Gatotsu - Is It For Real?

[Seishiro]

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*originally a blog post at my Multiply. Here is the link to the original post.*

Gatotsu - Is It For Real?

After a brutal drinking binge in Simala today, I slept at 6 pm and woke up just 2 hours ago. As a result, I have nothing to do. I wanted to go on building my composition but no tune comes into mind yet so I have to put it off for now.

Today I'm going to write about one more hobby of mine: kenjutsu. This time I'll try to discuss the merits and of course the disadvantages of Gatotsu, the fictional kenjutsu technique used by Saitou Hajme in the anime Rurouni Kenshin. This is the Gatotsu as everyone knows it:



My kenjutsu sensei will probably reprimand me for this, as they are all under the impression that since Gatotsu doesn't exist, it doesn't merit studying. I think otherwise, although no disrespect intended to my sensei and senpais. We just think differently.

The Stance

The stance for Gatotsu is executed as follows and as describe in the picture above.

First, the practitioner steps his right leg forward and puts half of his weight into it. The half goes to the left leg which is then held apart from the right. The right foot is pointing forward while the left is 90% perpendicular to the right. In short, this is the horse stance in which all practitioners of martial arts are aware of.

The Grip

What makes Gatotsu so difficult and perhaps even impossible is that the practitioner grips the sword by the left hand alone. The right is either held above the body of the blade, with the sharp edge facing the left side as done in the picture above. There is another grip as described in the anime, and that is having the sharp edge facing upwards and the right hand placed along the blunt edge. Personally, I prefer the one in the picture as it is most practical because it is easier to execute a thrust that way that will the blade facing upwards.

The Attack

The Gatotsu is a fictional waza (technique) created by Nobuhiro Watsuki for the Rurouni Kensin manga and anime. It was, however, modeled after the real technique used by Saitou Haijme in the Shinsengumi during the Bakumatsu days. This technique, though unnamed and without any lessons passed on, consisted of a single, sudden and high speed thrust through the opponent. Saitou, in turn, must have based the attack on the kenjutsu ryuha created by Toshizo Hijikata, one of the leaders of the Shinsengumi: the Hirazuki.

It is interesting to note that another skilled swordsman of the Shinsengumi, Okita Souji, also used fast thrusting attacks. His variant consisted of three thrusts done at quick succession.

The fictional Gatotsu uses four attacks: Ishiki, the most basic variant, uses a straight forward thrust aimed towards the throat of the opponent. Nishiki, the second technique, uses a diagonal thrust aimed perhaps towards the abdomen and aimed to run down the lower torso of the opponent. The third one, the Sanshiki, is a nearly vertical attack aimed upwards to a jumping opponent. The fourth kata, the Zero Ishiki, is most difficult to pull off as it uses the upper body to generate force for the front thrust. This is used by Saitou (the anime character) at extremely close range.

For practicality's sake, however, only the basic kata is applicable in real life, or at least in my opinion. This, for certain, must have been the case in which the real-life Hajime Saitou used his technique for.

All Gatotsu attacks always has a follow-through. If the thrust misses, the practitioner rotates his body 180 degrees counter-clockwise in a dou attack: a horizontal thrust designed to dismember an opponent or eviscerate him.

Advantages

One word: speed. The thrust is a very simple-looking attack that is actually very difficult to master. First, you have to make sure that the thrust indeed hits where you intend it to be. Even with two hands, it is a hard thing to really get the hang of. The fact that Gatotsu requires it to be held at the hilt of the left hand makes the thrust a bit harder than usual. Second, you have to be very fast so that your opponent has minimal chances of defending or avoiding the attack.

Another advantage to Gatotsu is the range. Since the practitioner grips the sword by the pommel (a standard grip used even in two handed kenjutsu practice) he has a bit more range of thrusting which is accentuated further by the speed and the legwork required from the user of the technique.

To conclude, anyone who masters Gatotsu would be able to harness nearly lightning-fast movements and excellent range.

Disadvantages

As mentioned above, you need to able to execute a thrust real fast in order to really hit your opponent. That is where the main disadvantage of Gatotsu comes in: the probability of missing. Even though Gatotsu has a follow-through attack, essentially the practitioner has lost his technical advantage over his opponent and leaves him vulnerable (this, I think, was what happened to that Jigen-ryu policeman in RK) to counterattack.

My Conclusion

To conclude this blog (or discussion, whatever), I would have to say that the Gatotsu might have been developed as a second technique or a surprise mechanism by Saitou in battle. I think the follow-through attack is a cliche: you cannot guess what the opponent will do when he avoids the technique. For example he could sidestep either left or right and do a kesa attack (severing the shoulder from the arms by slashing at the shoulder blades) while the practitioner pauses for a split-second to perform the follow-through. In actual practice, I would do the following: turn towards the opponent and prepare to defend. I think it is most practical, and allows you to look for another opportunity with which you can use the specialized thrusting again.

To use it the way it is used in the anime, IMO, would be utterly foolish. The stance and preparation, however, could be a ploy to psychologically unnerve the opponent since it virtually airs an aura of confidence to actually try and perform a thrusting attack because it is the most predictable of all kenjutsu basic strikes.

[X]

para nako true ni.

kai ang katana gud ultimate sword gud na. na balance xa from offense to defense. thrusting lang naa kaau sa katana. its just na.. ambot.. mangad2 tag japan, manginterview ta sa mga shrines and dojo's!! XD

[Red Vill]

@seishi:Interesting bro . I made a little research and results indicate that Gatotsu is fictional. I'm not yet satisfied though.

I bumped into this info and would just like to share it. "Gatotsu wasn't used by Saitou in the past, his specialty was a left handed sword thrust, but Watsuki decided to change it around for a boy's manga, but the Hiratsuke strike, the specialty of the Shinsen-gumi, was a real technique" - Kyoto Obsession.

Is "Zero Ishiki" the ultimate attack of Saito? hhhmmm I better watch the anime again hehehe.

@X: Sige kuyog ko kung mo adto ka hehe


--Back then... and now.. A Shinsengumi is a Shinsengumi... A wolf is a wolf... And a Manslayer is a manslayer... Right Battousai? --

[ßattousai]

It really exist. I have a hard time fighting Saitou Hajme. He's a real beast!

[Seishiro]

Guys, even if I did discuss the possible practical applications of Gatotsu, please keep in mind that it is still a fictional technique. I said so in the beginning of the article. I've been getting reactions in the original blog that the technique is theoretically impossible, which I agree to but is also irrelevant because I did not say Gatotsu is theoretically possible. I only discussed which parts of it would remain if ever it was possible.

[r0mm3L]

i think tinuod ni sya, di lang sya exag compare sa anime.

unsa man d i mahitabo sa tao kong ing.ana nga stance, nya dunggabon dayon hehe

[Seishiro]

r0mm3L try doing a high speed thrust gikan ana nga stance. Imong opponent ga expect na unsa imo buhaton so there is a high chance of failing and missing. Pero yes, I agree, it's based on a real technique but I don't think existing ang stance and the technique is merely a waza built into the entire ryu. Ako lang opinion ha as a practitioner of Kenjutsu. It's difficult to set up without an opening diversionary technique.

FYI: Hirazuki is a specialized technique created by Toshizo Hijikata (vice-commander of the Shinsengumi and model for Aoshi Shinomori) but the formal ryu practiced by lower echelon members of the Shinsengumi was the Tennen Rishin Ryuu which was practiced by Kondou Isami and other top members in the dojo (the Sheikhan) before they joined the Wolves of Mibu.

[hypocrisy]

pwede guro ni mabuhat..i think.. depending on the individual's speed, body structure, considering the muscles needed for the attack, the confidence in executing, plus the tons of training before it will be achieved.. IMO lng ha..hehehe

[Seishiro]

pwede guro ni mabuhat..i think.. depending on the individual's speed, body structure, considering the muscles needed for the attack, the confidence in executing, plus the tons of training before it will be achieved.. IMO lng ha..hehehe

Speed, my boy, is the biggest consideration. Body structure and muscular strength is not a factor for deciding a person's skill in kenjutsu. Just speed, that's all. Awa si Yahiko... or si Kenshin...

[LordKonyo]

@Battousai

Kita ko adtong away ninyo, nag battousai mode pa gud ka para lang makabaws ka, graveh!

Bakante lang gyud kaayo iyang right side, walay depensa. Mao to pag sidestep nimo sa imong left, igo dayon siya. If dili pa to reverse edge imo gamit, putol unta to iya ulo...

P.S. LULZ