Kashi no ki dojo was visited by Matsumoto Sensei (GB National Coach) over the weekend of 5th and 6th July.

Sensei’s main topic for the weekend was trying to read your opponent’s seme. TBH I’m still not quite sure what ‘seme’ is at my level. I have the feeling that it’s the pressure and presence that more experienced kendoka give off. Pressure in that I can feel my kensen being moved off the center line, and presence in that they seem to project such an assurance that I feel that anything I try won’t work. How to generate or manipulate seme is still something I unable to understand or do.

Sensei’s exercises were based on trying to read the your opponents intention and trying to project it. Sensei started by pointing out that seme (in jigeiko, shiai or shinsa) starts from rei. So he emphasised the points that the rei should be performed while studying your opponent to gauge their intentions/ability, the 3 steps into sonkyo should be performed with strength (to push your own seme/pressure across) and should carry through the draw and into sonkyo as well.

We began without full armour. First of all just moving in from kensen touching (too-maai) applying pressure/seme while moving into striking distance (issoku-itto-no-maai). The idead being to project our seme, but also to observe our partner and try to read their intent as well.

For the next exercise sensei asked kakarite to move in applying pressure with the idea of striking men or kote, with motodachi trying to guess from the pressure what they were intending. This was very difficult (I managed 3 out of 0). It appears I’m still much reacting to my opponents movement rather than ‘reading’ their pressure/intent.

We then moved in mawari-geiko. Was good as usual to get a chance to fence against people I don’t normally get to fence with. Tried to put some of the lessons into practice, but couldn’t really feel anything happening.

Shinsa practice – with the Stoke grading happening the next week and a number of people attending the seminar going for grades Sensei decided to have practice shinsa to give feedback. Sensei seemed happy with my men cuts, so that’s something working OKish (shodan grading is looming for October)

Day 2

Repeat of above exercises. Would appear that sleeping on it hadn’t really improved anything on my part

Move on to striking men at the correct moment. Build up pressure between the pair and then as motodachi makes a small movement kakarite strikes men.

Then performing debana men. Same as abovebut this time motodachi cuts for men and kakarite responds with debana men.

And then repeated the exercises with kote instead of men.

Jigeiko – Again a good chance to fence with different people. Was advised afterwards by O’Donnel Sensei that I should be attacking more and holding back less.

An interesting seminar, but I do feel some of the concepts are still a bit beyond me. But it’s always good to have these ideas and thoughts tucked away for when they do become useful.

Spent the session working through kata. Looked at both Bokuto Ni Yoru Kendo Kihon-waza Keiko-ho and the full Kendo Kata.

Due to some gradings coming up Sensei worked through Bokuto Kihon 1-4. Making note of the following points:

Kihon 1 – Check distances. Each cut has a different start ‘distance’ (for the initial men a little closer than for the kote strike but not as close as for do).
Kihon 2 – Should be a clean flowing movement between Kote and Men
Kihon 3 – The harai movement should be small and coordinated with the right foot moving forward and with the upswing for the men cut. It shouldn’t look like a wild swing in from the side and then a disconnected cut. Also motodachi should only allow their bokken to move just enough outside of the bodyline to allow kakarite to make the men.
Kihon 4 – Both sides should take a 1/2 step in to tsuba-zerai. tsuba-zerai should be done with straight arms, and the bokken should not be vertical as then your centre would be off.

Then we worked through Kendo kata 1-3
Sensei spent a lot of time correcting kamae. Left (hidari) jodan should be done without excessively turning the torso, the left hand should be over the left foot and above the eyeline. Moving in hidari jodan from chudan you should lift your arms and then they should move into the final position from above (ie; swing up with a large movement and then settle down into jodan).

Kata 1 – After the initial approach you should be close enough that Uchidachi’s strike would hit Shidachi (the aim being to cut through the tsuka (handle), both of shidachis hands, their head and down through the torso) so that shidachi has to move to avoid the cut. Uchidachis swing should be a large arc (based on what they’re trying to cut through), and should leave uchidachi off balance (weight too far forward.). Shidachi’s nuki movement to avoid should be small, and the sword/hands should move upwards not backwards (ie the kensen shouldn’t drop and the bokken shouldn’t become level).

Kata 2 – Uchidachi’s cut should end just below shidachi’s wrist. Shidachi’s strike should be made with a step forward (ie; shidachi shouldn’t just step back and strike, but should evade (nuki waza) and then step in to ensure the cut is on target)

Kata 3 – Sensei broke this down into small steps to build it up:

• First, uchidachi performed tsuki with shidachi performing the parry. The tsuki needs to be a strong tsuki and aimed towards the solar plexus. Shidachi’s parry should be performed while stepping backwards but pushing the arms/bokken forwards. The parry should be enough to move uchidachi’s kensen, but only enough to avoid the body/
• Then performed the above, but this time with shidachi’s retaliatory tsuki/push.
• Then begining with the approach from gedan, and trying to build contact/tension while coming up into chudan and then following through with the sections already practiced.

Finally got the photos from the Bowden sorted and uploaded. Not many this time, was rather busy running around with the following duties:

• Competing
• Scoreboarding
• Timekeeping
• General Dogsbodying

For the rest of the pictures
Pics from the Premier Cup to follow at some point.

I can now recommend kendo as a means of staving off a headache, glad I went along last night.

Sensei asked me to lead Taiso. Remembering the stretches wasn’t too bad, but I had some problems with counting. It’s very strange to be leading the count rather than responding.

Started with kirikaeshi and do-kirikaeshi.
Then moving onto Men strikes and oji waza. Sensei built the practice up by having us do the following exercises:

• Kakarite seme’s in and strikes men
• kakarite seme’s in, hold pressure and contact until motodachi opens for strike and then strikes as quickly as possible. Sensei said that it wasn’t necessarily the speedof the strike that was important, but being ready to move as soon as the opening came.
• kakarite seme’s in, motodachi tries to strike men when they feel threatened and kakarite responds with debana men or debana kote
• kakarite seme’s in, motodachi tries to strike men when they feel threatened and kakarite attempts oji waza of their choice

Sempai pointed out that I wasn’t really seme-ing far/strong enough as he didn’t feel ‘threatened’ enough to need to attack. I think this is another of these things where I’m doing things by rote rather than actually understanding how to do it, so need to be able to act differently depending on who I’m facing and under what circumstances.

Sensei explained to us his concept of Seme. That the crucial point in getting ippon is when the kensen are touching and seme is ust starting. And that seme carries right through the strike until you’ve turned to setup again. So from my limited understanding it seems that it carries through to what’s normally thought of as zanshin as well?

We then moved on kote-men and kote-do. Then using the same plan as above worked on oji waza in response to kote cuts.

Then it was time for jigeiko. I think I did OK, some things felt better this time. I was happy with my performance against sempai, unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to fence Sensei that evening.

Today we had a practice with a lot of visiting high grades Budden sensei, O’Donnell sensei, Matsuda sensei and Dockwray sensei

we started with kata practice
kata 1-3
3 – chudan, don’t reach arms out too much. Tsuki should be from hips. Push is done from chudan with kensen rising up for zanshin.

Then repeated but with Shidachi using seme to make Uchidachi start the kate

4 – Overview of waki and hasso kamae. Switch feet but same distances, right fight pointing out 45 degrees. left foot should be pointing/attacking opponent. Men cut should be to head height. The block should be done using the force of uchidachi’s incoming tsuki.

kodachi 1 – new to me. overview of kamae. chudan with kodachi is identical to tachi chudan, just with left hand on hip. Kamae against jodan is the same, shouldn’t be pointing, and should cover the body as well.

armour on

taitari practice

kirikaeshi – pulled up for not enough speed and no kikentaiichi

mawari jigeiko. Absolutely knackering, but managed to survived.

This weekend Kashi no Ki (Ollerton dojo) is hosting a seminar and grading for kyusha (grading is up to 2nd Kyu). Today was the seminar, led by Matsumoto sensei, the British coach

The theme of the seminar was ‘Kendo ‘Fundamentals’

Matsumoto Sensei started by talking about how one should dress and prepare yourself for kendo practice:
Kendogu – The keikogi should fit to nape of neck without being baggy. The back of gi should be flat and ‘taut’, so you need to check you’ve not ruffled it while putting on you hakame, if you have then pull it through the openings in the side of you hakeme. Hakame, when tied the front should be lower than back, and the hem bottomn should just touch the top of the feet at the front. Very important to do all of this correctly as it’s fundamental to good kendo, and will fail exams.

Tare, should always put on in seiza, make sure to tie excess himo out of the way, should be neat and flat at the back.

Do, the bottom should rest halfway down the tare-obi (the wide fabric part at the top of the tare) , it should hang straight with equal weight on both himo, pull the bottom himo on either side to ensure a tight knot. Asked about which himo first, explained that in Kendo left first when putting things on or stepping into kit, right first when taking thing off.

Seiza, should draw left leg back and sink to knee, but not flatten toes (ie move onto tops of feet) until both knees are down. Toes should be crossed (didn’t stress which way). Weight slightly on knees. Keep an upright and ready posture. Knees should be be 1-2 fists apart depending on your build. To stand you should first bring your toes back underneath your feet and then stand up in reverse (right then left).

Kamae. Should be balanced, stress should only be in the left foot and hara. My center is actually a little to the left of where I though it was, center should be occupied by the 2nd knuckle of the left thumb. Physical kamae is the most fundamental, mental kamae is also important. Should hold same kamae whilst moving. Should try to keep a ‘tall’ posture but keeping legs bent. Left foot should be raised about the same height as the height of the right toes. Kamae should be a ‘ready’ pose, ie you can react instantly to anything.

Suburi. Big joge suburi, use back to check for straight swing, cutting swing should be the largest circle possible with kensen. Men suburi, no tension till cut so don’t power through with arms. Saya-men, ensure left hand is centered, cut at 45 degrees but when pulling back up move more straightly (someone asked about whether it’s a straight lift or 45 degree pull out, no real answer (makita-sensei last year said 45 degreews to stop blade sticking)).

Moved onto paired suburi, with one recieving resoku men with shinai moving backwards and forwards. Then recieving saya-men. Sensei suggested that it’d be better to recieve keeping the left hand in the centre and then cutting forward with the right (timing was tricky and also felt a bit exposed without men on).

Kihon no bokuto with bokken. Ran through katas 1,2,4 with higher (Slightly) grades as motodachi. Emphasised distance and good cut with strong kiai. Then kyusha received

Quick break for Lunch

After lunch sensei introduced some drills based on kihon kata 1,2 and 4. He split them into 2 sets, in the first set we’d cut Men, kote, do and tsuki. For the second set we’d cut kote-men, men, move as into tsuba zeriai, hiki do and then men.

We performed these along the length of the dojo, so we could do repetitions on each pass (ie; set 2 twice). We started off with just Do and Tare, first with suri-ashi, then moving onto fumikomi. Gradually more bogu was put on, first kote, then men as well. Sensei always wanted to hear/feel loud kiai and good large correct technique. For some reason I kept trying to cut gyaky-dou rather than the normal dou, no idea why as it’s not something I normally do. In fact it took a while to realise what Sensei was telling me to correct when it was pointed out.

We also did Kirikaeshi solo (ie only striking, noone recieving).Then we formed into pairs and repeated the previous exercises, but this time striking and following through. Sensei stressed that the left foot shouldn’t move once you’ra at issoku-ittou-no-maai, and that you should push from there to cut.