A Beginner's Point of View 16-17

Day 16:

Today, we started something completely different. It's called the kiri-kaeshi and it's an advanced exercise that all Kendoka learn. It combines footwork, striking, blocking, spacing, and timing. We started off with just footwork and then just striking. In order to do the kiri-kaeshi, you must strike men, separate by a step, then alternate striking men for 4 steps, then walk backwards while alternate striking men for 5 steps, then take 2 more backwards steps to open the distance, then repeat the strike, forward, backward movements, and then strike men while passing through. It's very tricky to get the timing and spacing right.

Instead of our receiver blocking us, today they let us hit men because if our receiver ever fails to block, then we should hit the men anyway. The alternating striking men can be difficult as well. It's only a tad off to the right, then a tad off to the left, etc... It's not a large difference. The side of the men should not be hit, it's still the top.

When done properly, the kiri-kaeshi looks like a cross between a simple dance and a deadly swordfight. Sempai told us that kiri-kaeshi is sometimes considered the very essence of Kendo (if not just visually demonstrating the point of Kendo). This is not a ‘sometimes’ exercise. The advanced students often perform this routine nearly every practice session.

This exercise was a lot of fun, but it did take a lot of energy. The class split up into 2 lines and alternated between performing kiri-kaeshi from Sensei to Sempai and back and forth. I performed it 3 times before class was over. This exercise did knock some new dents into my shinai. I’ll have to rotate the staves carefully later this week when I take it apart to maintain it.

Day 17:

Today was different. We still did a lot of footwork, which was good because I still keep turning my left heel inward no matter what I do. Nowadays, I just take it in stride (excuse the pun). I figure I’ll get better faster if I stop obsessing about it and just keep correcting myself.

We did a new exercise this class. Sensei joined us and we formed two lines of three people. Pairing off, we stood in chudan and then practiced moving together to keep spacing. One person would pressure the other, who would move backwards to keep the proper distance, which was at the saki-gawa crossing. The two people are supposed to move together. However, sometimes the one pressuring would take a diagonal step or step too far, thus forcing the other to move off-balance to keep up. I’m sure my posture wasn’t very good at the end of the drill, but that only served to catch Sensei off-guard, so he was fooled into moving the wrong way. It was amusing. This was very good for practicing the spacing for future kiri-kaeshi.