Thoughts on being a motodachi

[JSchmidt]

The kakari-geiko thread touches briefly on it, but I feel it's often a subject that's neglected.
Unless you are lucky enough to practice in a dojo with enough teachers to only practice against them, pretty much everyone gets to be a motodachi the moment they put on armor, as they have to recieve cuts from their fellow students, so here's my take on what everybody, regardless of ability should do:
Be alive!. Don't stand there like a hitting dummy, but present a strong kamae, with the intention of engaging the 'opponent'. (Even if you aren't going to!)
Make correct distance. Above all, never make it too close, but don't stand waiting at the other end of dojo either. Presenting toi-maai is always the best option. Be ready when your partner turns around after executing a cut.
Also, with ni/san-dan waza, make distance between the cuts.
When recieving oji-waza (ie you have to cut first), cut correctly and cut with intention. Practicing oji-waza against half-hearted attempts is useless and can develop bad habits.

Any other thoughts?

Jakob

[Dave Fowler]

For multi attacks, cote-men, it is important to know when your supposed to move if at all.

[not-I]

Nice thread, nice points, Jakob.

Being a good motodachi is offers service and respect to your fellow kendoka.

It also seems that being a good motodachi improves not only your partner's kendo, but yours as well.

Finding and adapting to your partner's timing, distance and "rhythm," being fully alive, occasionally kiaing back and applying some pressure, these all seem to be ingredients in being a good motodachi.

[itachi]

Good guide.
I also want to add that, its also good that the motodachi has Kiai as well, so that the person you are being motodachi for can experience something that resembles a real opponent. My sensei also tells me that i must hit them back if they get lazy and go past you slowly.

[taganahan]

my sensei also told me that if you're going to be motodachi, you should be ready to recieve the cut when he's about to turn around. what i mean is, if the student makes a men, follows through and turns around, you, the motodachi should make the effort to go close to the student and not make the the student do the effort to close on you.

~taganahan

[Masahiro]

slowly through the journey of the sword, we learn, slowly through walking the path we grow. Slowly, but surely things will begin to make sense on its own. ~Masahiro

[Andoru]

I also want to add that, its also good that the motodachi has Kiai as well, so that the person you are being motodachi for can experience something that resembles a real opponent.
Indeed. Motodachis must endeavour to motivate and to stimulate as much as possible.

[mingshi]

Running thru my note about being motodachi... from the "ladies seminar" we had last month---

It does not matter what rank you are being a motodachi. Being a motodachi helps each other to learn, being a good motodachi will improve your Oji-waza. Be conscious about using body movement, shinai and ashi-sabaki (i.e. not just the hands)...

Don't close your eyes receiving cuts.

Your opening has to be obvious -- especially to a beginner, you have to be generous.

Be ready, and not receiving as if you are defeated/ escaping, as "there is no defence for the sake of defense in kendo" (this is the exact words of Honda Sensei... )The "engaging" part is very important. After your kakari-te cut thru, you should turn sharply and be ready for the next cut again.

Use the monouchi /front of shinai to block and counter-attack to give you space.

...uhmm that's what's written down. HTH.

[Charlie]

Actually, I was thinking about this, too, as a result of the kakari-geiko thread. I agree with everything that's being said here. But I also feel that there is some responsibility on the attacker, too. If the attacker (what's the opposite of motodachi? I don't know the Japanese; my teachers always say "the attacker") - if the attacker experiences a crisis in maai part of the practice is to adjust for that maai. So the responsibility goes both ways, and chance plays a part, too. Motodachi could be doing a very good job of being an alive receiver, but something will come up by happenstance and it will provide attacker with an opportunity to make sudden, instantaneous adjustments to a disadvantageous maai.

Certainly, I think this is part of kakari-geiko. It also comes out in that ultimate of kendo drills, kiri-kaeshi. If you're testing and your motodachi isn't giving you the right maai, what do you do? Flub the kiri-kaeshi and complain afterward that you failed the test because you didn't have good motodachi? No, you adjust.

Anyway, these are just my thoughts. I agree with what's said here. Jakob's right, especially in clubs with fewer high-ranked people where everyone plays receiver*, one has to learn to be a good motodachi from git-go.





*That's usually how my Japanese friends, sempai and mentors put it, "attacker and receiver." Only in a Japanese accent it sounds like "attackah" and "re-see-bah." This reminds me, one of my sempai, a yondan, had to move back to Japan, and I miss him. He would always conclude his little lessons on the dojo floor with, "Make sense?"

[Kirin]

Since majority of KWM is kyu or below, I will talk about motodachi for kiri-kaeshi.
-maai - issoku-ittou or too-ma (maybe nisoku-itou)... never chika-ma
-ashi-sabaki - use of suri-ashi, hiraki-ashi
-kiai - big , lots entuthiasm
-kamae - keep chuudan until last minute (for first and last men)... do not make opening or lower your shinai long before uchidachi commits

So here goes,
-proper maai with big kiai (both uchidachi & motodachi)
-uchidachi cuts men (motodachi keep center until last moment ...move you shinai tip 5-10inchs to right)
-tai-atari or motodachi keeps distance ...depends on dojo
-uchidachi strats sa-yuu men w/ big suri-ashi almost wide as when you fumikomi (motodachi step back with suri-ashi. make sure to keep/adjust proper distance ie. uchidachi hitting with mono-uchi *many beginner motodachi have tendency to take smaller steps going backward than going forward)
<ususally 4 forward 5 back... but depends on dojo>
(if uchidachi's kai is small, I usually kiai louder with him)
-repeat
-uchidachi strikes last men (motodachi keep center until last moment and uses hiraki-ashi and zanshin)

When motodachi is using shinai to block :
-motodachi's shinai should be straigh up from chuudan (same left grip position as chuudan)
-when recieving sa-yuu men (left-right), rotate your hip and recieve (do not recieve them just moving your hand/arm ie. left grip always stays at same position....CENTER)

Basic learning steps for kiri-kaeshi is Big Swing, Accuracy, Strong (tenouchi), Speed, and Lightness. So motodachi must pace or change speed according to uchidachi's kendo level.

[Charlie]

Excellent post.

[dcarney]

-uchidachi strats sa-yuu men w/ big suri-ashi almost wide as when you fumikomi (motodachi step back with suri-ashi. make sure to keep/adjust proper distance ie. uchidachi hitting with mono-uchi *many beginner motodachi have tendency to take smaller steps going backward than going forward)
<ususally 4 forward 5 back... but depends on dojo>
(if uchidachi's kai is small, I usually kiai louder with him)

Just to clarify, doesn't motodachi step back with ashi-sabaki? ("regular" crossover steps, maybe I have the terms wrong)

[Kirin]

Just to clarify, doesn't motodachi step back with ashi-sabaki? ("regular" crossover steps, maybe I have the terms wrong)

Suri-ashi is the basic means of kendo ashi-sabaki which your foot never leaves floor (sliding foot work)

You must be talikng about 'ayumi-ashi', type of ashi-sabaki which is regular cross-over step but your foot never leave floor.
I said suri-ashi because some dojo, especially for beginners, does not use ayumi-ashi. instead, they use okuri-ashi (normal kendo steps right foot front)

[dcarney]

Suri-ashi is the basic means of kendo ashi-sabaki which your foot never leaves floor (sliding foot work)

You must be talikng about 'ayumi-ashi', type of ashi-sabaki which is regular cross-over step but your foot never leave floor.
I said suri-ashi because some dojo, especially for beginners, does not use ayumi-ashi. instead, they use okuri-ashi (normal kendo steps right foot front)
Ok, thanks. Guess I had my terms mixed up. I'm kind of surprised to hear that some do kirikaeshi without ayumi-ashi. It seems like you might have a hard time balancing if you're moving like that while trying to rotate to recieve the sayu-men strikes.

[Wout]

When motodachi is using shinai to block :
-motodachi's shinai should be straigh up from chuudan (same left grip position as chuudan)
-when recieving sa-yuu men (left-right), rotate your hip and recieve (do not recieve them just moving your hand/arm ie. left grip always stays at same position....CENTER)

Basic learning steps for kiri-kaeshi is Big Swing, Accuracy, Strong (tenouchi), Speed, and Lightness. So motodachi must pace or change speed according to uchidachi's kendo level.

hmm we do it the other way around, we try to move only our hands and keep our body posture (straight towards our opponent, no rotating of the body even though your foots cross over) although I've been told to do it the way you say too by other senseis.
Guess it depends a bit from sensei to sensei, if you just (try to) do what sensei does you you can't go wrong, if it's different from what you allready know you just learn new things.

[Kirin]

Ok, thanks. Guess I had my terms mixed up. I'm kind of surprised to hear that some do kirikaeshi without ayumi-ashi. It seems like you might have a hard time balancing if you're moving like that while trying to rotate to recieve the sayu-men strikes.

It all depends on dojo.
Some sensei dislike beginners doing ayumi-ashi. Ayumi-ashi is considered as very advanced ashi-sabaki in kendo. Basic ashi-sabaki in kendo is 'okuri-ashi'!

And also I try not to block with shinai when practicing with beginners, because they have tendency to hit shinai not men. With little more advanced members, I will block with shinai but when I see just hitting shinai, I lower shinai and let them swing in air (if they are doing proper sayu-men, they should strike my men) If you are hitting shinai, concept of ha-suji (angle of blade) and tenouchi can easily misplaced.

.......and of course if I see someone using carbon shinai, I will not block...
I take painful strikes to my men, not my shinai :wink: