My promblem is when I do kote men, the kote is ok but the men cut is right handed and too deep. Any advice???
My promblem is when I do kote men, the kote is ok but the men cut is right handed and too deep. Any advice???
Beyond tai atari, what you're really open to is a devastating tsuki.Originally Posted by Anjin-san
If by "too deep" you mean you are hitting too far up your shinai (towards your tsuba) then you are probably too close. If this is the case you can fix it by taking a smaller, faster step on the kote. The kote strike should be done in correct form, but not with too much emphasis. This is of course assuming you are doing a fast kote men and not a paused one.
-Tomek (トーメック)
Ive only been doing kendo for less than a year so even my fast kote men is more like a paused kote men. Still dont know why my right hand is so engaged though
When I do kote men I try to do both cuts with the same vigor, but by reading everyone elses posts it seems a lot use the kote simply as a feint, not caring whether it's a good cut or not. I will have to practice this.
Ive only been doing kendo for less than a year so even my fast kote men is more like a paused kote men. Still dont know why my right hand is so engaged though
When I do kote men I try to do both cuts with the same vigor, but by reading everyone elses posts it seems a lot use the kote simply as a feint, not caring whether it's a good cut or not. I will have to practice this.
My problem is kote do
" youll always pick up a dime if you look down once in awhile":
Ive only been doing kendo for less than a year so even my fast kote men is more like a paused kote men. Still dont know why my right hand is so engaged though
When I do kote men I try to do both cuts with the same vigor, but by reading everyone elses posts it seems a lot use the kote simply as a feint, not caring whether it's a good cut or not. I will have to practice this.
My problem is kote do
oooppss i dont know why this happened
" youll always pick up a dime if you look down once in awhile":
Well, when practicing kote-men you should go after each with equal vigor. I would disagree that the kote is a feint or even near a feint - if you've really got your kote-men down you sometimes go for it, get the kote, and then don't take the men because you got the kote. Yes, kote is a set up but I think you should go for both, even though the feeling is that the men is ippon.
Be sure when you're practicing the kote-men that your partner is backing up to allow you more room for the men. That's just the stationary practice. In jigeiko, the maai will get all screwed up, of course, and you'll just have to learn to adjust.
Welcome, TNilges, hope to see more of you.
Charlie Kondek, EMU Kendo
Box of tea?
It is a feint, yes. This does not mean it should not be a proper cut. Adhere to the guidelines of a proper strike but increase the rebound of the tenouchi, and lessen the vigor or the fumikomi while maintaining a forward velocity. I believe the key lies in the final point. However you manage the other aspects of your strike, maintain momentum while keeping a clean flow between the strikes. I would liken it to the feeling of prefectly linking together two phrases of a compostion on the piano. You do not pause or falter but still provide enought emphasis to differentiate the two (This analogy might prove to be quite useless if you have not played the piano, but I find that the feeling I have described is very similar to that of a proper fast kote men).Ive only been doing kendo for less than a year so even my fast kote men is more like a paused kote men. Still dont know why my right hand is so engaged though
When I do kote men I try to do both cuts with the same vigor, but by reading everyone elses posts it seems a lot use the kote simply as a feint, not caring whether it's a good cut or not. I will have to practice this.
-Tomek (トーメック)
Kote-doh I've never really tried much. I think the method is you go to kote and keep pressing toward tsuki like you're going to go for men, but instead take doh. The scenario describes a situation where you go for kote, opponent pulls his hands back, you rise up toward men, opponent pulls hands up to cover men, take doh as it's exposed. Just my two ryo.
Charlie Kondek, EMU Kendo
Box of tea?
Rainmaker:
I read what Fonz said about the right foot going "against" the adversary's right foot and I think it's a precious piece of information about doing Kote (or kote-men, of course).
My sensei always says that. Specially about doing it in ji-geiko. Always aim your right foot at the other guy's right foot to do good kote.
Another thing he talks about a lot is to move your left foot as fast as you can.
I have been taught that you do not score kote-men. You can only score the men. If the kote scores, and the men fails you will not score. If the kote fails and the men succeeds you will score.
Said another way, if your kote scores your attack is over and you should focus on zanshin.
I currently view kote-men as a first step in learning how to attack continuously.
As for feints....
When talking with players who are very strong in shiai (national teams) they consistently suggest that what appears as feints are in fact attacks that have been countered before they are fully launched. They are saying that the best and only feint I should work on is one that will score if it is not countered.
Mark~Gingras
The kote is not a feint, but the main target is still men.
Another good reason to use kote men is if your opponent likes degote. Going for the straight men leaves you vulnerable, kote men is a way to get in without exposing your own kote. Even if he attacks kote, hopefully it's aigote and you can continue on for your men.
Neil Gendzwill
Saskatoon Kendo Club
I think doing the kote without moving your left foot at all is wrong. Your left foot should always move forward even if it is only a tiny bit.
If you make a big step with your right foot on kote you will be in too close for the men so many people move the right foot a little and don't move the left foot at all. Always have to be going forward.
As for the right arm, we all have that problem, well all of us normal folks. Try to get a "bounce" or perhaps a better word is "snap" from the kote so the shinai is coming up on its own rather than striking kote and making the opponents feet your target.
"Take your dying with some seriousness, however. Laughing on the way to your execution is not generally understood by less advanced life forms, and they'll call you crazy."
Messiah's Handbook
When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself.Jack Gurney - "The Ruling Class"
I want to be what I was when I wanted to be what I am nowGrafitti, 1980
Like others have said, practice kote men as if going for a point for both targets. It will be easier to "pull back" the kote into a feint to improve your speed if you desire later on. My suggestions for the symptoms you described are the following:Ive only been doing kendo for less than a year so even my fast kote men is more like a paused kote men. Still dont know why my right hand is so engaged though
When I do kote men I try to do both cuts with the same vigor, but by reading everyone elses posts it seems a lot use the kote simply as a feint, not caring whether it's a good cut or not. I will have to practice this.
1) Slow down your kote men. Practice big kote big men. Concentrate not on speed but flow to get rid of the pause. Get a good rhythm. Maintain ki-ken-tai-ichi. Then bring that rhythm to your small/fast kote men. Relaxed and smooth will get you better speed eventually than muscling it, imo.
2) For the small/fast kote men, again, slow down. Make sure your form is correct. If you are overusing your right arm my guess would be you are not raising both of your hands to strike the men, and compensating by powering w/ your right hand. Make sure you maintain the center and raise both hands for a proper sashi men down the middle.
3) Maai, or distance. You should always extend for the maximum reach on both kote and men. In other words, your swing shouldn't change. Since you find yourself too deep, a common problem, what you need to adjust is your footwork. There have been many suggestions on this thread already for how footwork should be. Read over them and see what works for you. Of course, talk to your sensei.One thing I find useful as far as distance goes is to think of your 2 steps for kote men equaling your 1 step for a regular men.
Sain-Zee Ueng
Charlie's first remark is very well said and I agree entirely. I would also like to add to his second statement. In the begining when you cannot strike fast without breaking form your partner should move to accomodate you as stated. Additionally as you gain speed (while maintaining technique) your partners should move less and less untill they stand still. If you are not training with the same people consistantly this can be difficult. But remember if someone is being too forgiving (or too harsh) you should not hesistate to ask for more or less challenge (respectively).
-Tomek (トーメック)
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