Zenshin Kotai Men Strike:
Men Strike with One Step Forward and One Step Backword

I would like to go with zenshin kotai shomen uchi since that is how I was taught as a kid.

Footwork we use here is okuri-ashi, the basic footwork.

Zenshin means "going forwards". Kotai means "going backwards".

This is how zenshin kotai shomen uchi is done.

Zenshin Kotai Shomen Uchi

1. While lifting our sword up above our head, we take a step forwards onto the right foot. Just like we did in kyodo men.

2. As you strike men, snap up the left foot forward. Make sure that the left foot does not pass the right foot or get too close to the right foot.

3. Now we are going backwards. While lifting our sword up above our head, take a step backwards onto the left foot.

4. While striking men, snap the right foot backward.

We keep doing 1. to 4. until we hear "Yame!".

1.	2.
Sword up when stepping forwards	Strike Men when left foot comes forwards
3.	4.
Sword up when stepping backwards	Strike Men when right foot goes backwards

Repeat the count from 1 to 10 as many times as you want. Then, command "Yame!"

KIAI
There are three ways.

1. After every time a commander counts, the practitioners shout, "Men!"

So it is done as following.

Commander: Ichi
Practitioners: Men

Commander: Ni
Practitioners: Men

Commander: San
Practitioners: Men

.
.
.

Commander: Jyu
Practitioners: Men

Commander: Ichi
Practitioners: Men

and continue until

Commander: Yame!

2. Everyone counts at the same time until they hear "Yame!" There is no shout of "Men!"

3. Everyone shouts men until they hear "Yame!"

My way is 1. But you can choose one that suits you and your dojo. Knowing all of them is helpful, though.

Some Important Points

It is easy for beginners to strike men when going forwards but seems somehow difficult to coordinate sword and footwork when taking a step backwards.

Zenshin kotai shomen uchi should be practiced carefully, paying attention to the sword-footwork coordination.

If we do not thoroughly practice this movement, we will have a big problem in later practice with armour on.

Footwork

In the footwork practice, we learned that we should not lift the toes up while moving.

However, people tend to lift their toes up in this exercise. It is simply because the practitioners concentrate on striking more than footwork.

Striking is the easy part so concentrate more on footwork.

No toes are up!

You can watch a brief video below. You can select "zenshin kotai shomen uchi" or "niho zenshin niho kotai shomen uchi" by clicking the links shown below the video.

Zenshin Kotai Shomen Strike

Combine your footwork and strike!
The video also includes Niho Zenshin Niho Kotai.
Video Now Available
(11 minutes 35 seconds)

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