Back to basics continued

Thank you for completing my poll. As the graphs show, we are quite a conscientous bunch,most of us practising suburi and kirikaeshi at every session. We are less enthusiastic about kakarigeiko and oji waza drills, but overall we like kihon-geiko and want to do more. My supposition that there were lots of fat cats out there [...]

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Zanshin

 The kendo referee’s rulebook describes zanshin as one of the necessary elements of a successful yuko datotsu. In simple terms zanshin is the mental state and physical posture that allows you to respond to a counterattack after you make a strike. If zanshin is not present after an attack in shiai, the point is either [...]

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“Speak when you are spoken to!”

On my occasional visits to one or other of the kendo message boards, I often see requests for advice or clarification, to which someone invariably posts the response – “ask your sensei”.  This seems to me to be the most logical and accessible way to have questions answered, but obviously many people find it a [...]

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Kakarigeiko and uchikomigeiko

Most kendoka know the difference between uchikomigeiko and kakarigeiko – in theory. Very few of us do enough of either to be able to perform them correctly. Both form an integral part of Japanese school, university and police training sessions, but in the UK we may do the occasional bit of uchikomigeiko, but seldom push [...]

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Is less more?

Recently watching Sumi sensei teach a series of drills where kakarite makes a rapid succession of attacks as motodachi blocks, I started to think about the apparent contradiction in kendo where we train to make multiple strikes but seek the perfection of a single perfect men cut. Most of the sensei who have written about [...]

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Learning to love kakarigeiko

I am taking my first tentative steps back into kendo after time off nursing my broken wrist. I still do not have a full range of movement and it hurts if I put too much pressure on it or try to extend my hand in anything more ambitious than an up and down motion. However [...]

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Making the most of motodachi!

Motodachi’s job is to enable kakarite to practice technique correctly in the best timing and distance for his or her level. Whether receiving kirikaeshi, uchikomigeiko, kakarigeiko or waza geiko, motodachi should  dictate the opportunity, making clear sharp openings for kakarite to attack. It is impossible to do this without maintaining strong mind contact and building [...]

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