No relation to the animated film Steam Boy, though.
Today, after a very intense practice, after I took off my men, steam was rising from my head for a while and the kids couldn't resist poking fun at it. The dojo was very cool and I was very hot, hence the steam.
Practice started with kata review. Kendo has seven basic kata using a wooden katana, or bokuto. Each kata has two halves; the uchidachi's (teacher) and shidachi's (student). I know the shidachi's halves better for obvious reasons, though I'm able to do the uchidachi for the earlier ones. I've been taught the first five kata.
Since we had an odd number of students today, my partner was sensei. I always like having him for a partner; he's a great example and partnering with him somehow makes me more confident in my own abilities.
Some of the things I say after this may not make a lot of sense; I need to remind myself that this blog is as much for me as it is for other people! Writing about this stuff helps me commit it to memory and also provides a way to look up things in the past.
The first kata is really interesting to me because it really forces you to consciously think about the basics of kendo (as I see them): grip, footwork, and distance. The uchidachi attacks the shidachi with a men strike, but the shidachi steps back and then forward, striking the uchidachi's men. As the uchidachi starts to draw back, the shidachi's sword remains ready as it draws down the center of the uchidachi's face before the shidachi steps forward, raising his bokuto to high guard.
One of my main problems (as I see them) with this kata is the flow from the strike to high guard. When sensei does the first kata as shidachi, I can "see" the meaning behind the movements... and though I feel like I understand the meaning, when I do it myself, there are herky-jerky pauses that upset the rhythm. Those pauses show up in a lot of my kata, actually... I don't practice them as much as I'd like to since I can't find anyone at the kendo club at school who knows them. Well, one guy knows them, but he hasn't been going lately...
A similar problem I have is in the fifth kata, where the shidachi deflects a men strike before dealing his own, then his sword traces a line down the middle of the uchidachi's face AS he moves his body to step back into high guard. I've been using my arms to draw the line, then stopping at the bottom of the uchidachi's face before going into high guard. It should all be one fluid motion, though. Sensei worked with me on this for a bit and I feel a little better, knowing what I should do and what to look out for.
I really, really love kata.
After kata, we lined up and I made the mistake of sitting down first and putting out my gear; I was fixated on getting everything on the ground properly and completely forgot about etiquette. Oops.
I felt pretty bad about that.
At this point, Tozuka-sensei came in.
Then we went into practice mode. My third practice in armor! Little did I know that it would be my roughest so far.
Practice began with kirikaeshi; a large men strike, a push back, then four diagonal men strikes while pacing forward followed by five diagonal men strikes pacing backward. Then, to cap it off, two large men strikes with a follow-through that leaves you behind the opponent. It's a basic exercise because it involves footwork, distance, and grip. You have to match yourself to your opponent's rhythm to make sure you stay within proper striking distance.
Until now, I've pretty much always been doing it with sensei, so I'm used to his rhythm and the distance his steps take. It was really jarring doing it with the kids -- sometimes I found myself way too close, and then when I tried to compensate, way too far.
I'm also not used to being uchidachi in kirikaeshi, so my footwork in walking backward/forward while parrying is really inconsistent. It's something I need to pay more attention to and work on.
After a few rounds of kirikaeshi with different people (including two with sensei), we changed modes and started jigeiko.
Jigeiko is Japanese for "run around screaming until you feel like you're going to die".
Not really, but it should be.
It's free practice; you and your opponent go at each other trying to make valid strikes, though nobody's keeping score. It's supposed to simulate an actual match without score and time constraints. Man, did my respect for the kids shoot up after jigeiko.
Not only did they seem to have boundless amounts of energy, but the strikes I used to think were slow and clumsy from the sidelines are pretty good face-to-face. I totally got my ass handed to me by a bunch of kids.
During jigeiko, since I only had the slightest idea of what I was trying to do, I just went for men all the time, which may have contributed to me getting hit a lot. I got whacked a few times in bad places -- the arm, my thigh, just above my chest armor, and once a shinai got under my men to whack me in the throat... This isn't to say I was perfect, either. I smashed a kid's fingers once. The same kid I smacked in the ribs last time, actually... I get the feeling he hates me now.
Jigeiko lasted about an hour and a half; we rotated consistently, changing partners. Tozuka-sensei went a lot easier on me than the kids; the kids just wailed on me constantly, while Tozuka-sensei gave me openings and let me go for them.
One of the things I had problems with at the beginning was the follow-through. I'm used to simple practice for men strikes where you strike, dash past, and then turn to prepare for another strike. In jigeiko, you can't really do that; or perhaps you can, but I'm not abl e to do it. It leaves you open for more strikes as you pass.
So I got in the habit of dashing in, striking, and stepping diagonally to the side while turning to prepare for another attack. Sensei really got me into that habit after my first jigeiko with him; he kept whacking me on every open spot I had as I ran past him. Now I see the power of a 7-dan...
Jigeiko was incredibly fun. Just incredibly tiring, too.
Not only was I running and swinging, but I tried to get a good kiai (shout) out with every swing as well. I was constantly breathless and tired; at one point I leaned against the wall to keep from falling over. Things that seemed a little hard at the beginning of practice suddenly seemed nigh impossible toward the end!
I guess this just shows how out of shape I really am... a problem that should remedy itself with more practice.
Speaking of more practice, practice at the dojo is canceled for this Saturday and next Tuesday as well. I can't practice at school, either, since club activities are closed because a set of big tests is coming up soon. No kendo for a week!
Maybe I can still use the school dojo and practice by myself or something... better than nothing.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Kendo XVII -- Hitting Children
My second time wearing armor.
It seems like my feelings about my kendo tend to go up and down with each practice session. Today was definitely a down.
I don't like hurting people; that's one of the reasons aikido appealed to me so much initially -- it promised the art without the violence. It seems odd that I would also be interested in kendo, which consists of hitting other people with bamboo swords... right?
Well, not quite. Kendo is one of the safest sports in the world; most injuries are self-inflicted from tripping or are some kind of bone/joint injury resulting from... tripping or swinging too much.
I should also say that I like kids. You know, in the grand scheme of things, there are a lot of things out there that are worse than kids. And in the grand scheme of things, there are a lot of people out there worse than kids. At least kids have the general excuse of youth and inexperience... which is also a point in their favor; they tend to be more honest about their feelings.
Well, today I felt kind of bad about my kendo because I was hitting kids... incorrectly.
In one case, the do strike, I kept missing his do entirely and hitting his ribs above the side of his do. I felt really, really bad about it, but I couldn't seem to get used to his height. Until now, I've only been practicing with sensei, who is slightly shorter than me, or other adults. Since I'm in armor, I'm supposed to practice with the kids, but it's definitely hard going -- they're all much, much shorter than I am!
I try to hold back the power on my men strikes, and I do, pretty successfully. The same on kote strikes. It's the do strikes that give me problems -- even before I put on bogu, I had pretty bad control over my do strikes.
So yeah, I walked out of today feeling like crap because I hurt a kid.
It seems like my feelings about my kendo tend to go up and down with each practice session. Today was definitely a down.
I don't like hurting people; that's one of the reasons aikido appealed to me so much initially -- it promised the art without the violence. It seems odd that I would also be interested in kendo, which consists of hitting other people with bamboo swords... right?
Well, not quite. Kendo is one of the safest sports in the world; most injuries are self-inflicted from tripping or are some kind of bone/joint injury resulting from... tripping or swinging too much.
I should also say that I like kids. You know, in the grand scheme of things, there are a lot of things out there that are worse than kids. And in the grand scheme of things, there are a lot of people out there worse than kids. At least kids have the general excuse of youth and inexperience... which is also a point in their favor; they tend to be more honest about their feelings.
Well, today I felt kind of bad about my kendo because I was hitting kids... incorrectly.
In one case, the do strike, I kept missing his do entirely and hitting his ribs above the side of his do. I felt really, really bad about it, but I couldn't seem to get used to his height. Until now, I've only been practicing with sensei, who is slightly shorter than me, or other adults. Since I'm in armor, I'm supposed to practice with the kids, but it's definitely hard going -- they're all much, much shorter than I am!
I try to hold back the power on my men strikes, and I do, pretty successfully. The same on kote strikes. It's the do strikes that give me problems -- even before I put on bogu, I had pretty bad control over my do strikes.
So yeah, I walked out of today feeling like crap because I hurt a kid.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Wearing Armor
I just wanted to add something to my thoughts about armor... so I can read this in the future and laugh at myself.
Miyasaka-sensei helped me put on his armor, then I walked out to the main room and went to sensei for approval. He smiled and nodded, then told me to go do it how I always do it. I was going to go, but Miyasaka-sensei stopped me and told me to go look in the mirror.
I really, really wanted to look in the mirror, but I'd been resisting up til then because I didn't want to look like a stupid little kid. Now that I had permission, though, it was another matter entirely! I couldn't help but grin while I walked to the mirror.
I finally looked like a real kenshi.
Miyasaka-sensei helped me put on his armor, then I walked out to the main room and went to sensei for approval. He smiled and nodded, then told me to go do it how I always do it. I was going to go, but Miyasaka-sensei stopped me and told me to go look in the mirror.
I really, really wanted to look in the mirror, but I'd been resisting up til then because I didn't want to look like a stupid little kid. Now that I had permission, though, it was another matter entirely! I couldn't help but grin while I walked to the mirror.
I finally looked like a real kenshi.
Iaido
The Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei (or All-Japan Kendo Federation) is the governing body of kendo in Japan. Since Japan is the source of things kendo, I suppose it's sort of the governing body of kendo for the world.
The Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei is somewhat unique in the fact that it actually governs three martial arts. For example, the Zen Nihon Judo Renmei governs only judo, and the other federations are basically the same. ZNKR actually governs kendo (using a bamboo sword), iaido (art of drawing/attacking/sheathing a steel blade), and jodo (using a wooden staff).
From what I gather, many, if not most high-ranking kendo sensei also have (high?) ranks in the other two arts as well. There are connections between all three because all three are kata budo, or martial arts that are practiced through set forms. Sensei teaches all three; I'm not terribly interested in jodo, though I think it looks nice... and I'm obviously interested in kendo.
I'm also very, very interested in iaido. Not only is it useful for kendo, but it combines several things that I like: elegance, kata, and tradition.
I also want to concentrate on kendo. I'm not used to being passable at any kind of sport, and I'd really like to be okay (at the least) at kendo. On the other hand, I'd love to do them both at the same time; I hear that one helps the other and vice versa. If that's true, then I'm all for it.
Sensei teaches kendo at my dojo three days a week; apparently he travels to other dojo in the area and teaches at those as well. I know he teaches jodo on Wednesday nights. What I don't know, however, is when and where he teaches iaido.
Today, between rounds of the tournament, he gave me his kodachi (short sword) and showed me how to draw and sheathe it. Of course, I couldn't do it, and we ran out of time, but he kept encouraging me. It seems like he's interested in teaching me iaido as well. I just don't know when or where... or if we're just going to start doing it after kendo every once in a while.
Whenever it is, I'm looking forward to it!
The Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei is somewhat unique in the fact that it actually governs three martial arts. For example, the Zen Nihon Judo Renmei governs only judo, and the other federations are basically the same. ZNKR actually governs kendo (using a bamboo sword), iaido (art of drawing/attacking/sheathing a steel blade), and jodo (using a wooden staff).
From what I gather, many, if not most high-ranking kendo sensei also have (high?) ranks in the other two arts as well. There are connections between all three because all three are kata budo, or martial arts that are practiced through set forms. Sensei teaches all three; I'm not terribly interested in jodo, though I think it looks nice... and I'm obviously interested in kendo.
I'm also very, very interested in iaido. Not only is it useful for kendo, but it combines several things that I like: elegance, kata, and tradition.
I also want to concentrate on kendo. I'm not used to being passable at any kind of sport, and I'd really like to be okay (at the least) at kendo. On the other hand, I'd love to do them both at the same time; I hear that one helps the other and vice versa. If that's true, then I'm all for it.
Sensei teaches kendo at my dojo three days a week; apparently he travels to other dojo in the area and teaches at those as well. I know he teaches jodo on Wednesday nights. What I don't know, however, is when and where he teaches iaido.
Today, between rounds of the tournament, he gave me his kodachi (short sword) and showed me how to draw and sheathe it. Of course, I couldn't do it, and we ran out of time, but he kept encouraging me. It seems like he's interested in teaching me iaido as well. I just don't know when or where... or if we're just going to start doing it after kendo every once in a while.
Whenever it is, I'm looking forward to it!
Kendo XVI -- Kendo Matsuri
Today was the kendo matsuri, an event that's held in the first half of November every year at the dojo. Former students come as well as current students. Older former students and associates who are dan-ranked referee the tournaments.
There was quite a turnout -- around 34 people in the tournaments, I think.
There were several tournaments; one for kids under fourth grade, one for kids in fourth grade, one for kids in fifth and sixth grades, and one for kids in seventh and eighth grades. Then there was an overall tournament that consisted of the first-place winners of each category.
It was a lot of fun to watch; I didn't participate for obvious reasons (age and inexperience). After the tournament, we had a big lunch that consisted of sushi and cookies. I also brought pigs-in-a-blanket that I'd made from scratch (except the sausages), though I vastly underestimated the number of people that would be there. I figured it would be good to triple the normal number and took 36, but there were parents, guests, and referees as well... oops. I was short by probably a good 20 or 30... oh well.
The people that did eat them loved them, though.
After people started leaving, I got to put on Miyasaka-sensei's bogu. It wasn't so bad until I put on the men; that was a lot heavier than I was expecting it to be. I guess that's good, since you don't really want your head caving in... and also, the most weight is probably from the mengane, or faceguard, which is metal.
Yeah, you don't want a stray shinai popping through your mengane and taking out an eye...
(You're gonna lose an eye!)
Keiko (as practice is called when you go one-on-one with an opponent also wearing armor) was fun and very tiring. A lot of people have said that the first time you wear bogu is depressing because you lose mobility and you feel different; I didn't have that problem at all.
If anything, I felt like I had more confidence because I didn't have to worry about a stray blow hurting a lot. I could charge in and attack without worrying about the opponent's shinai... and because we were both wearing armor, I didn't have to worry about body impacts either.
The worst problems for me were sight and sound. A lot of people complain about lack of peripheral vision when wearing men, but that doesn't bother me -- you're only fighting one person, so you only have to be able to see them. It forces you to remember the basics and face them properly.
Sight was a problem because I couldn't wear my glasses under the men. The new new glasses I have don't have enough of a hook behind my ear to stay on securely, so I couldn't wear them. Unfortunately, that meant I didn't really have any depth perception.
Sound was a problem because the men is made of thick, hard futon... which protects you and also absorbs sound. It was interesting in a way, because it reminded me what it was like to be on normal hearing aids back when I was in school. Not that it induced any kind of nostalgia at all; I like being able to hear.
The only strikes that hurt in the slightest were kote, and I was kind of expecting that since I'd had the experience at the middle school club.
All in all, it was a great experience... and now I now I should take a sports bottle with a really long straw so I can drink during practice if I need to, since you can't easily take off the men and you're not supposed to once you have it on.
Too bad all of the gear is so expensive or I'd buy my own set right away!
There was quite a turnout -- around 34 people in the tournaments, I think.
There were several tournaments; one for kids under fourth grade, one for kids in fourth grade, one for kids in fifth and sixth grades, and one for kids in seventh and eighth grades. Then there was an overall tournament that consisted of the first-place winners of each category.
It was a lot of fun to watch; I didn't participate for obvious reasons (age and inexperience). After the tournament, we had a big lunch that consisted of sushi and cookies. I also brought pigs-in-a-blanket that I'd made from scratch (except the sausages), though I vastly underestimated the number of people that would be there. I figured it would be good to triple the normal number and took 36, but there were parents, guests, and referees as well... oops. I was short by probably a good 20 or 30... oh well.
The people that did eat them loved them, though.
After people started leaving, I got to put on Miyasaka-sensei's bogu. It wasn't so bad until I put on the men; that was a lot heavier than I was expecting it to be. I guess that's good, since you don't really want your head caving in... and also, the most weight is probably from the mengane, or faceguard, which is metal.
Yeah, you don't want a stray shinai popping through your mengane and taking out an eye...
(You're gonna lose an eye!)
Keiko (as practice is called when you go one-on-one with an opponent also wearing armor) was fun and very tiring. A lot of people have said that the first time you wear bogu is depressing because you lose mobility and you feel different; I didn't have that problem at all.
If anything, I felt like I had more confidence because I didn't have to worry about a stray blow hurting a lot. I could charge in and attack without worrying about the opponent's shinai... and because we were both wearing armor, I didn't have to worry about body impacts either.
The worst problems for me were sight and sound. A lot of people complain about lack of peripheral vision when wearing men, but that doesn't bother me -- you're only fighting one person, so you only have to be able to see them. It forces you to remember the basics and face them properly.
Sight was a problem because I couldn't wear my glasses under the men. The new new glasses I have don't have enough of a hook behind my ear to stay on securely, so I couldn't wear them. Unfortunately, that meant I didn't really have any depth perception.
Sound was a problem because the men is made of thick, hard futon... which protects you and also absorbs sound. It was interesting in a way, because it reminded me what it was like to be on normal hearing aids back when I was in school. Not that it induced any kind of nostalgia at all; I like being able to hear.
The only strikes that hurt in the slightest were kote, and I was kind of expecting that since I'd had the experience at the middle school club.
All in all, it was a great experience... and now I now I should take a sports bottle with a really long straw so I can drink during practice if I need to, since you can't easily take off the men and you're not supposed to once you have it on.
Too bad all of the gear is so expensive or I'd buy my own set right away!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Some Notes
A few things I forgot.
The kid who started after me is really impatient to get into hakama... and today, he asked sensei about bogu, and sensei just laughed for a bit before telling him to hold his horses.
He still hasn't gotten into hakama. I totally know how he feels, and I try to help him sometimes, but I'm such a beginner myself that it doesn't feel right. Sometimes it seems like all he has to do is concentrate a bit more, but he's a kid.
I can see him getting better little by little, though.
It's been slightly over a month since I started kendo. Wow. I never would've realized that without this blog.
The kid who started after me is really impatient to get into hakama... and today, he asked sensei about bogu, and sensei just laughed for a bit before telling him to hold his horses.
He still hasn't gotten into hakama. I totally know how he feels, and I try to help him sometimes, but I'm such a beginner myself that it doesn't feel right. Sometimes it seems like all he has to do is concentrate a bit more, but he's a kid.
I can see him getting better little by little, though.
It's been slightly over a month since I started kendo. Wow. I never would've realized that without this blog.
Dramatis Personae
I got sick of referring to people so obliquely in the last post that I thought I'd just make this guide. I'm never sure whether I've introduced someone before or what.
Sensei or Matsumoto-sensei -- My sensei. 7-dan, 70 years old, incredibly kind and intelligent. He's fluent in Chinese as well as Japanese and knows a surprising amount of English. He's essentially everything I imagined that a high-ranking kenshi would be.
Miyasaka-sensei -- A 5-dan who comes almost every time, usually with sensei. They're good friends, though Miyasaka-sensei stopped doing kendo seriously after he got married, apparently. He's also a few years younger than sensei. I've never seen Miyasaka-sensei in anything but casual clothes; he tends to walk around, discipline the kids when they get rowdy, and go around offering tips/criticism when it's merited.
Tozuka-sensei -- One of the teachers at my junior high, a 5-dan. I'm not sure how old he is... perhaps late 30s or early 40s. He teaches math and runs the kendo club. It's hard to understand him sometimes because he's relatively quiet and speaks really quickly. He comes to class once or twice a week, whenever he can.
Itsuki-san -- Itsuki is actually his first name; his last name is super common... so to avoid confusion, I'm using his first name. There are three or four (or five!) people at the dojo with his last name. He's 23 -- the same as me. I don't know what his rank is, but his kendo looks amazingly clean. Sensei uses him as an example a lot. He comes to class perhaps once a week; since he's in architecture school, he doesn't have a lot of free time. He also speaks English really well, in part because he studied abroad at Cambridge!
Sensei or Matsumoto-sensei -- My sensei. 7-dan, 70 years old, incredibly kind and intelligent. He's fluent in Chinese as well as Japanese and knows a surprising amount of English. He's essentially everything I imagined that a high-ranking kenshi would be.
Miyasaka-sensei -- A 5-dan who comes almost every time, usually with sensei. They're good friends, though Miyasaka-sensei stopped doing kendo seriously after he got married, apparently. He's also a few years younger than sensei. I've never seen Miyasaka-sensei in anything but casual clothes; he tends to walk around, discipline the kids when they get rowdy, and go around offering tips/criticism when it's merited.
Tozuka-sensei -- One of the teachers at my junior high, a 5-dan. I'm not sure how old he is... perhaps late 30s or early 40s. He teaches math and runs the kendo club. It's hard to understand him sometimes because he's relatively quiet and speaks really quickly. He comes to class once or twice a week, whenever he can.
Itsuki-san -- Itsuki is actually his first name; his last name is super common... so to avoid confusion, I'm using his first name. There are three or four (or five!) people at the dojo with his last name. He's 23 -- the same as me. I don't know what his rank is, but his kendo looks amazingly clean. Sensei uses him as an example a lot. He comes to class perhaps once a week; since he's in architecture school, he doesn't have a lot of free time. He also speaks English really well, in part because he studied abroad at Cambridge!
Kendo XV -- Milestone
Today was interesting; we had three guests, though I've stopped thinking of one of them as a guest since he almost always comes. He's a 5-dan (fifth-degree black belt) and never practices with us; he just watches and offers tips. A good guy, and a lot more critical than sensei is; he brings me back down to reality when I start thinking I'm doing okay!
The other two guests were a kenshi my age and the kendo club advisor from my junior high school. They're both also very helpful and more critical than sensei usually is.
My ego took quite a pounding today!
We didn't do any kata practice today, unfortunately; it's rapidly becoming my favorite part of kendo... and I'm determined to practice them as much as possible so I can remember them. It's weird in a way, since kata seem to have such a bad rap. People seem to think that they're boring and stupid, but I love them. It's a great way to work on the basics -- grip, footwork, strikes, and intent.
Kendo has seven kata and three additional ones that use the kodachi, or short sword. I've been taught the first five; those are what you need to know to test for shodan, or first-degree black belt.
Shodan isn't a huge deal here; you can get it when you're 14, and most kids who've started kendo are able to get it when they turn 14. It's just a sign that you know the basics and you want to do kendo more.
Each kata has two parts; the leader and the follower. So far I've only been successful at really memorizing the follower parts, so I still have a way to go. This is one of the reasons I want to practice so much.
Anyway, we didn't get any kata practice in today, but I did get a lot of basic practice in, which was good. I've fallen in a rut where I always practice with sensei because I don't have armor yet. It's nice because he knows how to teach, but it's bad because I'm so used to his physical prompting and height. So today, I practiced with two of the guests and tried to get used to their styles as well.
It was interesting, to say the least. And by interesting, I mean hard.
After practice ended, the guest sensei who doesn't practice brought out a bunch of sausages for everyone... they were so good! We all had three, though some of the kids had four... or five. It's amazing how delicious food is after practice.
The kids were playing baseball with a sock, but I tried (fruitlessly) to get one to practice kata with me. I begged and pulled and spun him around but he wanted to play baseball. I promised to bring him sausages next time, and he refused! Refused food! Wow.
Sensei must have overheard me. When I went to change, he stopped me with a bokuto. Since he was holding two, I knew he meant that we should practice kata. We practiced the five I knew and I got a ton of tips on how to do them properly; they're still not glued in my memory. At one point, though, one of the kids ran behind me (and I didn't notice), so when I went into waki-gamae, which involves holding the sword behind you so that your opponent can't see it, I thwacked him nice and hard on the head.
Oops.
We got a good chunk of kata practice in, though. Whew.
Afterwards, when I went to change, the sensei all started talking together... and I went back out to the main room to fold my hakama since it has a nicer floor. Sensei said that he thought I was good enough to start wearing bogu.
To put it into perspective, for me, there are three main non-rank milestones in kendo.
1. Buying your own shinai.
2. Wearing the keikogi and hakama.
3. Wearing bogu.
You usually hit one after a practice or two, then two after your footwork is consistent enough that sensei doesn't have to watch it all the time. The general concensus also seems to be that you hit three after three months or so.
Needless to say, I was floored.
Like I said before, I'd gotten a lot of criticism this session, so I was feeling pretty down about my kendo... and sensei told me that he thought I was ready for the next milestone. Wow.
I wasn't sure I understood correctly, so I asked to make sure I'd heard him, and I had. He said that it's because I practice seriously, I listen carefully, and I do things properly after I'm told.
I guess the kids make me look good or something. I seriously don't feel like I'm good enough yet, but what sensei says, goes.
Wow.
The other two guests were a kenshi my age and the kendo club advisor from my junior high school. They're both also very helpful and more critical than sensei usually is.
My ego took quite a pounding today!
We didn't do any kata practice today, unfortunately; it's rapidly becoming my favorite part of kendo... and I'm determined to practice them as much as possible so I can remember them. It's weird in a way, since kata seem to have such a bad rap. People seem to think that they're boring and stupid, but I love them. It's a great way to work on the basics -- grip, footwork, strikes, and intent.
Kendo has seven kata and three additional ones that use the kodachi, or short sword. I've been taught the first five; those are what you need to know to test for shodan, or first-degree black belt.
Shodan isn't a huge deal here; you can get it when you're 14, and most kids who've started kendo are able to get it when they turn 14. It's just a sign that you know the basics and you want to do kendo more.
Each kata has two parts; the leader and the follower. So far I've only been successful at really memorizing the follower parts, so I still have a way to go. This is one of the reasons I want to practice so much.
Anyway, we didn't get any kata practice in today, but I did get a lot of basic practice in, which was good. I've fallen in a rut where I always practice with sensei because I don't have armor yet. It's nice because he knows how to teach, but it's bad because I'm so used to his physical prompting and height. So today, I practiced with two of the guests and tried to get used to their styles as well.
It was interesting, to say the least. And by interesting, I mean hard.
After practice ended, the guest sensei who doesn't practice brought out a bunch of sausages for everyone... they were so good! We all had three, though some of the kids had four... or five. It's amazing how delicious food is after practice.
The kids were playing baseball with a sock, but I tried (fruitlessly) to get one to practice kata with me. I begged and pulled and spun him around but he wanted to play baseball. I promised to bring him sausages next time, and he refused! Refused food! Wow.
Sensei must have overheard me. When I went to change, he stopped me with a bokuto. Since he was holding two, I knew he meant that we should practice kata. We practiced the five I knew and I got a ton of tips on how to do them properly; they're still not glued in my memory. At one point, though, one of the kids ran behind me (and I didn't notice), so when I went into waki-gamae, which involves holding the sword behind you so that your opponent can't see it, I thwacked him nice and hard on the head.
Oops.
We got a good chunk of kata practice in, though. Whew.
Afterwards, when I went to change, the sensei all started talking together... and I went back out to the main room to fold my hakama since it has a nicer floor. Sensei said that he thought I was good enough to start wearing bogu.
To put it into perspective, for me, there are three main non-rank milestones in kendo.
1. Buying your own shinai.
2. Wearing the keikogi and hakama.
3. Wearing bogu.
You usually hit one after a practice or two, then two after your footwork is consistent enough that sensei doesn't have to watch it all the time. The general concensus also seems to be that you hit three after three months or so.
Needless to say, I was floored.
Like I said before, I'd gotten a lot of criticism this session, so I was feeling pretty down about my kendo... and sensei told me that he thought I was ready for the next milestone. Wow.
I wasn't sure I understood correctly, so I asked to make sure I'd heard him, and I had. He said that it's because I practice seriously, I listen carefully, and I do things properly after I'm told.
I guess the kids make me look good or something. I seriously don't feel like I'm good enough yet, but what sensei says, goes.
Wow.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Feet and Glasses
The glasses I'd gotten especially for kendo ended up breaking a few days ago; I went to the store to get them repaired, only to be told that it was irreparable. I asked if they could replace the frame, but they didn't have that frame in stock and it would take a few weeks to get it. Great.
Oh, but how about another frame with the same fit! Nope, none of those in stock.
So I just ended up getting another pair of glasses... sigh.
My feet don't seem like they're ever going to heal; the original super-painful part healed up fine, but the skin keeps tearing away at the edges... so it heals from the inner part of the wound to the outer part and the outer part just keeps getting bigger. My right foot is starting to get torn up a bit as well.
It's nowhere near as painful as it used to be; now it just feels like I'm stepping on pieces of glass. After a while, I don't really notice it. Hopefully it'll all heal up and the skin will stop getting rubbed off.
Oh, but how about another frame with the same fit! Nope, none of those in stock.
So I just ended up getting another pair of glasses... sigh.
My feet don't seem like they're ever going to heal; the original super-painful part healed up fine, but the skin keeps tearing away at the edges... so it heals from the inner part of the wound to the outer part and the outer part just keeps getting bigger. My right foot is starting to get torn up a bit as well.
It's nowhere near as painful as it used to be; now it just feels like I'm stepping on pieces of glass. After a while, I don't really notice it. Hopefully it'll all heal up and the skin will stop getting rubbed off.
Kendo XIII -- Clean Dojo
I haven't written in a while... I kept meaning to, but it always seemed kind of pointless after practice. At the same time, I feel like I should be keeping a record so that I can come back to these early days and read the entries if I ever feel discouraged. I find it almost impossible to believe that I'd ever be incredibly discouraged about kendo since I love it so much right now.
So here's another entry again after a long while.
My biggest development since the last entry, I think, is that my striking abilities have become much, much better according to sensei.
At the middle school, the kendo club teacher came to club to encourage the boys to practice (they like to play while the girls practice) kote strikes. The way this worked was that one kid would stand with his kote on and we'd all line up and hit his wrist, working our way down the line until everyone had gone once, at which point the target would join the line and the first person in line would become the new target. We did that for a while, and I had the bruises to show it! (I borrowed someone else's kote.)
During the process of the practice, the teacher spent a while explaining how the grip worked and I had a really good chance to see someone do it slowly, close-up. It was an incredible help and for the first time since I'd started kendo, I felt like I understood what it was supposed to look like.
In the practices after that, sensei really noticed it as well, which made me feel happy about it. He did remind me that I needed to pull my shinai a lot farther back over my head than I was, which I still continue to work on.
Lately what I've been trying to do is basically trust sensei entirely and do exactly what he says to do, even if it doesn't seem to be working out right or I'm failing miserably. It definitely seems to be paying off -- today he had all of the kids watch me do men strikes because I'm completely straightforward about it. The idea is that you draw your shinai over your head in a straight line, then attack and move forward in a straight line, all without stopping. A lot of the kids do it at an angle, or run off at an angle, which I attributed to their age/strength.
I was incredibly flattered and heartened by the affirmation that I was learning to do it right.
He also used me as an example when we were doing kata practices. I was doing absolutely terribly at the kata since I'd only been able to remember half of the first two and none of the third, but we were required to do both halves of each about six times for practice today. He commended me on my politeness; I always stopped to sheathe my bokuto (wooden sword) properly and bow, thanking my practice partner, before I moved on.
A lot of the kids, being kids, were in a hurry to move on and get to the next guy... or I guess, didn't want to bow because they thought their partner sucked or was their brother or whatever. It's nice to be noticed.
One of my weakest points in practice is always, always my dou strike. It's just terrible, and I feel like I'm not grasping some kind of fundamental about how to do it, though sensei's showed me time and time again and I feel like I understand the mechanics behind it... I just can't do it well yet. Sensei told the kids to do the beginning like me, though; the idea behind it is that the beginning looks like a men strike and then slices in from there, so that the opponent is preparing for a men strike and taken off-guard. A lot of the kids just swing in sideways from the start instead of raising their shinai back; since I can't do it well to begin with, I try to get that start perfectly.
My favorite practice routine at the dojo is kirikaeshi. It starts with a large men strike, a push backward, then four advancing strikes and five retreating strikes. It's a great chance for me to practice striking properly (large, straight strikes, relaxed shoulders, proper grip) while working on my footwork. My footwork is terrible. I need a lot more practice with it so that I'm stable instead of rolling around and stumbling.
Another point -- the kid who started a session after me, but then disappeared... well, he's showed up again, and he's been coming regularly. He bought his own shinai and he's all excited about getting his hakama. He keeps asking me when he can get his own, and all I can tell him is that it's whenever sensei says. I completely understand his excitement... I was in his shoes just a while ago and it sucks to be the only one in gym clothes. He's been trying hard, though, and I'm proud of him.
A few weird things about today -- first, I showed up and everyone was running around in street clothes. Usually they show up already dressed and ready to go for kendo. Second, the place was really, really tidy. Usually it's just clean, but with equipment kind of strewn around; it was incredibly tidy today. I found out why -- all of the mothers had been there cleaning and putting things away. It might be preparation for the big kendo festival next Saturday.
One of the parents brought in a bunch of mochi -- little Japanese rice cakes with sweet filling. I didn't get any, but I got this block of fruit jelly that you're supposed to slice and eat. All of the kids were pissed because sensei gave it to me, probably because I'm the oldest. They said it was delicious, but I'm dubious. I guess I'll try it tomorrow.
One last thing -- I got to watch sensei write with a brush! He wrote the sign for next weekend and I took a video. I love shodou, which is traditional Japanese calligraphy. He has amazingly nice handwriting. I wonder if it's part of being good at kendo.
So here's another entry again after a long while.
My biggest development since the last entry, I think, is that my striking abilities have become much, much better according to sensei.
At the middle school, the kendo club teacher came to club to encourage the boys to practice (they like to play while the girls practice) kote strikes. The way this worked was that one kid would stand with his kote on and we'd all line up and hit his wrist, working our way down the line until everyone had gone once, at which point the target would join the line and the first person in line would become the new target. We did that for a while, and I had the bruises to show it! (I borrowed someone else's kote.)
During the process of the practice, the teacher spent a while explaining how the grip worked and I had a really good chance to see someone do it slowly, close-up. It was an incredible help and for the first time since I'd started kendo, I felt like I understood what it was supposed to look like.
In the practices after that, sensei really noticed it as well, which made me feel happy about it. He did remind me that I needed to pull my shinai a lot farther back over my head than I was, which I still continue to work on.
Lately what I've been trying to do is basically trust sensei entirely and do exactly what he says to do, even if it doesn't seem to be working out right or I'm failing miserably. It definitely seems to be paying off -- today he had all of the kids watch me do men strikes because I'm completely straightforward about it. The idea is that you draw your shinai over your head in a straight line, then attack and move forward in a straight line, all without stopping. A lot of the kids do it at an angle, or run off at an angle, which I attributed to their age/strength.
I was incredibly flattered and heartened by the affirmation that I was learning to do it right.
He also used me as an example when we were doing kata practices. I was doing absolutely terribly at the kata since I'd only been able to remember half of the first two and none of the third, but we were required to do both halves of each about six times for practice today. He commended me on my politeness; I always stopped to sheathe my bokuto (wooden sword) properly and bow, thanking my practice partner, before I moved on.
A lot of the kids, being kids, were in a hurry to move on and get to the next guy... or I guess, didn't want to bow because they thought their partner sucked or was their brother or whatever. It's nice to be noticed.
One of my weakest points in practice is always, always my dou strike. It's just terrible, and I feel like I'm not grasping some kind of fundamental about how to do it, though sensei's showed me time and time again and I feel like I understand the mechanics behind it... I just can't do it well yet. Sensei told the kids to do the beginning like me, though; the idea behind it is that the beginning looks like a men strike and then slices in from there, so that the opponent is preparing for a men strike and taken off-guard. A lot of the kids just swing in sideways from the start instead of raising their shinai back; since I can't do it well to begin with, I try to get that start perfectly.
My favorite practice routine at the dojo is kirikaeshi. It starts with a large men strike, a push backward, then four advancing strikes and five retreating strikes. It's a great chance for me to practice striking properly (large, straight strikes, relaxed shoulders, proper grip) while working on my footwork. My footwork is terrible. I need a lot more practice with it so that I'm stable instead of rolling around and stumbling.
Another point -- the kid who started a session after me, but then disappeared... well, he's showed up again, and he's been coming regularly. He bought his own shinai and he's all excited about getting his hakama. He keeps asking me when he can get his own, and all I can tell him is that it's whenever sensei says. I completely understand his excitement... I was in his shoes just a while ago and it sucks to be the only one in gym clothes. He's been trying hard, though, and I'm proud of him.
A few weird things about today -- first, I showed up and everyone was running around in street clothes. Usually they show up already dressed and ready to go for kendo. Second, the place was really, really tidy. Usually it's just clean, but with equipment kind of strewn around; it was incredibly tidy today. I found out why -- all of the mothers had been there cleaning and putting things away. It might be preparation for the big kendo festival next Saturday.
One of the parents brought in a bunch of mochi -- little Japanese rice cakes with sweet filling. I didn't get any, but I got this block of fruit jelly that you're supposed to slice and eat. All of the kids were pissed because sensei gave it to me, probably because I'm the oldest. They said it was delicious, but I'm dubious. I guess I'll try it tomorrow.
One last thing -- I got to watch sensei write with a brush! He wrote the sign for next weekend and I took a video. I love shodou, which is traditional Japanese calligraphy. He has amazingly nice handwriting. I wonder if it's part of being good at kendo.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Foot Problems
I don't think I'm going to go to practice today.
My foot is still bruised and painful to walk on... but on top of that, the school nurse who looked at it yesterday said that it looked infected and that I should stay off of it as much as possible for a few days.
I hate missing practice, but the last session was painful enough (and against the nurse's advice then too!) that I feel like I should listen this time instead of prolonging my pain. I mean, I can't imagine that stomping and running around on my foot is helping it heal faster... perhaps part of doing this is knowing when to give it a break and recuperate as well.
My foot is still bruised and painful to walk on... but on top of that, the school nurse who looked at it yesterday said that it looked infected and that I should stay off of it as much as possible for a few days.
I hate missing practice, but the last session was painful enough (and against the nurse's advice then too!) that I feel like I should listen this time instead of prolonging my pain. I mean, I can't imagine that stomping and running around on my foot is helping it heal faster... perhaps part of doing this is knowing when to give it a break and recuperate as well.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Kendo VIII - Pain
I had a bad feeling going into class.
My foot was hurting a lot -- I found out that it wasn't just the open sores from abrasion, but also bruising from the hard floor, which made it hard for me to walk, let alone put all of my weight on the ball of my foot, which you have to do for a proper stance.
Still, I was determined to try my best, and even more determined after sensei told me to let him know if it started hurting. Of course, having heard that, I couldn't tell him that it hurt and I wanted to take a break!
Practice was kihon renshuu -- a lot of it. I did well on my men strikes and I still haven't got the hang of proper dou strikes. I was in a lot of pain and couldn't hold my stance properly, let alone move or turn around. I was limping my way through practice a lot and felt like I was doing absolutely terribly.
We had three guests -- Miyasaka-sensei and Tozuka-sensei, who are both fifth-dan, as well as a new person I'd never seen before named Koike... not to be confused with another Koike who sometimes comes! I get nervous practicing around Tozuka-sensei sometimes since he works at the same junior high school I work at...
After doing terribly with sensei for a while, he told me to practice with Koike, who I later found was the same age as me. Koike spoke simpler and louder, so I found him much easier to understand. My major problem this time was that I didn't raise my arms high enough when I struck, which apparently makes it harder to strike accurately. I must have misunderstood something before when I was talking to sensei... but at least I know better now.
By the end of the practice session, I just wanted to go home; not only did my foot hurt, but my calf was starting to cramp up terribly from the pain and I had a headache as well. It was one of the most grueling practice sessions I've been through so far.
I had the opportunity to talk to Koike a bit more; he'd studied abroad in England, so we talked a bit in English. He looks amazingly like the curly-haired Kimura Takuya from Change, something that I told him. Very, very friendly guy. We traded e-mail addresses and he invited me to a culture fair that his school is having this weekend.
My foot was hurting a lot -- I found out that it wasn't just the open sores from abrasion, but also bruising from the hard floor, which made it hard for me to walk, let alone put all of my weight on the ball of my foot, which you have to do for a proper stance.
Still, I was determined to try my best, and even more determined after sensei told me to let him know if it started hurting. Of course, having heard that, I couldn't tell him that it hurt and I wanted to take a break!
Practice was kihon renshuu -- a lot of it. I did well on my men strikes and I still haven't got the hang of proper dou strikes. I was in a lot of pain and couldn't hold my stance properly, let alone move or turn around. I was limping my way through practice a lot and felt like I was doing absolutely terribly.
We had three guests -- Miyasaka-sensei and Tozuka-sensei, who are both fifth-dan, as well as a new person I'd never seen before named Koike... not to be confused with another Koike who sometimes comes! I get nervous practicing around Tozuka-sensei sometimes since he works at the same junior high school I work at...
After doing terribly with sensei for a while, he told me to practice with Koike, who I later found was the same age as me. Koike spoke simpler and louder, so I found him much easier to understand. My major problem this time was that I didn't raise my arms high enough when I struck, which apparently makes it harder to strike accurately. I must have misunderstood something before when I was talking to sensei... but at least I know better now.
By the end of the practice session, I just wanted to go home; not only did my foot hurt, but my calf was starting to cramp up terribly from the pain and I had a headache as well. It was one of the most grueling practice sessions I've been through so far.
I had the opportunity to talk to Koike a bit more; he'd studied abroad in England, so we talked a bit in English. He looks amazingly like the curly-haired Kimura Takuya from Change, something that I told him. Very, very friendly guy. We traded e-mail addresses and he invited me to a culture fair that his school is having this weekend.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Blisters
I try to practice almost every day, so of course I've been tearing up my feet. I seem to practice so often (or perhaps hardwood floors are just hard on my feet) that blisters form and pop within the same practice session.
So far I have two on the ball of my left foot, which I use all the time for most of my weight when I stand properly. One is from last week, and the other is from tonight. I had a sickening feeling when I felt my foot squelching and sticking to the floor slightly. Of course, I couldn't resist looking; when I looked, it looked pretty bad -- a large flap of white skin hanging over a huge red spot. Well, at least I knew I hadn't stepped in something.
It's funny; it didn't start hurting all that much until I looked at it... I kept practicing normally despite seeing it and it started hurting even worse, to the point where I couldn't force myself to stand on it and even sensei noticed.
We all agreed that it's okay since I'm young and will heal quickly.
There's another one forming on the bottom of my right big toe; I somehow managed to avoid it popping, though it seems like it's inevitable. It's a huge one that covers the entire bottom of my right big toe, so I'm not looking forward to that. That blister probably comes from doing fumikomi improperly.
I haven't gotten any on my hands yet, so that's a minor blessing. I wish I had longer fingers...
So far I have two on the ball of my left foot, which I use all the time for most of my weight when I stand properly. One is from last week, and the other is from tonight. I had a sickening feeling when I felt my foot squelching and sticking to the floor slightly. Of course, I couldn't resist looking; when I looked, it looked pretty bad -- a large flap of white skin hanging over a huge red spot. Well, at least I knew I hadn't stepped in something.
It's funny; it didn't start hurting all that much until I looked at it... I kept practicing normally despite seeing it and it started hurting even worse, to the point where I couldn't force myself to stand on it and even sensei noticed.
We all agreed that it's okay since I'm young and will heal quickly.
There's another one forming on the bottom of my right big toe; I somehow managed to avoid it popping, though it seems like it's inevitable. It's a huge one that covers the entire bottom of my right big toe, so I'm not looking forward to that. That blister probably comes from doing fumikomi improperly.
I haven't gotten any on my hands yet, so that's a minor blessing. I wish I had longer fingers...
Kendo VII - Foundations
I can't believe this was only my seventh time at the dojo! It feels like I've been there more times than that... but at the same time, I felt like the gap between Saturday's practice and today's practice was interminable!
The guest sensei from Kendo V came again -- I found out that his name is Miyasaka. I was surprised for two reasons; one, I'd never encountered that particular name before, and two, "saka" usually turns into "zaka". Nothing big, just something that interested me since I find Japanese names... well, interesting.
I've been trying to kiai all the time, and to do it properly, so with Miyasaka-sensei there, I was doubly-reminded to try. He gave me encouraging nods several times, so I felt happy.
To start practice, we counted to 20 in Chinese; sensei then had me review the numbers one through ten before teaching them how to say the numbers 11 through 20 in English. The girl who doesn't wear armor left practice briefly at this point for some reason; she looked pretty queasy when she came back and ended up sitting out for almost all of the practice.
Today was all basic practice; in kendo, it's called kihon renshuu, or basic practice. kihon can also mean something like "foundation". You're never too good to go back and work on your basics in kendo. In that sense, I don't feel so bad about joining; sensei seems to have taken an opportunity to go back to the basics for everyone as he teaches me for the first time.
I learned a lot of things about men strikes today -- one of the most important ones in terms of actual performance was that I tend to raise my shinai too high and too far back when I go to strike. Sensei reminded me exactly where I should be putting it and it felt like a load came off of my shoulders. Not only could I strike faster, more accurately, and more smoothly, but it felt right. I was so happy!
Another important tip that sensei gave us all today because we were having problems with our follow-through after men; he told us to raise our shinai slightly with our arms outstretched, but in such a fashion that our upper fists (right hand) are pointed at the opponent's face as if we're going to punch them. He said that we should strike men and do that, charging forward. If the opponent doesn't move aside, then we should perform a move that I really don't know the name of yet; it's essentially locking tsuka to push them back to create an opportunity for another men strike.
Sensei also focused a lot on fumikomi, which is stepping/leaping forward and smashing your front foot hard on the ground as you strike. The idea is that most of your body weight is on the ball of your rear foot; when you fumikomi, you're supposed to shift your weight to the ball of your front foot, which in turn makes your attack faster. It's one of the most basic techniques in kendo, I think, and what gives kendo its distinctive look.
Every strike is supposed to be accompanied by fumikomi and kiai, I believe.
I'm qualifying this stuff because I'm obviously only a beginner.
We also worked on dou strikes quite a bit because people (including me, of course) were having major problems doing them properly. A proper dou strike (as I understand it now) will begin as if it were a men strike, but at the apex of the strike, curve downward sharply in a vertical oval. One thing that sensei warned us about repeatedly was that if we do it too horizontally, not only are we opening ourselves up to attack, but we're also running the risk of pulling up and hitting an opponent above their armor, in the armpit.
He also noted that we should take a step to the side and that our hands should end up at the opposite waist as we complete the cut. After class, he took me aside and demonstrated the technique more clearly using an iaito (sword used for iaido). I'm always grateful that he's willing to take the time to explain things to me, and this was no exception; I feel like I understand what I'm supposed to do much better now.
Sometimes I have a problem in demonstrations when I'm not sure whether he's demonstrating something bad or something good! I also have a problem where I can't hear him properly through the men sometimes, so he'll say something after I've completed a strike, but I'm not sure if it means I did well or poorly.
I can't wait until Thursday!
The guest sensei from Kendo V came again -- I found out that his name is Miyasaka. I was surprised for two reasons; one, I'd never encountered that particular name before, and two, "saka" usually turns into "zaka". Nothing big, just something that interested me since I find Japanese names... well, interesting.
I've been trying to kiai all the time, and to do it properly, so with Miyasaka-sensei there, I was doubly-reminded to try. He gave me encouraging nods several times, so I felt happy.
To start practice, we counted to 20 in Chinese; sensei then had me review the numbers one through ten before teaching them how to say the numbers 11 through 20 in English. The girl who doesn't wear armor left practice briefly at this point for some reason; she looked pretty queasy when she came back and ended up sitting out for almost all of the practice.
Today was all basic practice; in kendo, it's called kihon renshuu, or basic practice. kihon can also mean something like "foundation". You're never too good to go back and work on your basics in kendo. In that sense, I don't feel so bad about joining; sensei seems to have taken an opportunity to go back to the basics for everyone as he teaches me for the first time.
I learned a lot of things about men strikes today -- one of the most important ones in terms of actual performance was that I tend to raise my shinai too high and too far back when I go to strike. Sensei reminded me exactly where I should be putting it and it felt like a load came off of my shoulders. Not only could I strike faster, more accurately, and more smoothly, but it felt right. I was so happy!
Another important tip that sensei gave us all today because we were having problems with our follow-through after men; he told us to raise our shinai slightly with our arms outstretched, but in such a fashion that our upper fists (right hand) are pointed at the opponent's face as if we're going to punch them. He said that we should strike men and do that, charging forward. If the opponent doesn't move aside, then we should perform a move that I really don't know the name of yet; it's essentially locking tsuka to push them back to create an opportunity for another men strike.
Sensei also focused a lot on fumikomi, which is stepping/leaping forward and smashing your front foot hard on the ground as you strike. The idea is that most of your body weight is on the ball of your rear foot; when you fumikomi, you're supposed to shift your weight to the ball of your front foot, which in turn makes your attack faster. It's one of the most basic techniques in kendo, I think, and what gives kendo its distinctive look.
Every strike is supposed to be accompanied by fumikomi and kiai, I believe.
I'm qualifying this stuff because I'm obviously only a beginner.
We also worked on dou strikes quite a bit because people (including me, of course) were having major problems doing them properly. A proper dou strike (as I understand it now) will begin as if it were a men strike, but at the apex of the strike, curve downward sharply in a vertical oval. One thing that sensei warned us about repeatedly was that if we do it too horizontally, not only are we opening ourselves up to attack, but we're also running the risk of pulling up and hitting an opponent above their armor, in the armpit.
He also noted that we should take a step to the side and that our hands should end up at the opposite waist as we complete the cut. After class, he took me aside and demonstrated the technique more clearly using an iaito (sword used for iaido). I'm always grateful that he's willing to take the time to explain things to me, and this was no exception; I feel like I understand what I'm supposed to do much better now.
Sometimes I have a problem in demonstrations when I'm not sure whether he's demonstrating something bad or something good! I also have a problem where I can't hear him properly through the men sometimes, so he'll say something after I've completed a strike, but I'm not sure if it means I did well or poorly.
I can't wait until Thursday!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Competition
One thing about kendo in Japan is that it's kind of like little league in America; if anyone's going to do it, they generally start it when they're a kid. Adults are decidedly at a disadvantage on that front.
Because of that, the dojo I'm a part of is all kids, so the tournaments and various events are aimed at kids. I can't help but wonder what I'm going to do -- all of the older people that have come to visit are way above me... and all of the kids are, well, kids. The brackets are broken up into lower-elementary, upper-elementary, and junior high school.
I'm not sure what exactly happens that causes junior high kids not to attend classes at the dojo -- perhaps the stress of entrance exams for high school or the availability of a kendo club (every day, including Saturday!) at school. Once they go on to high school, they just get busier, and the high schools have kendo clubs as well.
Regardless of the reason, there just don't seem to be many beginners that aren't young. I gather that this isn't such a problem overseas.
Because of that, the dojo I'm a part of is all kids, so the tournaments and various events are aimed at kids. I can't help but wonder what I'm going to do -- all of the older people that have come to visit are way above me... and all of the kids are, well, kids. The brackets are broken up into lower-elementary, upper-elementary, and junior high school.
I'm not sure what exactly happens that causes junior high kids not to attend classes at the dojo -- perhaps the stress of entrance exams for high school or the availability of a kendo club (every day, including Saturday!) at school. Once they go on to high school, they just get busier, and the high schools have kendo clubs as well.
Regardless of the reason, there just don't seem to be many beginners that aren't young. I gather that this isn't such a problem overseas.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
New Glasses
I forgot to mention this, but... I bought a new pair of glasses. My old pair was mostly heavy plastic that didn't sit too well on my nose; they were always sliding down or falling off if I stopped suddenly -- especially if I was sweaty.
At the beginning and end of every kendo class, we sit in seiza, which is a traditional Japanese way of sitting so that your legs are directly under you. While in seiza, we bow, keeping our backs straight; this meant that my glasses were constantly falling off.
I tried going without my glasses for a lesson, but my eyes are too bad for that to really be practical; it was really distracting.
So I decided to get a new pair of glasses. I wanted something light, flexible, and sturdy, which meant metal frames. I was lucky enough to catch a really good sale, so I got a new pair and new lenses on the cheap! They're green, which is odd for me, since I've always had black or gunmetal glasses. But more importantly, they stay on my face during practice.
At the beginning and end of every kendo class, we sit in seiza, which is a traditional Japanese way of sitting so that your legs are directly under you. While in seiza, we bow, keeping our backs straight; this meant that my glasses were constantly falling off.
I tried going without my glasses for a lesson, but my eyes are too bad for that to really be practical; it was really distracting.
So I decided to get a new pair of glasses. I wanted something light, flexible, and sturdy, which meant metal frames. I was lucky enough to catch a really good sale, so I got a new pair and new lenses on the cheap! They're green, which is odd for me, since I've always had black or gunmetal glasses. But more importantly, they stay on my face during practice.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Kendo VI
I showed up with my own shinai this time; I'd gone out and bought two on Friday. Size 39, or 3-jaku 9-sun, in old Japanese measurements. That in and of itself was an incredibly interesting experience; I wish I'd had my camera with me then.
One of the shinai is for me to use on my own for practice, and the other is to leave at the dojo. Everyone was excited that I'd brought my own shinai, too. I was really happy to have my own; free, borrowed stuff is great, but it's also nice to have your own things to take care of.
I had more trouble cleaning this time than I'd had the time before; sensei pointed out that I had completely forgotten to tuck the sides of my hakama into the himo, which are the cords that go around the waist. That particular technique is called momodachi.
We spent a lot more time on warmups today, with sensei calling out directions or stances that we had to move in or strike at when he called. I learned some more terminology again: 斜め前 (ななめまえ naname-mae) and 斜め後ろ (ななめうしろ, naname-ushiro), which mean to move diagonally forward (to the right) and diagonally backward (to the left), respectively. It was interesting practice, and I felt incredibly awkward in a lot of stances, since it was the first time I'd ever used them.
We had a special guest at this practice, too! A very old sensei with an incredibly strong grip. Though we were in the middle of warmups, everyone stopped to rush up and greet him. I got the impression that he came sometimes since everyone knew who he was and there was a chair with cushions set aside for him. Perhaps he is sensei's sensei; he sat to the left of sensei, which is closer to the front and a "superior" position.
I felt honored that he had come to watch our class; standing and walking were obviously an effort for him.
One thing I worked a lot on in this class was overcoming my quietness; I tried to kiai loudly and count loudly along with everyone else, although sometimes I slipped back into my old habits.
Sensei also corrected my grip again... I can tell that this is going to take a while!
Dou strikes were especially hard for me at this session; I'm beginning to understand that the first time I do something, I won't get a lot of criticism, just basic guidelines, but then as I continue practicing, he'll keep fine-tuning what I do. He established that the dou strike begins by raising the shinai as if you were going to do a men strike, and then when the opponent raises his shinai to block/parry, you bring your shinai down in an arc, like a semicircle or half-heart shape to strike their dou and travel past.
One problem a lot of students had was that they were holding their hands too high and the shinai was angling downward as they traveled past; sensei demonstrated that this weakens their grip and allows the opponent to force them to drop their shinai by shifting his body.
Fortunately, there was also an adult kenshi there named Koike! He demonstrated strikes with sensei for us; it was nice to have a clear example of what I should be aiming for.
This lesson also had a first for me: kote-men strikes. At first, I tried to do quick, light strikes on kote and then men, but sensei pointed out that I should draw my shinai up all the way for both strikes, like I do for a men strike. He also told me that my right foot should hit the ground twice; once for each strike.
Another first was a parry of a men strike that leads to a dou strike. I tried to figure it out from watching students before me, but I couldn't quite get it. Sensei demonstrated it for me, and it was completely different from what the students were doing! He advised me to step slightly to the side while angling my shinai, then whip it down in an arc for a proper dou strike that would allow me to travel past.
The students weren't moving to the side at all; I'm not sure if they were doing a different technique, that same technique incorrectly, or if it was something because they were wearing bogu.
To wrap it all up, all of the kenshi in bogu stood in a circle and a few of us went around twice, doing men strikes. It's interesting because it forces you to keep moving and adjusting to different heights. I also got to use my kiai to wake up some kids who were obviously not paying attention or were facing in different directions.
One of the most common problems I found myself encountering in this class was tense shoulders; I kept knotting them up and getting really tense, which in turn affected my technique.
I'm glad I have the opportunity to learn kendo and look forward to the next practice!
One of the shinai is for me to use on my own for practice, and the other is to leave at the dojo. Everyone was excited that I'd brought my own shinai, too. I was really happy to have my own; free, borrowed stuff is great, but it's also nice to have your own things to take care of.
I had more trouble cleaning this time than I'd had the time before; sensei pointed out that I had completely forgotten to tuck the sides of my hakama into the himo, which are the cords that go around the waist. That particular technique is called momodachi.
We spent a lot more time on warmups today, with sensei calling out directions or stances that we had to move in or strike at when he called. I learned some more terminology again: 斜め前 (ななめまえ naname-mae) and 斜め後ろ (ななめうしろ, naname-ushiro), which mean to move diagonally forward (to the right) and diagonally backward (to the left), respectively. It was interesting practice, and I felt incredibly awkward in a lot of stances, since it was the first time I'd ever used them.
We had a special guest at this practice, too! A very old sensei with an incredibly strong grip. Though we were in the middle of warmups, everyone stopped to rush up and greet him. I got the impression that he came sometimes since everyone knew who he was and there was a chair with cushions set aside for him. Perhaps he is sensei's sensei; he sat to the left of sensei, which is closer to the front and a "superior" position.
I felt honored that he had come to watch our class; standing and walking were obviously an effort for him.
One thing I worked a lot on in this class was overcoming my quietness; I tried to kiai loudly and count loudly along with everyone else, although sometimes I slipped back into my old habits.
Sensei also corrected my grip again... I can tell that this is going to take a while!
Dou strikes were especially hard for me at this session; I'm beginning to understand that the first time I do something, I won't get a lot of criticism, just basic guidelines, but then as I continue practicing, he'll keep fine-tuning what I do. He established that the dou strike begins by raising the shinai as if you were going to do a men strike, and then when the opponent raises his shinai to block/parry, you bring your shinai down in an arc, like a semicircle or half-heart shape to strike their dou and travel past.
One problem a lot of students had was that they were holding their hands too high and the shinai was angling downward as they traveled past; sensei demonstrated that this weakens their grip and allows the opponent to force them to drop their shinai by shifting his body.
Fortunately, there was also an adult kenshi there named Koike! He demonstrated strikes with sensei for us; it was nice to have a clear example of what I should be aiming for.
This lesson also had a first for me: kote-men strikes. At first, I tried to do quick, light strikes on kote and then men, but sensei pointed out that I should draw my shinai up all the way for both strikes, like I do for a men strike. He also told me that my right foot should hit the ground twice; once for each strike.
Another first was a parry of a men strike that leads to a dou strike. I tried to figure it out from watching students before me, but I couldn't quite get it. Sensei demonstrated it for me, and it was completely different from what the students were doing! He advised me to step slightly to the side while angling my shinai, then whip it down in an arc for a proper dou strike that would allow me to travel past.
The students weren't moving to the side at all; I'm not sure if they were doing a different technique, that same technique incorrectly, or if it was something because they were wearing bogu.
To wrap it all up, all of the kenshi in bogu stood in a circle and a few of us went around twice, doing men strikes. It's interesting because it forces you to keep moving and adjusting to different heights. I also got to use my kiai to wake up some kids who were obviously not paying attention or were facing in different directions.
One of the most common problems I found myself encountering in this class was tense shoulders; I kept knotting them up and getting really tense, which in turn affected my technique.
I'm glad I have the opportunity to learn kendo and look forward to the next practice!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Kendo V - Getting to Know Sensei
My first class in "real" clothes! I showed up in my sportswear, just in case, but the mother showed up a few minutes after me, so I was able to change quickly before I got there.
I got confused when I was trying to tie the knot in front; my fingers kept trying to tie a bow-style knot, like I used in aikido, and I couldn't remember what exactly sensei did at the previous practice! I asked some of the children, but they didn't really have any clue, either; apparently their mothers helped them dress at home.
Finally, one of the older students showed up and showed me how to do it; I realized that it was just a square knot! All that grief for nothing!
It was a challenge learning to sit in seiza and clean properly wearing the hakama... but of course, I was absolutely thrilled!
Practice was much the same; I felt that I really needed it, too. Sensei had been telling me basic information for the last few practices, and this was my chance to try to pull it all together and use it consistently -- not that I hadn't been doing that before!
There was a guest, as well; another high-ranking kenshi that was a friend of sensei's. At one point, he pulled me aside and told me that I needed to start using kiai; I hadn't been using it because I was concentrating so much on what to do... and also, it makes me self-conscious!
However, after he pointed it out, I started trying, and gained some more self-confidence when I realized that nobody was looking at me twice for it. Sensei even started some special kiai practice with us, where we'd stand in front of him and kiai until he felt it was good enough for us to strike.
The guest sensei watched us all and was kind enough to take me aside again when sensei was busy and give me advice on the grip toward the end of class. I was really excited, because it was starting to feel right, but unfortunately, class was ending, so I didn't get much of a chance to practice it.
We had an incredibly long talk after class about languages; I found out that sensei is fluent in Chinese because he occasionally travels abroad to teach at other dojos in China and Europe, though he hasn't been to America yet. We joked that he should try going to America sometime; as a nanadan (seventh-degree black belt, the highest achievable being eighth), I'm sure he would be welcomed.
He also revealed that he had tried for hachidan (eighth degree) four times, but didn't pass, though he intends to keep trying. I find it absolutely astonishing how good his physical condition is even though he's 70 years old! Apparently he has a problem with his arm; it was broken and healed unevenly at some point, so he can't extend it straight.
I got confused when I was trying to tie the knot in front; my fingers kept trying to tie a bow-style knot, like I used in aikido, and I couldn't remember what exactly sensei did at the previous practice! I asked some of the children, but they didn't really have any clue, either; apparently their mothers helped them dress at home.
Finally, one of the older students showed up and showed me how to do it; I realized that it was just a square knot! All that grief for nothing!
It was a challenge learning to sit in seiza and clean properly wearing the hakama... but of course, I was absolutely thrilled!
Practice was much the same; I felt that I really needed it, too. Sensei had been telling me basic information for the last few practices, and this was my chance to try to pull it all together and use it consistently -- not that I hadn't been doing that before!
There was a guest, as well; another high-ranking kenshi that was a friend of sensei's. At one point, he pulled me aside and told me that I needed to start using kiai; I hadn't been using it because I was concentrating so much on what to do... and also, it makes me self-conscious!
However, after he pointed it out, I started trying, and gained some more self-confidence when I realized that nobody was looking at me twice for it. Sensei even started some special kiai practice with us, where we'd stand in front of him and kiai until he felt it was good enough for us to strike.
The guest sensei watched us all and was kind enough to take me aside again when sensei was busy and give me advice on the grip toward the end of class. I was really excited, because it was starting to feel right, but unfortunately, class was ending, so I didn't get much of a chance to practice it.
We had an incredibly long talk after class about languages; I found out that sensei is fluent in Chinese because he occasionally travels abroad to teach at other dojos in China and Europe, though he hasn't been to America yet. We joked that he should try going to America sometime; as a nanadan (seventh-degree black belt, the highest achievable being eighth), I'm sure he would be welcomed.
He also revealed that he had tried for hachidan (eighth degree) four times, but didn't pass, though he intends to keep trying. I find it absolutely astonishing how good his physical condition is even though he's 70 years old! Apparently he has a problem with his arm; it was broken and healed unevenly at some point, so he can't extend it straight.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Kendo IV - A Pleasant Surprise
This practice seems to be lost in my memory for various reasons.
I remember that at the beginning, we spent some time practicing how to count in Chinese; sensei is fluent in Chinese as well as Japanese and considers it a part of cultural heritage and respect for the past.
Then, because I was there, we also had practice counting from one to ten. Sensei emphasized that they needed to count loudly (to improve their memory) and watch my lips/mouth very carefully to learn to produce proper English sounds, rather than Japanese-style English. He said that it was good training for the eyes, and also for them, since as kids, they need to learn English.
I was surprised he incorporated me into the curriculum, but grateful.
Another thing that I remember is that he took me aside to discuss how to put on the hakama (different from aikido, I suppose because the bow in front would interfere with the tare [waist armor]), keikogi, and bogu. He also taught me about what the straps and loops on the bogu are called, for future reference.
My major problem in this class, again, was keeping my feet straight. I kept concentrating on remembering the feeling of my feet being straight and checking them every time I was "up to bat", and eventually, a few times, I found that they were already straight when I checked.
An interesting thing I do remember from this class is that sensei taught one of the students how to receive tsuki properly. Tsuki is the name of the attack that uses the tip of the shinai to strike the throat guard; because it's a dangerous attack if done improperly, I hear that it's not usually taught until you're more experienced, so I was surprised. Then I realized that it's probably good to learn how to receive it safely, even if you're not learning how to do it.
One of the reasons I forgot a lot of what happened in this class is that it's all overshadowed by one thing; at the end of class, he brought out a dojo keikogi and a hakama that had been used by a former student who no longer attended; he said that I could wear them from now on. I was incredibly thrilled!
I didn't take them home that day; one of the mothers came forward and said that she would wash/iron them for me, so I gratefully took her up on the offer. I also received an information packet with suggestions for shinai/bogu as well as diagrams of everything. In the back of the packet was information about the various tournaments and events that the dojo has... one of which I noticed is coming up soon...
This was also the second time that the other new student came to practice; I haven't seen him since!
I remember that at the beginning, we spent some time practicing how to count in Chinese; sensei is fluent in Chinese as well as Japanese and considers it a part of cultural heritage and respect for the past.
Then, because I was there, we also had practice counting from one to ten. Sensei emphasized that they needed to count loudly (to improve their memory) and watch my lips/mouth very carefully to learn to produce proper English sounds, rather than Japanese-style English. He said that it was good training for the eyes, and also for them, since as kids, they need to learn English.
I was surprised he incorporated me into the curriculum, but grateful.
Another thing that I remember is that he took me aside to discuss how to put on the hakama (different from aikido, I suppose because the bow in front would interfere with the tare [waist armor]), keikogi, and bogu. He also taught me about what the straps and loops on the bogu are called, for future reference.
My major problem in this class, again, was keeping my feet straight. I kept concentrating on remembering the feeling of my feet being straight and checking them every time I was "up to bat", and eventually, a few times, I found that they were already straight when I checked.
An interesting thing I do remember from this class is that sensei taught one of the students how to receive tsuki properly. Tsuki is the name of the attack that uses the tip of the shinai to strike the throat guard; because it's a dangerous attack if done improperly, I hear that it's not usually taught until you're more experienced, so I was surprised. Then I realized that it's probably good to learn how to receive it safely, even if you're not learning how to do it.
One of the reasons I forgot a lot of what happened in this class is that it's all overshadowed by one thing; at the end of class, he brought out a dojo keikogi and a hakama that had been used by a former student who no longer attended; he said that I could wear them from now on. I was incredibly thrilled!
I didn't take them home that day; one of the mothers came forward and said that she would wash/iron them for me, so I gratefully took her up on the offer. I also received an information packet with suggestions for shinai/bogu as well as diagrams of everything. In the back of the packet was information about the various tournaments and events that the dojo has... one of which I noticed is coming up soon...
This was also the second time that the other new student came to practice; I haven't seen him since!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Kendo III - A Newcomer
My first Saturday practice, and I arrived late! Apparently practice had started over half an hour earlier than its usual time, but because they didn't yet have my contact information on hand, they hadn't been able to tell me. I'd completely forgotten my information form at work and told them that I would bring it in on the next practice.
I was really surprised because not only did practice begin early, but there was another new student. Another kid, of course -- but it meant that I wasn't the only person with sportswear!
Since I arrived late, I missed cleaning and warmups; I warmed up a little on my own, then grabbed my borrowed shinai to jump into practice. Since I knew what my problems were, I tried to watch other peoples' feet and stances when I wasn't actively practicing with sensei. It was interesting, because a lot of the younger kids tended to stand with angled feet and run rather than doing it the way that sensei was teaching me; the older kids were good examples, though.
I was also intimidated by some other students I'd not seen before; some older students joined in on the practice -- I guess they were high school students. Apparently they used to go to that dojo, but stopped once school activities and kendo club took all their time, though they still go back occasionally.
On the up side, I also saw a student I actually knew! She was glad to see me, too, though a bit surprised. Of course, she was also in bogu.
I learned basic kote and dou strikes, which are wrist and body, respectively. Whereas last time I'd had problems with raising my shinai too high and back too far, this time I was so tense and nervous about performing properly that I didn't raise it enough!
It's incredibly hard to relax sometimes, because I'm trying to remember everything I do wrong so I can correct it all before I strike. Overthinking in action.
I was also pretty embarrassed because I missed the kote strikes a few times and completely missed the men strike once.
One major point that sensei kept reminding me of is that I need to remember to turn around and resume guard once I've struck (or missed) the opponent and moved past them. For a while, I was just striking, moving past, and then walking to the line brooding over my mistakes.
Something about practice: the people in bogu generally fight each other one-on-one, practicing whatever technique sensei designates. Those without bogu as well as the occasional odd one without a partner, or sometimes, two or three because there isn't enough room for everyone, stand in line and wait to practice against sensei at the front of the dojo.
The basic practice consists of a straightforward men strike (those in bogu strike and push back), followed by four advancing strikes and five retreating strikes. After doing that one more time, there's a men strike where you travel past sensei and turn around to face him and do it again, ending up with you standing back where you started.
One thing I noticed is that the kids seem to spend a lot of time fighting in line or swinging their shinai around dangerously (to those of us not in bogu). Kids.
I kept needing to remember to step forward more than the kids, since with my height and longer shinai, I tended to smack the pictures hanging high on the wall behind us. Oops.
After practice, sensei took me aside again; instead of a lesson on Japanese terms, he talked about Chinese! There are a bunch of papers taped to the walls, covered in Chinese. Sensei explained that they were originally from China, brought by teachers who taught their students, who became teachers and taught their students, and so on. The Japanese way of reading it is different from the Chinese way, though it preserves the meaning.
He explained that all of the children had memorized everything, and one day I would have to as well. In addition to that, there was also the kyouiku chokugo (Imperial Rescript on Education) to memorize!
I was really surprised because not only did practice begin early, but there was another new student. Another kid, of course -- but it meant that I wasn't the only person with sportswear!
Since I arrived late, I missed cleaning and warmups; I warmed up a little on my own, then grabbed my borrowed shinai to jump into practice. Since I knew what my problems were, I tried to watch other peoples' feet and stances when I wasn't actively practicing with sensei. It was interesting, because a lot of the younger kids tended to stand with angled feet and run rather than doing it the way that sensei was teaching me; the older kids were good examples, though.
I was also intimidated by some other students I'd not seen before; some older students joined in on the practice -- I guess they were high school students. Apparently they used to go to that dojo, but stopped once school activities and kendo club took all their time, though they still go back occasionally.
On the up side, I also saw a student I actually knew! She was glad to see me, too, though a bit surprised. Of course, she was also in bogu.
I learned basic kote and dou strikes, which are wrist and body, respectively. Whereas last time I'd had problems with raising my shinai too high and back too far, this time I was so tense and nervous about performing properly that I didn't raise it enough!
It's incredibly hard to relax sometimes, because I'm trying to remember everything I do wrong so I can correct it all before I strike. Overthinking in action.
I was also pretty embarrassed because I missed the kote strikes a few times and completely missed the men strike once.
One major point that sensei kept reminding me of is that I need to remember to turn around and resume guard once I've struck (or missed) the opponent and moved past them. For a while, I was just striking, moving past, and then walking to the line brooding over my mistakes.
Something about practice: the people in bogu generally fight each other one-on-one, practicing whatever technique sensei designates. Those without bogu as well as the occasional odd one without a partner, or sometimes, two or three because there isn't enough room for everyone, stand in line and wait to practice against sensei at the front of the dojo.
The basic practice consists of a straightforward men strike (those in bogu strike and push back), followed by four advancing strikes and five retreating strikes. After doing that one more time, there's a men strike where you travel past sensei and turn around to face him and do it again, ending up with you standing back where you started.
One thing I noticed is that the kids seem to spend a lot of time fighting in line or swinging their shinai around dangerously (to those of us not in bogu). Kids.
I kept needing to remember to step forward more than the kids, since with my height and longer shinai, I tended to smack the pictures hanging high on the wall behind us. Oops.
After practice, sensei took me aside again; instead of a lesson on Japanese terms, he talked about Chinese! There are a bunch of papers taped to the walls, covered in Chinese. Sensei explained that they were originally from China, brought by teachers who taught their students, who became teachers and taught their students, and so on. The Japanese way of reading it is different from the Chinese way, though it preserves the meaning.
He explained that all of the children had memorized everything, and one day I would have to as well. In addition to that, there was also the kyouiku chokugo (Imperial Rescript on Education) to memorize!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Kendo II - First Practice
My first practice! I showed up in sports shorts and a t-shirt; I don't really have much in the way of sportswear, but I figured that it would be okay. I was still incredibly intimidated by joining a bunch of kids, but I swear, I'm just a kid inside, too.
They're all nice kids; three or four of them are actually brothers. There are usually eight or nine people at practice; enough to make for a fun game of handball!
Apparently one of the pre-practice traditions to warm up is to play handball with a knotted, wet towel. The kids all show up in hakama and keikogi, ready to go, so once enough kids show up, they start splitting into teams. Of course, everyone wanted me on their team since I'm a gigantic adult.
It was a lot of fun and helped me loosen up. After we played handball for a bit, we all went out to the sink to get more washcloths and wipe the floor. If you've seen Japanese movies or anime with people bent over, running as they press a towel against the floor, you know what we do.
Sensei paid special attention to me that day in the beginning since it was my first day. He introduced me, told them I was from America, then practice began.
I was glad I'd had experience in aikido; I knew what to expect in the beginning, with lining up and bowing. If I hadn't had that experience, I probably would have been completely lost!
From there, sensei found me a shinai that had belonged to a student who had since left; probably an older one, since it was just the right size for me. He showed me the parts of the shinai before moving on to the grip and stance. A shinai is a special practice sword used for kendo; it's made from four bamboo slats carefully fitted together and bound with deerhide.
The grip is interesting; the left hand grips the bottom of the tsuka, or hilt. The fingers of the left hand grip with decreasing power from the pinkie up; the grip is supposed to be strongest with the pinkie and ring finger, but zero with the thumb and index finger. The right hand grips the tsuka just below the tsuba or crossguard. The right hand's power is supposed to be almost zero as well.
Another important point is the direction of the palms; rather than facing up or directly toward each other as you might expect, they should be on top of the tsuka, facing downward. Sensei explained and demonstrated that this grip allows you to use more of the body's power.
As for the stance, both feet should be facing straight forward, with the left foot slightly back and the heel raised. I found that pretty hard to do while keeping my balance!
Initially, because of practice in aikido, I kept pulling my shinai back so far that it would hang down over my back; I'd been told that that was to protect against strikes from behind. When striking in kendo, the shinai doesn't go back that far at all!
We spent a lot of the time with me practicing men (head) strikes. I was thrilled at how much fun it was, even as I found myself becoming sore.
Another thing that I learned was how to sit properly in seiza. Again, previous experience in aikido was detrimental; I had been taught not to sit with my big toes overlapping, but that's the correct way to sit in kendo. I had trouble remembering that I had to sit/rise with specific legs sometimes, so sensei taught me a mnemonic: 左座右起 (さざうき, sazauki), which means left-sit-right-move. When sitting in seiza, the left leg goes down first; when rising, the right leg comes up first.
My biggest problems that he pointed out were that I needed to make sure my feet were pointed forward, that my shinai, when in guard position, pointed at the opponent's throat, and that I kept my shoulders relaxed when striking.
All in all, it was incredible. Everything I'd been hoping for since I was a child, and more.
They're all nice kids; three or four of them are actually brothers. There are usually eight or nine people at practice; enough to make for a fun game of handball!
Apparently one of the pre-practice traditions to warm up is to play handball with a knotted, wet towel. The kids all show up in hakama and keikogi, ready to go, so once enough kids show up, they start splitting into teams. Of course, everyone wanted me on their team since I'm a gigantic adult.
It was a lot of fun and helped me loosen up. After we played handball for a bit, we all went out to the sink to get more washcloths and wipe the floor. If you've seen Japanese movies or anime with people bent over, running as they press a towel against the floor, you know what we do.
Sensei paid special attention to me that day in the beginning since it was my first day. He introduced me, told them I was from America, then practice began.
I was glad I'd had experience in aikido; I knew what to expect in the beginning, with lining up and bowing. If I hadn't had that experience, I probably would have been completely lost!
From there, sensei found me a shinai that had belonged to a student who had since left; probably an older one, since it was just the right size for me. He showed me the parts of the shinai before moving on to the grip and stance. A shinai is a special practice sword used for kendo; it's made from four bamboo slats carefully fitted together and bound with deerhide.
The grip is interesting; the left hand grips the bottom of the tsuka, or hilt. The fingers of the left hand grip with decreasing power from the pinkie up; the grip is supposed to be strongest with the pinkie and ring finger, but zero with the thumb and index finger. The right hand grips the tsuka just below the tsuba or crossguard. The right hand's power is supposed to be almost zero as well.
Another important point is the direction of the palms; rather than facing up or directly toward each other as you might expect, they should be on top of the tsuka, facing downward. Sensei explained and demonstrated that this grip allows you to use more of the body's power.
As for the stance, both feet should be facing straight forward, with the left foot slightly back and the heel raised. I found that pretty hard to do while keeping my balance!
Initially, because of practice in aikido, I kept pulling my shinai back so far that it would hang down over my back; I'd been told that that was to protect against strikes from behind. When striking in kendo, the shinai doesn't go back that far at all!
We spent a lot of the time with me practicing men (head) strikes. I was thrilled at how much fun it was, even as I found myself becoming sore.
Another thing that I learned was how to sit properly in seiza. Again, previous experience in aikido was detrimental; I had been taught not to sit with my big toes overlapping, but that's the correct way to sit in kendo. I had trouble remembering that I had to sit/rise with specific legs sometimes, so sensei taught me a mnemonic: 左座右起 (さざうき, sazauki), which means left-sit-right-move. When sitting in seiza, the left leg goes down first; when rising, the right leg comes up first.
My biggest problems that he pointed out were that I needed to make sure my feet were pointed forward, that my shinai, when in guard position, pointed at the opponent's throat, and that I kept my shoulders relaxed when striking.
All in all, it was incredible. Everything I'd been hoping for since I was a child, and more.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Kendo I - The Beginning
I went to watch practice for the first time; a student recommended his dojo to me, but I still wanted to see what it was like and talk to the sensei first. I was a bit intimidated -- but not for the reasons you might expect. When I went to watch practice, all of the students were elementary children. Only a few of them have double-digit ages.
I still thought it looked incredibly interesting, despite the age gap. Kendo is, after all, sort of like little league in Japan; it's something that people generally start when they're young. I hear it also used to be a part of the physical education curriculum, which I can understand. It's quite a workout!
After practice ended, I met the sensei, and he was incredibly warm and welcoming. He told me about kendo, then iaido (form practice with a blunt sword), then jodo (staff practice), though the jodo practice was way too far away for me to be able to attend. He also completely soothed my worries when it came to practicing with children, so I told him I would come to the next practice ready to go. He said that it was fine to come in sportswear since I was a beginner.
I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed; not only do I like keikogi (the "karate uniform" top) and hakama (pleated skirtlike pants) that kenshi (kendo practitioners) wear, but I wanted to fit in with the kids so I didn't stand out even more. Much, much greater than my disappointment was my eagerness to start.
Speaking of not fitting in, I only saw one student who wasn't wearing the bogu, or armor, that kenshi generally wear when they're advanced enough for contact sparring. That student also stood out because she was a girl. I wasn't very surprised, since half of the kenshi I know are female, but I was glad that I wouldn't be the only one without bogu.
Armed with a form to fill out, I returned home, completely excited about starting practice.
I still thought it looked incredibly interesting, despite the age gap. Kendo is, after all, sort of like little league in Japan; it's something that people generally start when they're young. I hear it also used to be a part of the physical education curriculum, which I can understand. It's quite a workout!
After practice ended, I met the sensei, and he was incredibly warm and welcoming. He told me about kendo, then iaido (form practice with a blunt sword), then jodo (staff practice), though the jodo practice was way too far away for me to be able to attend. He also completely soothed my worries when it came to practicing with children, so I told him I would come to the next practice ready to go. He said that it was fine to come in sportswear since I was a beginner.
I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed; not only do I like keikogi (the "karate uniform" top) and hakama (pleated skirtlike pants) that kenshi (kendo practitioners) wear, but I wanted to fit in with the kids so I didn't stand out even more. Much, much greater than my disappointment was my eagerness to start.
Speaking of not fitting in, I only saw one student who wasn't wearing the bogu, or armor, that kenshi generally wear when they're advanced enough for contact sparring. That student also stood out because she was a girl. I wasn't very surprised, since half of the kenshi I know are female, but I was glad that I wouldn't be the only one without bogu.
Armed with a form to fill out, I returned home, completely excited about starting practice.
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