What is Gatotsu?
1.
My personal favorite technique. The user holds the sword in their left hand, near the bottom of the hilt. The right hand is positioned near the tip of the sword, pointing at the enemy. The right foot leads under the right hand, or ahead of it, and the left foot is under the left. The user leans back, then pushes forward with the right foot, dashes forward, and thrusts out when in range. If the user misses, he twists the sword so the blade faces the enemy, then does a horizontal slash.
There are 3 basic Gatotsu stances, and one ougi:
Ishiki - The technique explained above.
Nishiki - Same as Ishiki, but user slashes diagonally instead of thrusting, and the attack is executed in mid-air, while coming down on the enemy.
Sanshiki - Used against aerial attacks, the sword is pointed upwards and thrusted up at the enemy.
Zeroshiki (ZERO Gatotsu) - The Gatotsu ougi that I do not fully understand. Gatotsu Ishiki is performed at point blank range, except with no visible leg power. The entire body is focused in the attack, doubling or tripling its power rating. Sometimes the sword is released, making it a powerful projectile.
