Less Power, More Speed

Thursday night practice focused on relaxing our arms and using our wrists to 'snap' the cut.

We started with what O'Sullivan sensei calls the 'tap tap' exercise. Here we practiced repeated small and big wrist based cuts on a partner's horizontal shinai with as little arm power as possible. The aim was to create a satisfying 'pop' while keeping the sword alive.

After the initial exercise we practiced cutting in armour, finishing with kote suriage men and men suriage men. Here we we started to appreciate the benefit of having relaxed arms as suriage waza can be conducted much faster when there's little power in the arms/shoulders.

An additional mental note to take into Fridays practice is to remember not to bob up and down so much as I cut during kirikaeshi. Blake Sensei pulled me up on my poor footwork on Tuesday and said I need to cut with stable posture. This means sinking my hips into the strike as opposed to bouncing up on the balls of my feet.

Young battered me again. He managed to knock the shinai from my hands 3 times, this was because I was pushing him away in Tsubazeriai using my arms (shinai horizontal across his do). Whenever i did this he whipped his hands down and slammed my shinai to the floor. Lesson taught and hopefully learned.

On the knuckle front... its still pretty swollen and bruised after it was hit again. I am booked in to see the doc Friday morning, but I already know what he'll say... "stop doing kendo for a month or so" :(

//edit: Doc says it doesn't look like a bad injury. However, I am bruised the area around an artery and nerve which is causing 'retrograde pain' (shooting pain up my arm). Im guessing i've irritated the Median nerve. He suggested I try and protect it more and keep icing it to reduce the swelling.

Hesitation

Friday practice Vic (one of our sensei) picked up that I hesitate when people move into my cutting distance. He also said I focus too much on my opponents sword. As a result, my reaction time is slow and stuttered which opens me up to seme and feints.

In my mind I'm trying to be more considered in my cutting (i.e. no 'headless chicken' mode). Consequently, I am missing the opportunity to attack when the opponent steps into my cutting distance. I need to break from this way of thinking, even if i feel it's too soon to attack at the time.

The downer of the week is that I was caught on the right knuckle again and it's bruised up. Gutted. I've been icing it and using Voltarol gel to reduce the swelling, I will also resew extra padding on my kote for next week. I hope i've not done any long term damage.

Frustrating

I've had my first two practices this year after nearly a month off.... they were awful! I'm shocked by the degree of lost coordination and number of bad habits which have reappeared.

Although it has been a very frustrating week, it's been a case of regrouping and going though the basics again. Salmon and O'Sullivan Senseis noted that my back foot has started twisting out and I was stepping too high with my right foot (planting it too short). I was working on this during thursday practice to try and fix my footwork.

O'Sullivan Sensei retaught us 'floating front foot' for fumakomi. We were told to move our body weight to 55% on the back foot, enough to keep your front foot mobile. During the push with the back foot/leg/hips the front foot shouldn't be raised more than 2-3 inches above the floor if possible, the 'stomp' sound will come naturally. Other senseis have described the front foot to me as a stone skipping over water.

Washout

This week was meant to signal a return to kendo for 2010... it turns out that the weather has had other ideas. The UK has suffered a few days of snow and surprise surprise, everything has gone pete tong. Global warming my arse.

Well, here's hoping for better news next week.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8444862.stm

Saburo Iwatate Sensei and Tatsuo Hayashi Sensei Seminar Day 2

'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This kendoka is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-KENDOKA!!

14 hours of kendo over the last few days has broken me. Lots of suburi and kihon was really hard work (but fun in a perverse way). After a hot bath i'm having trouble typing out these words due to lack of energy.

Today was a mixture of recapping Saturday and learning some new techniques. We went though the basic kote, men, do drills as before but also practiced hiki waza. Iwatate Sensei instructed on the following aspects of hiki waza:

• Receiving Taiatari

Must step into the taiatari keeping his/her arms low to meet the aite's tsuka. Motodatchi must NOT step back while performing this.

• Creating Opportunities

Must move the motodatchi's kote to create an opening to cut. The one I remember clearly is for kote, kakarite must try and lip their tsuba under the aite's tsuba and push/roll the opponent's kote up and to the right using their own hands. Once this opportunity has been made, the kakarite must step back and cut the kote using a straight cut (not angled in). Zanshin is shown by retreating at speed and immediately pointing the kensen to the aite's throat.

Zanshin for men and do are also performed at speed with the kensen to the aite's throat. Iwatate Sensei encouraged us to strike using big cuts.

We were asked to perform repeated kote, men, do then hiki men, do, kote as a single string during mawari geiko. After this we practiced repeated kirikaeshi and men cuts across the width of the dojo.

After a break for food and water we had to perform a mock grading. We were sorted into grades and asked to treat it like a real shinsa with the hachidans providing feed back at the end. For my two jigeiko fights I was told that I need to seme more and show stronger attacking spirit. I wasn't creating or reacting to enough seme responses, thus relying on preconceived men cuts. This is something I should work on. On a good note my kiai pleased them.

After the gradings Iwatate Sensei ran though reigi. The main point he highlighted was that the three steps in then sonkyo must be done in a fluid action. Not three steps, pause, then sonkyo... but as a single unbroken string.

The final part of the day was an hour sensei jigeiko. This time I made sure I got to fight Iwatate Sensei. During my turn he conveyed the need to seme, he didn't let me cut unless I created pressure and made an opportunity (well, enough for him to let me cut anyway!). It was a pleasure to fight him even though my kendo is so basic compared to what he is used to.

It was also fun to see him practice with the kids, he always seemed to have a grin on his face as he dodged and weaved to make them cut with precision.

Due to the queues I only managed a short jigeiko with Hayashi Sensei. This was very intense and Hayashi Sensei doesn't let up for lower grades (within reason). It was amazing to fight with such skilled opponents.

All in all it was an enjoyable few days. The aim now is to try and integrate what I have learned into my 'every day' kendo.

All photos taken and kindly provided by Jeff Martin:

Mock grading (me on right)

Nishioka, Hayashi and Iwatate senseis observing.

Final group photo.

Saburo Iwatate Sensei and Tatsuo Hayashi Sensei Seminar Day 1

The first day of a two day seminar run by Saburo Iwatate sensei and Tatsuo Hayashi sensei was enjoyable but tiring. Most of the seven hours was concerned with kihon and basic men, kote and do cuts.

This is a list of what was taught (what I can remember anyway):

• Suburi

We were told to swing the cut over our head so the shinai hit between the butt cheeks. With timing of one the shinai was then swung over the back head to finish the cut. Making sure the arms were extended at the end (but keeping correct posture). This was done for shomen and sayumen suburi.

• Posture & Fumikomi

We were formed into lines and told to place our shinai across our lower back and in front of our arms (straightening our posture). We were then told to push with the left leg (straight knee) and fumikomi, making sure the foot is only lifted a small distance and 'stomped' with the whole sole. No lifting the foot so the sole faces forwards or backward with the toes pointing to the floor, the sole must remain parallel with the floor at all times.

We were constantly reminded to look up at all times, our neck much touch the back of our kendogi collar. Iwatate Sensei said it should be as if we are looking at a 'far away mountain'.

• Men

For a small cut we must start the cut as if we are attacking tsuki but at the last moment lift and cut the men, snapping with the wrists. The follow though must be straight and the arms not too high (right arm parallel with the floor). Iwatate Sensei stressed we should not run though at an angle after the cut.

• Kote

For a small kote we were told that when we push forward, we must align our right foot with the aite's right foot then cut with a snap. The kensen must be pointed at the aite's tsukidare to show proper zanshin.

Iwatate Sensei insisted that there should be no body twisting or spinning to the side for a correct kote cut.

• Do

Iwatate Sensei instructed how to perform nuki do with motodachi cutting men and kakarite stepping forward/right cutting do.

The main exercise came in three parts:

1. Motodachi lifts their shinai above their head and kakarite steps forward/right and taps the aite's left do with his left hand. This is to understand the body movement.
2. Motodachi lifts their shinai and kakarite steps forward/right and completes a do cut.
3. Motodachi cuts men and kakarite steps forward/right and performs nuki do.

The do cut itself was a small action with the hands lifting about face hight, the left hand sliding up the tsuka to meet the right hand, then cutting the do at 45 degrees (just below the aite's elbow). The cut must involve the body, not just the arms.

We then formed into groups and performed Mawari geiko using only the techniques we'd been taught. I was told by Nishioka sensei that I should turn to my right after my run though.

After a short break we had sensei jigeiko for the last hour. I managed to practice with Davis Sensei (BKA Kendo Bucho) and Hayashi Sensei. The queue for Iwatate Sensei was huge and I ran out of time.

Hayashi Sensei was very strong (as you would expect from an 8th dan!). I tried to keep my posture and use seme, however he saw me coming every time. They're like bloody yoda these hachidans.

Hayashi Sensei indicated that I should immediately follow up and cut if an opponent retreats. Just like what Young told me on Friday night. This is obviously something I need to work on further.

Mixed Bag

I was a bit hit and miss this week with the same old problems reoccurring.

Young (3rd dan who has very strong kendo) returned to practice after his trips to Japan and Korea. He took me to task and basically beat the stuffing out of me. At only point he was scoring multiple kote men and even knocked my shinai out of my hands - I had no answer to his onslaught. He explained afterwards that I was not effective in my seme as I was leaning forward and not using my whole body (pushing from the hips). I should also immediately follow up and cut if he backs away, no multiple steps forward are needed. Just one step then cut. In addition, I need to use my wrists more at the end of the cut as i'm striking the mengane too often.

Lots to consider.

During Thursday practice Geoff Salmon Sensei commented that my right arm tends to waft a bit when I raise for a cut, this effects my posture and cut success. This was reaffirmed on Friday when Tony said my kensen tended to drift to the right as I lifted for a cut. I must concentrate on maintaining my kamae and keep the kensen central during my cuts.

Therefore I still need to:

• Drive with the hips;
• Push with body for seme; and
• Snap the wrist forward more for my cuts.