Don’t touch your hands together or else you’ll cut with a hacking motion and you won’t be as accurate. Keep at least 3–4 inches (7. 6–10. 2 cm) between them. Avoid keeping your thumbs on top of the handle since you won’t get a proper grip on the sword.
Other targets you can try include pieces of paper or filled plastic bottles. You can also practice without a target if you just want to perfect your form. Make sure there’s nothing around your target that could damage the blade or get cut by the sword. Aim to keep other items at least 10 ft (300 cm) away.
You can also cut down at an angle if you want to strike the target from the side. Point the tip of the blade closer to the side where you want to start your cut. The cutting edge of the katana will point up while it’s over your head.
It’s okay to break down the steps of your swing and go slowly while you’re practicing.
If you’re bringing the blade down at an angle, step forward with the foot that’s on the opposite side as the end of your cut. For example, if you’re cutting from right to left, step forward with your right foot.
If you’re swinging to practice form, try to stop your movement when you have the blade at chest level. That way, you’re able to develop better control of the sword.
You can do horizontal strikes using only your dominant hand but you may not have as much control over the blade.
Keep your nondominant wrist loose so you can easily control and maneuver the blade. You may need to cross your dominant arm over your nondominant one if you’re striking from the other side of your body.
Try to sidestep away from blows while you’re blocking so you can get out of the way of the attack.
Keep the cutting edge perpendicular to the ground so it doesn’t point back at you. Place your nondominant palm against the side of the katana blade to help you support it, but be careful not to touch the cutting edge, or you could hurt yourself.
Practice with a sparring partner so you can learn how to properly deflect hits.
The scabbard holds the blade tightly in place near the guard so the katana doesn’t slip out accidentally. Be careful not to push the blade out too far or it could fall out from the scabbard.
The katana will have a sharp cutting edge and a dull edge along the back.
Never try to resheathe the katana without holding onto the scabbard since the blade could easily slip from place.
Be careful moving the tip of the katana toward you so you don’t accidentally cut or stab yourself.
Don’t try to force the blade into the scabbard since you could damage the blade.
Don’t swing your katana anywhere that you could hit someone or something that you aren’t intending to cut. Try practicing in your yard if you have the space to move around. Check local laws and regulations to find out the legality of bringing a katana in public since it may not be allowed in your area.
You can buy bokkens online or from martial arts stores. Even though bokkens don’t have a cutting edge, they will still hurt someone if you hit them with it. The thinner edge of the wooden blade is considered the cutting edge while the wider flat edge is the back of the blade.
Many dojos or instructors have strict rules for practices and uniforms, so make sure you follow them completely so you can stay in the course.
