To adjust to your body is very true, thank you sensei for your insights! I've only been thinking about this issue after a recent training with Sumi sensei, where he mentioned to keep the elbows slightly bent to minimize elbow stress and prevent tennis elbow. It's always a great help to have senseis sharing advice, especially with your degree of analysis! Thank you
You're welcome and sorry for not replying sooner. I didn't realise your post until just now. Sorry about that. I think Sumi sensei and I share the same opinions about elbows. Well, I was taught to do so, so my sensei and Sumi sensei shares the same opinion :) I envy you for being able to train with Sumi sensei!
+Dave Carr You're very welcome and thank you for taking time to leave your comment. Listen to your teacher before my suggestions, OK? That is the rule No.1. Thank you!
Thank you for the video! I used to overextend my right arm so it was straight which was causing pain on my inner elbow. I tried fixing this by consciously not using right hang as much, which only helped a little bit. That joined with setting my left shoulder back really helps! Thanks for the advice!
I think a video about San Sappo and how to take the center line would be useful. In Ji-Geiko, it is sometimes difficult to know when to strike, to detect the right opportunity. As a result, beginners like me tend to crash into one another without anyone doing a valid cut. So, some tips about it would be useful ! Thank you very much ! :)
Julien Loze Good one. I can explain san sappo and how to take the center but it is very hard for you. It is very hard for me too :) That is what we work on in kendo. But probably this article can help you. www.kendo-guide.com/Three-Opportunities-to-Strike.html There are things that you can do right away and they work very good :) Hope that helps! Thanks!
+Hiro Imafuji (Kendo For Life) Thanks for the article, I hadn't read it yet, and I read many things I was not aware of. But there is something I did not understand : what do you mean when you say to strike the opponent when he is blocking ? Thank you very much for your help !
Julien Loze Good question! When your opponent blocks, say men (head), there will be some openings like kote (wrist) or do (waist). So there you are. Of course, the more advanced your opponent is, the less you will see these openings. So it gets harder to see an opening :)
Great video I tend to lock my arms as I pass on men strike. I have ankle swelling frequently still during the week after class. I'll trade you my ankles for your shoulders lol. :) great video very informative thanks !
+Anarmedsocietyjw Thank you for taking time to write your feedback! No thank you for your offering to trade your ankles and shoulders :) I have enough problems :)
+Hiro Imafuji (Kendo For Life) Lol . it's just great having a kendo channel I can watch and learn it's like having another sensei ! thanks so much for taking your time out to make these videos.
Great to hear that you liked the video a lot :) How to spar? That is very hard to teach through a video. You don't got to a dojo? If you can, go and visit a dojo and watch. You might be able to talk to someone in charge at that dojo and you might be able to attend their class once a month if that dojo is far from your place.
I was specifically looking for a discussion of this very question as well as shoulder placement, so thank you for your videos on these detailed topics. I have a question: Does the way I hold the shinai make certain waza, like harai or maki, weaker? I'll describe how I hold the shinai. I was taught to keep both elbows straight but not locked at the end of the strike, however as you mentioned, this can be uncomfortable if my right hand must touch the tsuba. I came up with a solution: I keep my left hand is close to the bottom of the tsuka and my right hand is a comfortable distance away, meaning it is not against the tsuba. The distance between my hands is similar to the distance when you were holding the katana. In this way, I can maintain a fully frontal posture and I don't give up reach. Another complication you addressed was I was taught to strike men at the top of the head, which means the final position of the shinai needs to be a little bit more horizontal than what is shown in this video. The approach I mentioned above seems to help with this final position as well without needing to raise my shoulders. My arms end up being quite straight in front of me. Anyhow, I'm curious: Might this approach lead to certain weaker waza? Since my left and right hands are a little closer on the tsuka, I wonder how much my leverage will suffer---or leverage less important than I think for those techniques? Thank you.
Thanks for your comment and you're welcome, Jamie G! That is a good question and a discussion topic! It depends on how close your hands are. Should I make a video? Or it can be a live video or something. Anyway, I will answer your questions in a video shortly! Thanks!
So helpful!.... Very nice like always!. Hiro, can you do a video about kodachi (wakizashi)?... because I love it! I love one handed swords, but kodachi is amazing for me. The reason of this question is I don´t find videos about training with it, solo forms, etc... and less videos from good traditional sources. I train with katana, kodachi and tanto, but kodachi and tanto no so much because of the small number of videos and informetion. Sorry for my english and my regards from Argentine!
+zeroa6 Thanks for your comment and question. Don't worry about your English. My first language is not English either! Now in kendo we only have 3 forms with kodachi so I don't think I can teach you that. I am so sorry about that. You should do kendo in Argentine. They have Federation, www.kendoargentina.org/ . They probably won't teach you kodachi but at least you can learn kendo!
I've been having the same question for years and and in fact I felt I only could keep straight elbows with a shorter tsuka, so this video makes me think my body's been always right n_n Thanks alot Imafuji sensei!
You're very welcome! 1. listen to your sensei, 2. study what you learned 3. make some adjustment and go back to 1. If you are on this cycle, you are good to go!
What do you feel about blocking first and using the motion of the block to transition directly into a counter-strike to win in kendo? I know the ideal in kendo is to strike without regard to the opponent's simultaneous attack. I think many kendo elite prefer using superior speed, kiai, zanshin and timing to win the exchange. I understand this, but since I also come from a Kyokushin karate background, I find being able to block effectively will expose openings in the attacker's position, and from there it's much simpler for me to attack back and hit a target.
We have such techniques. We just don't have "formal" ways to block since blocks should immediately turn into attacks; we call them Oji-waza. To execute oji-waza, you must be in control; otherwise, you don't really have time to execute any techniques. Of course, it is not always the case but just tendency wise. It is difficult because we have the shinai and we must hit the correct part of a target with the right part of the shinai. But in this article, www.kendo-guide.com/Three-Opportunities-to-Strike.html, after your opponent executed his/her strike is one of the best opportunities to strike, you should execute your strike after your opponent is done with his/hers. Hope this makes sense :)
At my club. My sempai taught me that both elbows are straight because most of the slashing force is from the left hand, because the left hand is bent more than the right so it creates better force. That right??
+fontaina ibaim I started kendo when I was 7. But my sensei started when he was 15. Since you know the basics of kendo, you need a place to train them and a teacher to correct you. Hope you can find a good dojo near where you live!
+Hiro Imafuji (Kendo For Life) thank you so much. I live in Germany and i already have found some good dojo's but haven't decided yet. Please make more videos and do you're best!! I love this channel
+Hiro Imafuji (Kendo For Life) I'm currently reading the book called "kendo approaches for all levels (satori Honda). He said the average for passing shoudan in western countries is 31. From your experience, do you agree?
So it depends on the length of the tsuka.......... I always prqctice with the elbow slightly bent, almost straight but not straight because I want to give my elbow some room for immediate impact force, so my joint and muscle will not be injured badly. I do mot have a teacher near me want to teach me, adult Asian, so I watch multiple masters's videos and practice on my own.
+Jen-Yen Chen Thank you for your comment. My elbows are always slightly bent too. Are you practicing kendo on your own? Where do you live? We have a saying "Spend 3 years to search a good teacher rather than starting to learn 3 years earlier". If you spend the same amount of time, you should search for a good teacher. It is not a good idea to learn from multiple teachers on the Internet. If you need a help to search a dojo, let me know.
Thanks. I live in Virginia northern area. I found some people teach kendo and there are also 2 ken jutsu teaching places.... I followed their requirement to wrote e-mail first asking for a permission to visit but none of them reply back......one is 中山流 and the other one (kind of far from my place) is 天香正傳 神道香取流。 Well, I guess they are so famous and only those who have practiced for long time and also from other famous teachers can get into their place to even just watch..... This is why my better source is from the internet.....
+Duy Le Thank you! I have been suffering from my back injury now and not training since last October. I have been very patient and focus on fixing my injuries. I really appreciate your kind words!
Thank you for your comment, enoch pimentel!😀 Sorry about my super delayed response. I am sure your blister is gone by now! But let me introduce a link so others with the same issue might find it helpful. www.kendo-guide.com/blister_treatment.html. 😀👍 Thank you and sorry again for my late response!
+zeroa6 Thanks for your question. Wow, that is a question I have never been asked and thought about. I bought my bokuto in Japan and never had any problem with them. I have had them for more than 10 years. And they are not specially made or anything. My bokuto broke my student bokuto (purchased in USA) while doing do uchiotoshi men in bokuto kihon ho. And of course, my bokuto was older than his. According to bokkenshop.net/html/page1.html, you should keep your bokuto away from direct sunlight and avoid the rooms that are affected by cooling/heating system too much. To avoid bokuto from getting distorted, keep it sideways. After using, clean it with dry cloth. It is said that oiling is good for bokuto but once every a few month should be enough. Walnut oil, camellia oil, wax for white wood, etc, are often used but oil for shinai and cooking oil can be used as substitute. That is what they say on their page. Hope this helps!
If you know very famous teachers of iaido and kenjutsu y japan, please recomend to me them!. I practice kenjutsu and iaido, but love all budo, and I learn very much from japanese people. Thanks!
My Tare is constantly rotating to the left during Keiko. My Sensei only told me to stop over extending my right arm. It wasn’t until I discovered from a RUclips video, and not from my Sensei, that my tsukagawa is too long. So, I shorten my tsukagawa to the appropriate length; yet, the problem still persists. I don’t know what to do. Despite the overextending, my sensei tells me my technique is great and I should be able to pass 3dan exam in April. Any advice? よろしくお願いします！
Thanks for asking! You did a great job with analysing what you were doing. Then you came up with a solution. That is great. I will make a video about this because this is one of the common issues too. But here is what I want you to do. 1. Where do you wear tare? Is it tight enough? 2. Your body is probably side-on, if not in chudan but when you strike. If you tend to overextend your right arm, your body becomes side-on when you strike. Probably that is the main reason. Hope this helps!
Thankyou for these videos, I am a very inexperienced learner, and after a year away with knee problems and surgery I am trying to comeback whilst on lockdown by practicing home Subari. Your videos really help. Arigato gozimasu
hiro sensei, my question is regarding nito, although it's fine if you don't know the answer. so it's regarding the yuko datotsu requirement for a shoto strike. I read the rules for this and it says "elbows should be straight when striking with shoto". I wanted to know if the elbow should be straight even before the cut or should it only be straight upon contact with the target and during zanshin? thank you for taking the time to read my comment :)
Have you learned kata with kodachi? You should use your shoto like that when striking. I think they added that sentence to prevent strikings with shoto in tsuba-zeriai (just a guess). But don't forget the regulation says "only when suppressing your opponent with daito". Also shoto strikes are very hard to execute to satisfy all the elements for a valid cut. That is why almost all the time it cannot be seen as a valid cut in shiai. But during training or keiko, people one sword should be very careful when fighting nito. Even though it is not seen as a valid cut, you don't want to relax in tsuba-zeriai against nito. You don't want to get hit anyway with shoto. :)
+Hiro Imafuji (Kendo For Life) thank you for the reply sensei! Unfortunately, i haven't had the chance to do kodachi kata yet as I'm still a mudansha 1sk kyu. There is no dan exam in my area and it requires us to travel first,which can be very expensive for a university student like me. Also, if you don't mind, i have a follow up question: it's about the lines "daito should be physically suppressing the opponent's shinai". Does this restrict my opportunity to strike with shoto to only as an oji waza where I blocked an opponent's attack using daito first? Or is it acceptable to strike with shoto as part of a shikake waza;such as when daito strikes men but opponent blocks ,shoto hits do while daito is still in contact with opponent's shinai? My sensei said that the wording for suppression in japanese is very broad and that it could mean a lot of things. He is japanese but has poor english and so only dismissed my query with "just don't expect ippon for shoto in shiai" T_T my reason for this curiousity is that the rules for shoto datotsu is very contradicting to the nature of nito. Sensei always says "shoto is not a shield!" , "in nito, shoto has majority of the work " or "nito is attack attack attack! yah! no fear, no defending!". I take it to mean that shoto is for attacking the opponent using seme, or something like that but I'm not sure anymore. It could be my lack of experience with kendo (1 and a half year) that makes it difficult for me to understand.. I really do appreciate your response sensei, as it might be able to help me understand this a lot easier than tackling the question by myself :)
Raven Flau You're welcome! At the dojo I instruct, mudansha including kids do kata too and if they are good, they do kodachi. So kata is not for exams but to learn goodies of kendo. But different dojo have different rules so follow the regulations of your dojo. "daito should be physically suppressing the opponent's shinai". Does this restrict my opportunity to strike with shoto to only as an oji waza where I blocked an opponent's attack using daito first? I don't think so. But probably that would be the most of the situations, I imagine. Or is it acceptable to strike with shoto as part of a shikake waza; such as when daito strikes men but opponent blocks ,shoto hits do while daito is still in contact with opponent's shinai? This one is not really "physically suppressing". This is my guess and we can interpret however we want so I am not sure. One thing I am sure is almost 100% you cannot get a point by kodachi strikes in shiai. But it doesn't mean you shouldn't. What I am going to write here now is totally my personal view. I don't think we should be "point" oriented. As long as we have "competition", we need rules and we need to DEFINE what should be a point. This will lead kendo to "point" oriented kendo. And people start removing techniques that are hard to get points in shiai. As a result, those techniques that are not used often will die out. And also people start doing jigeiko based on what will be seen as points in shiai. If this happens, no one cares about mental aspect of kendo. I don't agree with hitting your opponent with shoto in tsuba-zeriai both in keiko and shiai but I think it is OK to strike with shoto. The most importantly you should execute a good enough strike to convince your opponent. Even if your strike misses your opponent, your strike should impress your opponent. This is a really good strike. I know you just wonder what strike is seen valid in shiai. Nothing wrong with your question. I just saw this a good opportunity for me to share what I have been thinking. So please don't think I am telling you off or something. I didn't want you to be controlled by shiai rules and loose the way of the sword. It is a good question though. :)
Thank you so much for your input! I now have a better view of how I should treat shiai! I agree that kendo should not be point oriented. With that in mind, I'm going to excercise the wazas that were taught to me even if they're not going to score ippon. I do hope someday I'll be able to score a very sincere ippon with my shoto so people will not forget that the shinai is a representation of a katana and that shoto is not just a shield or decoration :)
Raven Flau You're very welcome! Right. With shoto, even strikers get emotional because it is easy to strike their opponent. I should put it this way. Since shoto is easier to control, the nito practitioners easily want to use it to get back to their opponent with shoto. Shoto is more easily to control so your mind is also be easily controlled by shoto. You know what I mean? When that happens, your kendo is off the way of the sword. Nito practitioners should be aware of that. But it is also important to study nito so I wish you good luck!!!
indeed, *very* helpful, Sensei Hiro Sama💮 While watching some of my personal favorite swordsmen and others as well, I kept thinking the straighter the joints, the more accurate and powerful the strike but as you said...Study the body and talk to our sensei. When I saw your videos I started using your techniques and through trial of my way and then yours, again I see results and I am getting stronger, especially being female, I started doing wide arm pushups to alleviate the shoulders straining (by strengthening them). This made me want to ask you : Sensei Hiro Sama, are there any type of exercise one should avoid or practice more of that affects kendo in good or bad way? Thank you for any advice 💮
+*Haajar Kuchiki ( Your Wife ) Thank you for your comment and kind words. Yup, after all, your sensei is your guide and you must dig his/her teachings deeply. Exercises: Since I have injured left Achilles, left knee, both shoulders and the back. Currently doing physio therapy on my back. So my focus now is to strengthen my body so I don't get injured. :) If you want to know what I do, my focus now is to strengthen my core muscles. The exercises requires nothing or just tube. You can probably get a book or videos on youtube to look for exercises. These exercises don't look like what Rocky does but they are really effective. I am sure if you do these exercises, you will become stronger.
Hiro Imafuji Thank you Hiro Sama! I will try to do those types of resistance for my arms then. I think when I did push ups and the striking practice same day, it was too much and I tightened my shoulder on the left. Also, thank you for the breathing exercises! You were right! It is so easy because the way you take time to explain and concentrate💮 You are the *best!* When I bow before practice, I also do for you. Aregato Sensei 💮
Hiro Imafuji Good Evening, Hiro Sama. Today after my physical test, I learned I was right, my left side arm and leg are the dominant in stregnth - even though I am right handed. Is it best to use that side for defense and balance during Chudan and Striking vs trying to strike with it? Perhaps it is obvious, however, you are the Master, and I always like to make sure from the higer ups first to avoid being proud and worse, injured. Aregato Sensei💮
+Common sense Thank you for your message. There is a free kendo study group you can join at my website, kendo-for-life.com/. If you can support me financially every month, as a thank you, I have ads free instruction videos at www.patreon.com/kendoforlife for Patron Level 2: Gold members and up. Hope these are good options for you.
+Hiro Imafuji (Kendo For Life) Sounds awesome, that I can do. Can a person under this study group be able to say promote and participate in Kendo tournaments?
Common sense No. Instructing over the Internet has limitation. I can help you as much as I can but if you want to go for promotion and tournaments, you need training partners and good instructors. The best way is that you belong to a club closest to you and attend once a month, two or three as many times as you can. And you should attend seminars as well. When you belong to a club and federation you are eligible to attend seminars. You really need actual training partners if you are thinking to study kendo seriously. I can always help you with your kendo study.
今藤様 I have a Question about straight Elbows. I just started Kendo in Tokyo, I'm 35 years old though. My sensei wants me to straighten my Arms and do a shibori when I practice men blows. I have the same Problem with the wrist and my right elbow starts hurting when I straighten it every time. Can I still pass the exams if I don't straighten my arm? What should I tell my sensei, because they kind of insist that I do it like that :(
Hi Adrian. Thank you for your question. If you are in pain, you should not do that. You should take a rest if you are in pain and probably you can ask your doctor to write a note for your sensei. You can pass your exam. No problem. Just to make sure. You can straighten your elbows a little bit, correct? You will feel pains when you straighten your elbows until you feel like they are locked up. Is this the case? Thanks!
Hello Mr. Imafuji, yes, exactly. My teachers told me, I should straigten my right arm when I hit. It should be about shoulder high and straight. The problem is, when I lock my elbow too often, it starts hurting. I would like to leave it slightly bent. But the old teachers here in Tokyo are very strict, every teacher is about 60 years old where I train. Best regards!
I have been training with a Cold Steel(brand not actually made of steel) Bokken which is rather large, and today I picked up a regular wooden bokken and it was so light that it was unwieldy to me. Should I continue on with the heavier one, or find a way to make the lighter bokken work?
+john hansen The most important question is: Can you keep your form correct with the heavy one? In many cases, people develop bad habits using a heavy sword. And we have a saying in kendo. Swing a heavy sword as if it is light and swing a light sword as if it is heavy. I think it means that you should not change your form and the way you use the sword. Hope this helps.
I stopped going to kendo about 6 yrs now cos of job I want to return to kendo but last job has left my natural posture very bad I'm basical a hunch back it takes a monumental effort to have correct posture even walking now requires so much effort. Iam 28 so I'm hoping by returning to kendo it will help correct my posture n health but I know I will struggle and I'm afraid Sensei will expect more from me or maybe I'm embarrassed cos if I compare my old self I feel very incompetent. Do u have any advice or recommend anything
i want to do kendo so bad im buying gear its expensive but im 17 is it to late for me to do kendo if not i want to do this for the rest of my days and improve my mind and strengthen my body im in usa and will go to las vegas to a kendo club i wonder how you get into tournaments because kendo is something i really want in my life
Thank you for your comment and questions. You are ONLY 17 and if you want to do it so bad you should do it right away. And if you want to get into a tournament, you should belong to a club first. Good luck!
Do you train in iaido? or other martial arts? I'm interested in the history and origins of kendo. also Masters of Kendo You mention these in your videos and would make for some interesting content. I have been watching Taiga dramas (Japanese History) on Drama Cool. Fun to watch Ryomaden, Shisengumi, Tenchijin, Furin Kazan, King of Zipangu, Sanada Taiheki and lots more. also Neko Zamurai For learning Japanese Hiragana and Katakana see DrMoku.com on the internet Easy for students to learn.
+highchamp1 Thank you for your comment! I am into Iaido and jodo as well. It is always good to watch some drama. But I prefer doing rather than watching and reading :) Talking to doing kendo and other martial arts at the same time, I just issued a podcast: kendo-podcast.com/kendo-podcast-episode-09-training-kendo-and-other-martial-arts-at-the-same-time/ If you are interested, please listen :) Thanks again for leaving a comment!
Hi Hiro sensei, I have a question about striking in Kendo. My question is that what is the position of the kensen, I have been told that the position of kensen should be at the chin or ear level. In this case, what is about the right arm and left arm? I read some kendo magazine and also asked my sensei, they all say that the right arm should be parallel with the floor and of course the left arm should be kept in the center and before your chest (I might be wrong for chest position). I tried at home and capture a video then realized that if I do suburi like this (I meant the position of kensen at chin level of imaginary opponent) then my right arm is not parallel with the floor. If I tried to make my right arms parallel to the floor then the position of kensei is quite high. Regarding the the left arm, I tried both ways, one is straight and one is bend so I myself found that if I straight my left arm then my shoulder is very tight, as a consequence, I cannot make the second strike or my posture looks incorrect, so I prefer to bend left arm and should be kept in the center. However, I might be wrong so please correct me? Many thanks. Thanh
Thanks for your comment and question. There are many ways of teachings in kendo due to its historical background. That is why you must listen to your teacher;otherwise, you will get confused. Having said that, my point of view on this matter is in the video. If your right arm is parallel to the floor with the kensaki at the eye or chin height, your left hand has to be placed very high. Our aim is to cut down so my point is that our arms should be placed according to the kensaki level. There is only person who can correct you. Your teacher. I do what my teachers told me and share the teachings with you and others. And you should listen to your body. If you feel tight or pain, then you should think about it. Hope this helps!
Hei sensei! For me, I felt that keep the kensen at chin level with relax shoulder, elbow and wrist is the most suitable form for me. So I think I will keep doing suburi like this. I also watched another kendo seminar from Chiba sensei, Sumi sensei, Alex Bennet sensei and Andy Fisher sensei, all of them says the same. Moreover and more important is that my sensei has the same words and thinking about listen to my body and try to relax my body in order to sync my body and my shinai. I have shared two videos about my suburi with men-nari and shinai. Please could you have a look and give me any advice? Thanks again. Thanh
Hai Sensei :). I am trying wake up at 5:30am and spend 1 hour just for suburi and footwork. At the weekend, if the weather is better then I go practicing outside in my garden with my dummy kendo :). I will try my best. Men-nari helps me a lot. The videos link has been shared in your video about Mennari. Many thanks again :). Thanh
It's always interesting to hear about Matsumoto sensei's advice, thank you for sharing.
+Defsolid You're very welcome and thanks for leaving a comment!
To adjust to your body is very true, thank you sensei for your insights! I've only been thinking about this issue after a recent training with Sumi sensei, where he mentioned to keep the elbows slightly bent to minimize elbow stress and prevent tennis elbow. It's always a great help to have senseis sharing advice, especially with your degree of analysis! Thank you
You're welcome and sorry for not replying sooner. I didn't realise your post until just now. Sorry about that. I think Sumi sensei and I share the same opinions about elbows. Well, I was taught to do so, so my sensei and Sumi sensei shares the same opinion :) I envy you for being able to train with Sumi sensei!
thanks for this :) am struggling to make my elbows straight always during practice.
No worries! You don't have to make them straight intentionally in my opinion!
Thank you for the teachings!!! 🙏
Thank you greatest beginner to Shodan and above channel on planet earth
Thank you!
Nice details and background. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos. They are helpful to us new to Kendo.
+Dave Carr You're very welcome and thank you for taking time to leave your comment. Listen to your teacher before my suggestions, OK? That is the rule No.1. Thank you!
Great video and channel! Keep up the good work Mr Imafuji!
Thank you!
You always give very smart instruction & leave your teachings open for the student to develop their style & discipline...
Tank you!
thanks hiro sense answer is here!
+김성진 You're very welcome! Glad to hear that the answer is in the video!
thank you very much! guess comments are working now
+martianmatt82 You're very welcome! glad to hear that!
Thank you for the video! I used to overextend my right arm so it was straight which was causing pain on my inner elbow. I tried fixing this by consciously not using right hang as much, which only helped a little bit. That joined with setting my left shoulder back really helps! Thanks for the advice!
*hand
Thanks for your comment and you're welcome, Leonardo Valeri! 😄
Thank you so much , for me it's not a confusing problem anymore
Great! Hope my video helped you a little bit too!
Thanks, that last advise to listen to your body saved my shoulders. Very good advise.
One word
Another great video! Thank you so much for sharing this information with us. We really appreciate it.A great honor Sensei!All the best!
+Fernando Gaona Thank you for your positive comment! Like other comments, that makes me very happy! Thank you again for taking time to write to me!
I like this type of videos where you talk about the details of the techniques, it's really helpful. Keep them going ! :)
+Julien Loze Thank you for your feedback! Please let me know if you have something particular in mind for me to make a video on. Thank you!
I think a video about San Sappo and how to take the center line would be useful.
In Ji-Geiko, it is sometimes difficult to know when to strike, to detect the right opportunity.
As a result, beginners like me tend to crash into one another without anyone doing a valid cut.
So, some tips about it would be useful !
Thank you very much ! :)
Julien Loze Good one. I can explain san sappo and how to take the center but it is very hard for you. It is very hard for me too :) That is what we work on in kendo.
But probably this article can help you.
www.kendo-guide.com/Three-Opportunities-to-Strike.html
There are things that you can do right away and they work very good :)
Hope that helps!
Thanks!
+Hiro Imafuji (Kendo For Life) Thanks for the article, I hadn't read it yet, and I read many things I was not aware of.
But there is something I did not understand : what do you mean when you say to strike the opponent when he is blocking ?
Thank you very much for your help !
Julien Loze Good question! When your opponent blocks, say men (head), there will be some openings like kote (wrist) or do (waist). So there you are.
Of course, the more advanced your opponent is, the less you will see these openings. So it gets harder to see an opening :)
Great info, please keep them coming.
Thank you!
Thank you for great advice. Good work
Thanks for your tutoring. I’m struggling with how to properly hold the shinai but your clip helps me a lot. :)
Thank you Sensei.
Loving the new edits and format!
+rillz11 Good to know! Thank you for taking time to leave your comment!
Great video I tend to lock my arms as I pass on men strike. I have ankle swelling frequently still during the week after class. I'll trade you my ankles for your shoulders lol. :) great video very informative thanks !
+Anarmedsocietyjw Thank you for taking time to write your feedback! No thank you for your offering to trade your ankles and shoulders :) I have enough problems :)
+Hiro Imafuji (Kendo For Life) Lol . it's just great having a kendo channel I can watch and learn it's like having another sensei ! thanks so much for taking your time out to make these videos.
Anarmedsocietyjw :) You're more than welcome! I am glad that you enjoy the videos! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us thank you for sharing this awesome video! :-)
Glad you enjoyed it!
I am new to Kendo and I appreciate very much your videos, thanks!
Thanks for sharing brother!
You're welcome!
Thank you Sensei!
Plz do more!!!!!!
Like this video?
Yeah a lot! Please teach us how to spar
Great to hear that you liked the video a lot :) How to spar? That is very hard to teach through a video. You don't got to a dojo? If you can, go and visit a dojo and watch. You might be able to talk to someone in charge at that dojo and you might be able to attend their class once a month if that dojo is far from your place.
Okay, thanks! Please do more videos though I really like your content!
Can you make a video on how to hold the katana?
Great channel.
Thank you!
I was specifically looking for a discussion of this very question as well as shoulder placement, so thank you for your videos on these detailed topics.
I have a question: Does the way I hold the shinai make certain waza, like harai or maki, weaker? I'll describe how I hold the shinai.
I was taught to keep both elbows straight but not locked at the end of the strike, however as you mentioned, this can be uncomfortable if my right hand must touch the tsuba.
I came up with a solution: I keep my left hand is close to the bottom of the tsuka and my right hand is a comfortable distance away, meaning it is not against the tsuba. The distance between my hands is similar to the distance when you were holding the katana. In this way, I can maintain a fully frontal posture and I don't give up reach.
Another complication you addressed was I was taught to strike men at the top of the head, which means the final position of the shinai needs to be a little bit more horizontal than what is shown in this video. The approach I mentioned above seems to help with this final position as well without needing to raise my shoulders. My arms end up being quite straight in front of me.
Anyhow, I'm curious: Might this approach lead to certain weaker waza? Since my left and right hands are a little closer on the tsuka, I wonder how much my leverage will suffer---or leverage less important than I think for those techniques?
Thank you.
Thanks for your comment and you're welcome, Jamie G! That is a good question and a discussion topic! It depends on how close your hands are. Should I make a video? Or it can be a live video or something.
Anyway, I will answer your questions in a video shortly!
Thanks!
@@KendoGuide That's great! I look forward to the video!
Thank you very much!
So helpful!.... Very nice like always!.
Hiro, can you do a video about kodachi (wakizashi)?... because I love it! I love one handed swords, but kodachi is amazing for me. The reason of this question is I don´t find videos about training with it, solo forms, etc... and less videos from good traditional sources. I train with katana, kodachi and tanto, but kodachi and tanto no so much because of the small number of videos and informetion.
Sorry for my english and my regards from Argentine!
+zeroa6 Thanks for your comment and question. Don't worry about your English. My first language is not English either!
Now in kendo we only have 3 forms with kodachi so I don't think I can teach you that. I am so sorry about that.
You should do kendo in Argentine. They have Federation, www.kendoargentina.org/ . They probably won't teach you kodachi but at least you can learn kendo!
Thank you very much!
zeroa6 You're welcome!
I've been having the same question for years and and in fact I felt I only could keep straight elbows with a shorter tsuka, so this video makes me think my body's been always right n_n Thanks alot Imafuji sensei!
You're very welcome! 1. listen to your sensei, 2. study what you learned 3. make some adjustment and go back to 1. If you are on this cycle, you are good to go!
+Hiro Imafuji (Kendo For Life) ok. I'll review the steps of this circle. Thank you :)
pezdelviento You're welcome! Good luck!
What do you feel about blocking first and using the motion of the block to transition directly into a counter-strike to win in kendo?
I know the ideal in kendo is to strike without regard to the opponent's simultaneous attack. I think many kendo elite prefer using superior speed, kiai, zanshin and timing to win the exchange. I understand this, but since I also come from a Kyokushin karate background, I find being able to block effectively will expose openings in the attacker's position, and from there it's much simpler for me to attack back and hit a target.
We have such techniques. We just don't have "formal" ways to block since blocks should immediately turn into attacks; we call them Oji-waza.
To execute oji-waza, you must be in control; otherwise, you don't really have time to execute any techniques. Of course, it is not always the case but just tendency wise.
It is difficult because we have the shinai and we must hit the correct part of a target with the right part of the shinai.
But in this article, www.kendo-guide.com/Three-Opportunities-to-Strike.html, after your opponent executed his/her strike is one of the best opportunities to strike, you should execute your strike after your opponent is done with his/hers.
Hope this makes sense :)
At my club. My sempai taught me that both elbows are straight because most of the slashing force is from the left hand, because the left hand is bent more than the right so it creates better force. That right??
i love your videos so much. I'm a 13 years old girl and i want to start with kendo soon.
When did you start with kendo? I'm very excited and i just know the basics because i watched your vids 😊😄😄
+fontaina ibaim Thank you for your comment! Do you have any kendo places around where you live?
+fontaina ibaim I started kendo when I was 7. But my sensei started when he was 15. Since you know the basics of kendo, you need a place to train them and a teacher to correct you. Hope you can find a good dojo near where you live!
+Hiro Imafuji (Kendo For Life) thank you so much. I live in Germany and i already have found some good dojo's but haven't decided yet. Please make more videos and do you're best!! I love this channel
+Hiro Imafuji (Kendo For Life) I'm currently reading the book called "kendo approaches for all levels (satori Honda). He said the average for passing shoudan in western countries is 31. From your experience, do you agree?
Happy 😊 day
Thank you for the information. Now that years have gone by since the original video, how do you feel about it now?
thank you so much for this video, i understand better this is so helpful ^^
+Abderrahmen Besbes OK, good! One tip from a 9-dan sensei came with it so I hope you liked that too :)
i loved it, it's really an eye opening for me, thank you sensei
Abderrahmen Besbes Oh great! Thank you for saying that!
So it depends on the length of the tsuka..........
I always prqctice with the elbow slightly bent, almost straight but not straight because I want to give my elbow some room for immediate impact force, so my joint and muscle will not be injured badly.
I do mot have a teacher near me want to teach me, adult Asian, so I watch multiple masters's videos and practice on my own.
+Jen-Yen Chen Thank you for your comment. My elbows are always slightly bent too. Are you practicing kendo on your own? Where do you live? We have a saying "Spend 3 years to search a good teacher rather than starting to learn 3 years earlier". If you spend the same amount of time, you should search for a good teacher. It is not a good idea to learn from multiple teachers on the Internet. If you need a help to search a dojo, let me know.
Thanks. I live in Virginia northern area. I found some people teach kendo and there are also 2 ken jutsu teaching places.... I followed their requirement to wrote e-mail first asking for a permission to visit but none of them reply back......one is 中山流 and the other one (kind of far from my place) is 天香正傳 神道香取流。 Well, I guess they are so famous and only those who have practiced for long time and also from other famous teachers can get into their place to even just watch..... This is why my better source is from the internet.....
Jen-Yen Chen Thanks for your reply. Have you checked this? www.auskf.info/dojo/va.htm
Hope you find a dojo and learn kendo and iaido!
please take good care of your injuries sensei
+Duy Le Thank you! I have been suffering from my back injury now and not training since last October. I have been very patient and focus on fixing my injuries. I really appreciate your kind words!
I have this pocket of air built inside of my skin on the first day of practice how do i get rid of it?
Thank you for your comment, enoch pimentel!😀 Sorry about my super delayed response. I am sure your blister is gone by now!
But let me introduce a link so others with the same issue might find it helpful. www.kendo-guide.com/blister_treatment.html. 😀👍
Thank you and sorry again for my late response!
Hi Hiro!... again here! hehe....
Have a question: ¿What product can I use for mantain and protect my bokken?.
+zeroa6 Thanks for your question. Wow, that is a question I have never been asked and thought about.
I bought my bokuto in Japan and never had any problem with them. I have had them for more than 10 years. And they are not specially made or anything. My bokuto broke my student bokuto (purchased in USA) while doing do uchiotoshi men in bokuto kihon ho. And of course, my bokuto was older than his.
According to bokkenshop.net/html/page1.html, you should keep your bokuto away from direct sunlight and avoid the rooms that are affected by cooling/heating system too much.
To avoid bokuto from getting distorted, keep it sideways.
After using, clean it with dry cloth. It is said that oiling is good for bokuto but once every a few month should be enough.
Walnut oil, camellia oil, wax for white wood, etc, are often used but oil for shinai and cooking oil can be used as substitute.
That is what they say on their page.
Hope this helps!
+Hiro Imafuji (Kendo For Life) Awasome anwer!... thank you very much!
zeroa6 You're very welcome! Thanks for taking time to leave a comment!
If you know very famous teachers of iaido and kenjutsu y japan, please recomend to me them!. I practice kenjutsu and iaido, but love all budo, and I learn very much from japanese people.
Thanks!
zeroa6 Which country do you live in?
My Tare is constantly rotating to the left during Keiko. My Sensei only told me to stop over extending my right arm. It wasn’t until I discovered from a RUclips video, and not from my Sensei, that my tsukagawa is too long. So, I shorten my tsukagawa to the appropriate length; yet, the problem still persists. I don’t know what to do. Despite the overextending, my sensei tells me my technique is great and I should be able to pass 3dan exam in April. Any advice?
よろしくお願いします！
Thanks for asking! You did a great job with analysing what you were doing. Then you came up with a solution. That is great.
I will make a video about this because this is one of the common issues too. But here is what I want you to do.
1. Where do you wear tare? Is it tight enough?
2. Your body is probably side-on, if not in chudan but when you strike.
If you tend to overextend your right arm, your body becomes side-on when you strike. Probably that is the main reason.
Hope this helps!
By the way, good luck with your exam!
Hiro Imafuji ありがとうございます🙂
Thankyou for these videos, I am a very inexperienced learner, and after a year away with knee problems and surgery I am trying to comeback whilst on lockdown by practicing home Subari. Your videos really help. Arigato gozimasu
Welcome back! Hope your knee is doing good. I had a knee surgery too. Take it easy. And when you have questions/suggestions, let me know!
hiro sensei, my question is regarding nito, although it's fine if you don't know the answer.
so it's regarding the yuko datotsu requirement for a shoto strike. I read the rules for this and it says "elbows should be straight when striking with shoto". I wanted to know if the elbow should be straight even before the cut or should it only be straight upon contact with the target and during zanshin?
thank you for taking the time to read my comment :)
Have you learned kata with kodachi? You should use your shoto like that when striking. I think they added that sentence to prevent strikings with shoto in tsuba-zeriai (just a guess).
But don't forget the regulation says "only when suppressing your opponent with daito".
Also shoto strikes are very hard to execute to satisfy all the elements for a valid cut. That is why almost all the time it cannot be seen as a valid cut in shiai.
But during training or keiko, people one sword should be very careful when fighting nito. Even though it is not seen as a valid cut, you don't want to relax in tsuba-zeriai against nito. You don't want to get hit anyway with shoto. :)
+Hiro Imafuji (Kendo For Life) thank you for the reply sensei! Unfortunately, i haven't had the chance to do kodachi kata yet as I'm still a mudansha 1sk kyu. There is no dan exam in my area and it requires us to travel first,which can be very expensive for a university student like me.
Also, if you don't mind, i have a follow up question: it's about the lines "daito should be physically suppressing the opponent's shinai". Does this restrict my opportunity to strike with shoto to only as an oji waza where I blocked an opponent's attack using daito first? Or is it acceptable to strike with shoto as part of a shikake waza;such as when daito strikes men but opponent blocks ,shoto hits do while daito is still in contact with opponent's shinai?
My sensei said that the wording for suppression in japanese is very broad and that it could mean a lot of things. He is japanese but has poor english and so only dismissed my query with "just don't expect ippon for shoto in shiai" T_T
my reason for this curiousity is that the rules for shoto datotsu is very contradicting to the nature of nito. Sensei always says "shoto is not a shield!" , "in nito, shoto has majority of the work " or "nito is attack attack attack! yah! no fear, no defending!". I take it to mean that shoto is for attacking the opponent using seme, or something like that but I'm not sure anymore. It could be my lack of experience with kendo (1 and a half year) that makes it difficult for me to understand..
I really do appreciate your response sensei, as it might be able to help me understand this a lot easier than tackling the question by myself :)
Raven Flau You're welcome! At the dojo I instruct, mudansha including kids do kata too and if they are good, they do kodachi. So kata is not for exams but to learn goodies of kendo. But different dojo have different rules so follow the regulations of your dojo.
"daito should be physically suppressing the opponent's shinai". Does this restrict my opportunity to strike with shoto to only as an oji waza where I blocked an opponent's attack using daito first?
I don't think so. But probably that would be the most of the situations, I imagine.
Or is it acceptable to strike with shoto as part of a shikake waza; such as when daito strikes men but opponent blocks ,shoto hits do while daito is still in contact with opponent's shinai?
This one is not really "physically suppressing". This is my guess and we can interpret however we want so I am not sure.
One thing I am sure is almost 100% you cannot get a point by kodachi strikes in shiai. But it doesn't mean you shouldn't.
What I am going to write here now is totally my personal view.
I don't think we should be "point" oriented. As long as we have "competition", we need rules and we need to DEFINE what should be a point.
This will lead kendo to "point" oriented kendo. And people start removing techniques that are hard to get points in shiai. As a result, those techniques that are not used often will die out.
And also people start doing jigeiko based on what will be seen as points in shiai. If this happens, no one cares about mental aspect of kendo.
I don't agree with hitting your opponent with shoto in tsuba-zeriai both in keiko and shiai but I think it is OK to strike with shoto.
The most importantly you should execute a good enough strike to convince your opponent. Even if your strike misses your opponent, your strike should impress your opponent.
This is a really good strike.
I know you just wonder what strike is seen valid in shiai. Nothing wrong with your question.
I just saw this a good opportunity for me to share what I have been thinking. So please don't think I am telling you off or something.
I didn't want you to be controlled by shiai rules and loose the way of the sword.
It is a good question though. :)
Thank you so much for your input! I now have a better view of how I should treat shiai!
I agree that kendo should not be point oriented. With that in mind, I'm going to excercise the wazas that were taught to me even if they're not going to score ippon.
I do hope someday I'll be able to score a very sincere ippon with my shoto so people will not forget that the shinai is a representation of a katana and that shoto is not just a shield or decoration :)
Raven Flau You're very welcome! Right. With shoto, even strikers get emotional because it is easy to strike their opponent. I should put it this way. Since shoto is easier to control, the nito practitioners easily want to use it to get back to their opponent with shoto.
Shoto is more easily to control so your mind is also be easily controlled by shoto.
You know what I mean?
When that happens, your kendo is off the way of the sword.
Nito practitioners should be aware of that.
But it is also important to study nito so I wish you good luck!!!
indeed, *very* helpful, Sensei Hiro Sama💮 While watching some of my personal favorite swordsmen and others as well, I kept thinking the straighter the joints, the more accurate and powerful the strike but as you said...Study the body and talk to our sensei. When I saw your videos I started using your techniques and through trial of my way and then yours, again I see results and I am getting stronger, especially being female, I started doing wide arm pushups to alleviate the shoulders straining (by strengthening them). This made me want to ask you : Sensei Hiro Sama, are there any type of exercise one should avoid or practice more of that affects kendo in good or bad way? Thank you for any advice 💮
+*Haajar Kuchiki ( Your Wife ) Thank you for your comment and kind words. Yup, after all, your sensei is your guide and you must dig his/her teachings deeply.
Exercises: Since I have injured left Achilles, left knee, both shoulders and the back. Currently doing physio therapy on my back.
So my focus now is to strengthen my body so I don't get injured. :) If you want to know what I do, my focus now is to strengthen my core muscles.
The exercises requires nothing or just tube. You can probably get a book or videos on youtube to look for exercises.
These exercises don't look like what Rocky does but they are really effective. I am sure if you do these exercises, you will become stronger.
Hiro Imafuji Thank you Hiro Sama! I will try to do those types of resistance for my arms then. I think when I did push ups and the striking practice same day, it was too much and I tightened my shoulder on the left.
Also, thank you for the breathing exercises! You were right! It is so easy because the way you take time to explain and concentrate💮 You are the *best!* When I bow before practice, I also do for you. Aregato Sensei 💮
*Haajar Kuchiki ( Your Wife ) Thank you for your kind comments. I am glad that my comments are useful :) Thank you!
Hiro Imafuji always Sensei! Stay blessed 💮
Hiro Imafuji Good Evening, Hiro Sama. Today after my physical test, I learned I was right, my left side arm and leg are the dominant in stregnth - even though I am right handed. Is it best to use that side for defense and balance during Chudan and Striking vs trying to strike with it? Perhaps it is obvious, however, you are the Master, and I always like to make sure from the higer ups first to avoid being proud and worse, injured. Aregato Sensei💮
can a training group be formed under your guidance and tuteledge if a kendo dojo is too far away from my home?
+Common sense Thank you for your message. There is a free kendo study group you can join at my website, kendo-for-life.com/.
If you can support me financially every month, as a thank you, I have ads free instruction videos at www.patreon.com/kendoforlife for Patron Level 2: Gold members and up.
Hope these are good options for you.
+Hiro Imafuji (Kendo For Life) Sounds awesome, that I can do. Can a person under this study group be able to say promote and participate in Kendo tournaments?
Common sense No. Instructing over the Internet has limitation. I can help you as much as I can but if you want to go for promotion and tournaments, you need training partners and good instructors.
The best way is that you belong to a club closest to you and attend once a month, two or three as many times as you can. And you should attend seminars as well. When you belong to a club and federation you are eligible to attend seminars.
You really need actual training partners if you are thinking to study kendo seriously.
I can always help you with your kendo study.
今藤様 I have a Question about straight Elbows. I just started Kendo in Tokyo, I'm 35 years old though. My sensei wants me to straighten my Arms and do a shibori when I practice men blows. I have the same Problem with the wrist and my right elbow starts hurting when I straighten it every time. Can I still pass the exams if I don't straighten my arm? What should I tell my sensei, because they kind of insist that I do it like that :(
Hi Adrian. Thank you for your question. If you are in pain, you should not do that.
You should take a rest if you are in pain and probably you can ask your doctor to write a note for your sensei.
You can pass your exam. No problem.
Just to make sure. You can straighten your elbows a little bit, correct?
You will feel pains when you straighten your elbows until you feel like they are locked up. Is this the case?
Thanks!
Hello Mr. Imafuji,
yes, exactly. My teachers told me, I should straigten my right arm when I hit. It should be about shoulder high and straight. The problem is, when I lock my elbow too often, it starts hurting. I would like to leave it slightly bent. But the old teachers here in Tokyo are very strict, every teacher is about 60 years old where I train.
Best regards!
I have been training with a Cold Steel(brand not actually made of steel) Bokken which is rather large, and today I picked up a regular wooden bokken and it was so light that it was unwieldy to me. Should I continue on with the heavier one, or find a way to make the lighter bokken work?
+john hansen The most important question is: Can you keep your form correct with the heavy one? In many cases, people develop bad habits using a heavy sword. And we have a saying in kendo.
Swing a heavy sword as if it is light and swing a light sword as if it is heavy.
I think it means that you should not change your form and the way you use the sword.
Hope this helps.
Yes it does, The heavier sword doesn't feel heavy for me and I swing it lightly. thanks for the help.
john hansen You're welcome! We need enough strength to lift up the sword and endurance to keep swinging. It is common sensei but hard to do. :)
I try to get at least thirty minutes with it a night.
The bokken I use is 27.7 oz, but it feels good to use.
I challenge u
I stopped going to kendo about 6 yrs now cos of job I want to return to kendo but last job has left my natural posture very bad I'm basical a hunch back it takes a monumental effort to have correct posture even walking now requires so much effort. Iam 28 so I'm hoping by returning to kendo it will help correct my posture n health but I know I will struggle and I'm afraid Sensei will expect more from me or maybe I'm embarrassed cos if I compare my old self I feel very incompetent. Do u have any advice or recommend anything
i want to do kendo so bad im buying gear its expensive but im 17 is it to late for me to do kendo if not i want to do this for the rest of my days and improve my mind and strengthen my body im in usa and will go to las vegas to a kendo club i wonder how you get into tournaments because kendo is something i really want in my life
Thank you for your comment and questions. You are ONLY 17 and if you want to do it so bad you should do it right away. And if you want to get into a tournament, you should belong to a club first. Good luck!
I'll do my best because this is something I've always wanted
really really wish i started when i was 17.
i envy you :)
Kobi Levi Thanks for your comment! At what age did you start kendo?
no problem :) i started at 29.
Sensei, so can I say we can hold on to our own comforts?
Yes. But don't keep your elbows bent too much :)
@@KendoGuide Thanks for the advice, sensei.
You're welcome!
i just took my first class and my hands and joints got painful are there some exercises i can do to strengthen this? or it just comes with time
You've gotten your own dojo? :0
I don't but I am in charge of kendo insruciton at www.mudokwan.com/.
Hiro Imafuji Oh Ok very cool! :-) God bless you~
Grith Brot You're welcome!
先生、どうもありがとうございまた。
Do you train in iaido? or other martial arts?
I'm interested in the history and origins of kendo.
also
Masters of Kendo
You mention these in your videos and would make for some interesting content.
I have been watching Taiga dramas (Japanese History) on Drama Cool.
Fun to watch
Ryomaden, Shisengumi, Tenchijin, Furin Kazan, King of Zipangu, Sanada Taiheki and lots more.
also Neko Zamurai
For learning Japanese Hiragana and Katakana see DrMoku.com on the internet
Easy for students to learn.
+highchamp1 Thank you for your comment! I am into Iaido and jodo as well. It is always good to watch some drama. But I prefer doing rather than watching and reading :)
Talking to doing kendo and other martial arts at the same time, I just issued a podcast: kendo-podcast.com/kendo-podcast-episode-09-training-kendo-and-other-martial-arts-at-the-same-time/
If you are interested, please listen :)
Thanks again for leaving a comment!
Hi Hiro sensei,
I have a question about striking in Kendo.
My question is that what is the position of the kensen, I have been told that the position of kensen should be at the chin or ear level. In this case, what is about the right arm and left arm? I read some kendo magazine and also asked my sensei, they all say that the right arm should be parallel with the floor and of course the left arm should be kept in the center and before your chest (I might be wrong for chest position). I tried at home and capture a video then realized that if I do suburi like this (I meant the position of kensen at chin level of imaginary opponent) then my right arm is not parallel with the floor. If I tried to make my right arms parallel to the floor then the position of kensei is quite high. Regarding the the left arm, I tried both ways, one is straight and one is bend so I myself found that if I straight my left arm then my shoulder is very tight, as a consequence, I cannot make the second strike or my posture looks incorrect, so I prefer to bend left arm and should be kept in the center. However, I might be wrong so please correct me?
Many thanks.
Thanh
Thanks for your comment and question. There are many ways of teachings in kendo due to its historical background. That is why you must listen to your teacher;otherwise, you will get confused.
Having said that, my point of view on this matter is in the video. If your right arm is parallel to the floor with the kensaki at the eye or chin height, your left hand has to be placed very high. Our aim is to cut down so my point is that our arms should be placed according to the kensaki level.
There is only person who can correct you. Your teacher. I do what my teachers told me and share the teachings with you and others.
And you should listen to your body. If you feel tight or pain, then you should think about it.
Hope this helps!
Hei sensei!
For me, I felt that keep the kensen at chin level with relax shoulder, elbow and wrist is the most suitable form for me. So I think I will keep doing suburi like this. I also watched another kendo seminar from Chiba sensei, Sumi sensei, Alex Bennet sensei and Andy Fisher sensei, all of them says the same. Moreover and more important is that my sensei has the same words and thinking about listen to my body and try to relax my body in order to sync my body and my shinai.
I have shared two videos about my suburi with men-nari and shinai. Please could you have a look and give me any advice?
Thanks again.
Thanh
Doan Thanh Good! Keep up the good work! Where are the videos??
Hai Sensei :).
I am trying wake up at 5:30am and spend 1 hour just for suburi and footwork. At the weekend, if the weather is better then I go practicing outside in my garden with my dummy kendo :). I will try my best. Men-nari helps me a lot.
The videos link has been shared in your video about Mennari.
Many thanks again :).
Thanh
Doan Thanh Thanks! Sorry that I couldn't find your videos. I finally did and left my thoughts so please check it out. And keep up the good work!
hiro sensei, i sent you a private message here on youtube to ask for an advice. please do have a look if you have some time. thank you :)
Will do! Thanks!