Good Practice Techniques for Striking Do, for Tall Kendoka  
Good Practice Techniques for Striking Do, for Tall Kendoka

I'm a fairly tall person (6'2"/189cm). I find that in shiai and jigeiko, I tend to hit above ...

Why Jodan? 
I'm interested in knowing some reasons why individuals do jodan besides injuries.

Answer: Thank you for your post. There are several reasons.

1....

Fun way to teach beginners? 
I'm Cederik from a very young, (3 year old) dojo in Belgium. This year, it is the first time we have two classes a week, one with our Sensei, coming from ...

Tsubazeriai in Yudanshas 
When becoming a yudansha, I heard kendo becomes more... conservative. Like as in tsubazeriai, shodans should start to be more probing for openings, right?...

Hiki Techniques 
I heard that Hiki-Do is very difficult to be an ippon, especially the left do side.

What can I do to improve it? I usually do it, because my opponents ...

Kaeshi do 
I recently came from a taikai and I was amazed at how some of the kendoka kaeshi dou looked so beautiful.

But I noticed that the way they were cutting ...

Timing and 3D Seme: Shinai, Body, and Mind II 
Hi again,

1. I will try to make this question as simple as possible without much details. I want to know a 3rd person's view point. I am very tall ...

Timing and 3D Seme: Shinai, Body, and Mind 
I understand that every kenshi (even the very high ranking senseis and players at the top level) have a thing called okuri. Through practice and experience ...

What should my mentality be in shiai? 
I've been on quite a losing streak lately in shiai and my frustration is only building up. I know I have the adequate speed and form, but I just can'...

Jodan as a solution to injured right wrist? 
I've been practicing kendo for about 4 years now and currently in my ikkyu level.

Unfortunately, an old injury on my right wrist would come to haunt ...

Best way to practice maai? 

I run a small Kendo club in a very small & isolated community which I recently moved to. There are no sensei within hundreds of miles. Can you recommend ...

Valid men vs not valid debana kote 
The situation:
In shiai one person makes a valid men strike. At that moment his or her opponent makes not valid debana kote strike (by not valid I mean ...

How to do taiatari properly, without hurting your wrists? 
When I receive taiatari, my wrists get compressed and it hurts for a few days. Is there a way to avoid this? How should I hold my hands on the shinai ...

Fumikomi: How To Perform This “Stomping” Action 
How to perform fumikomi (stomping) better? What is fumikomi?

Attacking from Nito:Nito Strikes 
This page is to show how to attack from nito. If is important to know how to use two swords at will.

How to correct "duck feet" (feet turned outward)? 
I've always walked with my feet turned outwards (like a duck?), I also stand that way, and ride a bicycle that way.

Of course, in kendo, I have to ...

How to stay motivated to improve 

I've now reached a point in my kendo where I feel like I've hit a brick wall, and I'm not improving.

I've been practising kendo for about one hour ...

Strike is not fast enough 
How to make the blow more rapid and precise?

I practice not so long and saw that it is not quite sharp and agile. It should be like a thunderbolt,...

Men-Do: how not to hit do with a shinai center 
During Men-Do technique if motodachi moves back not quickly enough after a Men strike kakarite may appear too close to strike Do correctly.

Should ...

Tsugi-ashi 
When is it better to use tsugi-ashi than okuri-ashi?

Do we need to train tsugi-ashi like we train okuri-ashi or we only learn okuri-ashi and tsugi ...

Which muscles are used primarily in kendo, and can they be trained through isolation exercises in a gym? 
I noticed a trend of muscle pain in my shoulders, upper pectorials, and calves after my first 6 sessions at my dojo. That got me wondering what are all ...

Shall we economise energy during kirikaeshi on exams 
Shall we economise energy during kirikaeshi on exams

I've noticed that the most exhaustive training for me is kirikaeshi. I absolutely get tired after ...

How to close your openings... 
How can you hide your openings from your opponent? Any ideas?

Answer: I have words for you not from me but from many sensei s.

If you don’t want ...

Kirikaeshi hitting men or shinai 
Why is it sometimes required to perform kirikaeshi (in bogu with men on) hitting men and sometimes hitting shinai?

Are there two different kirikaeshi ...

Kirikaeshi main points for mudansha 

What points in kirikaeshi should mudansha concentrate his/her attention on during training? And  what can be expected from mudansha in kirikaeshi during ...

Left foot forward? 
The problem I have is that I feel extremely off-balance and uncomfortable in the normal right foot forward, left foot back for push off Chudan stance....

Proper Fumikomi 
I have a problem with my fumikomi where I tend to bend my legs so much before lunging that my body lowers considerably. My back is still straight but ...

Tense Shoulders? 
I've been involved with Kendo for about 8 months now. I took a 6 month break for my first semester in college, now I am coming back. I've been having one ...

Hitting Kotei-men 
My sensei keeps telling 'Don't walk' when I do hit kote-men. I was told later on that I actually walk a step after hitting kote and before hitting men....

My swing becomes angled 
It appeared that when I swing while shinai is above the head it moves not straightly.

My training partners sometimes say that it looks like I am almost ...

Fall over when performing fumikomi 
Some people fall over when they are doing fumikomi - their right foot catches on hakama and as a result they cannot finish fumikomi normally and fall ...

Should kensen bounce up in suburi? 
When we make suburi (men, kote, do) should kensen bounce up because of tenouchi or it has to stop sharply at some level without bouncing up?

I saw ...

How not to hit kote too hard 
I find it really hard to hit someone for some reason. I fear that I might actually hit too hard whilst receiving a nice bruise as a gift from everyone ...

Body movement when striking kote 
When we strike kote we have an impulse like we do while performing other strikes, so our body moves forward. As a result it may appear that our shinai ...

What to do and not to do in jigeiko 
What should we try to do and what should we try NOT to do in jigeiko?

For example, in jigeiko we may pay all attention on continuous striking doing ...

Kendo training menu 

I would like to ask about your training schedule.

In training,  how long do you usually spend for warm-up? Suburi? Basic techniques? What is always ...

Bokuto Ni Yoru Kendo Kihon Waza Keiko Ho 
Would you be so kind to tell about Bokuto Ni Yoru Kendo Kihon Waza Keiko Ho (Bokuto Keiko Ho)? Everything is interesting. History of inventing, quantity ...

Strategy application 3 Qs 
I've achieved my first kyu rank and am starting to work on the long road to becoming a good kenshi in combat.

I've always been a student of Musashi ...

The suburi pace 
Last summer I participated in seminar with Hijikata Naohito sensei . One thing that surprised me was the suburi pace.

We did suburi rather slow ...

Shall we always go through the opponent after strike 
Sensei s always tell us to go through our opponent after performing some strike and when we are behind our opponent to turn round.

But I have read ...

Feints in kendo 
Feints in kendo

Higher ranked people in my dōjō seemed to use feints in their shiai matches. So, exactly how could I do that?

Answer:...

Different ways of going backwards in hiki 

I've seen two ways of shinai movement in hiki waza . When we strike and our shinai meets a target ( men , kote , do ) it bounces up and back....

Breathing before attack 
This summer I participate in a Kendo Seminar with Ota Sensei .

And he emphasised that a big men had to be made in 1 movement/timing. Looking at ...

Nito Start Up 
Nito Start Up is to tell you what you need to take nito in kendo. If you are thinking about taking nito, start from here.

Different ways of passing by the opponent after striking right kote 
I’ve seen two ways of passing by the opponent after right kote strike, here they are:

1) We strike the opponent’s right kote and go forward from ...

Different ways of striking Do 
Different ways of striking Do

I would like to ask about right do strike. Different senseis show this strike differently.

Here are variants:...

How do I know if I’m striking too hard? 
One of my instructors tells me that I’m hitting too hard, but then another instructor tells me I’m hitting too soft and to not be afraid of hurting them....

How to perform correct and effective Taiatari? 
I would like to know how to perform correct taiatari in combination with fumikomi. It often happens on men strikes that the opponent blocks and both crash ...

What am I doing wrong when striking with shinai 
I'm not too sure what I am doing wrong but it does not seem to be working. I do realize it is very difficult to get the Cutting Technique while using the ...

Suggesting Kendo Summer Training in Philippines 
I'd like to suggest that if you have a dojo in the Philippines please make a summer training for the beginners

Answer: I do not have a dojo in Philippines....

Breathing methods during the Choyaku Shomen Uchi 
How is the breathing method during the Haya Suburi?

You wrote that "We have three ways of breathing; one for mokuso, one for training and one for kendo ...

How to defeat Nito? 
I'm somewhat inexperienced at Kendo, and my teacher is using Nito, short and long sword. How can I stand a chance against him? (I'm too inexperienced ...

My body aspires to press on shinai after a contact of a shock point of the opponent, as though I press on a sword to cut the opponent.  

My body aspires to press on shinai after a contact of a shock point of the opponent, as though I press on a sword to cut the opponent.

I have such ...

Slight Disk Herniation at c4-c5 and Kendo  Not rated yet
I had been diagnosed with a slight disc herniation at c4 c5. I had been enthusiastic with Kendo and dream of reaching at least 5th dan in my lifetime (I’...

How do I know if I'm doing Suburi correctly  Not rated yet
Greetings Imafuji Sensei!

I've been practicing kendo for a month now, once every week to be exact. During my spare time I maximize it by doing suburi ...

Usual Do strike but going forward to the left  Not rated yet
What should we pay attention to when striking opponent's right do and going forward not to our right but to the left?

And can we perform that strike ...

Katsugi Waza in Kendo  Not rated yet
What is Katsugi waza in kedno? This is a very useful technique to know to make an opening.

Rigth Hand Katate-Men  Not rated yet
During Shiai, while I'm in Jodan, is a right handed katate men allowed/valid?

Answer: Thank you for your question.

Allowed or not. It is ...

Motodachi work without bogu  Not rated yet
When you train without bogu and your partner strikes men, what way you have to place your shinai (with both hands on tsuka) to allow kakarite strike correctly?...

Feet movement in hiki waza  Not rated yet
Can hiki waza be correctly performed with suri ashi without stomping with the right foot when striking? (Smoothly moving backwards, and quickly)

What ...

psychological training  Not rated yet
Tell us about the principles of psychological training, but tsuki no kokoro mitsu no kokoro and others that you know.

Thanks.


Answer: Thank ...

Less Wasted Movement  Not rated yet
In kendo, I feel like most of my movement is just a waste. So, how do I lessen that waste?

Answer: Thank you for your question. It depends on your ...

How to rebuild spirit?  Not rated yet

I have been training kendo for about a year and a half now, and I still have a lot to learn.  However, I recently had to miss about a month's worth ...

Why does the right hand move towards the left hand?  Not rated yet
Sometimes during suburi at a fast pace or during kirikaeshi (sayu-men) the right hand moves back from tsuba so that there is a space between tsuba and ...

I cannot "flick" my wrist when striking small men and kote  Not rated yet

I recently entered the bogu class.
But they didn’t teach us how to do the small men or the small kote

And I tried watching your videos on YouTube....

Validity of strikes in sparing.  Not rated yet
What elements decide about the validity of a strike in a sparring? E.g. what is important in, say, a kote strike to score a point?

Answer:
1....

Weak inner muscles?  Not rated yet
My senior kept telling me that when I swing and hit, I look upwards. My sensei added that my inner muscles are weak and therefore I'm looking upwards ...

Focus on particular points for beginners?  Not rated yet

Focus on particular points for beginners?

In your personal opinion, should any area of Kendo basics be more emphasized then the rest?  Foot work ...

One handed strikes?  Not rated yet
I have gotten into the habit of hitting one handed (right hand) Do ALOT.  It seems easier to use from a variety of positions and is seemingly much harder ...

Poor arm/leg coordination  Not rated yet
Just noticed that my arms/leg coordination is not that good, how can I fix this?

Answer: I cannot tell you exactly how because I cannot tell how ...

Fitness For Kendo?  Not rated yet
My Sensei has a saying: Don’t do Kendo to get fit but rather be fit for Kendo.

So I started running and doing some normal exercises. I was wondering ...

Changing grip against nito and jodan  Not rated yet
When I was using nito against my sensei, he changed grip from only to his left hand or right hand. Why is he doing that?

Answer:   I am sure you were ...

Tsuki training  Not rated yet
When we train tsuki with or without a partner - should we bounce back immediately after we've executed a thrust? Or we have to stay for a moment where ...

Hitting men-buton from behind the partner  Not rated yet
In one article, you have said that we can strike targets that are not considered to be valid in shiai, e.g. tsuki in Do (chest part).

Some people ...

Shinai with lengthened tsuka  Not rated yet
Are there any special shinai s with intentionally lengthened tsuka so that the distance between left and right hand are about 3 or 4 fists?

What ...

Tension in the Upper Body  Not rated yet
I am practicing Kendo in an upstart club at my college. A reoccurring suggestion I get from our sensei and others who are more experienced, is that ...

Seiza  Not rated yet
Can you send me a video on how to sit in, and get up from seiza ? I have trouble understanding how I position my feet.


Answer: These are the ...

Kendo with Shoto only  Not rated yet

In my d ōjō , we had a discussion about fighting with shōtō against shinai (like in the kata 8 - 10).  I tried it out (it ...

I have a problem of using too much right arm  Not rated yet
How can I fix using too much right arm?

Answer: This is a very common problem and there are some Q&A for it.  If you do not find an answer, do ...

180 degree turn  Not rated yet
In our dojo I was ordered to perform a 180 degree turn on the left foot (with a wooden katana for the first time) with my right foot above the ground,...

Cutting DO  Not rated yet
From my understanding, Do cuts require the right arm's pull action to complete the cut by pulling the blade out from the opponent's torso. However, I ...

Hitting Men  Not rated yet
When I strike a men, my feet move forward faster than my hands. How can I move both together at the same time? I have been learning kendo for a year.

Kendo-...

Small men questions  Not rated yet
I've seen your small men video , and yesterday I tried to do it on geiko but... my sensei told me I was not doing it right. He tried to explain what ...