tenouchi in nihon kendo kata

[KenShi_JoB]

I know that we have to tighten our hands (tenouchi) before hitting the target. I wonder that in kata,sometime sword miss the target.we have to cut all the way down such as in ipponme that uchidachi cut all the way down from jodan to gedan. Can anyone tell how to use tenouchi correctly in this situation? Do we have to tighten hands just before hitting men(which we miss) and continue tighten down to gedan?

and what did it means that, in kata,we cut with the hip(whole body not arm)?please clarify this for me.

sorry my english isn't good.i'm not native speaker.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Depends on which kata. In #1, the cut is all the way to gedan. But in #5, the cut is only men. So in #5 there should be tenouchi at around the men height, and you should relax at that point and let the bokken be deflected to the side and down. If you try to cut the same way in #5 as #1, you can injure your partner.

[Dave Fowler]

Depends on which kata. In #1, the cut is all the way to gedan. But in #5, the cut is only men. So in #5 there should be tenouchi at around the men height, and you should relax at that point and let the bokken be deflected to the side and down. If you try to cut the same way in #5 as #1, you can injure your partner.
Really? no one said anything to us at the seminar this year and we were cutting all the way down. I was under the impression that #5 and #1 were exactly the same for teacher side.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Really? no one said anything to us at the seminar this year and we were cutting all the way down. I was under the impression that #5 and #1 were exactly the same for teacher side.
Nope, it's as I already described. If they didn't say anything to you, it's because they were busy with other stuff.

[KenShi_JoB]

Depends on which kata. In #1, the cut is all the way to gedan. But in #5, the cut is only men. So in #5 there should be tenouchi at around the men height, and you should relax at that point and let the bokken be deflected to the side and down. If you try to cut the same way in #5 as #1, you can injure your partner.
So in #1 there should be tenouchi at men height, and cut all the way to gedan.Then relax after reach gedan ,right?

and can you give me any detail about cut using hip? I can imagine horizontal cut using hip,but vertical cut.... how can I using hip(as I say before,I heard that in kata we cut using hip(whole body not just arms)).

my dojo doesn't train in kata much,and I am really interest in it.

[Neil Gendzwill]

So in #1 there should be tenouchi at men height, and cut all the way to gedan.Then relax after reach gedan ,right?
No tenouchi at men height for #1, you're swinging for the fences with this cut.


and can you give me any detail about cut using hip?
I don't use much hip other than what is natural with the footwork, IOW just normal kendo style hip. The main difference between the cuts in the kata and the way most people cut with shinai is that they should be big and round, and with no backswing. For #1, start with tension in the pinky of your left hand. The tip shouldn't dip back at all. The cut should feel like you're throwing your sword away, up and out in a nice big arc.

[KenShi_JoB]

No tenouchi at men height for #1, you're swinging for the fences with this cut.
Do you mean in Ipponme you just swing without any tenouchi,right?

Sorry my english's not that good.

[KenShi_JoB]

oh and why it doesn't have any tenouchi.

[Neil Gendzwill]

No tenouchi at men height. Stop that sucker before it hits the floor though.

[Halcyon]

Really? no one said anything to us at the seminar this year and we were cutting all the way down. I was under the impression that #5 and #1 were exactly the same for teacher side.
nope. different. as neil said, #5 is a men cut, so the uchidachi's cut does not go all the way down to gedan as in #1.

another common mistake people make is on #4. after uchidachi and shidachi approach one another from hasso and waki-gamae, respectively, their cuts should be aiming for the opponent's men. but a lot of people tend to aim way too high. accordingly, you should be applying tenouchi at the moment of impact, then relaxing your grip slightly was both sides maintain pressure on one another coming down to chudan, and then uchidachi uses tenouchi once again as he/she thrusts forward with tsuki.