Chiburi
血振り
Literally: shaking off blood
Also known as: Chiburui
Symbolic shaking of blood from the blade in iaido, a movement between the cut kiri-oroshi and sheathing the sword (noto).
Quick Facts
Katas containing this technique
About
Chiburi (血振り), literally shaking off blood, is, in iaido, the symbolic removal of blood from the blade before sheathing the sword. English Wikipedia also gives the form chiburui (血振るい). The movement follows kiri-oroshi and precedes noto, sheathing the sword. In the 1st kata of the ZNKR seitei set, Mae, chiburi comes after kiri-oroshi and before noto; in the 3rd kata, Ukenagashi, chinugui, wiping the blade, is performed instead. In the warm-up of the Southern California Kendo Federation (SCKF) it is practised in the sequence batto, furikaburi, kiri-oroshi, chiburi and noto. In film, for example in Zatoichi, chiburi is often one flick of the blade. Actually cleaning blood off the blade would need wiping with cloth, since a flick alone would not prevent rust. We have not been able to document who introduced the gesture into iai.