How to block a Do hit?

[nodachi]

Hey yall,

How do you block a Do hit? Done lots of practice with all sorts of other blocks (followed by an attack of some sort afterwards) at practices, but don't seem to remember blocking Do strikes too much. I know you can block the hit before it comes down, but what other options are out there?

[KATSUJIN]

why block when u should just go forward and cut the men? or do tsuki?

[nodachi]

Good point. Just looking for what options are out there. I am also slow since I am new to Kendo. Just got into bogu yesterday.

[kendokamax]

blocking a do is kinda hard :P

u can use otoshi techniques I guess (hiting the shinai down)? but i dunno not that many people do do- here from full distance. As for Hiiki-do, otoshi waza is really a good way to block it

[Ares2907]

* Take your left hand off the tsuka and block with that.
* Use your elbows,
* Duck

Otoshi techniques are a great way to get great welts on your legs

Seriously though, the nature of do seems to be that if you're open enough for someone to try it, there isn't a lot you can do other than to move forward to foil the maai of the technique.

[JSchmidt]

Don't block it. Attack or ignore it. If you just stay in chudan and keep the center, it won't score even if it hits and most likely the opponent will run into your shinai.
For do-cuts to score on you, you need to lift your arms.

Jakob

P.S. I only tend to cut do on people who blocks, because they will always lift their arms :)

[Neil Gendzwill]

Originally posted by nodachi
Good point. Just looking for what options are out there. I am also slow since I am new to Kendo. Just got into bogu yesterday.
Ah. Then don't block anything. Nothing. No blocking technique for you. Just keep moving forward and attacking. Don't worry about getting hit yourself, just worry about your own attacks.

[gill]

Originally posted by Neil Gendzwill

Ah. Then don't block anything. Nothing. No blocking technique for you. Just keep moving forward and attacking. Don't worry about getting hit yourself, just worry about your own attacks.

Extremely sound advice - the best form of defense is attack!

Gill

[nodachi]

I see the wisdom in that, but does Neil sound like the soup natzi to anyone else too?

Thank you everyone, this is really helpful

[KATSUJIN]

yes...attack is the best form of defense.....

[kendokamax]

During my first year of kendo I used to never block , and only doing men uchi. Every keiko!

But not because I was thinking about it, just because i wasnt good enough to do anything else, and I just couldnt block.

weird..

[Gorget-the-Frog]

"During my first year of kendo I used to never block , and only doing men uchi. Every keiko!"

*curiously* And with that strategy how do you think you fared for a beginner?

Gorget the Frog

[kendokamax]

fared?
dunno I was losing most of my matches

[Kendoka]

Originally posted by Neil Gendzwill

Ah. Then don't block anything. Nothing. No blocking technique for you. Just keep moving forward and attacking. Don't worry about getting hit yourself, just worry about your own attacks.

Good advice from Neil. If you've recently started wearing bogu, don't block, try to pick the opponents timing and land your cut first.




Richard

[KhawMengLee]

I remember when I first got in bogu and i kept blocking and was kerpowed by my sempai. I would block men and get hit in the kote, then when I moved to block the kote hit, I would get it in the men, then kote, etc...

After awhile I just got fed up and hit back every time an attack came. It may not score but at least those multiple attacks stopped.

[Kendoka]

Originally posted by Ares2907
* Take your left hand off the tsuka and block with that.
* Use your elbows,
* Duck


Then on Thursday night I saw a good looking bloke holding an ice pack on his elbow after it was made contact with by a shinai.

I guess he must have been experimenting with the above advice.

That is what you get from a bit of peer to peer advice I guess. Oh wellback to downloading some music.

The ice-man

[hobbit]

Ares2907 - block with your elbows?????
Not unless you have prosthetic arms, a couple of good cuts and you wouldn't be able to hold a shinai. I know from bitter experience.

[Ares2907]

methinks sarcasm is lost upon this one.
Pearls before swine, honestly!
;)

[Confound]

In the case of dou, or almost anything, isn't the best thing to do just stepping backwards? It gives you a bit of time to think, a fraction of a second is better than nothing. then again, i've been sharply criticized for my back stepping, so maybe it's poor advice indeed.

c

ps - Ares : I would gladly offer pearls, but since I have none, perhaps I may sway the public to accept these rocks and pebbles. However, pigs may better enjoy, or deserve rotting vegetables.

[inner_cent]

Originally posted by hobbit
Ares2907 - block with your elbows?????
Not unless you have prosthetic arms, a couple of good cuts and you wouldn't be able to hold a shinai. I know from bitter experience.

Trust me... in a do-or-die situation, you might thinking let your arm pain abit, so you won't lose that one valuable point.

but then, if you have the time to block with elbow, you most likely have plenty of time do other ways to break that Dou cut...

[Paburo]

they say newbies shouldn't block. so in keiko, try not to block.

but in shiai you will need it, so tell your sensei to teach you dou block, and dou-kaeshi-men someday. it requires a lot of reflexes, but if you eventually get to do it right, it's one useful technique.

[alexpollijr]

It's Do-Uchiotoshi-Men

But it's not that usefil . Just step forward and strike men, kote or even tsuki.

[Paburo]

no alex, i think you're confused...
dou otoshi men is another technique. that would work against a hiki dou uchi most of the time. and it's indeed useful, not for scoring an ippon really, but to un-validate the opponents eventual ippon most of the time.

the one i was talking about is dou kaeshi men . it's similar to the fourth kata yonhonme. the difference is, the initial attack is not tsuki but dou.

now, for a question on the current topic: sometimes i block dou uchi with the tsuka by reflex. it's effective tho it looks a bit odd.
what do you guys think about this tsuka-blocking technique?

jaa ne.

[Steve]

As a beginner, you should focus on offense, offense, offense. I've read that kendo is 50% offense, and 50% defense, but that offense is the bigger half. And its true!!

BUT, ther are a number of techniques you could use. But, as was posted above: "Block Nothing". Every move you make should lead into an attack. Here's a small list of stuff you could ask your sensei to show you.

1) Do, shinai uchi, hiki-men
2) Do, kaeshi men (ala 4th Kata)
3) Do, nuki men (step back, dodging do then strike forward)
4) Do, Debana Men

[alexpollijr]

Never heard about this waza Pablo, sorry. Althoug I can imagine it, it's feasible even if too slow.


I've seen it been executed sometimes but not in the kaeshi fashion. More like in the Tachi #1. I think it was called at the time 'tekumi gaeshi', or something like that. Can anyone validate this?

[iwatekenshi]

You should of course read your opponent and don't get suckered in. Always take the initiative with sen-no-sen and strike men first. You might learn all this fancy waza and might get away striking kote, but when it comes down to it men is the ultimate strike in kendo when killing any waza including do.

[Paburo]

tachi #1? ipponme kata from kendo you mean?
i thought ipponme was a plain men nuki men....

[alexpollijr]

No, no, sorry muchacho, my mistake
It was supposed to be #4.

[KATSUJIN]

i have done do-kaeshi-men before......quite effective against my friend because do cut is her specialty...heheheh......anyway....i had to do it like kata yonhonme....just faster........

[inner_cent]

Originally posted by KATSUJIN
i have done do-kaeshi-men before......quite effective against my friend because do cut is her specialty...heheheh......anyway....i had to do it like kata yonhonme....just faster........

Haahaa ... Ester's Cut is always a shocker.. once gets it, you will remember for life ......

[megumisita]

yes...attack is the best form of defense

I must digress.
Attack and defense in a single strike (hyoritai) is the best form of defense. That is one of the principle rules of our school. That and; One flash of the sword, one kill.

From what I have learned, if an opponent goes for do, he is doing it because you left yourself open so there isn't much that can be done. One of things I was taught was that if an opponent goes do then you go forward with attack so that if he does strike then it will be with the lower part of the sword and a better chance for ai-uchi. I agree with others when they say never block but probably for a different reason. Blocking damages the sword. Of course this isn't the case nowadays but we hold to that philosophy. If you must use a defensive tactic then use evasion. Some of the things I have seen done is a variation of Kata #1. Take a step back and towards the outside of the swing then go for kote or men. One of the few times that backing up is seen as favorable for us. I have also seen some blocking but these are frowned upon. One is bringing you shinai to your side and blocking just above the tsuba then go for men. The other is to also put your shinai to your side but to crouch when doing it. After contact has been made then launch forward and go for a thrust to do or to the neck. Another method would be to take a moderate step to the side(opposite direction that the blade is coming) and forward then hit kote as his blade is horizontally directly in front of him. Needless to say, that one requires excellent timing. I have seen far more effective ways than these by my sensei but he does them too quickly so I can't really describe them well.
I have read here that do can only be struck in kendo when above a certain high point. That is a pity. I was taught that as long as do is open enough to allow width of shinai, then it is valid do. It sucks when sensei pulls on of those.

[Inouye02]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by megumisita
[B]



One of the few times that backing up is seen as favorable for us. I have also seen some blocking but these are frowned upon. One is bringing you shinai to your side and blocking just above the tsuba then go for men. The other is to also put your shinai to your side but to crouch when doing it. After contact has been made then launch forward and go for a thrust to do or to the neck.



I hope you are at least a shodan or higher when doing tsuki...

[megumisita]

Sorry, perhaps I didn't make my above post clear. I haven't done any of those things. Its just what I have seen done by higher members.

[Inouye02]

its all good girl ,

[Pokie]

when u get hit on the do, might mean you have slow men cut...dun let that happen, try work on your men more