What is your favourite seitei Jo Kata?

[Fudo-Shin]

For me it would probably be hachi honme, Tachi Otoshi. The Shi really gives it to the Uchidachi and it has a really nice feel to it for me. The posture of the Shi while going into Kuritsuke just feels good. Of course it's probably just a phase.

[Fudo-Shin]

Yeah me too.....I love that one.

[Aden]

OK - if only to save you from answering yourself....

Kasumi - for the way it embodies the concept of 'this is my space - keep out' only reacting when teki intrudes / then waiting to see if he intrudes again.

Also of course the swordsman being too stubborn to learn is something I can identify with .

Aden Steinke
University of Wollongong Kendo Club
http://www.uow.edu.au/~aden

[Newbie]

I've only done two! And have only done the jo side of the second one months ago. But I like 'em both Like with all paired kata, I love that feeling of connection - there's just nothing quite like it. Heh, and with jo kata there's the satisfaction that jo wins!! Woohoo!!!

[Nakura]

Hmm...this is a tough question...my first reaction was Ran ai (junihonme) because, although it's a b***h to get right, it feels good and when you do get it right (hmm...did I ever get it right?) you understand immediately why; but I've got to say that I thoroughly enjoy a good Seigan (juhonme).

[Budo Angel]

Yeap, the Ran Ai (number 12), gets me every time, its long, there's lots to it, it feels like "jigeiko", loadsa movement, so much to perfect...the sweat rises, the jo side really needs to work their socks off...it makes me smile, my bum wiggles dodging the upper do cut...Yeah gets the vote... bring it on

jo kata there's the satisfaction that jo wins!!

Just one comment, from my sempai & sensei, No the Jo doesn't win, the tachi (sword) must also BELIEVE they can win too... my one sempai is always hitting me (with the bokuto) if the Jo isn't effective...kinda makes the Jodo seem more "realistic"...

In Ran Ai, the sword tends to win - well in this stage of my development...I'm well dead (as Jo) in Ran Ai, one day - perhaps I will be convincing in saying Yes the Jo won...

[Budo Angel]

Server going mad...attempted delete

[Andy_Watson]

I am quite attracted to the pre-emptive counter strike kata's such as those found in Samidare. With this in mind, the best example of this sen-no-sen approach happens in Ichi Rei from the Omote set. This starts off with quite "aggressive" defensive measures and then finishes with a good telling-off for being naughty!

I do like Ran Ai but after doing most of it's component parts from the Chudan set it starts to feel a bit like a long kata for the sake of having a long kata. It does look spectacular during displays though.

[Marcus_P]

Hi all, been awhile since I've checked out the boards...

I'm going to have to go with Ran-ai and Midare-dome (no. 12 and 11)... they just put all the things you learn in tandoku and previous kata together for me!

[Andy_Watson]

It's funny though that since we have started concentrating on koryu, my opinions of the katas found in seitei have changed and I often wonder how it would have felt to learn these kata if we hadn't done seitei i.e. started with omote, chudan, ranai, kage etc as we would have learned the longer kata a lot later on.

It seems that once you have learned ranai from seitei then none of the koryu forms offer any memory challenge in comparison. Yes I realise that there are differences and tastes within the various koryu sets but I still find myself remembering koryu by thinking "now this bit of ranai goes here and a bit of midaredome there". I guess it's a useful tool to have the seitei under one's belt but I still have a bit of an affinity towards forgetting all of seitei and learning the katas all over again in the koryu order.

Am I weird...?

[Marcus_P]

That's how I first remembered the beginning of midare-dome actually... "Start in hissage... follow that up with a bit of kasumi..."

[herb mowery]

Hey;
I'm new to jo so would like to at say that from watching a jo demo and an instructioal DVD i would like to think just in watching not having done them yet that Kasumi-and Ran-ai are the ones i really like to watch,i like them all those are the flashy ones that stand out so for what it's worth which is not much those are theones i liked .

[Fudo-Shin]

That's how I first remembered the beginning of midare-dome actually... "Start in hissage... follow that up with a bit of kasumi..."

Me too...and after tai atari in both kata Kasumi goes right foot forward and Midare dome goes left. Kinda opposite to marching...left, right,left, right to right, left,right,left. Kasumi is so similar to Midare Dome.