Kendo Advice

[nodachi]

I know there have been threads similar to this, but I want to twist it a bit.

What words of advice or tips have you recieved that have improved your kendo, whether it be a big improvement or small?

Usually this question pops up responses like:

Relax
More suburi
Lots of Kiai
Or various comments that we hear at every practice and become almost like cliches.

I would like to hear people's less commonly thrown around pieces of advice. Little things that you have been told over the years that are not necessarily the tips we constantly hear at every practice.

Thank you all once again, enlighten me

[KhawMengLee]

Fight the best. Meaning do jigeiko with the higher ranking kendoka(eg.sempai, sensei etc). They may whoop your arse but you learn a great deal from these encounters.

Also analyze why you lost, but don't think of it like "oh, he was more skilled than me etc". Think morso along the lines of what you have left exposed/lacking.

[emitbrownne]

breathe.......

[JSchmidt]

Footwork.
You can know all the techniques in the universe, but they wont work if your footwork isn't up to it.
Once your footwork can carry you to where you want to be, you don't have to compensate with your posture/arms, making it easier to relax and the cuts becomes a lot smoother and quicker.

Jakob

[Steve]

This is a quote from an 8th Dan.

"Kendo is like eating rice." (with chopsticks)

There is A LOT of information encoded in that small, obscure sentence. If you think about it, you'll uncover a wealth of "tips".
It was in a Kendo book a friend of mine read. The remainder of the article after that sentence explains what he means.

The next is a very common bit of "advice" on how to succeed in Kendo. Basicly if you can learn to do the following three things, you'll beat any opponent.

1) Ken o Korosu
2) Ki o Korosu
3) Waza o Korosu

in the first one, Korosu = murder/kill, Ken = sword. So literally, "kill the opponents sword". But it has a deeper meaning than that. The sword is the opponents sole source of offense and defence. You could interpret this as breaking their kamae. If the kamae is offset for whatever reason, then their defense is gone, giving you suki. Also, if their kensen is off centre, they can't have any seme against you, nor can they launch a proper attack.

The second, Ki = spirit. But it also translates to "mind". If you can destroy their spirit and their mind (concentration), the opponent becomes timid, and hesitant. Thus leaving themselves to be attacked by your seme, and unable to properly capitalize on your own suki.

The third, waza = technique. Destroy their technique. that seems pretty self explanatory. But, you can also interpret "waza" to mean their "Mental techniques" ie their seme, or attempts to break your kamae. Again, pretty self explanatory.

Those are the best , non-cliche bits of Kendo advice I've ever come across.

[kendo_chick]

My personal favorite is what one of the sensei's in Ontario told me. "When doing zanshin, run the guy over if you have to, he's already dead so if he doesn't move, it's his fault"

I know that sounds rough but it has really helped me to stay straighter, and he's right because most of the time, when you do your zanshin, the opponent will not be in front of you anyway.

[Curtis]

Basics, basics , basics is the most common answer. Most importantly there is no substitute for time on the floor. Beyond that there are many more things you can do.

Video and visualization are very useful tools. I recently practiced at Yushinkan Dojo in Tokyo and there was the camcorder set in the Sensei's direction taping.

You can be told repeatedly about corrections to your kendo. Being able to see what is correct and what needs correction is extremely helpful. I have used this for years with great success with myself and my students. You can watch it carefully at normal and slow speed to look at your technique and timing.

Watching video of senior to high ranking people is also very good. Especially just before practice or tournament. During training for tournament we view high level matches at the practice. Obtaining tape of a 30 or 40 something y/o 6 dan or 7 dans doing keiko is also very educational.

There is plenty of advice for you from many sources. The question is which will work for you?

Sincerely, Curtis Marsten

[mingshi]

One warning about filming within your dojo:

Never rely on watching your own movements in the video to correct yourself!!

You should be aware on your mistakes without watching yourself.

Relying on videotapes of yourself actually takes away the self-correcting process, physical memory/reflex and observation in learning Martial Arts.

[Paburo]

one tip from our sensei that causes collective laughter is...

"always hit from your ass" or "push forward from your waist, like when you.... err, just push from your waist"

it means, that the hit must be accompanied with your hara and body center, not just with your arms and upper body only.

[KhawMengLee]

Yar, one of the Senseis I trained under in Perth did this excercise to show proper form and posture. He was watching one of my seniors(who is a little dynamo) fight and he stopped the session to point out how there was no zanshin in my seniors cuts. He placed a shinai inbetween himself and my sempai so that the point was pressing just beneath their belly buttons.

He then asked my senior to do a men cut and the guy couldn't execute it properly. If there was proper form one should be able to push the opponent away. Then he did a cut he nearly sent my sempai sprawling.

You'll really notice this in tai atari drills when someone hits you (not just with the shinai but the body as well) like a bloody freight train.

[JSchmidt]

I disagree about filming:
I've seen myself on video 3 times and the first two times it was horrible, but the 3rd time, there was a huge obvious improvement.
There's a small danger of watching yourself on video can ruin the image you have of yourself and demoralize yourself. (We always think we look better than we do :D).
But, it will highlight mistakes you either werent aware of or bigger than you thought and make you focus on them.
As for me, I still need to learn how to relax at competitions :)

Jakob

[kendokamax]

ya i agree with jakob

filming helped me too I think. There is so many things you just cant see when you do them you know!! I notice so many little things and analize a bit ( too much maybe..) I always end up after watching one video of myself from taikai..kinda disapointed from small things i do or do not . So it gives some inspiration for things to work on in practices...

[Lukas]

One advice which I still keep in mind and which I find the most useful for my current kendo development is : Do "honest" kendo. Sensei explained me this as: never go back, never "give the ground" to your opponent and always attack forwards (as many of us, beginners, tend to go back before counterattack) and no twisting head or "rubber man" pseudotechniques - just be honest and do honest kendo - if your attack fails - you are dead but face it honestly.

Regards
Lukas

[KhawMengLee]

Would that be Sensei Ong?

[munenmuso]

I also agree to Jakob. Our dojo uses a videocam every dan or bogu exam. After the exam, the sensei will show you your deficiencies thru those vids taken during your turn and he gives advise on areas you need great improvement and it's quite amazing to see that on certain things that you think your good already the videocam shows the obvious otherwise. It's shocking but educational.

[Curtis]

In winter 1983-84 I had the opportunity to train at the Osaka Police Special Branch. This is where two-time US champion Grivas Sensei had trained for a time. Two things struck me there; they did a lot of work on basics and waza and on tournament. Even at this somewhat early stage of consumer video the police were using video taping to some extent. They had a player in the Sensei’s room to watch if I remember correctly.

We are talking about people whose main job was to do Kendo. They had at least 3 All Japan Champions at that time practicing or teaching. All Japan Champion Ishida Sensei was one of them. A very kind man indeed. Practice was twice a day. Morning was basics and keiko. Afternoon was tournament and keiko.

At that time I was a nidan and the first thing they told me was to go practice my footwork. And so I went. It was the biggest favor they could have done me. It gave me time to study their footwork and to seek advice from them. It all came back to basics and improving them. Now as I approach the half-century mark in age, basics continue to help me improve. In two years I will be eligible to take the test for nanadan. I will try to get ready as Ishida Sensei did in the documentary about his passing hachidan, working on basics and correct keiko. In the documentary they show him working on men on a tire stand. I use one frequently. So as I said before, basics, basics, basics. Then you apply those basics to higher level kendo, learning technique, and tournament. The video is simply a tool to help and not a substitute for practice or good instruction from seniors and teachers.

You could of course just ask the pro atheletes and trainers who spend big wads of cash on video training and game films. Oh to be rich and have nothing else to do but train.... Well back to my real life now. Ugh.

[iwatekenshi]

I started a thread once about using video and I'm really glad Curtis brought it up once more.

I use video about once every month, simply using it as a tool. I have found video works wonders after receiving good instruction and advice from senior teachers. (Warning! If you use video too much you will not notice the level of improvement. It must be done accordingly.)

Usually I focus on the basics when taping. However, I hardly tape my jigeiko. More often than not I worry about the camera too much and lose focus on my opponent. When I do video jigeiko though I often take advantage of the digital slow motion feature. This is an excellent way to see the mechanics and break down of the movements.

I have also found that focusing on the basics is the key to success no matter what level you are at. Right now I practice with a 60-year-old nanadan who is going to take hachidan this year. Everyday he does the basics starting with footwork for at least one hour and ends every session with uchikomi, kakarigeiko, jigeiko, and a final round of kirikaeshi. He also does 1000 suburi everyday using various drills and forms just to keep him sharp. The focus is always doing the basics and applying those basic techniques in keiko.

I have been practicing kendo for six years now and will be taking my yondan test this year at 30. I have also found vast improvement with same regimen and using video as a means to adjust my technique. I think I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't stay conscious of the basic forms of training.

[mingshi]

Originally posted by Curtis
The video is simply a tool to help and not a substitute for practice or good instruction from seniors and teachers.

That's what I meant. I did say do not "rely" on videos too much, didn't I?

[Curtis]

Video Training and Other Advice Part III

Dear Nodachi,

I now have a bit of time to add to this discussion. As you are in Chiba, Japan you have the best of environments to train in. I looked at your profile and see that you are working in Japan. I hope that if you are a visitor you have picked up some language skill. This will go a long way. On my first trip I spoke no Japanese and it left me with a great experience, but short on the benefit of instruction.

So enough about video. On to footwork. I had the fortune of being the teacher and advisor to our university club here. A captive group of mostly 18-20yo students. They did very well at learning basics and swing. When it came to fumikomiashi and ki, ken, tai, itchi however we came up short. What I and other sensei I know have seen is that people who start as adults tend towards upper body kendo. A lack of strong footwork is a problem causing most of the attack to come from the swing. To solve this with the university group I broke the footwork drill down to first stepping/stomping with only the right foot, leaving the left foot static, and striking a partners shinai for feedback. This allowed them to improve their footwork within 6 months. Unfortunately the danger here is you cannot be instructed correctly by a posting. The bottom line here is improve your fumikomi and everything else will follow.

Shioiri Sensei of Saitama Ken (a University instructor) gave me some really good advice about suburi when he stayed at my house. When we warm up we are not always as serious about it as we should be. The advice he gave me I put to work during the warmup. He worked with me on making sure that the foot begins movement before the hands move. Making sure there is pressure on the foot first. It improved many areas for me. If you get the chance to meet him ask for his advice. He is usually at the Saitama Camp every year.

I hope this will be of some help to you.

Best Wishes

[Hagakure]

My sensei is a firm believer in practicing the basics continually. You can never strike enough shomen-uchi. If you put effort into making each one better than the previous then eventually you physical conditioning for Kendo will take good form.

On particular advice, my sensei also told me once to, "cut with the body," and that I was relying too much on arm strength. When I finally realized what he meant it was a great deal of help. Basically, he wanted me to push straight through my opponent, using the strength of all my body rather than just running past my opponent. It helped me out greatly.

Hope I helped!