Here’s some tips for the beginners at the dojo where I practice in two parts on: 1) Mindset and Self-care and 2) The Mechanics of Kendo. They are based on commonly observed issues and may be useful for others new to kendo, too. A comprehensive set of pointers can be found at [KendoNotes_Beginner Resources].
Mindset and Self-Care Related Tips
- Practice and acquire each new skill methodically and correctly.
- This is probably the most important tip – as bad habits tend to become progressively more entrenched and difficult to correct later [Kenshi247 BadHabits].* Remember that:
- Habits are at first cobwebs, then cables. – Spanish Proverb.
- Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. – Vince Lombardi.
- If you can’t do it slow you can’t do it fast. – Unknown.
- This is probably the most important tip – as bad habits tend to become progressively more entrenched and difficult to correct later [Kenshi247 BadHabits].* Remember that:
- Take care of the hands and feet.
- Beginners often develop blisters initially in the palm of the hands and soles of the feet. These typically arise from the new experience of gripping a bamboo sword (shinai) and shuffling around in bare-feet.
- As covered under “Self Care” in [KendoNotes Beginner Resources], there’s a number of ways to prevent blisters and maintain healthy hands and feet.
* I, and probably many in kendo, can relate to this comment and cited article. For example, I have struggled with the unconscious tendency to tighten my right arm and shoulders in matches for many years [KendoNotes TightShoulders].
Mechanics of Kendo Related Tips
- In the on-guard stance (kamae),
- Relax the upper body (e.g. the shoulders, elbows, arms and, to some extent, the grip) to be able to move or strike in an instant [KendoInfo_Relax].
- Unconscious tightening there tends to diminish the explosiveness of the strikes, impede the easy movement of the arms and tire the muscles.
- This is probably the toughest hurdle to overcome for many who start or started kendo later in life (e.g. at university age or later).
- Make sure the feet are parallel.
- Some tend to angle the rear foot making a “V” shape with the feet which tends to impede the forward body thrust as illustrated in the video Kendo 8th dan Examination 剣道八段の世界① at 9:21 min. (A ‘thank you’ to kenshi247 for recommending this video on the Mar 16, 2018 FB post).
- Relax the upper body (e.g. the shoulders, elbows, arms and, to some extent, the grip) to be able to move or strike in an instant [KendoInfo_Relax].
- In striking with the bamboo sword (shinai),
- Make the left hand and arm the fulcrum instead of the right [KendoNotes LeftHand].
- Many tend to over-use the right hand and arm – and under-use the left hand and arm [KendoInfo RightArm].
- Aim to apply maximum upper body power only at the instant of impact for strikes. Be relaxed there both before and immediately after the strike.
- Some tend to apply most of their upper body strength from the start of a swing with a shinai until (or even after) the instant of impact.
- It helps to ingrain and ensure the above by practicing the swinging of the shinai in slow motion initially and from time to time.
- Make the left hand and arm the fulcrum instead of the right [KendoNotes LeftHand].
- For the footwork (ashi-sabaki):
- In suri-ashi (sliding/gliding feet), make sure that the front soles of the feet (and not the heels) slide along the floor and that “the feet do not lose contact with the floor [Norwalk_Ashi]” (moving fairly quietly without any periodic footstep or thud sounds).
- The initial use of a paper towel under the front sole(s) can facilitate the feel of this footwork – as explained in [KendoNotes_Suri-Ashi].
- Some tend to use the heels, lift one or both feet above the floor or experience a “sticky” floor that prevents smooth sliding of the feet as mentioned in [KendoNotes_Suri-Ashi].
- In fumikomi (the forward thrust or lunge), make sure to kick the rear leg (typically the left leg) forward immediately towards the front leg as soon as the front foot lands [KendoInfo_Footwork, last paragraph].
- This is referred to as hikitsuke. Here’s some pointers and a video to help develop it [KendoNotes_Hikitsuke].
- Some tend to let the rear leg linger or kick the rear leg backwards and upwards.
- In suri-ashi (sliding/gliding feet), make sure that the front soles of the feet (and not the heels) slide along the floor and that “the feet do not lose contact with the floor [Norwalk_Ashi]” (moving fairly quietly without any periodic footstep or thud sounds).
- For the grip,
- Master the “V” shape (also known as the “Tiger mouth” shape) of the hands [KendoInfo Tenouchi].
- Practicing the grip with a bokken or shinai having an oval handle helps.
- Some tend to lose that shape when they grip the shinai with tight thumbs and index fingers and with a clenched fist.
- Maintain power only in the last two to three digits of each hand [KendoNotes Grip].
- The thumbs and index fingers remain relaxed even at the instant of impact [Chikamoto Lecture, at 2:24min] [KendoNotes Grip].
- Master the “V” shape (also known as the “Tiger mouth” shape) of the hands [KendoInfo Tenouchi].
References
[KendoInfo_Footwork] Geoff Salmon, “Kendo footwork for beginners,” KenfoInfo.net, Oct. 28, 2010.
[KendoInfo_Relax] Geoff Salmon, “Apply tension and relax,” KendoInfo.net, Sept 30, 2013.
[KendoInfo RightArm] Geoff Salmon, “Right arm power,” KendoInfo.net, Dec. 20, 2010.
[KendoNotes_Beginner Resources] “Resources for Beginners,” KendoNotes.com, July 24, 2017.
[KendoNotes Grip] “Relative Grip Strengths – in Brief (Part 2),” KendoNotes.com, Nov 1, 2017.
[Kenshi247_BadHabits] George McCall, “Practise may ingrain bad habits,” Kenshi247.net, Dec 18, 2009.
[Norwalk_Ashi] “Basic Concepts (Kihon) – Ashi-Sabaki (Footwork),” Norwalk Kendo Dojo.
Copyright 2017 KendoNotes.com
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