Tips to take jodan no kamae

by Tea
(Serbia)

I have a busted left knee and I don't know if I should do Jodan or not. And any tips on how I should prepare myself for jodan.


Thank you in advance for all the help. :D

Answer: Thank you for your question. Now you have a teacher, correct? If you don’t it would be very hard for you to learn jodan.

Not sure how bad your left knee is but if it is busted, can it take an impact from the floor when striking?

Most of people find it hard to strike with one hand. It is not a mere swinging. You have to create the same amount of impact with only one hand as you do with the both hands, basically.

Besides it is not only the arm power. The balance when executing a strike with the left hand is very important. You must perform ki ken tai icchi as well.

So start practicing to strike with the left hand and also learn ki ken tai icchi.

Hope this helps but do not hesitate to ask more questions!

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Mar 27, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		Thank you!
by: Kendo-Guide.Com

Thank you for the good advice, Andrew!

Just one thing in case the person who asked is a beginner.

Always consult your teacher first. The videos are good only if you know what you are doing.

Good luck!
Mar 20, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		Taking Jodan
by: Andrew

I've had some experience as I felt knee pain in my right knee and switched to jodan/nito to adapt. I agree with Imafuji sensei that your left knee has to be able to take the pressure of fumikomi.

With that said, it is possible to learn jodan from online videos, as least the mechanics of swinging and executing strikes. I was able to learn some techniques online. You should look to your sensei or other dedicated jodan practitioners to coach your technique.

You will definitely need to relearn your striking distance as you will have a longer reach. You will also have to develop your left arm by doing suburi preferably practicing your katate jodan striking technique or swinging a shinai with your left arm only to gain strength and stamina.

Hope this helps.

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