Sword fight superstar: Tetsuro Shimaguchi

In the epic sword fight scene at the climax of Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Vol. 1," a masked, pizza-obsessed punk named Miki is the first to fall to Uma Thurman's sword. He may have played a bit role onscreen, but behind the camera the man behind the mask -- Tetsuro Shimaguchi -- played a central part in the film's production.

Shimaguchi is one of a handful of professional sword fight choreographers in Japan and was responsible for orchestrating the entire battle. He is an actor, a martial artist and the leader of a performing troupe called Kamui. We caught up with Shimaguchi at his dojo in Tokyo, where he runs courses in theatrical sword fighting for amateurs and pros alike.

CNNGo: How did you get your start as a sword fight choreographer?

Tetsuro Shimaguchi: Actually, I originally wanted to become a writer. When I studied scriptwriting at Nihon University, I also joined a student club to study sword fighting for the stage. There were 35 of us at first. But the training was so strict that by the end, I was the only freshman who remained.

CNNGo: I guess the pen wasn't mightier than the sword after all?

Shimaguchi: My professional debut as a performer was at the February 1996 Grand Kabuki, a play called "Kumagai Jinya." Then, during the Super Kabuki performance of "Kaguya" that same year. Super Kabuki is a modernized version of the art intended to appeal to younger audiences. I played 88 shows within two months.

CNNGo: So your background is in Kabuki theater?

Shimaguchi: Right. I even received an offer to become Kabuki actor Ukon Ichikawa's disciple. But I declined. I wanted to pursue my own style of performance.

CNNGo: What exactly does that mean?

Shimaguchi: Well, I was fascinated with sword fighting, and I wanted to move beyond what tradition allowed. Generally speaking, sword fight choreography is considered to be a backseat kind of role. It's behind the scenes, intended to make the main actors look good. But I thought the sword performers deserved more than that. In 1998, I organized a performance group called Sword Master Kamui. The idea was to elevate what we do from choreography to art, to make sword fighting a stand-alone form of entertainment.

CNNGo: So you don't consider yourself just a choreographer anymore?

Shimaguchi: I call myself a "sword artist." I've always wanted to focus on a wide range of performance styles, from realistic fights to dancing with swords. 

CNNGo: Can you get a little more specific about your approach?

Shimaguchi: Here's an example. I can choreograph a scene where I deflect the incoming sword at the same time as my blade makes contact with the opponent's head. It all happens in a split second, and of course I imperceptibly pull back at the very end, so that the full force doesn't hit the opponent. But normally, sword choreographers don't ever make actual contact during fight scenes. We do. That's what makes us different. Everyone in Kamui, all of us, have trained ourselves to be different from traditional choreographers.

CNNGo: Your most well known work abroad is the sword fighting you choreographed for "Kill Bill," the scenes between Lucy Liu and Uma Thurman, in particular. What it was like working with Quentin Tarantino?

Shimaguchi: He was very much involved in the choreography process. He considered playing the Pai Mei character himself, so he actually did wire work training with the Chinese staff. And he's a big fan of Japanese sword fighting, so he trained with me as well. During lunch breaks he would show us films from his collection -- old samurai movies and anime that even I'd never heard of. I recall him telling me that I was like Jekyll and Hyde -- quiet in normal life and scary with a sword in my hand. (laughs)

CNNGo: Over the years you've performed everywhere from the Kabuki stage to mega-budget Hollywood films. Where do you see yourself going from here?

Shimaguchi: I plan to continue touring the world with Kamui and introducing the art of the Japanese sword to audiences all over the world. And of course I want to keep acting in films. But my biggest dream is to open a dojo abroad, so I can introduce my style to non-Japanese who want to learn about it as well. I want the sword arts to be seen as an integral part of Japanese culture. I've found that sword fighting is actually a great way to make friends across the world.

Hiroko Yoda runs AltJapan Co., Ltd., a Tokyo-based entertainment localization and translation company. She is the author of many books about Japan, including "Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide," "Ninja Attack!:True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws," and "Yurei Attack! The Japanese Ghost Survival Guide."

Read more about Hiroko Yoda