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Techniques across the arts › Weapons

Weapons

Vertical downward cut

Names by art: Kendo: Men · HEMA: Scheitelhau · Aikido: Shōmen-uchi · Kenjutsu: Shōmen-uchi

Appears in 4 arts.

⚠ Train with an instructor. Learn and practise this technique only under a qualified instructor, on a suitable surface and with a cooperative partner. This page explains; it does not replace a teacher.

Biomechanics: what the body does

The weapon rises above the head and falls along the centre line onto the top of the head. The cut is driven by the hips and the step, the hands pulling the hilt down and in at the end so the edge travels, not just drops.

Appears in 4 arts

ArtName used in this art
KendoMen
HEMAScheitelhau
AikidoShōmen-uchi
KenjutsuShōmen-uchi

More in this category

Diagonal descending cut Horizontal cut Cut to the hands / wrists Thrust Lunge Running attack (flèche) Parry Riposte / counter-attack after a parry Feint High guard Middle guard (point at the opponent) Fan strike (abanico) Double-stick weaving (sinawali) Sword (or stick) and dagger Draw-cut (cutting from the scabbard) Two-handed staff strike

All techniques across the arts →

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (en): Kendo
  2. Wikipedia (de): Kendō
  3. Wikipedia (en): Johannes Liechtenauer
  4. Wikipedia (en): German school of swordsmanship
  5. Wikipedia (en): Aikido techniques

Cite / use this content

You may quote short excerpts with a visible link to this page. Suggested citation:

Wabukan (2026). “Vertical downward cut”. https://wabukan.com/tecnicas/corte-vertical (accessed 2026-10-30).

Full rules, ready-made link code and press kit → · Updated: 2026-10-30