Today’s class was composed of Hiroko and Lynette. We did standing iai one, two and three to warm up, then practiced free fighting techniques one through six.
Tag: kendo
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Standing iai and free fighting techniques 1 – 6.
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(no details for this day)
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We reviewed standing iai one, two and three today to warm up, then did some work with the cutting pattern. As we worked through the cutting pattern, I made some refinements to the footwork, using a cross-step advance for the wrist and waist attacks (advance in kneeling stance for the second waist cut). This makes the attacks more agressive and helps work on combat movement.
I also brought in some padded practice weapons today, though we did not use them this time. We will likely begin using them as a precursor to shanai sparring, allowing us to spar more heavily while we obtain more protective gear.(no class last week due to holidays)
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I have concluded that with less than an hour available to us, it is simply not enough time to do a full requirements warm up still address specific skills and techniques, so I have backed away from the requirements at the beginning of each class.
Today we did a quick warm up with students choice of cuts, block, and multi-block and counter combinations. We then reviewed kneeling iai 1 through 7b and standing iai 1 through 3. I would have liked to have gone over kneeling iai 8, too, but I need to first review it further myself, using my previous notes to refresh my memory. -
Today I started class with a lap on each of the basic cuts to get us warmed up, then one lap each of alternating left and right temple cuts and alt. left and right waist cuts (advancing in kneeling). I then created some patterns to generate openings (intiated response to use WCoS terminology). The first was right temple, left temple, right temple, left waist; the second I have currently forgotten (I’ll come back and fill it in if I recall it) ; the third was right temple, right temple, left wrist, right waist. After practicing these back and forth several times, we paired off with shanai and practiced the first and third patterns against each other. I felt it was a good class and I seemed that it really fostered some ideas in the others.
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Parry was the primary focus of today’s class. I started us with 1 attack, then 2 attack, and finally 3 attack. I spoke a bit on 3 attack, talking about setting up behavior patterns to create an opening (e.g. L temple, R temple, L waist). It was a good, high energy class.
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Lynette, Daryl and I worked through the green belt requirements today. I recently spoke briefly with Tom, our local sensei, relaying that the more advanced students could really benifit from even just ten or fifteen minutes of time learning one new technique, such as leg cuts or blocks, or relearnign or affirming one of the more advanced techniques covered near the end of the previous class Tom was running.
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Since March 9th I have been going once a week to an informal kendo class comprised of myself, a few other students from the original Kendo class, and a few new ones. The class met on Thursdays originally and switched to Fridays as of the 25th of August. Starting out, Hiroko and I took turns leading the class, however of late I lead class and we consult with each other on questions we are unsure of. Over the past few months, I have incorporated aspects of my Western Circle training, creating a cutting pattern #1 for the kendo class that is equivelent to the WCoS cutting pattern #1 and implementing WCoS training fundementals such as parry (one-attack sparring) and just recently the pairing off and demonstrating requirements as the warm up. I am pleased with the progress of the class and hope to start some light to medium sparring in the near future (with the kendo shanai, gloves, wrist protection, and helmets – throat protection and any other available protective gear will be recommended, though since it is shanai combat rather than boken, there is less worry of bodily damage).
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GREEN BELT TEST
Tonight was my test for the rank of Green Belt, the first rank in the Myo Sim Kendo organization that I train with. The requirements that we went through were; kneeling iai one through five, standing iai one through three, fighting techniques one through six and the shooting star technique, plus a verbal test of our knowledge of the Japanese terms for different parts of the katana and saya. The test was taped for further review by Master Shaw, however Black Sensei granted me the rank of Green Belt upon completion of the test.
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We primarily reviewed all the material we would need to know for our Green Belt test the following class.
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Tonight we reviewed and learned kneeling iai one through nine, standing iai one through ten, and one-step sparring techniques one through eight. Following is an attempt to summarize each move as a memory aid.
Kneeling Iai:
1) Rising to left knee, draw with right temple cut, head cut, shake and return
2) Turn 90 right rising to left knee, draw with right temple cut, head cut, shake and return
3) Turn 90 left rising to right knee, draw with right temple cut, head cut, shake and return
4) Turn 180 left rising to right knee, draw with right temple cut, head cut, shake and return
5) Rising to left knee, draw with right temple cut, advance to right knee with head cut, begin to put away sword and rise to right L stance, low block, raise to jodan bringing right foot up, drop to left knee with head cut to below knee, rise to right kendo stance with sword vertical at left, shake and return
6) Face 45 right, rising to right knee, blocking left head cut, stand and step to left kendo stance with head cut, L stance with sword vertical in back, shake and return
7a) Draw and stand with blade rising horizontally and directed left, step into right front stance with right-handed left kneck cut, left hand bracing sword at gedan, shift to L stance bring blade vertical next to forward right leg, S arc shake and return
7b) Draw and stand with blade rising horizontally, shifting back into left L stance, blade horizontal and directed forward, step into right front stance with right-handed left kneck cut, left hand bracing sword at gedan, shift to L stance bring blade vertical next to forward right leg, S arc shake and return
8) Draw and stand natural stance, blade going to jodan, advance right and left feet into wide natural stance making head cut, advance right and left feet into wide natural stance with chudan head cut, raise sword to jodan, sink to right knee with slow head cut to knee level, switch right hand grip and retrieve cloth, place sword across cloth on knee, clean and return
9) Rising on both knees together, draw with right temple cut, head cut parting knees to drop stance, shake and returnStanding Iai:
1) Draw with right waist cut right front stance, bring sword horizontal directed forward in right cat stance, thrust forward in right front stance, left head block in right L stance, flip opponents blade and place sword in jodan, cross step twice with head cut in right front stance, shift to right L stance with blade vertical behind, shake and return
2) Draw with vertical rising cut right front stance, turn 90 right by stepping even with left foot and right back stepping into left front stance with right kneck cut, shift into left L stance with right temple block, turn 180 by stepping even with right foot and back stepping into right front stance with left kneck cut, look 90 right, bring left knee up and blade vertical behind, stepping down into right L stance, shake and return
3) Sink into stance, draw vertically raising left knee, back step into right front stance with left kneck cut, place sword vertical on left, bring left knee up jumping and turning 180 right with right temple cut landing in right front stance, flip blade back into shoulder, rotate left 180 stepping back into right L stance, shake and return
4a) draw, cut right kneck, cut left kneck
4b) draw, cut right kneck, rotate 180 cut left kneck
5) draw, cut left kneck, bash with pommel, cut right kneck dropping to left knee
6) draw, block down right thrust, head cut, begin to put away, bash forword with pommel, complete draw, 180 left turn, advance and head cut, place blade in crook of arm, 180, shake and return
7) draw with 360 spin dropping to left knee, rise stepping back to left L blocking down right thrust, thrust forward
8) walking forward, stepping left front stance draw and turn 405 (1 and 1/8) with right waist cut, ending in left L stance with blade hidden behind hind leg, stepping forward to right kendo stance with rising vertical slap with blade, rotate blade 180 and shift forward into right front stance thrusting jodan
9) walking forward, stepping right forward, bash with pommel, look 180 and short stab with left hand guiding, palm blade and rotate right 180 horizontal slap blocking, short thrust, cross step into right front stance with jodan thrustOne Step Sparring:
1) Left head block, right wrist cut
2) Right head block, head cut
3) Right wrist block, one-handed right temple cut
4) Left wrist block, bash blade and right temple cut
5) Right waist block, bash blade and right waist cut
6) Left waist block, shift and left thrust
7) Left thrust block, step forward and out with right leg, shifting forward to right front stance with right temple cut, step back with left leg into right L stance making one-handed left temple cut
8) Right thrust block, blade goes horizontal toward opponent, drops low and bashes opponents blade to jodan, slide left in horse stance and cut opponents hind leg
9) Opponent has right gedan guard; advance with left gedan distraction, right gedan bash, head cut, opponent returns with head cut as you drop back into left L stance with left one-handed thrust
10) Opponent has left jodan guard; advance and engage opponents blade circling in clockwise motion flipping opponents blade high, opponent attempts counter but beat them with U or V cut to abdominal region -
We first practiced kneeling iai one through five and standing iai one through three tonight. We’re preparing as best we can for the upcoming testing which should occur within a month or so. Next we practiced fighting techniques one through six. Sensei then had us line up along the wall and called out pairs to perform what every he asked for. My focus was lacking this night and I did not do fighting techniques one and six correctly.
We then moved on and practiced the shooting star technique against an opponent that makes three strikes (head, temple, temple), retreats and charges with a jodan attack. -
Basics and then sparring. I need to work on more random evasion and better use of block-and-counter.
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Kneeling iai one through ten, standing iai one through six and fighting techniques one through six.
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Class tonight was primarily focused on standing iai five through seven and fighting techniques one through six.
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Tonight we reviewed kneeling iai 1 – 5, standing iai 1 – 3, and combos 1 – 6 (of which 5 and 6 were new for me).
Combo 5: attacker makes right waist cut, defender makes right waist block, knocking the attackers blade downward, then steps to the left making a cut to the opponents exposed right side.
Combo 6: attacker makes left waist cut, defender makes left waist block, levels blade and shuffles in with a thrust to the chest, blade horizontal.
We then were video taped doing the kneeling and standing iai for Master Shaw to review when our sensei visits him next week.
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There were a couple new students tonight, so we reviewed the basic cuts and blocks (head, temple, wrist, waist, thrust) , then drilled on them. Near the end of class, we machine-gun drilled the head and temple blocks.
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The Myo Sim Kendo class is back on Monday evenings and I attended tonight. I had intended to review my past journal entries in preparation as I have not kept up my practicing, but I didn’t make the time. Luckily, I had forgotten very little and the class went well for me, though I do need to recondition my body (hands, legs and feet).
We reviewed standing iai one through eight (skipping seven) with our boken, then did attack and defense drills with shanai. There were three students including myself, so a small class tonight. It was good to be back. -
Lots of drilling on attacks and blocks tonight, back and forth across the dojo, performed with shanai. Initially solo, then later on with a partner.
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Kneeling iai 1 through 8, standing iai 1 through 5 and 7. Fighting techniques 1 through 4.
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An exhausting and good workout tonight. We spent our time doing cutting drills, initially solo with boken, then working with a partners and shanai.
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The regular class was canceled, so I trained on my own at the Civic Center. I went through kneeling iai 1 to 8 and standing iai 1 to 6, plus free fighting techniques 1 and 2.
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Tonight was all about sparring. We first drilled on head, temple, wrist and waist cuts, initially individually, then with a partner. We then did some machinegun attack drilling where we announced our attack, then advanced and made it, the defender blocking appropriately.
Last our instructor strapped me into his armor and the class got to come at me with any head or temple cut, target unannounced, initially with one attack, then later with two consecutive attacks. My two major observations are;
– I obviously need to work more on my blocks and defensive movement. Both were very sloppy in my opinion.
– I much prefer my Western Circle armor. This more traditional Kendo armor protects the head much less while at the same time nearly immobilizing it. No wonder there’s so much emphasis on square shoulders – you can’t fight any other way in this gear!That said, it was a good class and the experience in the armor was good, over all. I asked our instructor where he buys his gear if I should want to buy my own Kendo armor. He suggested one that he always goes with and said they have an online presence, but I haven’t been able to find it yet. I’ll have to ask him if he has a URL.
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Tonight we learned Standing Iai 6. It begins with the crouch and vertical draw same as #3, but then stands on the left leg while the right knee lefts high. The hilt of your sword is then placed under your raised thigh in the crook of your knee, blade tip pointed out, and you step down into right kendo stance, using your thigh to left the blade down, sending an opponent’s spear into the ground. Then you circle the blade to jodan again while taking two step to end with a head cut in right kendo stance. At this point, there is a return to #3. The left knee raises and the katana is cached vertically on the left as you make a 180 degree hopping turn, the blade lashing out in a right temple cut. The blade is then flipped back into the crook of your arm as you turn 180 back about and flip the blood off, double shake, and put the blade away.
Regarding application, I must ask for clarification on the opening move. As it stands, it was explained that the blade/leg combo forces a spear down into the ground, but I’m not clear on how the spear get’s to the side of you and under the blade. In experimenting with the motions, there is no obvious deflection or evasion.
After the Standing Iai practice, we moved to shanai and did more machine gun drills with head and temple cuts and blocks. I am having difficulty remembering the differentiation between WCoS and Kendo head and temple blocks. This is one other thing I need to ask for clarification on to refresh my memory on the Kendo blocks.