One of the cornerstones of Kashimashinryu is the principle of "ichi no tachi."
Ichi no tachi implies not only the ability to maintain unification of your body and mind when confronted by the enemy, but also the ability to instantly bring that unified energy into focus to be able to strike the enemy's opening when it appears.

In the early stages of training, this can be represented most simply by a stance that allows you to protect yourself from attack, while at the same time leaving the possibility of engaging or provoking by means of a straight thrust at the enemy. Thrusting is a much simpler and quicker movement than cutting, so it is common to see a sequence consisting of a thrust followed by a cut.

This later evolves into the study of how to deliver a cutting blow from any given starting point. For example, starting from a stance with the weapon held high; or held low, as in "mugamae," to deliver a strike in a single movement. 

Or from this "shimo-hasso" stance, the strike must be initiated and delivered in a single, unified motion. 

Or, for example, from this "kami-hasso" stance... 

This is believe is the fundamental interpretation of the "ichi no tachi" of Kashimashinryu.

Another fundmantal characteristic is the use of spiral trajectories or movements. Taking the tanden as the locus of the movement, left-to-right or right-to-left spirals can be generated. These can be combined in this manner. In addition, it is possible to tranform one movement into another. For example, a left-to-right movement that opens back to the left. Or the opposite.

A thrust ("tsuki") is also actually a spiral movement -- right-to-left or left-to-right, that converges to a single point at the apex of the thrust.

Next we come to the principle of "koubou-ittai" or "attack and defense as a single action." Instead of having to shift between offense and defense in thsi manner, Kashima techniques combine both into a single strike, like this.

A further fundamental principle is the that of "kihatsu-ittai" or the "unification of spirit and action." I will illustrate this using an example from the Uradachi series. Human psychology is such that there is generally a lag between a given intention and its resulting physical manifestation. For example, the intention to cut with the sword preceeds the physical raising of the sword in preparation to execute the attack. Thus the wind up and actual cut lags by some miniscule amount of time the initial intent or desire. This lag or disconnect presents the enemy with the opportunity to sense this attack in time to counter it. It is therefore important to unify the intent and the action. This type of lag [demonstrating] must be avoided. Instead the movement must be instantaneous, continuous and fully transmit the force of the intent behind it. 

The next fundamental principle is "inyou-ittai" or the unification of opposites: back and front, right and left, yin and yang. A concrete example of this principle can be found in the case where you become drawn into the technique of the enemy and suddenly loose your balance. It is imperative that you are able to recover as quickly as possible -- like this. In this particular case, an excess of force in the right hand due to a failed attempt to strike the enemy must be instantly counter-balanced by the left hand to allow you to recover an upright stance. This is an example of balancing or unifying the front and the back. This principle is also often compared to a successful marriage, where husband and wife play complementary roles that ensure that the household functions smoothly.

The next principle is that of "dousei-ittai" or "stillness within movement." Even in the midst of the most vigorous movement [demonstrating rapid continuous cuts], your spirit and your center must be calm and settled. This also implies the ability to instantly move to deliver a strike from a stable and calm stance.  A helpful way to visualize this is to imagine a spinning top. To our eyes it appears to be standing still, but in reality it is rotating fast enough to remain stable. Or to imagine the earth as it turns on its axis: to us standing on the surface it feels to be standing still, but from the vantage point of space it can be seen to be in motion.

So, these principles I have described and shown constitute in effect the "natural laws" of Kashima swordsmanship: "dousei-ittai", "inyou-ittai" "koubou-ittai" "kihatsu-ittai". Understanding these is of  fundamental importance and the techniques and training of Kashimashinryu provide the tools to study and research them firsthand. 

In this context, the most fundamental study is that of the unification of spirit and body. The basis for this is in turn the practice and study of the breath. The breath provides the means to unify mind and body, and from there to unify physical technique and the body.
earth that we live on and the universe as a whole are said to be breathing. A wonderful example is the forest surrounding this shrine. One need only walk through these grounds to sense the breath of the natural world. It is by bringing our own breathing into harmony with the breath of nature that we can begin to study the natural principles I mentioned earlier, within the context of our practice. 

This fundamental philosophy forms the basis for the use of the breath in Kashimashinryu. Through the use of the breath in practice you can calm your mind and settle your ki into your center. Through this practice -- also called "chinkon" (settling of the spirit) -- you begin to attain a clearer and more accurate perception of all situations, especially in the midst of battle. Only through complete clarity and freedom of mind when face-to-face with the enemy will you be able to use freely the sword techniques you work to master in your day-to-day practice. 

This ability to settle the spirit and free the mind of encumberances is perhaps the most important aspect and ultimate goal of our budo training.

This is why traditional budo training begins seated in seiza. This allows the mind to settle, and provides a foundation upon which to proceed with the physical training. And again at the end of training, it is equally important to sit and pause to re-settle the spirit to complete the practice.