Special Kumdo Stance?

[Hagakure]

I recently saw a match involving the practice of Korean Kumdo. This was a new expireience for me, and I was excited to see what might happen, as it was Kumdo vs. Kendo. A friend of mine who practices Kumdo wanted to keiko with me, and I was eager to see in this fight if there were any differences I should be aware of.

Man was I suprised. I'm not sure if it was just the team I was watching or Kumdo as a whole, but there were quite a few differences I could see. While I was slightly dissappointed by this, I managed to pick through them.

But one thing REALLY confused me. During the fight, the fighter from the Kumdo team entered a kamae totally new to me. It wasn't hasso or waki-gamae, I knew about those. It looked like jodan, except he held his shinai horizontally to the immediate left of his head, almost resting on his shoulder.

Is this a stance special to Kumdo? Or is it in Kendo as well and I've missed something? Was this particular fighter just kind of goofing off?

Have any of you guys ever seen this?

Thanks again

Rei

Mark

[alexpollijr]

That would probably be katsugi waza, not real kamae.

[qpuppy]

heya Haga...

oh yeah.. i know what you are talking about... No no no.. it's not just kumdo.... I have seen it before (katsugi - meaning carry)... it's not used very often, is because all areas are exposed (expect tsuki) but if talking about defence wise, it's very unpredictable. whom ever uses this style often and good at it... some time you cant tell if he is going for you Men, kote, or your do until the last minute... but like I said... it's very expose to been cut.

Sempai?.. your thoughts?

Al

[Nishi]

Yep , sounds like katsugi....Katsugi is a waza and not a kamae, if the person you saw held his shinai in this position it is probably because he became ill with one of the four sickness's...the shinai should come from chudan no kamae and move through its motions like a men cut, without stopping, it should also be executed with a loud kiai....katsugi kote is the most used waza, because you do not need to control the centre line, and you can hit from the side. Katsugi men is useful, because it looks like you are attacking kote, and when it is executed with a kiai, youre opponent usually covers his kote with his entire shinai, leaving his men exposed. I believe katsugi waza is helpful but also neglects the importants of fighting for the centreline....but thats just my opinion.

[2muchryt]

first of all, kumdo and kendo are the same thing. its like saying kendo from toronto and kendo from france are two different martial arts. of course there is a difference, but not because they are two seperate martial arts, but due to resources, teachers, language, social, cultural, history, and an overall different enviorment, they have developed differently, and therefore have different styles.
i have found that some korean kenshi sometime like to use katsugi waza.
i too like to use it once in awhile to change my rhythm, maybe only once during a match.

there is a couple of unorthodox kamae that i have seen some korean kenshi use in shiai that makes it difficult to score ippon. these somewhat "defensive kamae" are generaly done by some korean jr. high or high school students in a shiai, and frowned upon (but understood) by the high ranking Korean Sensei that I am privleged to know.
my guess is that some japanese jr. high and high school shiai players have similar tactics.