Hi Bokusan! Thanks for your words! In effect many people, between them even some sensei, were quite surprised that i didn't pass. On the moment I feel a little disappointed, but now I take it as an occasion to eliminate some flaws....
hey thanks for the info & clarity. ^_^ I'll cya later on KWF
Good day Boukushingu (maybe afternoon for you, here is 8.40 am)!! In the Ura osae post you wrote: "go one step farther with the osae. (1)from omote slight pressure with seme ashi then point towards the tsuki & watch their kote open wide ^_^ (2)Or osae from ura firmly & feel their increased resistance or them moving their shinai from under yours and go men (it seems their mind switch from looking for a suki to freeing their shinai or regaining center)" I feel exatly the same. Normally i go osae omote, if the aite try regaining the centerline forcefully i go for kote, for ura is the opposite. If i do omote ura and he try to regain center forcefully i move the kensen below the opponent shinai and go for men. Regarding the discussion we had on kusuzu in the very instant where your aite try to regain the centerline forcefully he broke his stance and you have the chance to hit something.
We both are 34, so more or less the same generation of you. It's a pity that she doesn't do kendo anymore. However, in the past days I just try the "hit on the movement of the rear foot" trick (using mostly nito, but even a few jodan), and i must say it works! Now it's the turn of trying to perceive the expiration instant, a much more difficult task i fear...
Yeah she was the one that got me into Kendo from boxing. She did Kendo while in High school, but quit after graduating. However, she still enjoys watching Kendo and Sumo. She's kind of an old school Japanese gurl...Of course we both just turned 41 lol
Hi Boku-san! Your wife is a martial art praticant? Unfortunately mine doesn't like kendo very much....
In Italy we have a good jodan player, Walter Pomero (one of the few italian 7th dan) which is quite high and use a stance a little closer than your (but however wider than chudan). Search "pomero kendo" on youtube and you will find something interesting. If i remeber correctly he do part of his 7th dan shinsa ji-geiko in Jodan (and pass!!). Maybe you can find that video too....
Yes I was told the wider the stance the harder it is to seme-ashi also the smoothness & penatration is less. I tried yesterday with a closer stance and my Seme was much more effective & I was able to launch & follow through in a nice smooth motion. A few times I did go in too deep though.(long legs with huge fumikomi)
Feet too wide? I don't know, only you can feel the right distance. All can i say is that many famous jodan player assume a stance wider than that they use in chudan. Chiba sensei or kenjii Shoudai have their feet in a position similar to that you adopted. I think that the only answer, as every time, is experimentig during practice..
my feet were definately too wide. I could not seme ashi properly. Something I will be paying close attention to...thanks for the advice. ^_^
