Training at Home

[Steph]

I've only been to four sessions of Kendo (dojo only meets once a week and sometimes those days are off for a variety of reasons) and I really would like to progress faster than I am now. I understand that with Kendo, no one gets better overnight but I feel I am learning rather slow. Now, I practice at home -- warm-ups, katate suburi, shomen suburi, okuriashi and some iaido forms. I don't want to start bad habits because bad habits take too long to break. So I'd like to hear from everyone on correct forms.


With okuriashi, how do you "push off" with your left foot? Is your heel not supposed to raise (than it already is) or should it? Should it only come from the big toe and nothing else?

What do you do to improve and speed up on your footwork?

Any other tips for training at home would be appreciated.

[b8amack]

Training at home should be more along the lines of refreshing what you've already learned, at your skill level. You're not really helping yourself, doing things like katate suburi, or even footwork, if you haven't already learned it.

[Steph]

Training at home should be more along the lines of refreshing what you've already learned, at your skill level. You're not really helping yourself, doing things like katate suburi, or even footwork, if you haven't already learned it.

My sensei has already taught me okuriashi and haya suburi (slower at first, then gradually going faster). My senpais also encourage me to do katate suburi so as not to rely on my right arm too much since as one of my senpais told me (he's a nidan, I think), the right arm/hand is only for guiding the shinai.

[turboyoshi]

My sensei has already taught me okuriashi and haya suburi (slower at first, then gradually going faster). My senpais also encourage me to do katate suburi so as not to rely on my right arm too much since as one of my senpais told me (he's a nidan, I think), the right arm/hand is only for guiding the shinai.

Then you're pretty much doing everything you should. Getting better at this stage is more about training your body to move to do the movements you know more efficiently and there really is no other way to do that except by repetition. Don't overdo the katate suburi though, it can easily lead to wrist strain or tennis elbow. Other than that, making sure you have good cardiovascular fitness will help.

[Steph]

Then you're pretty much doing everything you should. Getting better at this stage is more about training your body to move to do the movements you know more efficiently and there really is no other way to do that except by repetition. Don't overdo the katate suburi though, it can easily lead to wrist strain or tennis elbow. Other than that, making sure you have good cardiovascular fitness will help.

Thanks for the information! I only do about 150~200 katate suburi per day. Is that fine or is that overdoing it?

[b8amack]

My sensei has already taught me okuriashi and haya suburi (slower at first, then gradually going faster). My senpais also encourage me to do katate suburi so as not to rely on my right arm too much since as one of my senpais told me (he's a nidan, I think), the right arm/hand is only for guiding the shinai.

If this is true, then why are you asking advice about how to do it on the internet?

[Kaoru]

I've only been to four sessions of Kendo (dojo only meets once a week and sometimes those days are off for a variety of reasons) and I really would like to progress faster than I am now. I understand that with Kendo, no one gets better overnight but I feel I am learning rather slow.

Well, kendo is a low process. Don't worry about progressing faster. That won't help you or your kendo. You should take it slow and pay attention to the details as much as you can. At your level, this isn't so easy, but you can start on the larger details to start.

Do you keep a kendo notebook where you put what you learned and then the things you got corrected on in your lesson each week? If you don't you really should. This will REALLY help you a LOT. Here is how I organise my kendo journal-the one I can share with people. NOTE: This is kind of long... I apologise!

This is how I organise my kendo practice journal.

I use the following categories:

1. Footwork: I explain what was done in class. Then, I write any corrections I was given and what the mistake I made was. I do that like this, and the following example is taken directly from my kendo notebook on my very first kendo practice 6 years ago, word for word. I wrote what my sensei told me to do:

Footwork: Use a sliding motion with the right foot when moving forward or sideways. Never lift foot(I meant the right foot.) and take a step. Do not hop!(all 3 words underlined.)

Later, I started using the following to detail the mistakes and corrections:

Mistake: I write what I did wrong.

Correction: I write how to correct it, and who told me, if it's someone other than my sensei.

2. Suburi: I write down what suburi we did in class all at once, so I know what suburi to practice. (These days, it's all of them. I started w/just men when I began kendo. )

I then make note of any mistakes and corrections in suburi practice.

3. Kihon(basics): I write down what kihon we practiced that day. For example, you might write:

men-uchi - Then, you'll explain what sensei or whomever was teaching that, said about doing men-uchi and how it is done.

Then, you'll write:

Mistake:

Correction:

And, you'll do this for each thing you learn. You'll be adding various kihon to your kihon category over the years.

4. kirikaeshi- you'll add this category when you learn it, and write any explanations about it, mistakes and corrections.

5. Kakari-geiko- same as above.

6. Uchikomi-geiko- same as above.

7. New Waza learned: You write the new waza(technique) you just learned, how it was taught-as much as you can remember what was said, and then any mistakes and corrections once you start getting them.

8. Fumikomi: I actually have this as a seperate category from footwork so I can focus on it.

9. Etiquette: Write anything you learn about it, and if you mess up something, write what you did wrong and how it should have been done.

Now, not everything will be done at practice, but you'll find you'll eventually be commenting on these and more, once you get into bogu.

If something learned doesn't exactly fit into any particular category, I just write the waza, concept, etc. as its own category and go from there as explained above.

I just want to say that what I've written is just how I organise my kendo journal. You of course, are free to organise yours as you like. I just decided to share mine with you to get you started.

I think that keeping such a journal will be of great help to you in your practice. I couldn't do without mine. I've been keeping mine since my first day of kendo. I even write down what I learn at kendo summer camp.

If you want to write down details of what actually goes on in the dojo and at any kendo event you go to, I suggest you keep that seperate in a private kendo journal you never share.

So, that's something you should start doing. I guarantee it will help you understand what you are doing a lot better. You should also write down any questions that you come up with to ask about at the next practice, too.

Now, I practice at home -- warm-ups, katate suburi, shomen suburi, okuriashi and some iaido forms. I don't want to start bad habits because bad habits take too long to break. So I'd like to hear from everyone on correct forms.

These are good things to be practicing. Sure, you'll have some bad habits when you first start. That's normal. The reason for practicing is to improve on what you have learned before. The more you practice, the more they will disappear(And new ones you never noticed will appear-part of the fun!) if you pay attention to details. There is nothing worse than mindless swinging of the shinai... That will only fail you. You can't let your mind empty out, or practice is fruitless.

You really should be asking your sensei about this subject.

But, there are some main things to be thinking about in all suburi. Keep the arms straight(Joge-suburi is a little different. The right arm is straight, the left is not.). katate suburi is connected to this in all suburi. Beginners tend to bend the left arm. That's a no-no. Katate suburi has the left arm straight. Use that in all suburi. Ask a sempai/sensei for a demonstration of what I mean. You won't get this right away probably, but you will eventually if you practice it.

Oh, and yes, katate suburi will help you make sure the right hand doesn't take over.

Okuriashi- You need to see this for anything said to be effective. You can't be told online how to do this. I will say this though, try not to bounce up and down when moving. We call that telegraphing what you are about to do.

In suburi, make nice big swings, but be sure not to flop the shinai down the back for suburi. Ask a sempai or sensei for explanation. This just can't be explained online. You have to see it.

Pay attention to your kamae and tenouchi and your posture on top of footwork. These things are major important. Practice looking at the opponent's eyes while doing suburi. Use your imagination and pretend you are striking someone.

Oh, and if you have access to a mirror to practice in front of, that will really help! You can then see what you are doing.

I don't think I should give you much more or you'll start rolling your eyes and go comatose, lol! Well, you did ask.

Please ask your sensei and a sempai for such detailed advice from now on, because you really can't learn this sort of thing online because we can't show you properly.

What do you do to improve and speed up on your footwork?

Keep practicing slow footwork to make sure it is done correctly. You can do faster footwork after you do that first. Do both, never just one or the other. Speed will come much later. Just focus on doing good proper footwork right now. Speed isn't as important at the moment. You've only just started kendo. It will slowly happen over time. Don't worry about it.

Any other tips for training at home would be appreciated.

Well, don't try to worry about everything all at once. It will all come together. You'll see!

Do suburi slow, and do a lot of checking your kamae, tenouchi and posture and footwork and how you strike from time to time when practicing. You have to reflect on what you are doing, to make sure you are doing things right.

Well, this is coming from a perfectionist. I'm never happy often with my kendo... And when I am happy, it's short lived, because another annoying habit will crop up to need fixing, lol. Kendo is a never ending circle of learning and that's what makes it so much fun!

Anyway, I hope this helped somewhat. Sorry for the length!

Kaoru

[Steph]

If this is true, then why are you asking advice about how to do it on the internet?

Because I cannot see very properly when my sensei demonstrates it (he's on the far end of the dojo which is a basketball court). Yes, I have terrible eyesight and yes, I should get contacts or glasses but not everyone is financially stable. Also, my sensei has been teaching me okuriashi since about the second half of the second session but has not thoroughly delved into it until the most recent session I was in. And I am thoroughly confused because he told me to just slide at first and now, he tells me to try and use my left foot to push forward. I am only wondering if there are certain protocol on how high the left foot should be and such since he has not taught a complete beginner in so long (and so, sometimes he misses some points which my senpais fill in). Everyone else in the dojo has done kendo for at least 4+ years. Regarding haya suburi, he taught me that in the most recent session as well, told me its overview, showed it to me in a slow manner and asked me to do it in the same pace as him. I can do haya suburi on a decent pace but not as fast as my more experienced senpais. You may also wonder why I just don't ask from my senpais? I did ask but its somewhat confusing because one says something else and one another. I am only trying to find a consensus on what each individual considers the "right way".

@Kaoru: Thanks so much for the tip about the journal. I think that'll help me a long way, especially since I have to juggle too many things at once. And I'll make sure to keep the points you mentioned in mind and compare it to my sensei's. I guess I missed the part that Kendo is about constant self improvement after all.

[Kaoru]

Because I cannot see very properly when my sensei demonstrates it (he's on the far end of the dojo which is a basketball court). Yes, I have terrible eyesight and yes, I should get contacts or glasses but not everyone is financially stable.

That's no excuse! You need to walk up to where you can see. let your sensei know you need to before the next practice. If you don't, it's your fault for not getting it. Sorry for sounding a bit harsh, but I deal with this on a daily basis. It make no sense to me to NOT get closer. See,
I'm legally blind with glasses. I move closer so I can see my sensei demonstrating when I am at the dojo, and if I still don't get it then, I ask after class. Please get glasses or contacts. You don't have to buy the most expensive ones. You really haven't much of an excuse... You need them to drive(I can't even do that. No way will they give me a license.) and for working to do your job well. Not to mention other things... I think insurance may help pay for frames even. You should check. Never take for granted, your vision. You need to take care of your eyes or you could be sorry one day. Save up, and instead of buying that pizza or whatever unnecessary thing like a video or game(Or whatever else you fancy), put it toward glasses. You'll be glad you did. I HATE not being able to see well, and if you can get your vision corrected to what I can't have, you are very lucky.

@Kaoru: Thanks so much for the tip about the journal. I think that'll help me a long way, especially since I have to juggle too many things at once. And I'll make sure to keep the points you mentioned in mind and compare it to my sensei's. I guess I missed the part that Kendo is about constant self improvement after all.

You're welcome! I'm glad that will be helpful to you. Just keep at it and things will start making sense more as you go along. You'll see

Good luck!

Kaoru

[Kyung]

Kaoru...legally blind mit glasses?? How do you anticipate or read opponents with bad vision as you describe?
I tried kendo without my glasses and all I see is a blur and I tense up because I can't see

[ShinKenshi]

I wear contacts at practice and on the rare occasion that I have forgotten them, all I see in front of me is a blue-hued outline of a person with a lighter colored line in front. I the first couple of times this happened I asked my sensei about it and he told me that when he was younger he didn't have contact lenses available to him so he would practice without his glasses. Because of this, it forced him to concentrate more on seme and controlling chushin in order to better read the intentions of his opponent. In the end, he said that he was better able to correctly judge the feeling and intentions of his opponent and act accordingly. Since then he had lasik surgery and his seme is extremely strong.

With this in mind, I decided to experiment and deliberately went to a few practices without my contacts and tried to apply what my sensei told me. What I got out of it was being better able to develop better enzan no metsuke (however small of an improvement that may be at this point) and I've since been somewhat better at correctly judging what my opponent's intentions are. Now all I need is for my body to catch up to that understanding. I discussed this again with my sensei and he said it's for that same reason that he always tells us to not worry about whether or not we hit our opponent and to just shut our eyes and go for it. My interpretation of this is that he is trying to tell us to not let what we see cause us to hesitate and disrupt our timing when facing an opponent.

Now that I've somewhat derailed the thread, time to address the OP's original questions. Bear in mind I'm not nearly qualified to each and I'm only sharing what I've been taught and continue to practice myself.

For okuriashi, as I understand it, you're not pushing with your big toe but rather you're driving your entire left leg backwards to propel yourself forward, making you feel like you're leading with your hips. If you want a more specific contact point, I've always been told it's more the ball of your foot rather than your toes. Try to minimize up and down movement while doing footwork as well. Also, to emphasize proper posture, hold your shinai against the base of your back with the shinai between your arms and back while you practice footwork. It will also help to imagine you've got a hook stuck to the top of your head and you've got a string pulling you up. This has always helped me maintain a straight and upright posture.

Unfortunately the only way you're going to improve your footwork speed is, you guessed it, practice and more practice. If you want more practice, try practicing footwork when you're having to stand for extended periods of time, such as when you're brushing your teeth, waiting for the toaster, or other such instances. I work in a biology lab and sometimes when I'm waiting for the centrifuge to finish I practice footwork, occasionally getting strange looks from my coworkers or other lab staff who happens to walk by.

[dwez]

I am only trying to find a consensus on what each individual considers the "right way".

That's highly unlikely, as you've already discovered we all have different opinions, we all have different physical attributes and different ways fo doing things. If you've only been to 4 practices then you're probably learning at the nomral speed for, with no one else to compare against that may feel slow but just be patient. If you read many beginners posts you will find this is a common feeling and a common response is that even after many years those you may think could do very good kendo in fact feel their kendo is very much in need of improvement. Be more patient with yourself and your progress.

[batusai.]

For me, during the session, I watch and imitate my sensei intently - from the grip, the foot, the hand, how he swings the shinai, everything. At home, after the session, I repeat the process again and recall what I've learned so far so I won't forget anything. Everyday I repeat the move over and over again until I perfect it, adjusting and improvising my moves. What's hindering my practice are the blisters on my left palm. It's so painful and I think I'm going to wear some gloves tomorrow. During my first lesson in Kendo, I found out that the stance, the footwork, and the posture, feels so unnatural. It feels really awkward and being a right handed person, it's like using my left hand, lol. So, the only way is to condition myself everyday until it feels natural and a part of me.

Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat.

[Kaoru]

Gloves aren't a good idea... You won't be able to do good tenouchi with gloves on. And, your sensei may not like it. Your blisters will eventually go away. I wonder if taping them with surgical tape wouldn't be a bad idea. I've never done that, so I can't say if this is a good idea or not. It's just an idea. Ask a sempai about it at the next practice.

Kaoru

[batusai.]

@Kaoru - I can't even hold a fork properly, lol. It's really burning. I will try your suggestion using a surgical tape.