Iaibear,
sorry I haven't responded to you, but I was pinned down in a different thread.

The sword step I'm talking about is actually an angular step off line, and then a pivot, done by drawing a large circle with your "trailing foot", and then re-setting your balance once it's behind you and your posture is a "wide hanmi". If anything, it's a tenkan, not irimi movement, but can actually be done to negotiate either kind of technique.

Follow these instructions exactly, and you'll figure it out when you smoothe out the motion...
step 45 degrees left with your left foot, leaving your heel slightly off the floor. On the ball of your foot, push your heel left, turning your hip toward your opponent. Then, with your big toe on your trailing leg, draw a circle around your body until you're facing the same direction as your opponent. Step as far back as you can with your trailing leg as you make the circle, and then, once it's behind you, re-establish your forward presence.

If you thrust forward with a sword (or bokken) as you make your angular step, and raise it as you make the circular step, you should be able to cut directly behind you "where you were standing". It's very similar to the ura version of shiho nage, but the distances are a little different.

I'll try to make a point to check this thread more closely if you have a problem with the instructions, or you can send me a pm and I'll get back with you about it. It's simple to do once you understand it, but it really changes the "depth" that you can attain in your techniques.

Again, I wasn't ignoring you, I just simply didn't get back to this thread as I was involved in a 15 page discussion in another thread.

wristtwister and Bryant

Thank you both very much for the details.
By coincidence we have been practicing a very similar move in class this week.