that nuki uchi technically means
draw strike, and not
draw cut. This attack was not meant to slice your opponent horizontally in two, it is mostly meant for pushing your opponent back or forcing them to take a nasty
flesh wound.