In the west a knife is used however a chef wishes and he can chop any direction, up or down and even sideways. In Japan a cut has tradition, a deep tradition of swordsmanship. You can see the knife blade starts at one end and ends at the other. This is a knife stroke. so welcome to the world of “yaido” pronounced ee-eye-doh, the traditional swordsmanship techniques of the samurai warriors. So a cut isn’t arbitrary and it shouldn’t be, and a chef should be dressed appropriately, no visible long hair, rings or paraphernalia. Hygiene is key to a successful kitchen.