Keiko with kodachi?

[Migoto]

I’ve been having some tendonitis in my left elbow for some time. Guess I did too much suburi had developed an overuse injury. I’ve taken some time off from Kendo but it’s hard to be away. I’m thinking about going back and just using the kodachi in the right hand. This way I’m still doing Kendo and letting my left elbow heal with only some appropriate rehab. Most sensei’s say my footwork is slow. I’m thinking that keiko verses a full-length shinai will push me to have better / faster footwork.



Does anyone know much about practicing (keiko) with the Kodachi?

[Migoto]

I am hoping someone has a reference to site or some experience to share about using the short sword / shinai like in Nito but without the long sword / shinai. I know the last three kata deal with it, so there is a reason the folks at the AJKF have us practice kata with the short sword but does anyone out there keiko with it?

[Bleda]

I believe this is more of a just as your sensei if you can do it type of questions.

One thing though is its going to be hard to keep your body straight with just a sword in 1 hand. Most tendency is to turn the body like in western fencing to increase the range at which you can strike and decrease the target area. I think aslong as you remain concious of that you might be able to do okay.

If you're hurt though you may just want to take a break for a bit, an important part of training is knowing when to sit on the sidelines.

[Migoto]

One thing though is its going to be hard to keep your body straight with just a sword in 1 hand. Most tendency is to turn the body like in western fencing to increase the range at which you can strike and decrease the target area. I think aslong as you remain concious of that you might be able to do okay.
Rotating the body would be the Jodan kamae or Gadan kamae for the kodachi. For Chudan kamae you would be more "square" to your opponent much like Itto. But have you or anyone seen this done before or have a resource for information and or advice?

[amatsuda]

I’ve been having some tendonitis in my left elbow for some time. Guess I did too much suburi had developed an overuse injury. I’ve taken some time off from Kendo but it’s hard to be away. I’m thinking about going back and just using the kodachi in the right hand. This way I’m still doing Kendo and letting my left elbow heal with only some appropriate rehab. Most sensei’s say my footwork is slow. I’m thinking that keiko verses a full-length shinai will push me to have better / faster footwork.



Does anyone know much about practicing (keiko) with the Kodachi?

Instead of practicing with a kodachi, which in itself could lead to additional injuries...I suggest you take this down time to fully rehabilitate yourself and also continue attending practices.

Of course, consult with your Sensei first, but instead of putting the Men on with everyone else, you can use the practice time for rehab time.

While everyone is doing their practice, you can use the time to do things that will facilitate your recovery such as stretch, suburi slowly and at your pace, and also work on your footwork by doing suriashi and other drills to make your footwork better.

I have never had to take time off from Kendo due to tendinitis, but I have had to take time off due to a neck injury related to a car accident. I could not get hit in the head during the rehab phase so I continued to go to the Dojo and did suburi and footwork drills. So when it came time to rejoin the rest of the class, it was not very difficult.

Hope this helps.

amatsuda

[Musha]

I was interested in this post because I have an interest in Nito kendo :).
I have never heard of any one using Kodachi to do Kendo except for bayonet fencing. Miyamoto Musashi used a wakizashi that is about half the size of a katana and I don't think kodachi was widely used.

But I would expect you would have to extend you reach and turn your body slightly to fence against a full size shinai with the short maai you should have.
In nito the shoto wakizashi is mostly used for defence kind of like the English small shield. You can protect the MEN, DO and TSUKI and attack with the shinai.
But using a wakizashi by it self you could not protect one side of your body so maybe that is why fencing side on would be an advantage.
More over in modern kendo few people can use the wakizashi well enough to score a point.

In conclusion I think using the shoto (wakizashi) to do Kendo would considerably degrade your kendo and when you can use the shinai again you will pick up very bad habits.
Best to work on the things you are capable of doing as other people have said :wink:.

[Bleda]

Rotating the body would be the Jodan kamae or Gadan kamae for the kodachi. For Chudan kamae you would be more "square" to your opponent much like Itto. But have you or anyone seen this done before or have a resource for information and or advice?
That was kinda my point, except you don't rotate your body in jodan or gedan either, those are different sword positions, not body positions. Gedan, jodan, hazo, chudan, and waki are all with the feet facing forward and the hips squared off (or darn close to it).

one handed with a shoto would look much like western fencing to be effective though it would seem.

[Will]

I think you all should stop posting on this topic by giving him suggestions on how to injure himself and reread to what amatsuda wrote.

injured kenshi = bad
healthy kenshi = good

[Bleda]

If he is like me he is not going to care for stopping jsut because it hurts. If he wants to do this he's going to do it with or with out our blessings so might aswell answer his question if it would be good or bad to fight with a kodaichi.

[moocow65]

Don't do keiko with the shoto. It is very different from the type of kendo you do with a regular shinai. Keiko with the shoto mostly involves side-stepping and kaeshi waza. You don't do anything like tobikomi men with a shoto like you would do with a daito.

[bginop]

migoto, is your real name John? and do you train at tucson kendo kai?

[kendokata]

While most people are commentating on the yes or no of using a shoto, I will just try to give you an alternative method of practice. Personally, I think the best option is to play Right Jodan and just leave your elbow down at your left side (protecting the Do).

This allows you to reduce some openings (like the Do - or the left Kote in Jodan), it allows you to still strike men (just need to develop your right, but not too much) and it will force you to work on seme (people are going to try to be tsuking you and going for that right wrist).

It is usually permitted - I know myself and a few others who were allowed to use this style after we sustained injuries and a few of us (I know myself and one other individual) who have found it was actually pretty good - without developing bad habits (not too many) or doing anything that may throw off distance and timing.

Good luck
Michael

[Migoto]

Thank you all for replying to this post.



“Amatsuda” Thank you for your advice. I respect your opinion and have taken some time away from the dojo. I know that was not exactly your advice but due to the format of how practices are run here it would be difficult to come and limit my participation. But I also did practice a bit with to shoto and will likely do it a bit more until I’m fully recovered. I hope this does not offend you. As my injury is only with the left elbow, if I limit my activates too much I fear my body will detune and when I start up again I may be opening myself to another overuse injury. And I just like to do Kendo and don’t want to stay away to long (the real truth).



“Will” I appreciate you agreeing with “amatsuda” but I do not believe I will injure myself any further by using the shoto.



“moocow65” I also respect your opinion and my experience in the past month using the shoto is you are very correct, you are forced to side step off the line and use kaeshi waza or similar waza. At least you must side step of the line as defense or as a transition to offence. But I would really like to know why you say don’t do it?



“kendokata” Thank you very much for the idea. I just came across a post today that spoke about just that, one-handed Jodan. I am interested in trying it but I would like to get my arm a little stronger first so I do not injury the last good arm I have.



I would like to say thank you to everyone who replied to this post, and a bigger thank you to those of you who were trying to help and were concerned about my health. If I do not take your advice or only take a bit of it please do not be offended. It seems the three kodachi kata are there for a reason. And they do work in keiko. The shoto does have a very different ma-ai and adjusting to it is difficult. Using the shoto is very demanding of footwork, speed and readiness of the mind. It may be hard to readjust to the daito. It must, in the end, create a more dynamic mind to be forced though those transitions, ultimately to create a better understanding of ma-ai. Some are saying to stop and come back later to kendo because you have your entire life to practice kendo. I agree. Some are saying do not practice in a different way than normal, as you will pick up habits (maybe bad, and maybe good). I agree. It is possible you could learn just as much walking the perimeter, as going straight to the center, and if you do both you learn twice as much. With just your life to learn about Kendo, would you deny yourself the opportunity to learn twice as much? As with all things in life, it could be a mistake. Ichigo, ichie (one opportunity, one chance).

K