Hira no kamae

The best source for historical questions is Hatsumi Sensei, but oddly enough, it is often difficult getting straight or consistent answers out of the tricky grandmaster. He wants his students to learn to discern, and therefore does not make it easy. Here are some thoughts I have gotten from observing and questioning him over the years and feel comfortable stating in public.

There are other considerations as well, but those are best kept for more private venues. Hira from history seems to suggest a position to create safety from possible big horizontal slashing motions from a sword tip. Limb targets are held back until the moment of committed movement. This is reflected in some knife fighting systems that urge the students to keep their hands back until the moment of action, and the "classic" 1950s high school locker room wrestler preparatory position with crouched knees, feet shifting the body side to side, and hands floating at the side to avoid a premature grab.

Hoko no kamae has the hands higher and closer to the center axis running through the body's center of gravity and therefore center of movement. This allows for quicker turns and lighter footwork.

When you are sparring, you probably tend to adopt Hoko rather than Hira because you are more likely dealing with attacking weapons (probably fists) that come straight at you, rather than slash across in front of you.

- Stephen K. Hayes