, frequently shortened simply to ''hassō'' and occasionally called ''hassō-gamae'', is one of the five stances in
kendo
is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords ( shinai) as well as protective armor ( bōgu). It began as samurai warriors' customary swordsmanship ex ...
: '' jōdan'', '' chūdan'', '' gedan'', ''hassō'', and '' waki''. It is an offensive stance, named for one's ability to respond to a situation in any direction. ''Waki'' and ''hassō'' are not commonly used in modern kendo, except in
kata
''Kata'' is a Japanese word ( 型 or 形) meaning "form". It refers to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements. It can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. It is practiced in Japanese martial arts ...
.
In ''hassō-no-kamae'', the left foot is forward, and the sword is held pointing upright with the hilt in front of the right shoulder. The blade should slope slightly to the rear. When cutting, the sword is raised above the head, as in '' jōdan''.上野 靖之 (1966) ''剣道教典 (Educational Model Fencing)'' 尚武館刊. p317
''Hassō-no-kamae'' is used by
uchidachi means "striking/attacking sword" and is one of the two roles in kata of budō and bujutsu; the other role is shidachi (受太刀).shidachi means "doing/receiving sword" and is one of the two roles in kata of budō and bujutsu, the other being uchidachi (打太刀).Naginata.
It is also used in
Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū
, often referred to simply as Jikishinkage-ryū or Kashima Shinden, is a traditional school (''koryū'') of the Japanese martial art of swordsmanship (''kenjutsu''). The school was founded in the mid-16th century, based upon older styles of swo ...
In German traditions such as Liechtenauer this is called ''right vom Tag'' (the same name is also used for the equivalent of jōdan-no-kamae—German styles consider the two stances variations on one thing). It is often translated as "day" or "from the roof".