Kendo for LIFE

Kendo-Guide.Com Newsletter, Issue #010: Mid-January 2009

In this issue, the main topic is "Bokuto niyoru Kendo Kihon-waza Keikoho (Kendo Basics Training Method Using Bokuto)". I always wanted to learn it and finally I had a chance to learn it! So I would like to share it with you in this issue.

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What we have in this issue is shown below. Enjoy this Newsletter!

Table of Content

- Announcement-

- Articles Since the Last Issue -

- Benefits of Kendo -

- Kendo Q & A -

- Bokuto niyoru Kendo Kihonwaza Keikoho -

- Comments or Questions -

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- Announcement -

An e-book, "Kendo Guide for Beginners", is finally ready. This will be given as a "thank you" for a donation of US$7.00 to Kendo-Guide.Com.

You can download the sample here .

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- Articles Since the Last Issue -

There is a new category created, Kendo Multimedia. There are many good resources out there but also useless ones. So I decided to collect good kendo related resources and share them with you (free, non-free, English and Japanese). I will add more little by little and you can also share your information there too. I hope you like this new category.

- Kendo Multimedia

- Benefits of Kendo -

- Kendo has helped me find friends, improve my life and improve my health

- Kendo Q & A -

- How to increase my stamina for kendo?

There is very useful information from a sports trainer.

- What is yakusoku geiko?

- Bokuto niyoru Kendo Kihonwaza Keikoho -

I had an opportunity to learn Bokuto niyoru Kendo Kihonwaza Keikoho (BKK). What that means is "training method for kendo basic techniques using bokuto". I knew about it but I had never had a chance to learn it.

This is made by all Japan kendo Federation for children to learn more basics using bokuto. However, it turned out to be a great training method for children and those who learn kendo outside Japan.

BKK, as it says, is to train not only kendo basics but also techniques. It involves harai waza, suriage waza, kaeshi waza, nuki waza and uchiotoshi waza. It doesn't go through all the details in each technique but you can get a good idea of what you should be doing with your shinai.

So if you have troubles with the techniques mentioned above, BKK is a great way of learning how to use your shinai (sword).

I cannot go over everything here so I would like to introduce what's in BKK.

Kihon 1:

Shomen Kote Do Tsuki

Kihon 2:

Kote and Men

Kihon 3:

Harai Men

Kihon 4

Hiki do

Kihon5

Men nuki Do

Kihon 6

Kote suriage Men (ura)

Kihon7

Debana Kote

Kihon 8

Men kaeshi Do

Kihon 9

Do uchiotoshi Men

These techniques are very common in kendo apart from Kihon 9. Uchiotoshi is very difficult and you don't really see uchiotoshi against do. I am not saying that it is impossible to do. I'm just saying it doesn't happen quite often. Men uchiotoshi Men is more common.

But if you think about it, BKK is to know what we should be doing in each technique. So these forms are to know how to use our sword rather than what is more realistic. Do uchiotoshi Men is easy to do and easier to grasp what is going on in this "uchiotoshi" technique.

BKK is to understand kendo techniques with bokuto. In this way, besides kata, kendo will still have a sense of using the real sword. Well, however you want to look at, it is certainly useful to learn kendo techniques.

Luckily, I had permission from Alex Bennett and Blake Bennett, who demonstrated and instructed BKK at the 20th Anniversary seminar, to share the video of the demonstration and instruction with you. There are some comments from Miyazaki sensei (7th dan, Kendo Shian of Ritsumeikan University) in the video too.

Special Thanks to: Masayoshi Miyazaki Sensei (Shian at Ritsumeikan University) Dr. Alex Bennett (Kendo-World, Chief Editor) Mr. Blake Bennett (Head Instructor of Sei Tou Ken Yu Kai)

The video can be watched at Subscribers' only area.

- Comments or Questions -

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