kendo

[daizyblackbelt]

i've taken up kendo recently (about 6 months ago), and since i've begun i've been consistently dogged by problems that stem from my karate conditioning and training.

for instance, kendo footwork is FAR different from and empty hand footwork you will see in a competitive format. the legs remain straight and propel the hips forward, driving the body and striking edge of the sword forward.

Personally, i find this to be very odd. i'm used to traditional karate point sparring, which generally involves keeping one's knees bent. i suppose it's just something i'll have to adjust to, but i have a feeling that beating it out of me is going to be difficult. maybe i can make it work my way? after all, who can tell WHAT my feet are doing once i get my own hakama

i was wondering if anyone else had problems of this sort, or if they could shed any light on what i might do to (at least intellectually) accept what i'm being told to do. i move MUCH slower this way, and although it's probably lack of experience, and it's a little frustrating.

hope to hear from some kendokas out there, but anyone's opinion is welcome!

[bushido_man96]

Well, I am not in kendo, but I do some medieval sword work with an SCA group. We keep a fairly natural stance, with the knees bent. The movements are much like walking with the strikes, and there are sidesteps and voidings involved as well.

I would keep your knees bent and legs relaxed, as that will help to keep you mobile. You can't really bounce on your toes, though, as it is not very efficient.

Keep it up, and keep us posted!

[daizyblackbelt]

that's the issue though.

i'm not supposed to bend my knees AT ALL. i'm very well versed in movement in a sparring type situation, and the type of movement they are asking for seems less than practical to me. it allows one to move in a straight line fairly quickly, but i can cover the same distance in a shorter amount of time. it also feels restricting in terms of mobility, though that's less important with a 4 foot blade...

[bushido_man96]

that's the issue though.

i'm not supposed to bend my knees AT ALL. i'm very well versed in movement in a sparring type situation, and the type of movement they are asking for seems less than practical to me. it allows one to move in a straight line fairly quickly, but i can cover the same distance in a shorter amount of time. it also feels restricting in terms of mobility, though that's less important with a 4 foot blade...

Actually, mobility is essential when weilding a 4 foot blade. My normal set up is sword and shield....carrying a lot of weight there, and I still stay mobile. Here is a simple fact IMO: when weapons fighting, being static gets you killed!

A lot of people seem to have the romanticized notion that kendo, or the art of using the katana in some form, is the king of the crop when it comes to sword styles, or weapons usage in general. I think that if more people looked into the medieval styles of European swordsmanship, they would be surprised to find out how effective they were as fighters.

[daizyblackbelt]

you're absolutely right about mobility. i'm not entirely sure what possessed me to say that...

i'm also picking up a european swordsmanship through another activity: sabre, cutlass, and dagger. i really enjoy it, as i do most weapon play.

of course, my weapon of choice is the bo (yamanni chinen-ryu), but that's difficult to actually practice in a combat scenario. too much power behind the swings, though i'm working on modifying a pair of shinai into something similar to a bo, that'll let me work with someone in bogu.

but that's WAY off topic. i suppose i'm just going to have to see how it all works out with my feet, i am getting more comfortable with what they're asking me to do, but i do it a little differently than they want, so i constantly get corrected. i'm enjoying it anyway though and that's what really matters.

[bushido_man96]

Sounds good, that you are enjoying what you are doing. What you will want to wait and see is if you do it differently, and you can still get good hits on your partner, then I would say you are doing fine.

On the topic of using the bo, I think you could spar with them, but it just has to be more controlled, and you have to have some protective armour on.