Class with Hiroko, Darrel and Lynette today. Started with a few laps of any attack advancing to the end and any block retreating to the start point, then went through kneeling iai 1 through 5. Switching to shanai, we went through cutting pattern a few times with each of the others present, then started working on the free fighting techniques 1 through 4. A couple key points I made today regarding free fighting techique 4 were that the second technique, which is the bash, needs to be strong and pronounced in order to clear the way for your counter attack, and there should be a significant weight shift along with the hip motion in the final technique, changing your ma and imparting greater power to your killing blow. One other point of importance was proper distancing, making sure that the last three or four inches of the blade are passing through the opponents temple, not six to nine (or more) and not less. This makes the best use of the rotational velocity and power of the sword while providing enough depth for a killing blow.