What is your concept of SEME

[Nik.Koch]

Hi Kendokas,

I would like to Know your defenition of "Seme". How do you train it. How do you practice. What does your Sensai say?

Thanks and waiting for good disussions

Nik

[Musha]

Hi Nik.Koch,
In Japanese Seme literally means attack Semeru 攻め. I'm working on it now and the different types of Seme. Seme pushes your opponent into opening Suki and enables you to attack but if your opponent is not open it is extremely hard to attack.

As in Japanese chess you must also push your opponent into opening or making a mistake so you can take his or her piece.

[dorkusxmaximus]

too many threads about this, go look at the old threads.

[JSchmidt]

"In Japanese Seme literally means attack"

My dictonary says it's 'Invade', which I think is a far more accurate translation in terms of kendo, as you are invading the opponents private space and forcing a reaction. The attack itself, doesnt happen until after seme.

[Musha]

What dictionary are you using JSchmidt? Seme means atack in all my dictionarys.

'Kodansha Kanji Dictionary'
攻め　Attack Kou; se(meru) Name osamu

Attack, take the offensive

攻撃　kougeki attack, assault; criticism; baseball batting
攻略 Kouryaku capture, conquest; invasion

Semeru　攻める
攻め　seme [also suffix] attack, offensice, bombardment; batting

It can mean 'Invade' but the main meaning is Attack. Maybe offensive is a better term because if you are doing Seme your partner usually does not have the advantage over you.

[JSchmidt]

Kodansha's Japanese-English Dictionary. It actually got both attack and invade, but invasion is a far more accurate term, IMO.
(I also believe it's the term used in the AJKF dictionary)...but hey..since you seem so certain on seme, please explain how to do it;-D

[emitbrownne]

Seme = Pressure.....


still learning.... I'm too jumpy

[Musha]

It is kind of a secret , but there is


Umote Seme

Take a step forwards and take the center.

Ura seme

Take a step forwards and put your kensen on the right side of his Shinai as if you wanted to strike kote


Gedan
Take a step forwards and put your shinai under the persons Shinai discreetly.

It says this alone is not Seme, you can Seme in other ways but these are the easiest. I can't do it yet, maybe I'm not thinking right. I am also not even Ikkyu yet so should not be thinking of Seme at all just getting good cut in, but this is what it says seme is in my book .

I heard once some one say 'I feel when fighting with sensei my energy all going away', I think I good Seme is one where you Seme enough to collaps your opponent then just hit him easily .

[Nik.Koch]

Thanks to all for your replies. Concerning the Seme of high Sensei (8.Dan) it seemed to me often like sucking my batteries low. My head was allmost exploding due to all the psychological pressure by the master. It tried to stand against but found myself often with my back against the wall. Do you think or beleive that good seme has also something to do with KI? What were your experiences fighting with high class teachers?


Best Regards from Germany
Nik

[Neil Gendzwill]

I can't do it yet, maybe I'm not thinking right.

Perhaps then you should not explain it, nor rely on dictionary definitions for the meaning of specific kendo terms? The words we use in kendo have far more weight than the dictionary definitions, and are often different than a more common usage might indicate.

Seme is about managing your opponent through pressure.

[Hai_hai]

... My head was allmost exploding due to all the psychological pressure by the master...

Uh yeah. Kopf-schlagen ohne schlagen.

[JSchmidt]

" I can't do it yet,"

That's because there's a lot more to it than just the physical motions. I'm only at the very beginning at trying to understand, which is why I'm insisting on using 'invade', rather than attack.

[Musha]

Sorry Neil Gendzwill I don't think I know any 8th dans like Eiga sensei, not sure if he is or not...

I have been learning Japanese for 3 years or more now and passed a high excam in it to A level. Kendo terms are just Japanese not some mistical word and Seme means Attack nothing else then I tryed to explain what it says about Seme in my book that was writen by a 6th dan. If you think it is some mistical power that is held by Marishiten you can, but as I said "I don't know how to seme" so I am not a power in this. I know I am not making this up .

[mingshi]

Sorry Neil Gendzwill I don't think I know any 8th dans like Eiga sensei, not sure if he is or not...

I have been learning Japanese for 3 years or more now and passed a high excam in it to A level. Kendo terms are just Japanese not some mistical word and Seme means Attack nothing else then I tryed to explain what it says about Seme in my book that was writen by a 6th dan. If you think it is some mistical power that is held by Marishiten you can, but as I said "I don't know how to seme" so I am not a power in this. I know I am not making this up .

1. Eiga is 7th Dan.
2. I have been studying Kanji for ...at least 18 years.
3. Kendo terms are explained within their context, and NOT literally.
4. What you find about the meaning of certain kanji, depends on its root in Chinese as well. That can be slightly different comparing to how it is used in Modern Japanese.
5. If Seme is just an attack, a straight Men cut is an attack. Why will people say, "you need to work on the attack"?

IMHO.

[Musha]

1. Eiga is 7th Dan.
2. I have been studying Kanji for ...at least 18 years.

I guess you are Chinese so of course you have been learning Kanji for 18 years . My friend is Japanese and she has been learning for over 30 years hehe. But if you are talking about Chinese that is Hanzi isn't it? I watched a Japanese anime with Chinese subs, it is almost like Japanese compared to German, almost impossible for me to read. Even Japanese person .

5. If Seme is just an attack, a straight Men cut is an attack. Why will people say, "you need to work on the attack"?

I don't think you understand what I mean by attack. For excample if your Sensei wanted to say attack men, he would say 面を打つ　'Men wo utsu'　 or 面を打ち込み 'Men wo uchikomi' This is the action of striking your opponent not seme. It could be invade like some people say, but to me invade does not really lead up to an action. If you were to invade a country you would just enter that country. In WWII Germany invaded many countrys but did not even have to fight in most.

Seme is when you take the initiative. Try to imagine a kendo match were no one takes the initiative and the two kendoka are just standing waiting for the other kendoka to do some thing for 3 minutes .