having problems

[NewKenshi]

Last night I had my second seesion of free practice. I know that I am new and my skill is nill in this area, but I am really tired of being hit with impunity. Please any advice on receiving. My main problem is that when I block kote they score men. When I block men they score kote. It is kind of like a see saw I was struck six times in about 5 seconds last night. Kote Men Kote Men Kote Men, just like that. It was as if I was just a striking dummy. Any advice would be helpful.

Thank you very much for any suggestions you may have.

[indigo0086]

well, if you are abeing struck by newbies, do like my senpai do (me being the newbie), and just tell them what they are doing wrong. Sometimes I come down too hard, no tenuchi, not extending, etc. Once they stop telling me how to correct my form, it makes it easier to receive I suppose.

[JSchmidt]

You are getting hit because you are blocking. Whenever you block one area, another will be open. Attack instead.

Jakob

[Paikea]

Read this article: http://www.kendo.org.uk/articles/jigeiko/01/index.shtml and then http://www.kendo.org.uk/articles/jigeiko/02/index.shtml

This helped me to understand what is going on in ji-geiko, and what to focus on as a beginner. One sensei says to maintain center and hold strong kamae - but focus on attacking and do not block. Another sensei simply lets me know where I'm open at that same less-than-one-second rate and I do learn from that as well.

[Andoru]

You are getting hit because you are blocking. Whenever you block one area, another will be open. Attack instead.

Jakob
Indeed. Though as a newbie one gets hit no matter what anyway. Try to keep center, commit and do big cuts and make sure you complete the cuts (i.e. follow through) - don't be afraid of getting hit.

[Hai_hai]

Last night I had my second seesion of free practice. I know that I am new and my skill is nill in this area, but I am really tired of being hit with impunity. Please any advice on receiving. My main problem is that when I block kote they score men. When I block men they score kote. It is kind of like a see saw I was struck six times in about 5 seconds last night. Kote Men Kote Men Kote Men, just like that. It was as if I was just a striking dummy. Any advice would be helpful.

Thank you very much for any suggestions you may have.
Your second session and you are blocking?
1. Stop blocking.
2. Attack at openings.
3. If you are attacked, attack back. Do not block.

[KingCanute]

i'm sure that you are not actually meant to be fighting to win in your second session. the idea is simply to practice offensive moves so you are your opponents practice dummy and they are yours. blocking is pointless eventhough constantly attacking is tiring it is the best way to learn quickly.

[taganahan]

if you're going to block, don't just block. block only if you intend to counter back.

~taganahan

[Neil Gendzwill]

Taganahan's advice is ok for a ways down the road. For now, don't block at all, ever, against anyone, unless told otherwise by your sensei. Stay straight, try to make your best kendo, use large, basic attacks, ignore being hit. Hopefully your sensei is not hitting you very much at this point, and this is largely other students.

[Atama]

Last night I had my second seesion of free practice. I know that I am new and my skill is nill in this area, but I am really tired of being hit with impunity. Please any advice on receiving. My main problem is that when I block kote they score men. When I block men they score kote. It is kind of like a see saw I was struck six times in about 5 seconds last night. Kote Men Kote Men Kote Men, just like that. It was as if I was just a striking dummy. Any advice would be helpful.

Thank you very much for any suggestions you may have.

Like the other guys said don't block, as a beginner the only thing you should be concern yourself with is big clean attacks forget what your opponent does after all no one is taking score.

When I first started kendo the one thing my sensei said regarding jigieko was ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK. :smiley:

[NewKenshi]

Thank you all for your responses, the articles were great and the advice is noted.

[Old Warrior]

"Last night I had my second seesion of free practice. I know that I am new and my skill is nill in this area, but I am really tired of being hit with impunity."

Please don't accept this thought as harsh criticism. I am, however, curious, why after 2 classes you would expect anything, except, to be hit repeatedly with impunity. Unless you thought "you were a natural" or that you were specially "gifted", I think your level of frustration needs to be adjusted upwards, substantially. After a few months of getting hit with impunity, it might be time for reassessment, but surely 2 classes shouldn't put you over that threshhold. If you are persistent, I am sure you will get better and you will remember back to this time - fondly.

[NewKenshi]

I am not complaining or whining. I just thought that maybe I was looking in the wrong direction. AS per the advice given so far, the fact that I am trying to move to fast has become apparent to me. I do expect to continue to be hit with out me being able to do much about it for quite some time to come. I was just questioning my approach.

So basically I need to forget about blocking or receiving and concentrate on attacking correctly. I am assuming the rest will come later.

My approach so far has been to stand straight and not back down no matter what is coming at me, which is probably why I continue to get hit. However I am going to continue to do this, seeing as how this is the only praise I have received is that I have courage.

[Paikea]

Originally posted by: Atama

When I first started kendo the one thing my sensei said regarding jigieko was ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACKOne thing that frustrated me about the transition into bogu is that there really was no jigeiko-specific instruction provided beforehand. Watching the more advanced people helped somewhat, but I found that (like most things) the actual experience was very different than the expectation and watching isn't doing by a longshot.

After about the third practice, then our head instructor began to give me insights for what to do (only attack, maintain strong kamae etc.). Is that fairly typical?

One the one hand, I felt totally lost at first but on the other, there is nothing like immersion for getting your attention focused.

[JSchmidt]

One thing that frustrated me about the transition into bogu is that there really was no jigeiko-specific instruction provided beforehand.
What would you have like to have been told?. If you just do what you have been doing before (Men, kote, do, etc), you're off to a good start.
I'll bet you a pint that you were *never* taught how to block:)

Jakob

[Paikea]

What would you have like to have been told?. If you just do what you have been doing before (Men, kote, do, etc), you're off to a good start.
I'll bet you a pint that you were *never* taught how to block:)

JakobAt the time, I was thinking that with all of the very detailled instruction we had recieved regarding footwork, swing, kiai and the rest up to that point there would've been something about the expectations in and approach to jigeiko. Like I said, after the first few sessions, I've been getting instruction from our head sensei and that's been good. On the subject of blocking, you are absolutely correct in that nobody ever suggested to try that. It was difficult at first NOT to try to block, as it was an instinctive reaction that needed supressing.

In fact, we got a good talking-to at the end of class a couple weeks back about blocking being a lie you tell yourself when you don't know what else to do. The hard part is training your mind to shut up when Tanaka-sensei is into his third men in two seconds and your brain is screaming "DO SOMETHING YOU IDIOT!".

It seems as though the style of instruction changes at that point, and becomes more demonstrative and less verbal.

[NewKenshi]

The hard part is training your mind to shut up when Tanaka-sensei is into his third men in two seconds and your brain is screaming "DO SOMETHING YOU IDIOT!".


That pretty much sums up my reaction and is what lead to my original post.

[Kirin]

NewKenshi

Again, please give me an e-mail so I can add you on our mailing list.
vicepresident@dfwkik.org
I can forward you some of kendo events happening in Texas!
Killeen is only 2hrs away from Dallas right?

If interested, we are having small within dojo tournamet (1-kyu or below) at last sunday of August.

cheers,

[abunaidesu]

Seme!!!!!! There shoud never be a point where you are in a position of getting hit, or having to defend. If you apply correct seme on your opponent you will ultimately open your opponent up to an attack. SEME SEME SEME. Keep that shinai in the middle.

[Kmav]

"It is kind of like a see saw I was struck six times in about 5 seconds last night. Kote Men Kote Men Kote Men, just like that."

-- Sounds like sensei had some fun with you! :)

[kanyil]

just keep going at it and eventually your sensei may decide your posture is correct enough to learn some waza which will make blocking less necessary.

[Atama]

The hard part is training your mind to shut up when Tanaka-sensei is into his third men in two seconds and your brain is screaming "DO SOMETHING YOU IDIOT!".


That pretty much sums up my reaction and is what lead to my original post.


Trust me we've all been there, give it time soon your body and brain will work be so familiar with technique that they'll begin to work together.