Learning Japanese fencing by yourself must be hard.
I wonder if you have heard the expression "issoku ittou no maai"(spacing of one step and one sword).
When you hold your sword in the usual manner (called "chuudan". or middle height) and face your opponent touching the tips of chikutoo (bamboo sword),
a full swing down won't touch your opponent at that distance. But if you move one step forward you can hit "men" (face).
That distance of one step is called "issoku ittou no maai".
This is about the same as one step when you walk in a normal manner, because you need not jump further forward as in case of formal matches.
The footwork is the most basic and most important but no one is perfect from the beginning. A full explanation is likely to be longer, ask me if you have questions.
僕も中学の時剣道をやったので（今は全部忘れました）訳しました。竹刀は、僕の先生は「しない」と言わないで「ちくとう」と言ったので、そう読んでおきました。間違っていたら直してください。
お礼
こんなに早い回答ありがとうございます！！ ちくとうとも言うんですね、初めて聞きました(*´∀｀*) 本当に感謝です！