Kote Strike: Basic Kote Uchi

Kote strike (kote-uchi) is very easy after learning men strike.

Basically you change the height of your sword when you strike since kote is lower than men.

As men strike, we learn kote-uchi step by step. There are 3 types;

1. Sankyodo Kote Uchi
2. Nikyodo Kote Uchi
3. Ikkyodo Kote Uchi

As explained in men strike, kyodo means "movement" so sankyodo means three movements, nikyodo means two movements and ikkyodo means one movement.

Firstly, we learn Sankyodo.

Sankyodo Kote Uchi

We have three movements.

1. Lift up our hands high enough from chudan so that you can see your opponent's kote and take a step forwards onto the right foot on the command, "Ichi!".

2. Strike kote on the command, "Ni!"

3. Take a step backwards and go back to chudan on the command, "San!"

COMMAND

1. Sankyodo Kote Uchi, Hajime!
2. Ichi!
3. Ni!
4. San!

Repeat 2 to 4 until a commander shouts "Yame (Stop)".

KIAI

The practitioners shout, "Kote!" as striking a kote on a command, Ni!.

Some Important Points

Don't lift up your sword as high as striking men

We do not lift up our hands as we do in a men strike. It is because we only cut a wrist, we do not need as much strength as we need in a men strike.

This is an important concept to learn at the beginning.

It is because many beginners strike a kote very hard and the receiver literally have a swollen right wrist.

Receivers (usually instructors or the advanced) receive many kote strikes per session.

If there is even one person who strikes kote really hard, recievers will suffer for the rest of the training session.

It surely hurts a certain amount, but people should not strike kote as if they are striking men.

In order for beginners to learn how to strike kote properly, it is necessary to tell them why they do not have to strike kote as hard as men.

The height of your sword

Nikyodo Kote Uchi

We have two movements.

1. Lift up our hands high enough from chudan so that we can see our opponent's kote and take a step forwards onto the right foot and strike kote on the command, "Ichi!".

2. Take a step backwards and go back to chudan on the command, "Ni!"

COMMAND

1. Nikyodo Kote Uchi, Hajime!
2. Ichi!
3. Ni!

Repeat 2 to 3 until a commander shouts "Yame (Stop)".

KIAI

The practitioners shout, "Kote!" as striking a kote on the command, Ichi!

Ikkyodo kote Uchi

We have only one movement.

1. Lift up our hands from chudan high enough so that we can see our opponent's kote and take a step forwards onto the right foot, strike kote, take a step backwards and go back to chudan on the command, "Ichi!".

COMMAND

1. Ikkyodo Kote Uchi, Hajime!
2. Ichi!

Repeat 2 until a commander shouts "Yame (Stop)".

KIAI

The practitioners shout, "Kote!" as striking a kote on the command, Ichi!

These are the methods of the really basic kote strike training.

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