Day 38 - 47:
The next several days were all spent practicing everything we would need for the testing. Sensei said, “Think of the tournament as practice for the testing. The tournament is for fun, the testing is important.” We spent all our time practicing kiri-kaeshi over and over. We practiced it in full bogu. We practiced it without men or kote. We practiced it in only keikogi and hakama.
Obviously, the less protection we wore, the slower we performed the strikes. This was to make us slow down and focus on making good, crisp strikes instead of relying only on fast strikes. Sempai reminded us many times, “It really doesn’t matter how fast you do kiri-kaeshi. The judges want to see you strike accurately.” This really set the tone for how we were to go down to the tournament and testing. We all decided that we wanted to go there and show that we were not going to rush our training just to show off.
We practiced kiri-kaeshi so many times, Sensei said, “You’ll be doing it in your sleep”. I didn’t dream about it, but I have caught myself doing it as I walk down the halls at my job and in my home. At first it was embarrassing, but I just decided to take the opportunity to just go through the motions and not only memorize it, but to ingrain the motions into my nerves so I may do it without thinking.
We also got out some athletic tape and marked off what a typical court would look like. We practiced the ceremony of bowing in and out of a court. The senior students got out the Shinpan flags and would practice regulating matches. The bowing in ceremony is not so difficult to remember. Both fighters stand at the appropriate edges of the court, facing each other. They take a single step in, then bow. They taito, then Kendo-walk up to their respective lines. They draw their shinais and then sonkyo. The lines will be taped out at such a position so that the shinais will be too far for issen-no-maai. The fighters rise and kamae. The Shinpan will declare “Hajime” and the match begins. We would also perform geiko (practice match) in order to tell if our waza was good enough. More often than not, the senior students would wind up telling us about our mistakes. But then, that’s the way it should be since we’re so inexperienced.
Day 47.5: (tournament and testing)
The Kendo club sponsoring the event made arrangements for the local hotel to have discounts for us as we would stay the night. Travelling to the location of the tournament and testing was a real pain. It took hours to drive there. I was smart and took the day off work the day before the tournament just so I could focus only on making arrangements.
After checking into the hotel, I went over to get a parking permit on the campus where the gymnasium was located. The directions I received were incorrect about where to go. I spent a couple of hours driving around the city and following the wrong road signs to the wrong places before I figured it out. Asking a couple of the locals helped also. I was very glad that I took the day off. One of our students could not take that day off and decided to drive extra early to arrive on time, only to have her alarm clock suffer from a power outage. She arrived late and missed taking part in the Mudansha division.
I could only take part in Mudansha and hopefully in team division. This will be the way it is for a long time, so I may as well get used to it. I can fill the time in between by helping out at scoring tables. My first match wasn’t even first at all. There were so many of us that we had to be split into two courts, each court having eight brackets, each bracket having three or four Kendoka. I was in the first court, eighth bracket. This meant I had a lot of time since the first round went round-robin. The winner, determined by the judges by wins and points, advanced to the single-elimination rounds. I was in a four-person bracket, and had to fight two other people. As the fights progressed, one of my classmates gave me his camera to take pictures of him during his matches. I took a few pictures of him as he walked in and as he struck targets.
When it came time for my match, I was nervous. I systematically went through every waza in my mind as a refresher. It took less time then I thought. Before I could get more nervous, I instead tried to study my opponent. He seemed very confident. I stepped in with as much dignity as I could and then performed the bowing in ceremony. When the match began, he immediately lauched into a flurry of attacks and action. I knew that my opponent was a hothead. His kiais were loud and aggressive. He was also smaller than me. I decided to use his aggression to my advantage. I let him attack me, then when his attack failed, I forced him into tai-atari. I let him scream at me, then I pushed him backwards. I stepped in to take his space and attacked his men forcefully. Over and over I did this, making him angrier and angrier. Soon, the Shinpan called yame. As we resumed our initial marks, the Shinpan gave him a warning for stepping out of bounds. I smiled and did it again. I would attack him, striking him over and over, circling around him, letting him attack me. I would turn my back to the edge of the court and let him push me close. Then I would circle around and push him out of bounds. I used lots of kiai and energy and men strikes without passing through. Soon, the judges were giving him another warning, which resulted in a penalty point for him. A penalty point for him in reality means a good point for me. The score was 1-0 in my favor. I knew he would not allow such a thing to happen again, so I deduced that he would not give ground. Instead I focused on men strikes and trying to trick him into giving me a kote strike. He got more and more desperate as time ran out. His defenses were getting sloppy and I knew I only had to wait for the right time. Suddenly, after I gave a kiai, I saw an opening for his men. I thought to myself, “I will strike his men”. Suddenly, I saw my shinai strike him on the men in a near-perfect strike. I actually do not remember going throught he motion of stepping in and swinging the shinai over my head. I passed on through and heard the judge call men-ari (point striking men). I knew I had won. I was completely ecstatic, but I was even more winded than that. My classmates congratulated me as I got ready for my next match. I had one match to rest before going out again. I couldn’t wait!
My next match was tougher. I studied my opponent and saw that he was giving nothing away. He probably saw me fight and decided not to let me push him. I decided to just attack head on and pass through. The entire match was attacking men and occasionally attacking kote. I would parry him and he would parry me. I knew it would end with no points scored, so I decided to make an impression on the judges. I would kiai louder and show more zanshin than my opponent. After we passed each other, I took three quick strides and turned around in chudan-no-kamae. I advanced on my opponent, who was taking many more strides more slowly. I waited for him to turn around and then launched another attack. In the end, the hantei (judge’s decision) was that the other fighter had won. I believe it was because his waza was more crisp than mine. If that is the case, I do not mind losing to that. It means I squared off against a superior opponent and held him off. Sensei calls it, “Losing without dying, which is almost as good”. After that, I was eliminated form the division. It’s too bad there are too many kendoka to keep track of. I would have preferred a double-elimination style, but the judges have too much to keep track of as it is.
The day of the tournament was very busy. There were over one hundred kendoka participating over all of the divisions. The few of us beginners were in the Mudansha division, which means all ranks below Shodan. The senior students entered the Shodan-Nidan division. The girls also entered the Women’s division as well. After that, Sensei entered the Sandan-and-above division. Halfway through Sandan-and-above, we broke for lunch. Bento boxes were distributed out to everyone, including a soda. Lunch was a combination of salad, sushi, teriyaki chicken and a few seafood items I could not identify. I’m normally a very fussy eater, but I was so hungry after just fighting in my own matches and then helping out with the scoring for Shodan-Nidan that I just started eating and nearly ate everything. It was very good.
Sandan-and-above division finished afterwards. Sensei did not win a single one of his matches, yet he was smiling the whole time. He said he was just glad to fight against others closer to his rank. It was fun for him and a great learning experience. I think he was trying to teach us not to focus on anything negative at all and instead just approach defeat with dignity and grace.
Then it was time for the team matches. Our dojo had enough students entering to form two teams. Sensei personally led the group of us four newcomers in our own team. He arranged us in a specific pattern to counter what he felt was the other team’s strategy. It turns out that in a team match, five kendoka line up. The number one position stands farthest away from the scorekeeper’s table. Normally, the first position is given to the fastest person and the fifth position is given to the strongest (or at least some kind of variation on those ideas). I requested the fifth position and Sensei asked me if I was sure. I told him that I was sure and I wanted it. This would be the only real time I could fight against a much higher-ranked opponent. Sensei let me have it and took the fourth position for himself. Our first two matches were fairly evenly matched, and no points were scored, so the Shinpan declared Hiki-wake (a draw with no winner). The third match had both fighters scoring a clear point each. We cheered for our teammate when he scored. The end result was another Hiki-wake. Sensei took his time and chose to attack his opponent intelligently instead of wasting energy. The result was him winning his match! The team score was 1-0 in favor of us. Then it was my turn to fight. We had the advantage. The team match was ‘mine to lose’ if I let my opponent win. I decided to curb my enthusiasm and fight intelligently, without taking foolish risks. My opponent was much smaller than me, which means I could have pushed her around a lot if I wanted to. Perhaps she would be expecting that. I decided to just try for crisp men strikes instead. Over and over, we struck and circled each other. The Shinpan decided that none of our strikes were good enough for a point. Finally, I saw a suki (opening)! She was leaving her kote open while hoping to attack my men. I let her attack, only to parry her strike. As she retreated, I saw her give me the kote suki, and I charged forward! Bringing the shinai up, I aimed for her kote. “YAME!” The Shinpan called for the end of the match because of time. On reflex, I finished the strike and passed on through. I heard the pleasant slap of the bamboo to leather and knew that if I only had half of a second more, I would have gotten the kote point. However, I had succeeded! My match ended in a Hiki-wake, making the final score 1-0 in our favor. We had won the first round of the team match! After shaking hands with our opponents, we had a short break until our next team match.
This time, we came up against a much better team. Their first opponents had not shown up so they were more rested than we were. We lost every match, making the final score 5-0 in their favor. However, no one was disappointed. We were all smiling because we had fought against high-ranked people and gave a good effort. They really did work for their victory.
After the tournament was over, Sensei let me know that the fifth position on the team that defeated us was a 2nd Dan who was displaying the skill of a 3rd Dan that day. Overall, I think I performed very well. Twice I nearly got a strike in against him.
The next day was the day of the testing and promotionals. I wasn’t very nervous for the sole reason that I had fought in front of and sometimes with everyone who might be judging me. So, it was not as if I were to be testing in front of strangers, instead it was like a formality in front of an extended family. I kept my focus on behaving in a proper manner and chose to let my Kendo happen naturally. I did decide beforehand that I would step up my energy and kiai more. I have a habit of being too quiet sometimes.
Since we rehearsed the actual testing part at the dojo over and over, that was no big surprise. There were forty-five of us testing for various ranks. I made sure to remove my zekken before warmups. At some point, the director told us to line up. We lined up single-file and gave our names one at a time. The director would tell us what number we had to remember. I was number twelve. There didn’t seem to be a real system to the numbers except that people testing for lower ranks had lower numbers. Afterwards, we were told exactly where to sit. They arranged us into a grid-like formation twelve people wide, so I had the position in the front left corner. Then, they grouped us into four Kendoka together. We would put on men as a group, last-minute warmups as a group, approach the court as a group, and test in sequence as a group.
The panel of judges seemed to think that the first eight Kendoka were taking too long through the intricate ceremony of bowing in and out. Although we had all day, I think they were trying to speed things up to be fair to the ones who had higher numbers. Each and every Kendoka for the first twenty or so did the same things. They did kiri-kaeshi and ji-geiko (free-form sparring) against two different opponents. However, I did not receive kiri-kaeshi that day, only gave it. Others gave and received it. I think I was passed over by mistake. After that, we sat back down in formation again. Then, I realized that my ordeal was over for the whole day.
I felt more relaxed and decided to just watch and observe the good and bad that others were doing. However, I soon realized that the most difficult thing that day was all the waiting. I knelt in seiza as much as I could because I thought it was required. After a while, one of the coordinators came by and told us to “relax”. This meant “sit as you would like”. I immediately moved into the cross-legged position gratefully. However, the gymnasium floor was very, very rigid. After several minutes, even sitting cross-legged was painful. I had to fidget and re-align my legs over and over, still not being comfortable. I realized that only half of the Kendoka had been tested. It was a long day indeed.
After all of the testing happened, I thought we were done. Not quite. There was a break as we got up to stretch our aching legs. The 1-Kyu and 1-Dan candidates pulled out their bokkens and began to practice kata in the back of the gym. I knew kata 1 and 2 from practice, but I also got to see kata 3, 4, and 5. I liked kata 4, when you block with the bokken, then spin it around to attack the head form the opposite angle and shout, you can see how Sensei says, “This kata shows the fire coming out of your eyes”. The kata test was actually over very quickly, as they would test four pairs of Kendoka simultaneously. After that was done, then we were dismissed.
It took the better part of an hour to post the results. All my classmates got 3rd Kyu for their initial ranking. I got 4th Kyu. I was so disappointed. I had applied for 4th Kyu on my registration at first. After a couple of weeks Sensei asked if I wanted to change my request to 3rd Kyu, but I said no. I didn’t want to seem arrogant. However, I was secretly hoping they would give me 3rd Kyu anyway. I tried to hide my disappointment, because I didn’t want anyone feeling bad for me. After some time, I began to realize that the panel of judges most likely gave me 4th Kyu because my waza was sloppy. It was within their power to give me an even lower rank, so I should just accept it and plan for the next test. I should also work on my basic waza.
My body was in pain as I drove back home. Most of the pain subsided, but there stayed a persistence shooting pain in both my left arm and my left ankle. I knew I had sprained both. I had probably stretched both too far at the tournament, but then exaggerated them at the testing. A fellow student told me the arm sprain was from gripping the shinai too tightly. I know the ankle comes from trying to put all my weight on my heels during seiza for long periods of time.
Monday, March 30, 2009
A Beginner's Point of View 36-37
Day 36:
Today we focused on the men strike and giving kiri-kaeshi. Senior students put on full bogu and received kiri-kaeshi, each choosing to stand still or step back after the initial men strike. This forces us to adapt to the choice of whether or not to perform the tai-atari, which is to push someone back using your kote against their kote.
We also practiced the sayu-men drill going backwards and forwards, which reinforces the striking principle of raising the shinai straight up and then bringing it down a little bit sideways to strike migi-men and hidari-men. We were promised that we would work on kiri-kaeshi until we were more than qualified for testing.
My endurance is getting a little bit better. I did not have to stop once tonight for water or breathing, but still it showed I was tired. Hopefully, I won't show so much fatigue during testing.
Day 37:
Today was practicing the tai-atari (body check) for kiri-kaeshi. This is correctly done when you first semin, then strike men, then step into your opponent's space. If your opponent does not move, then you bring your fists down to in front of you while holding the shinai vertically. You then lock your elbows in place and then forcefully step forward. Your body, not your arms, will push your opponent backwards. You then step into his space, claiming it as your own. This is supposed to throw your opponent into disarray, which will create openings for you to strike.
Head sensei was here today as well as sempai. Both did not say anything to me directly, so I must be doing well. In Kendo, if your instructor speaks to you directly, it is because you have made a mistake and they wish to correct you. This advice is not to be taken badly, it is simply them trying to help you perfect your Kendo one class at a time. By saying nothing, they actually declare that your form and technique are good enough for your level of training.
Today we focused on the men strike and giving kiri-kaeshi. Senior students put on full bogu and received kiri-kaeshi, each choosing to stand still or step back after the initial men strike. This forces us to adapt to the choice of whether or not to perform the tai-atari, which is to push someone back using your kote against their kote.
We also practiced the sayu-men drill going backwards and forwards, which reinforces the striking principle of raising the shinai straight up and then bringing it down a little bit sideways to strike migi-men and hidari-men. We were promised that we would work on kiri-kaeshi until we were more than qualified for testing.
My endurance is getting a little bit better. I did not have to stop once tonight for water or breathing, but still it showed I was tired. Hopefully, I won't show so much fatigue during testing.
Day 37:
Today was practicing the tai-atari (body check) for kiri-kaeshi. This is correctly done when you first semin, then strike men, then step into your opponent's space. If your opponent does not move, then you bring your fists down to in front of you while holding the shinai vertically. You then lock your elbows in place and then forcefully step forward. Your body, not your arms, will push your opponent backwards. You then step into his space, claiming it as your own. This is supposed to throw your opponent into disarray, which will create openings for you to strike.
Head sensei was here today as well as sempai. Both did not say anything to me directly, so I must be doing well. In Kendo, if your instructor speaks to you directly, it is because you have made a mistake and they wish to correct you. This advice is not to be taken badly, it is simply them trying to help you perfect your Kendo one class at a time. By saying nothing, they actually declare that your form and technique are good enough for your level of training.
A Beginner's Point of View 34-35
Day 34:
Today was more kiri-kaeshi. Even though last week sensei said we would work on receiving, today we gave again. Over and over, giving kiri-kaeshi to him and some senior students. Each time we would complete a full drill, we would receive advice on how to improve our technique.
Myself, I seem to be "out of alignment". I was told that my posture was not bad, but not perfect. It appeared like I was leaning forward, but was not really leaning forward. It was described to me as my upper half was forward of my lower half. My shoulders and spine were straight, but they were ahead of my hips. It was not easy to understand or even correct, but I seem to be improving my posture simply by trying to keep my whole body in line vertically.
We did kiri-kaeshi so much, that the time just flew by. I gave the closing ceremony again. I did better, but still not perfect. It seems that the list of commands I've been studying from wasn't perfect. At least this time I waited for everyone seated on the Dan side of the dojo to finish taking off their men and kote before continuing. I should also learn to cover my feet completely if I need to move out of seiza and just sit.
Day 35:
Today, we suited up in full bogu to practice giving kiri-kaeshi. It was a good exercise, since we would be expected to do the same for testing. A couple of the senior students put on their bogu so we may practice giving kiri-kaehsi to multiple different people. Some would not step back until we pushed them back, others stepped back automatically. Sometimes they would block our strikes, sometimes not. As long as I did not hurry, I successfully performed kiri-kaeshi each time. Sensei reminded us that kiri-kaeshi does not have to be lightning fast. It instead must be 'decisive'. Each strike must function independently, as if it were the last strike we will ever make. This broke up the exercise into smaller segments that were more manageable.
Our head sensei was actually present during the entire practice this time. He split his attention between our group and watching the other group, which was comprised of students who needed a refresher on basic strikes and footwork. The head sensei gave me some advice about men strikes. He said I was lifting the shinai too high. It was a waste of energy the way I was doing it. He counseled that I should raise the shinai just enough that my left fist would be even with my eyes. This goes slightly against what I was taught by sempai. Sempai said to raise the shinai so that both fists were above my eyes, so I may see the target. I'll try doing it the way the head sensei says. Maybe it will conserve energy.
There are so many things to remember during kiri-kaeshi, it can sometimes be overwhelming: footwork, striking, rhythm, pushing, counting, kiai, and spacing, which is called maai. Still, sensei promises that we will practice kiri-kaeshi so much, we will be able to do it in our sleep.
Today, I almost finished practice without needing to stop. At the very end, I was feeling light-headed and off-balance. I decided to move off to the side and sit in seiza for a short time. After a minute of just breathing, I felt better and it was time to perform an abbreviated bowing out. I hope my endurance increases some more. It's embarrassing to have to stop and breathe while everyone else keeps going.
Today was more kiri-kaeshi. Even though last week sensei said we would work on receiving, today we gave again. Over and over, giving kiri-kaeshi to him and some senior students. Each time we would complete a full drill, we would receive advice on how to improve our technique.
Myself, I seem to be "out of alignment". I was told that my posture was not bad, but not perfect. It appeared like I was leaning forward, but was not really leaning forward. It was described to me as my upper half was forward of my lower half. My shoulders and spine were straight, but they were ahead of my hips. It was not easy to understand or even correct, but I seem to be improving my posture simply by trying to keep my whole body in line vertically.
We did kiri-kaeshi so much, that the time just flew by. I gave the closing ceremony again. I did better, but still not perfect. It seems that the list of commands I've been studying from wasn't perfect. At least this time I waited for everyone seated on the Dan side of the dojo to finish taking off their men and kote before continuing. I should also learn to cover my feet completely if I need to move out of seiza and just sit.
Day 35:
Today, we suited up in full bogu to practice giving kiri-kaeshi. It was a good exercise, since we would be expected to do the same for testing. A couple of the senior students put on their bogu so we may practice giving kiri-kaehsi to multiple different people. Some would not step back until we pushed them back, others stepped back automatically. Sometimes they would block our strikes, sometimes not. As long as I did not hurry, I successfully performed kiri-kaeshi each time. Sensei reminded us that kiri-kaeshi does not have to be lightning fast. It instead must be 'decisive'. Each strike must function independently, as if it were the last strike we will ever make. This broke up the exercise into smaller segments that were more manageable.
Our head sensei was actually present during the entire practice this time. He split his attention between our group and watching the other group, which was comprised of students who needed a refresher on basic strikes and footwork. The head sensei gave me some advice about men strikes. He said I was lifting the shinai too high. It was a waste of energy the way I was doing it. He counseled that I should raise the shinai just enough that my left fist would be even with my eyes. This goes slightly against what I was taught by sempai. Sempai said to raise the shinai so that both fists were above my eyes, so I may see the target. I'll try doing it the way the head sensei says. Maybe it will conserve energy.
There are so many things to remember during kiri-kaeshi, it can sometimes be overwhelming: footwork, striking, rhythm, pushing, counting, kiai, and spacing, which is called maai. Still, sensei promises that we will practice kiri-kaeshi so much, we will be able to do it in our sleep.
Today, I almost finished practice without needing to stop. At the very end, I was feeling light-headed and off-balance. I decided to move off to the side and sit in seiza for a short time. After a minute of just breathing, I felt better and it was time to perform an abbreviated bowing out. I hope my endurance increases some more. It's embarrassing to have to stop and breathe while everyone else keeps going.
A Beginner's Point of View 32-33
Day 32:
Today was much better. We spent the entire class practicing aspects of kirikaeshi and some of the final bit of class practicing men and kote strikes. It's all part of the plan to get us ready for testing at the end of next month. Sensei took over teaching this time. We constantly gave and received kiri-kaeshi with each other over and over.
My kiri-kaeshi is getting better when I don't hurry or rush. My men strikes are sharper and my footwork is more coordinated when I take it slowly. I need to practice kiri-kaeshi over and over this way until I perfect it at slower speeds, then increase my pace. As my old Foil Fencing instructor said, "Form first, then speed". I think that's also true in Kendo.
With only about ten minutes left in class, we stopped doing kiri-kaeshi and just walked across the room practicing strikes. We did men strikes, turned around, then did men strikes going back. Over and over again we repeated it, no breaks. Then, we did the same with kote strikes. Over and over again we repeated it, no breaks. I was getting winded. I wanted a rest. Then, we did it again with kote-men strikes. Over and over again we repeated it, no breaks. I was exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to collapse form fatigue. However, I found the extra energy to stay upright. It actually seemed to me that the more I got physically tired, the more my spirit increased. My body wanted to collapse, but my mind wanted to keep practicing.
Day 33:
Today was the best kiri-kaeshi practice yet. I say this because my men strikes were getting sharper and I was actually coordinating my footwork together with my strikes. I also did not get quite as tired this time. Last class I was visually sagging my shoulders at the end because of exhaustion. This time I was not. I was breathing hard, but not to exhaustion. I think my endurance is getting better.
Our Head Sensei was here tonight. He gave a good lecture about the progress of the class’s kiri-kaeshi. He said that we were practicing a “low kiri-kaeshi” and that was good. However, we should now move up to practicing a higher level of kiri-kaeshi. The exercise is not just mindlessly stepping through the moves, it is about intimidating our opponent. We wish to drive them back and take their space. This opens up opportunities to strike men that our opponent does not wish to give up. He also said that in the end, our kiri-kaeshi must “flow like water” into one “very long” movement. He demonstrated techniques in kiri-kaeshi that were very advanced. He did seem to flow like water and yet be both powerful and fast.
Perhaps next time I will receive kiri-kaeshi and practice that. I need to practice both giving and receiving.
Today was much better. We spent the entire class practicing aspects of kirikaeshi and some of the final bit of class practicing men and kote strikes. It's all part of the plan to get us ready for testing at the end of next month. Sensei took over teaching this time. We constantly gave and received kiri-kaeshi with each other over and over.
My kiri-kaeshi is getting better when I don't hurry or rush. My men strikes are sharper and my footwork is more coordinated when I take it slowly. I need to practice kiri-kaeshi over and over this way until I perfect it at slower speeds, then increase my pace. As my old Foil Fencing instructor said, "Form first, then speed". I think that's also true in Kendo.
With only about ten minutes left in class, we stopped doing kiri-kaeshi and just walked across the room practicing strikes. We did men strikes, turned around, then did men strikes going back. Over and over again we repeated it, no breaks. Then, we did the same with kote strikes. Over and over again we repeated it, no breaks. I was getting winded. I wanted a rest. Then, we did it again with kote-men strikes. Over and over again we repeated it, no breaks. I was exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to collapse form fatigue. However, I found the extra energy to stay upright. It actually seemed to me that the more I got physically tired, the more my spirit increased. My body wanted to collapse, but my mind wanted to keep practicing.
Day 33:
Today was the best kiri-kaeshi practice yet. I say this because my men strikes were getting sharper and I was actually coordinating my footwork together with my strikes. I also did not get quite as tired this time. Last class I was visually sagging my shoulders at the end because of exhaustion. This time I was not. I was breathing hard, but not to exhaustion. I think my endurance is getting better.
Our Head Sensei was here tonight. He gave a good lecture about the progress of the class’s kiri-kaeshi. He said that we were practicing a “low kiri-kaeshi” and that was good. However, we should now move up to practicing a higher level of kiri-kaeshi. The exercise is not just mindlessly stepping through the moves, it is about intimidating our opponent. We wish to drive them back and take their space. This opens up opportunities to strike men that our opponent does not wish to give up. He also said that in the end, our kiri-kaeshi must “flow like water” into one “very long” movement. He demonstrated techniques in kiri-kaeshi that were very advanced. He did seem to flow like water and yet be both powerful and fast.
Perhaps next time I will receive kiri-kaeshi and practice that. I need to practice both giving and receiving.
A Beginner's Point of View 30-31
Day 30:
Well, I received a lesson in humility today. We started off with hauling out the full-length mirrors and standing in places in front of them. We practiced footwork and swinging while watching ourselves to see if we are moving straight or if we are pulling off to the side. I seemed to be doing well, with only a few minor corrections by sempai.
After that was done, we put on our men and kote and spent most of practice receiving kiri-kaeshi. It was a good exercise, although I was having trouble keeping my footwork steady. I kept trying to invent a way to figure out which foot goes back first, only to lose it when it came time to actually put into practice. Eventually, I learned to use my opponent’s shinai is an indicator. If they swing to my left, I move my right foot. They also start on my left side. So, I take a Kendo step back using the left foot first, then alternate.
However, when it came to the end of class, my last few receives for kiri-kaeshi became sloppy. I missed a step and wound up on the wrong footing. Finally, we gave kiri-kaeshi as a finale. My footwork became horrible. I had a total disconnect between my arms and my legs while giving kiri-kaeshi. Even I was embarrassed as I tried to correct myself. Sempai called for me to finish the last part twice before giving up on me at the last part. She gave me a lecture about how perhaps I put on bogu too soon. She thought that clearly it was interfering with my timing and that I should have waited up to another three months before buying it. I can see her point, but I have to question it. How is it that I can suburi just fine (not perfect, but acceptable), but kiri-kaeshi suffers?
A long, agonizing drive back home after practice, I came to the conclusion that I was trying to perform the kiri-kaeshi too fast for my skill level. My old Foil Fencing instructor told me, “Form first, then speed.” I think I should remember for next time that I should just step through the exercise one step at a time and not try to mimic the advanced students helping me. Even if it looks goofy, it will be a correct kind of goofy (which is better than the mess I was showing).
At the end, sempai picked me to lead us in the closing ceremony. I had studied the opening and closing ceremonies very closely. However, we sometimes do then a tad differently than listed in our instruction page. Also, I was too upset from my terrible performance in kiri-kaeshi to remember very well. Another advanced student led me though the ceremony by quietly reciting the phrases, and I shouted them afterwards. It was slightly different then how we did it last week, such as the student actually called “Otagai ni rei” instead of the sempai. After today, I think I shall be a long time before being invited to the advanced class. Probably for the best.
Day 31:
Due to the bad ice storm, the dojo is expected to be closed today. Maybe I”ll work on some of my kiri-kaeshi in the kitchen. I just need something short to simulate a shinai that won’t strike the ceiling.
Well, I received a lesson in humility today. We started off with hauling out the full-length mirrors and standing in places in front of them. We practiced footwork and swinging while watching ourselves to see if we are moving straight or if we are pulling off to the side. I seemed to be doing well, with only a few minor corrections by sempai.
After that was done, we put on our men and kote and spent most of practice receiving kiri-kaeshi. It was a good exercise, although I was having trouble keeping my footwork steady. I kept trying to invent a way to figure out which foot goes back first, only to lose it when it came time to actually put into practice. Eventually, I learned to use my opponent’s shinai is an indicator. If they swing to my left, I move my right foot. They also start on my left side. So, I take a Kendo step back using the left foot first, then alternate.
However, when it came to the end of class, my last few receives for kiri-kaeshi became sloppy. I missed a step and wound up on the wrong footing. Finally, we gave kiri-kaeshi as a finale. My footwork became horrible. I had a total disconnect between my arms and my legs while giving kiri-kaeshi. Even I was embarrassed as I tried to correct myself. Sempai called for me to finish the last part twice before giving up on me at the last part. She gave me a lecture about how perhaps I put on bogu too soon. She thought that clearly it was interfering with my timing and that I should have waited up to another three months before buying it. I can see her point, but I have to question it. How is it that I can suburi just fine (not perfect, but acceptable), but kiri-kaeshi suffers?
A long, agonizing drive back home after practice, I came to the conclusion that I was trying to perform the kiri-kaeshi too fast for my skill level. My old Foil Fencing instructor told me, “Form first, then speed.” I think I should remember for next time that I should just step through the exercise one step at a time and not try to mimic the advanced students helping me. Even if it looks goofy, it will be a correct kind of goofy (which is better than the mess I was showing).
At the end, sempai picked me to lead us in the closing ceremony. I had studied the opening and closing ceremonies very closely. However, we sometimes do then a tad differently than listed in our instruction page. Also, I was too upset from my terrible performance in kiri-kaeshi to remember very well. Another advanced student led me though the ceremony by quietly reciting the phrases, and I shouted them afterwards. It was slightly different then how we did it last week, such as the student actually called “Otagai ni rei” instead of the sempai. After today, I think I shall be a long time before being invited to the advanced class. Probably for the best.
Day 31:
Due to the bad ice storm, the dojo is expected to be closed today. Maybe I”ll work on some of my kiri-kaeshi in the kitchen. I just need something short to simulate a shinai that won’t strike the ceiling.
A Beginner's Point of View 28-29
Day 28:
Today, my normal sempai did not show up to teach the class. Instead, another senior student took that place. Since we were only a class of two today, we did our own warm-ups and put on full bogu. We practiced footwork and men strikes to finished warming up. Then, we practiced receiving men, kote, and doh strikes from sempai. The point was to get us used to being hit and not flinch.
It was easy for me since I’ve been used to being hit in ice hockey. When students hit me, it’s a quick annoyance. However, sensei also practiced hitting me and I have a red mark on my right arm (just under where the kote protect). It’ll go away overnight, but it shows how serious some of the more advanced practitioners can be. It also teaches us to try not to cause too much pain to our opponents out of respect. After all, you wouldn’t want them hitting you too hard out of revenge, right?
One thing did bother me. The top-sides of my men were pinching my head all the time I wore it. Sempai told me that was most likely because I tied the men himo too high around my head and put the knot too high. I should bring the men himo around the side of my head rather than the top. That way, it won’t pinch. I’ll try that next time.
Day 29:
Today was brutal. Again, we suited up in bogu and exercised on our own. The Iaido class before us was squeezing in extra practice to perfect their kata for the upcoming seminar and testing, so they ran a few minutes over our Kendo time. That’s okay, let them have it. I’m sure they would give us a few minutes extra time before a Kendo tournament.
After suiting up in full bogu, I remembered to tie the men himo lower behind my head this time. The men did not pinch me, although it did seem to tilt forward the whole time. I kept wondering if I didn’t tie it right until sensei mentioned that I was actually lowering my head under the weight of the metal cage in front of the men. I need to remember to keep my head back so the weight drags it to center.
We spent over half of class striking each other with men, kote, and kote-men strikes. It was very good practice and I still ran out of breath several times. However, I seem to be recovering quicker. I think that since joining Kendo, I have lost five pounds of weight off my body. It’s good exercise for endurance.
My partner for striking was hitting me very hard on the men and kote. I think I recognized his enthusiasm as the kind I felt when I first started. Sempai would often tell me that it’s not necessary to hit so hard for drills. Now I know what it feels like to be hit in the men too hard.
I was also struck on the kote too hard. It stung very much over and over with little breaks in between. Every third kote hit actually missed my leather and hit me on the arm. Now, that hurt a lot. That red mark sensei gave me last class is only one-third the size of the new one. Still, it will heal overnight.
I’d like to apologize to sempai and sensei for all the pain I caused in my zealousness to impress them. I think I’ll scale back the power of my strikes as to not cause so much discomfort. I can still move quickly without being too powerful.
Finally, our head sensei showed up tonight. I like it when the head sensei makes the effort to add a little something to our class. He’s polite enough not to overshadow the instructor while they are teaching, but he does say the best things. Sempai and sensei tell us technical matters. They say our shinai is too high for chudan, they say that our back foot is not straight, and they say that we need to life higher before strikes to practice good form.
The head sensei doesn’t tell us technical details, he fills in the rest of the blanks. He will repeat what the instructor says and then tell us “why” we do it that way. He strings together all of the individual details into the full, flowing end result, and then lectures about the non-physical aspect of Kendo.
Tonight he talked about the attitudes of Kendo. He said something like, “If you try to strike kote, miss, and then give up, that is not Kendo. If you try to strike kote, miss, try to strike men, miss, then give up, that is not Kendo. If you try to strike kote, miss, try to strike men, miss, pass on through, not turn around to threaten your opponent, then give up, that is not Kendo. Kendo is giving all of your energy in every strike and claiming every attack as a victory. If you miss, then you try again. If you pass on through, you turn around and try again. Having the attitude of constantly making every single attack be the one that claims victory and then setting up to do it again automatically, that is Kendo.” (Of course, I am paraphrasing his words.)
Our head sensei is very smart about Kendo because he not just memorizes the moves, he also strives to perfect his attitude at the same time. That way, his students receive the answers to “why” as well as “how”. Having only part of the answer can be frustrating.
Today, my normal sempai did not show up to teach the class. Instead, another senior student took that place. Since we were only a class of two today, we did our own warm-ups and put on full bogu. We practiced footwork and men strikes to finished warming up. Then, we practiced receiving men, kote, and doh strikes from sempai. The point was to get us used to being hit and not flinch.
It was easy for me since I’ve been used to being hit in ice hockey. When students hit me, it’s a quick annoyance. However, sensei also practiced hitting me and I have a red mark on my right arm (just under where the kote protect). It’ll go away overnight, but it shows how serious some of the more advanced practitioners can be. It also teaches us to try not to cause too much pain to our opponents out of respect. After all, you wouldn’t want them hitting you too hard out of revenge, right?
One thing did bother me. The top-sides of my men were pinching my head all the time I wore it. Sempai told me that was most likely because I tied the men himo too high around my head and put the knot too high. I should bring the men himo around the side of my head rather than the top. That way, it won’t pinch. I’ll try that next time.
Day 29:
Today was brutal. Again, we suited up in bogu and exercised on our own. The Iaido class before us was squeezing in extra practice to perfect their kata for the upcoming seminar and testing, so they ran a few minutes over our Kendo time. That’s okay, let them have it. I’m sure they would give us a few minutes extra time before a Kendo tournament.
After suiting up in full bogu, I remembered to tie the men himo lower behind my head this time. The men did not pinch me, although it did seem to tilt forward the whole time. I kept wondering if I didn’t tie it right until sensei mentioned that I was actually lowering my head under the weight of the metal cage in front of the men. I need to remember to keep my head back so the weight drags it to center.
We spent over half of class striking each other with men, kote, and kote-men strikes. It was very good practice and I still ran out of breath several times. However, I seem to be recovering quicker. I think that since joining Kendo, I have lost five pounds of weight off my body. It’s good exercise for endurance.
My partner for striking was hitting me very hard on the men and kote. I think I recognized his enthusiasm as the kind I felt when I first started. Sempai would often tell me that it’s not necessary to hit so hard for drills. Now I know what it feels like to be hit in the men too hard.
I was also struck on the kote too hard. It stung very much over and over with little breaks in between. Every third kote hit actually missed my leather and hit me on the arm. Now, that hurt a lot. That red mark sensei gave me last class is only one-third the size of the new one. Still, it will heal overnight.
I’d like to apologize to sempai and sensei for all the pain I caused in my zealousness to impress them. I think I’ll scale back the power of my strikes as to not cause so much discomfort. I can still move quickly without being too powerful.
Finally, our head sensei showed up tonight. I like it when the head sensei makes the effort to add a little something to our class. He’s polite enough not to overshadow the instructor while they are teaching, but he does say the best things. Sempai and sensei tell us technical matters. They say our shinai is too high for chudan, they say that our back foot is not straight, and they say that we need to life higher before strikes to practice good form.
The head sensei doesn’t tell us technical details, he fills in the rest of the blanks. He will repeat what the instructor says and then tell us “why” we do it that way. He strings together all of the individual details into the full, flowing end result, and then lectures about the non-physical aspect of Kendo.
Tonight he talked about the attitudes of Kendo. He said something like, “If you try to strike kote, miss, and then give up, that is not Kendo. If you try to strike kote, miss, try to strike men, miss, then give up, that is not Kendo. If you try to strike kote, miss, try to strike men, miss, pass on through, not turn around to threaten your opponent, then give up, that is not Kendo. Kendo is giving all of your energy in every strike and claiming every attack as a victory. If you miss, then you try again. If you pass on through, you turn around and try again. Having the attitude of constantly making every single attack be the one that claims victory and then setting up to do it again automatically, that is Kendo.” (Of course, I am paraphrasing his words.)
Our head sensei is very smart about Kendo because he not just memorizes the moves, he also strives to perfect his attitude at the same time. That way, his students receive the answers to “why” as well as “how”. Having only part of the answer can be frustrating.
A Beginner's Point of View 26-27
Day 26:
Today is a proud milestone for me. I recieved my bogu in the mail, including the carrying bag. It all came together, but not laced up. There were no instructions on how to lace up the men and doh, so it was confusing. The kote had all the laces in them already. They seemed just the slightest bit loose, but they fit. I also got all my paperwork and fees together for the tournament. Right before class, I submitted all my paperwork and fees to sensei. I also ordered our club's custom zekken through him, too. The company that sold me the bogu also had a service to embroider a zekken for a fee. However, our club has a kind of "sleeve" type of zekken that is easy to put on and remove. That way, you don't have to tape up or otherwise cover your school's insignia. Instead, you just remove the zekken "sleeve" and you're ready.
Today had a larger class than usual, which was good. We each counted 1 to 8 in turn for warm-ups. This pushed us to do more warm-ups, which is good work for me. I need more endurance (and footwork, but that's a different story). This also reinforces the idea of unity within us. We are one school, no just 'several people wasting time'. Unfortunately, without instructions, I could not lace up my bogu in time for class, so I went without. I'll try tomorrow looking for a manual that shows how to attach the himo (strings) for the first time.
I know that sempai has a lot to deal with by teaching a class, but every once in a while, when there are new students, someone (sempai or sensei) needs to end class with a quick lesson on how to tie up, wear, take off, and maintain a single piece of equipment. Reading a manual by yourself at home may not work for everyone. I was lucky I got a manual that had several good pictures on how to tie the shinai tsuru knot near the tsuba, or else I would have had to waste my instructor's time doing that when I should be learning how to do it myself. Perhaps just a few minutes to show the piece of equipment and explain the proper use and care for it would be good. I remember my very first class. At the end, sempai took all of us aside and took apart a shinai in front of us to show us the inner workings and what to do to sand, oil, and rotate staves. That was very useful. It allowed me to read the manual and try it myself.
We quickly worked up from walking to swinging to charging again. I really have been working hard on my footwork. I can tell because my shins hurt at night and the next morning. Once some senior students put on their full bogu, the class split up. The newer students would practice men strikes while my group practiced kote/men strikes. We also practiced kiri-kaeshi, which was good for our sense of timing and for when we will be tested. The tournament is only 2.5 months away, but I really need to work up my endurance until then. I had to take 2 rest breaks to get my breath back. I have low ceilings in my house and no hardwood floors, so practice is hard to come by.
Day 27:
Today I brought my bogu to class. The bag I bought to carry my bogu was described as the largest model, but it's still difficult to place everything in the central space. I wonder if I would have been further ahead to buy a 'backpack' style bag instead of a 'suitcase' style bag. Maybe the doh just needs to be broken in before it will fit well. For now, I will bring my athletic bag for my change of exercise clothes and supplies and use my bogu bag just for bogu. They all fit in the trunk of my car just fine anyway.
I also learned that bogu must NOT be stored in the bogu bag, only carried. The bogu bag will trap the moisture from sweat and cause mold to grow inside the pieces. When back at home after practice, you take the bogu out of the bag and set it aside in a well-ventilated room to air out.
It was a good thing that I practiced tying the doh knots before I came to practice or else I would have forgotten them. The doh knots look like they are flimsy, but they are not. They are meant to easily tie and untie but they are strong enough to hold the doh in place. I also practiced the tying up the men, but that is not so easy, especially since you cannot see the knots. The cords try to creep around the sides of the men and move out of place. I wonder if there's a trick to it.
Practice was very good. Warm-ups went smoother this time. I only messed up the count once, but recovered better. We spent most of practice practicing drills that work up to a certain ni-dan waza. We step in, semin, strike kote, strike men, and pass on through. Eventually, this should be a quick, small, flowing, single movement. It also sets you up to collide with your opponent doh-to-doh, which pushes them back and lets you take their space and thusly control of the match. The advanced students practiced colliding with the doh, the rest of us passed by. I learned that when deciding which side to pass the opponent, the kote overrule the men. Normally, you pass on the right when you strike men. You pass on the left when you strike kote. If you strike kote-men, you pass on the left. This is because you strike kote first, thus putting yourself on the left side. It would be too complicated and too open to switch sides while trying to pass through. Passing through is a straight line, allowing you to use all your energy to pass quickly. Changing sides robs you of your energy and slows you down.
Today is a proud milestone for me. I recieved my bogu in the mail, including the carrying bag. It all came together, but not laced up. There were no instructions on how to lace up the men and doh, so it was confusing. The kote had all the laces in them already. They seemed just the slightest bit loose, but they fit. I also got all my paperwork and fees together for the tournament. Right before class, I submitted all my paperwork and fees to sensei. I also ordered our club's custom zekken through him, too. The company that sold me the bogu also had a service to embroider a zekken for a fee. However, our club has a kind of "sleeve" type of zekken that is easy to put on and remove. That way, you don't have to tape up or otherwise cover your school's insignia. Instead, you just remove the zekken "sleeve" and you're ready.
Today had a larger class than usual, which was good. We each counted 1 to 8 in turn for warm-ups. This pushed us to do more warm-ups, which is good work for me. I need more endurance (and footwork, but that's a different story). This also reinforces the idea of unity within us. We are one school, no just 'several people wasting time'. Unfortunately, without instructions, I could not lace up my bogu in time for class, so I went without. I'll try tomorrow looking for a manual that shows how to attach the himo (strings) for the first time.
I know that sempai has a lot to deal with by teaching a class, but every once in a while, when there are new students, someone (sempai or sensei) needs to end class with a quick lesson on how to tie up, wear, take off, and maintain a single piece of equipment. Reading a manual by yourself at home may not work for everyone. I was lucky I got a manual that had several good pictures on how to tie the shinai tsuru knot near the tsuba, or else I would have had to waste my instructor's time doing that when I should be learning how to do it myself. Perhaps just a few minutes to show the piece of equipment and explain the proper use and care for it would be good. I remember my very first class. At the end, sempai took all of us aside and took apart a shinai in front of us to show us the inner workings and what to do to sand, oil, and rotate staves. That was very useful. It allowed me to read the manual and try it myself.
We quickly worked up from walking to swinging to charging again. I really have been working hard on my footwork. I can tell because my shins hurt at night and the next morning. Once some senior students put on their full bogu, the class split up. The newer students would practice men strikes while my group practiced kote/men strikes. We also practiced kiri-kaeshi, which was good for our sense of timing and for when we will be tested. The tournament is only 2.5 months away, but I really need to work up my endurance until then. I had to take 2 rest breaks to get my breath back. I have low ceilings in my house and no hardwood floors, so practice is hard to come by.
Day 27:
Today I brought my bogu to class. The bag I bought to carry my bogu was described as the largest model, but it's still difficult to place everything in the central space. I wonder if I would have been further ahead to buy a 'backpack' style bag instead of a 'suitcase' style bag. Maybe the doh just needs to be broken in before it will fit well. For now, I will bring my athletic bag for my change of exercise clothes and supplies and use my bogu bag just for bogu. They all fit in the trunk of my car just fine anyway.
I also learned that bogu must NOT be stored in the bogu bag, only carried. The bogu bag will trap the moisture from sweat and cause mold to grow inside the pieces. When back at home after practice, you take the bogu out of the bag and set it aside in a well-ventilated room to air out.
It was a good thing that I practiced tying the doh knots before I came to practice or else I would have forgotten them. The doh knots look like they are flimsy, but they are not. They are meant to easily tie and untie but they are strong enough to hold the doh in place. I also practiced the tying up the men, but that is not so easy, especially since you cannot see the knots. The cords try to creep around the sides of the men and move out of place. I wonder if there's a trick to it.
Practice was very good. Warm-ups went smoother this time. I only messed up the count once, but recovered better. We spent most of practice practicing drills that work up to a certain ni-dan waza. We step in, semin, strike kote, strike men, and pass on through. Eventually, this should be a quick, small, flowing, single movement. It also sets you up to collide with your opponent doh-to-doh, which pushes them back and lets you take their space and thusly control of the match. The advanced students practiced colliding with the doh, the rest of us passed by. I learned that when deciding which side to pass the opponent, the kote overrule the men. Normally, you pass on the right when you strike men. You pass on the left when you strike kote. If you strike kote-men, you pass on the left. This is because you strike kote first, thus putting yourself on the left side. It would be too complicated and too open to switch sides while trying to pass through. Passing through is a straight line, allowing you to use all your energy to pass quickly. Changing sides robs you of your energy and slows you down.
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