Men Uchi as a whole!?!?

[Bokushingu]

Soooo it was time for my wife's random checkup on my Kendo Growth. She watched my latest video of my match during the SCKF Individuals Championships. I played in the Yudansha division & lost during encho to one of the Kenshi that took 3rd.

She told me should talk to me about it in a few days. She also said she wasn't going to focus on why I lost because that wasn't important to her, only my understanding of Kendo & the honorable representation of those that teach me kendo. Well after a week, last night, she talked to me about my performance...

She told me that the last time she told me my Kendo was too noisy & she felt that I had made significant improvement in quieting my Kendo & connecting to my oppose. However....

She said I was executing my waza in parts. That i was breaking my waza into percentages like: seme 25% -- Men Strike 30% -- Taitari 30% -- Zanshin/follow through 15%

She said i need to be executing Men Uchi & every waza as a whole & not broken into segments. Apparently she came to this conclusion because she said that she could see choppiness in my attack as a whole instead of one complete smooth blended movement from start to finish.

Sooo she told me from now on, when I train, i should focus on one smooth complete motion without one portion standing out more than another portion of the attack. In addition she said during uchikomi & kakarigeiko, I should practice not thinking on a segment then another segment: like seme! go men! but practice not thinking at all about it -- wierd huh?!!? One beautiful flowing motion. (I think that's how she worded it)

So she said this will make my kendo more effective. Sometimes I get scared about what she's going to tell me--it's wierd; it's like I don't want to hear it, but I know that it does help my Kendo big Time!

PS: I barely remember overhearing someone ask a Sensei about what they were looking for on the San Dan test. And I remember that Sensei telling him to make sure eveything is smooth from entering the court, & executing your waza, to leaving the court! He said ok & when he took it he passed. I didn't watch him test or know his scoring but when I see him again I want to ask him how did the advice he got work out. it seems simular to what my wife was talking about.

[MikeW]

The way your wife explained it is pretty much the way I have been taught to think about kendo as well.

[Ken Morgan]

Where in the world did you find a wife like that??? where are they????

[Abramo]

Wife knows what she's talking about, do what she says!

And really, you had to ask? We always do what our wives say!

[Bokushingu]

I kept in mind what my wife told me at today's practice & i must say it felt really good! I noticed a big difference. I also was able to control my katate Kote much better. I also noticed when others executed in segments instead of a whole...something i never noticed before.

Not just concentrating on landing a firm shot made me much more relaxed.

Where in the world did you find a wife like that??? where are they????

I'm very lucky to have so many people interested in my kendo...sometimes I really feel as thought I don't deserve all the help I get from a myriad of Sensei's & my wife.

[ZtefaNNN[K]]

and I was going to ask which dan your wife was... :P

enjoy my friend, seriously.

[Bokushingu]

and I was going to ask which dan your wife was... :P

enjoy my friend, seriously.

I think she made it to NiDan, before quiting. whenever I ask her about the rank she made she always jokes and says when you past me I'll let you know. But I remember her sister telling me she made nidan.

personally I think she enjoys lecturing me lol

[Shazzanzzz]

I can see what your wife is talking about. Beginners and lower level people have that problem sometimes. They "do" seme then they "do" the men, then they conciously "do" zanshin to try to get a point.

It took me a while to learn the concept of zanshin too. It's not something you do after a strike. It's your mindset when you start your strike with seme (aggressive approach). If you have that single-mindedness to strike a particular target and attack without hesitation and second thought or worries about being countered, zanshin pretty much just happens.

[Fonsz]

It took me a while to learn the concept of zanshin too. It's not something you do after a strike. It's your mindset when you start your strike with seme (aggressive approach). If you have that single-mindedness to strike a particular target and attack without hesitation and second thought or worries about being countered, zanshin pretty much just happens.

I think that the message everyone trying to get across is 'Sutemi'.
This article pretty much sums it up:
http://kenshi247.net/blog/2009/04/14...usen-graduate/

Since we can't reach those heights I'm afraid that more kakari geiko is the answer. Preferably with big movements.

[Shazzanzzz]

I think that the message everyone trying to get across is 'Sutemi'.
This article pretty much sums it up:
http://kenshi247.net/blog/2009/04/14...usen-graduate/

Since we can't reach those heights I'm afraid that more kakari geiko is the answer. Preferably with big movements.

nice article! Yea... I think kendo is one of those things. When I started I didn't think it would take long for me to learn things because everything looks simple in kendo... Then you look back after a few years, it's like, hmmmm it took me like 4 years to have acceptable footwork, 5 years to hit the men correctly, 6 years to be able to have zanshin in my attack, and 7 years to finally have a kamae and posture that resembles the senseis'....

In a few years, I'll probably look back and say it took me 10 years to hit the men correctly.

[sid]

talking about 'one beautiful flowing motion' , the men at 3:01 , ippon shoubu
what a smooth one !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3dKy...eature=related

[Masahiro]

Congrats on having such a supportive wife! Truely, some men are more blessed than others! Hahahaha

Boku, I don't know much about sutemi, or seme or zanshin. I am still just trying to figure it out, so I think it's great that you are always able to further your understandings throught your immediate surrounding! Good for you

[sid]

yes truly a nice article , thank you Fonsz!

[yoda-waza]

Search these forums for "ichibyoshi". Among the hits you'll find this 2008 video of Chiba sensei explaining and demonstrating the importance of ichibyoshi in oji waza. Perhaps it relates to your wife's comments.

[Bokushingu]

Search these forums for "ichibyoshi". Among the hits you'll find this 2008 video of Chiba sensei explaining and demonstrating the importance of ichibyoshi in oji waza. Perhaps it relates to your wife's comments.

That suriage-men is a thing of beauty! Maybe that's why i had such a hard time doing suriage men while in chudan...I put too much emphasis on the seme and the suriage part.

thanks, Yoda-waza. ^_^