Samurai Journey: Battlefield Kenjutsu

As mentioned, the first of Pitchford Sensei's lessons involved Battlefield Kenjutsu. While he used a katana-sized bokken (i.e. a "wooden sword"), Peri used the shorter waikizashi-sized bokken as it fit her smaller stature better and would have been closer to the weapon a Samurai Woman would have been more accustomed to carrying.

For starters, Pitchford Sensei tried to help Peri become better accustomed to using her voice. "You usually have to be quiet, right? Especially indoors. But not today! Not now! When you strike, i want you to use your voice! I want you to scare your opponent! I want you come after me as though i am a bad guy trying to attack you! I want you to show me that you are not afraid of me, and that you are going to defend yourself!" While he was incredibly patient with Peri, he was also technically and practically precise, requiring her to pay attention and execute her movements with efficiency. The video below shows Peri learning to strike from a "Jodan" (overhead) striking position, and he had her practice this sequence 30-40 times until she could execute with comfort.