hitting kote properly

[Twobitmage]

I havnt been making it too practice too often lately (finals for school) but last time I went, I noticed that one of the sensei switched from chudan to letting me hit his shinai (vertically holding it)

obviously i'm doing something wrong. I figure it's:

1. missing the proper place to hit (supposed to be the part on your forearm rather than the wrist right?)

2. hitting too hard

3. a painful combination of both

any tips? I tried going for kote at an angle as to avoid the hand/wrist part, but that seemed to screw me up more (hit OVER the kote towards the elbow)

[Mizukaze]

My guess why the Sensei would do that is to make sure your not ending your swing too low or too high. Some people end up hitting kote in the middle of "men" and "kote", but since your practicing on an armoured target, it would have to mean that your exerting too much force into the swing which might end up either dragging your guard down, or leaving you vulnerable for an attack. If it's not any of those, then you're either hitting in the wrong area (but I don't see how switching the position could help that), or the Sensei simply has his own reasons for doing so. Or perhaps it's simply a method of teaching you how to strike correctly when the target makes an unexpected movement. By the way, welcome back to Kendo, and hope your finals went well.

[JSchmidt]

I tried going for kote at an angle as to avoid the hand/wrist part

For kihon practice, always cut straight. If he opens up the kote, there's no need to cut at an angle. I've noticed almost all our beginners do the same, despite the kote being wide open. That could be why he's letting you hit the shinai instead. Your best choice would be to ask him.

Jakob

[Shazzanzzz]

If you're just hitting kote when someone does men, you can't do it from an angle, if you do, you'll miss. I think for me, kote at normal hieght is always striaght. I think I only angle my cuts if kote's at jodan or if it's raised over the shoulder, like when going back from tsubazeria anfter an attack.

[hyuna]

Definitely cut straight and not at an angle.
Also definitely ask your sensei what's up.

It seems to me that most of our beginners do not use enough tenouchi when hitting kote. Squeeze that tsuka!

[Hotei]

I experienced the same thing in my dojo. My first couple of classes I was instructed to go straight for the kote, but after about a week everyone would target a sideways shinai. In my case it wasn't me. . . They had all taken a pretty brutal beating at a shiai, and were just taking a break from be whomped. It lasted about 2 weeks and now the kote is the target of choice for everyone with any experience in the dojo.

[dnakase]

Maybe too advanced, but: Try stepping to the left with your right foot. Not much, just like your right foot steps infront of your left foot.

If you want to hit it short and quick, drop your tip, sweep it under and up, at the same time executing the foot work described above. Should snap right in.

[Hai_hai]

I think you are doing the same thing I was doing. It feels like since you both have center, you need to angle your arms/elbows/wrists to get around the shinai to hit the kote because you feel like a kote uchi would hit the opponent's tsuba. Always straight up and down. It's easier when the motodachi opens up more but that's not always the case.

[DCPan]

I noticed that one of the sensei switched from chudan to letting me hit his shinai (vertically holding it)

obviously i'm doing something wrong.

There's also the possibility that the sensei is holding the shinai like a uchikomi bo so he could observe your movement from the side instead of the front.

Why not just ask him/her?

[Kirin]

I experienced the same thing in my dojo. My first couple of classes I was instructed to go straight for the kote, but after about a week everyone would target a sideways shinai. In my case it wasn't me. . . They had all taken a pretty brutal beating at a shiai, and were just taking a break from be whomped. It lasted about 2 weeks and now the kote is the target of choice for everyone with any experience in the dojo.

Damn, let us know when you guys have shiai
I love to have little match with Bryan M !!
.....and kakari keiko with Abe sensei!

Lets have some godou-keiko/shiai before Austin Team Taikai!!