Motodachi

[Matthew Lagden]

I was briefly Motadachi for non-armoured beginners last night, for the first time ever.

I don't think i was a very good motadachi and i wondered if people had any advice as to how to Motadachi so as to give the beginners a good practice.

we rotated thru motadachi for perhaps 10 mins each so its not like my inadequacy in that role totally spoiled their practise or anything, but i feel bad because i had the benefit of some good motadachi when i started (some of the seniors at our dojo are superb motadachi), and so i want to do the same.

I sort of alternated between moving too much so they had no chance of a good hit, and not moving at all, which i don't think provides enough of a stretch.

so, thoughts, advice?

[alexpollijr]

Which exercises?

[KhawMengLee]

Hmmm..for uchkomigeiko(where you open up the places to hit):

1) Make sure they have a good center before you open. eg. Chudan is strong.

2) Make sure Maai (distance)is right. the kensen should be just crossed.

3) Don't just turn around and wait for them after they hit. Turn around and follow them so that they come straight into maai when they turn.

4) For less experienced players, call the areas you want them to hit, eg. MEN, KOTE MEN, KOTE, DOU, etc. it helps them a lot more and improves their reaction time.

5) Hold your ground.

PEACE
MENG

[KhawMengLee]

Oh yeah, I usually block the hits that are off centre(reading your posts about the bruises) and stop them. (Though not with tsuki). I will tell them to break my centre and that I won't let them hit otherwise.

You can also talk to them as they come up. Stuff like relax and keep strong chudan etc.

They are at the basics(I still am) and need to learn the right techniques. Most are too tense and rush things.

heh...we have been doing the same with our beginners as well.

PEACE AGAIN
MENG

[Confound]

Sometimes, when they're too slow, give them an extra push. Often beginners don't realize that they're passing through too slowly. Just whip them around once with a quick shinai across the lower back. It also works wonders for your shoulder muscles. Don't do it everytime though, that can just be discouraging. about 8 passes out of ten is my limit.

Make the opening really big and visible as well. You're not just giving then an opportunity to practice how to cut, you're also giving an opportunity to practice seeing openings. As time goes on (months, not minutes), make the openings gradually smaller.

Another tactic is attacking when the beginner waits too long to attack. Sometimes I'll slowly move to hit men, which will give them an opportunity to strike dou, and feel like they've really done something smart. Other times, I'll just whap them on some open area, but in return, leave them a wide opening to hit me. Again, it lets the beginner understand that even when someone is hitting them, there is an opportunity to strike back. Rarely, when the person's attitude is really bad, and they've kept me waiting a few times, I'll just whap them. It works wonders.

Lastly, modify your level of zansshin accordingly. Some students can become incredibly discouraged. Many of us are not teachers, it is not our job to humiliate beginners, and remind them of all teh things they cannot do. Being a motodachi isn't a time to show off your own abilities. It's a time to tone down your skills, so that you can help someone else. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, a motodachi can give you a rough, challenging time without making you feel like an idiot. It's a difficult balance, but one that it pays to investigate. The whole point of having this kind of practice is that you're harder to hit than a practice dummy, and a partner in waza practice.

c

[Will]

I don't block or move around because it's really not helping them at all. Even on the experience players I don't because it just doesn't help them in the long wrong. They shouldn't be concerned about people blocking or moving around even when they have bogu, they should just be concentratiing on their form, and when blocking, you're disturbing their concentration.

KhawMengLee gave excellent advice on how to be motadachi but I wanted to add that make sure they're doing it right. Give them advice, etc. When they strike and use Zanshin, make sure that they move briskly through and turn around ready (opposed to the lazy turn around most people do)

To be a good motadachi at any level, you try to give them the strike within their skill range, not above, especially in Uchikomi. I'm a firm believer that advance players should do everything they can to prevent beginners from developing more of a tournament kendo aspect, so motadachi should be creating an enviroment where that would not form.

I must ask as well, what exercise were you doing.

For uchikomi make sure you don't block, just open up the spots, even on advance players because your opponent usually is trying to figure something out (wazas, forms, etc)

If you are doing something like kakarikeiko, just open it up and care a bit less on form, cause the exercise is just to hit you right?

If you're doing jigeiko and stuff, do it similar to uchikomi keiko. Except maybe point or say the target they should hit. Just make sure that the person isn't being rushed in this and uchikomi.

[John W]

My two cents:

Also remember to encourage people and praise them for their efforts! There is nothing better than someone telling you "hey that men cut was awesome!" It really brings out the best in you and the best in them!
However if they are doing something wrong do not put them down- turn the situation around like "ok the kote was good but it would be better if you blah, blah, blah..."
People will often remember a negative comment made about them before a positive one, human nature I guess, so try to avoid giving negative feedback.

Also a good motadachi should be able to recive tai- atari. That is staying there to recive it and giving the attacker something to "bounce" off so that they can perform a hiki technique if required.
Hope this helps you.;)

[Kendoka]

Originally posted by Matthew Lagden
I was briefly Motadachi for non-armoured beginners last night, for the first time ever.

I don't think I was very good ...

I bet they thought you were great!

If you want to improve - copy what your sensei does and don't take the advice of others in this forum to push them around and block cuts. You wrote that they are unarmoured beginners!

You said they were beginners, so they will need a it of looking after. If you were motodachi in uchi-komi-geiko or receiving basic cuts from them, just give them a clear, definite and quick opening, let them perform the cut. Give them only positive feedback and have a talk with them afterwards about their experience.

Ask your sensei for a bit of feedback on how you performed in the role, because he/she probably saw you in action.


Onegaishimasu,

Richard

[David J]

Hey Matthew

As one of said beginners, who has also played motodachi for said group a goodly number of times, I can observe the following

1. You were fine
2. You werent really supposed to be "doing" much anyway (it was 2x Men only, so not that much scope for your input)
3. You were tending to tilt your head back quite a lot, making it impossible to hit the men properly - it was mengane or nothing really. Given the ferocity that some of the beginners use in their men cuts I cant really blame you, but I think for all concerned you would do better to grab them on their way past (have you noticed that seniors often do this?) and tell them, as politely as you can manage - "Oi! That was way too f***ing hard!" ;). I'm sure most beginners dont realise what they're doing. When the group was asked "so if you hit REALLY hard, how much do you think it will hurt him (the motodachi)?". Someone began to say "Well, he's got a helmet on....". <Shudder>.....
4. On a similar note, speaking from experience, if you get someone who cuts "wood chopping" Kote, let them do one, then on the next, move your arm out of the way at the last moment. As the shinai bounces off the floor you can reiterate the concept of tenouchi to them ;)
5. I completely agree about the negative feedback thing. After one evening of endless (well intentioned) negative comments about my footwork, maai etc, my whole kendo went to shit (or so it felt). I became so self-conscious I couldnt get ANY of it right, I was thinking so much about everything I was doing. Maybe this approach works for some, but not for me (and I suspect many people, especially true novices).
6. If you have the choice of what target to offer, I always like it when the motodachi offers the cut I'm doing worst. James was being motodachi once and I did a duff Kote cut on him, so he offered it again. And again. And again. Then he stopped me and said "right, that last one had good snap - try to remember how that felt to do", then he offered men and let me through. Really helpful stuff.

Hope this helps and that you dont mind the advice from someone less experienced than yourself!

<rei>

Dave

[munenmuso]

Matthew,

I'm sure you did well, even if you did some errors the beginners won't notice that much. But since you only want the best for them, like what you experienced I understand that a small guilt will arise like what you feel right now. And since you adhere for a higher standard, you will look forward to improve more and you will never feel that you are short-changing them.

So the next time you'll play motodachi, you will never feel guilty again. Amen....

[Matthew Lagden]

david, really, your kendo is far too good for you to be burbling on in that modest way - and i stand by my self criticism.

I realised over the weekend, as my mind floated free during Suburi, ("nine hundred and ninety one, nine hundred and ninety two....) that part of the problem is that unconsciously i was using the motadachi period as a break from practise rather than as a different kind of practise.

So i should have been more proactive in presenting a target rather than just standing there thinking "don't hit my shoulders...not too hard..."

next time....

And as for chopping wood, sometimes i find myself chopping not cutting - its a hard habit to break.

[Matthew Lagden]

Good point about Tai-Atari by the way - i was sidestepping instinctively at some points, which is no use to anyone really....

And i hate it when Senei whaps you in the back for not going thru fast enough (i lose Zanshin terribly after i've made the cut - there have been occasions where i have managed a difficult cut - Debana Kote for instance - where i have been so amazed i have simply stopped dead with my jaw hanging open - how pathetic is that?) - although it does teach you!

[stinkyKote]

the main thing I try and concentrate on when I have to do motodachi with a beginner is getting out of the way fast enough so that the beginner will go through, instead of being scared of bashing into me and going around me-

I also try and make sure we always start from proper maai, as beginners at my dojo tend to like to stand a little bit too close-