left forearm and bicep

[herozs]

To raise the shinai over my head should I use my left or rigt arm? Also I use my left hand to strike but I don't know why my right bicep is a bit buffer than my left.(I dont do any other physical activity) when I am in chudan should I hold the shinai with the left and just leave my right to rest on the shinai?

[Berserker]

The way I was shown is that your left hand should push the shinai up... So even the upwards movement is left handed! Your right hand only acts as a guide! Even in chudan I find that my right hand is rested and not tight... But someone with more teaching experience should be able to tell you more... And if all else fails - Ask your sensei!!!

[SmellsLikeBogu]

the way Im taught is u use your left hand to push your kensen up, not back

[Rob W.]

After two days practice and shiai at Detroit this weekend I noticed my right bicep is ridiculously over-pumped when compared to my left. I'm guessing I'm using my right arm to stop the shinai at the end of the strike instead of proper left and right hand tenouchi, especially during suburi.

That's my opinion based on observations of my own tech and body though, YMMV.

[ben]

A check to see whether you're using too much right arm/hand at the end of the cut is to see whether your left elbow is bent when you finish the cut. If it is, then there's too much right.

b

[ahmed61086]

To raise the shinai over my head should I use my left or rigt arm? Also I use my left hand to strike but I don't know why my right bicep is a bit buffer than my left.(I dont do any other physical activity) when I am in chudan should I hold the shinai with the left and just leave my right to rest on the shinai?

What my sensei recently explained to me, which I finaly understood, is that when you bring your shinai down to strike big men, you should be pulling yoru shinia, allmost the way your would to a tricept workout in teh gym. This way, the bicepts and teh top of the arms are not being used. Instead, your tricepts are doing more of the work, and you are about to relax your shoulders and stick your chest out. Give it try.

[JCM]

What my sensei recently explained to me, which I finaly understood, is that when you bring your shinai down to strike big men, you should be pulling yoru shinia, allmost the way your would to a tricept workout in teh gym. This way, the bicepts and teh top of the arms are not being used. Instead, your tricepts are doing more of the work, and you are about to relax your shoulders and stick your chest out. Give it try.

You beat me to it Ahmed, extension is definitively a triceps action. I have found that using less strength on the right makes your cuts A LOT more accurate, maybe counter intuitive but a 'loose' right arm allows you to steer a lot more easily, took me a long time to understand that and I still forget sometimes.

[shred_lord]

For the uplift. Push forward. Because you arms are (hopefully) pinned to your shoulders, the forward push will become an upward movement. If you try to lift, you take the kensen away from your opponent.