Hitting the mengane

[Tatsuko]

Hello,

I'm usually a lurker here, but I have a problem that I'm hoping to get some advice on.

I'm short (only 4'6", and I'm an adult so I won't grow any more), and whenever I try to hit men on someone, I always end up hitting the mengane (the metal grill of the mask), which sensei says I shouldn't do.

My question is, how can I keep from doing this? It's getting a little frustrating. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

[Swissv2]

Bunny Men!

[Andoru]

Try to extend both wrists more so that the shinai is more horizontal in the men cut and at the same time raise both hands as high as it can get. That would allow you to (hopefully) reach the top part of the mengane, or better still, the men itself.

However, if the height difference is too great, you're going to hit mengane no matter what, especially if your opponent bends his/her head backwards.

[Kirin]

I try to hit men on someone, I always end up hitting the mengane (the metal grill of the mask), which sensei says I shouldn't do.

Your sensei knows about your height, so it must not be the height issue.
Maybe you are not using left hand.
Make sure your left elbow is slightly bent, and use left wrist, so that your shinai tip won't point ceiling.

[darklord]

It is possible that your distance with the opponents is too close when you hit him. Try to find some distance so that you can hit your opponent men correctly.

[taganahan]

if you're patient enough, use timing. wait for him to attack you and when he does, step back so that they can't reach you. and when they're bending down a bit, go for the men. if you're the type of person who initiates the first move, as Swiss said, bunny men. jump high enough to reach the opponents head.

~taganahan

[Swissv2]

lol, I only meant that as a joke. I would assume being short one would have a bit of a much shorter distance for issoku itto no maai.

[Taek]

Your shinai wouldn't last long as you keep hitting mengane!!?? I think the distance difference between hitting proper men or mengane is only a few centimeters. My 7th dan sensei once mentioned that your both arm should fully extend when you hit men so the top of your hands are as flat as possible that you can put two cups on the top. 'Squeezing action!!'
I don't know whether above method is going to help you but you will surely gain more distance and speed by doing it. We've been lucky to have a Korean sensei joining our saturday training. He is shorter than most of us but he hits our men so freely during gikeiko

[abunaidesu]

What I have found helpful to hit men for shorter kendoka is always itsoku-itto-no-mai, the one step interval between you and your target. To fully extend both arms and at the moment of impact to snap your wrists (left wrist snapping upward and right hand being an axel,controling direction of shinai) with the natural flexibilty of the bamboo allowing to hit the men and not mengane. Has helped a few kendoko I know.

[Neil Gendzwill]

If you're 4'6", you're gonna hit the mengane against many of your opponents, just accept it for now. When you get much better, you'll get more snap and this will lessen but probably never disappear against really tall opponents. Any advice you get right now on avoiding the mengane is likely to lead to bad habits - trying to overreach for the menbuton when you're short is going to result in a bent left elbow most likely. So just make your technique as best you can, do what your sensei tells you, and accept that you're going to clang a lot of men but take a lot of kote.

[mystic_kendoka]

are you new? then you might be hammer-gripping your shinai, you should be holding it looser so tht it is more horizontal..

[Tatsuko]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! I'll try to adjust my distance, and not "hammer-grip" my shinai in keiko tomorrow. I'll try reaching with my arms a little more, but not so much I'm over-reaching.

Mystic Kendoka, to answer your question, I started kendo exactly a year ago. So I'm still a noob. I'm still trying to get my grip right. I'm getting there, but very slowly. ^^;

<rei>

[mystic_kendoka]

Mystic Kendoka, to answer your question, I started kendo exactly a year ago. So I'm still a noob. I'm still trying to get my grip right. I'm getting there, but very slowly. ^^;

<rei>

HAHA tht would make u my sempai, i am only 7 months into kendo! i meant a noob as in 3 or 4 weeks sorta noob... hehe

<Sho rei>

[akumalkenshi]

Once I was told by Sensei Miyata, " Dont choke the chicken!!".

He meant I should loosen up my grip around the tsuka.

but with those words, not only I wont forget, but I smile remembering them..

[BrainFart]

I see many people strike men with almost 45 degree a little bit more. This is okay for someone who really loosen their wrist and use their left arm mainly.
Good thing about that degree has strong men strike using whole body. But many time it could also hit mengane when one wants to get speed from right hand. And many times one might have off-balance and off-center line.

But for the one who wants to reach Big Men far enough tends to hit more horizantally. This is true for Miyazaki's men though someone who like me tend not to strike too horizantally. More horizantal men strike also requires good wrist snapping and good tenouchi too. In this method left arm path is rather shorter and looks like "bowing motion" to gain good snapping from both sides.

So i do not think this is matter of how tall opponents are unless the opponents are more taller than NBA player.

Definately, the short person should adapt their men strike regards to build good habit. As time goes by, the one can change the men strike very slightly.

Key to the sucess in this special case,

1. Mainly, do the left arm movement(right arm only follows thru, so that one's kenzen has good center line) when one strike big men.
2. left arm movement's path should be SHORTER than usual. That does not mean one's Big men should be small. Straigthen up to the ceiling with left arm(right arm should very loose), and when one hit the men one's left should not go too below. Be careful not to tense shoulder.

3. left arm movement do pivot slightly locking left arm's elbow so that shinai's kenzen almost "bow motion: -- --> --" instead of "striking \ --> / direction.