SŌTAI DŌSA: PAIR WORK IN KENDO

Sōtai dōsa is partner training. Before you move on to this pair work, you should have learned tandoku dōsa thoroughly.

The Basic Routines

Rei: we didn't have to bow to our partners until now because we didn't have any partners.

This time we have a partner so we start from bowing to our partner. We have to have a certain distance between us and our partner.

It is said that we have to have nine steps between us and our partner.

1. Stand nine steps away from your partner and quietly stand in sagetō position.
2. Bow to your partner looking into your partner's eyes. Say Onegai Shimasu.
3. Take the taitō position and start taking three big steps forwards onto the right foot.
4. On the third step, draw your sword.
5. Sit in sonkyo.
6. Stand up and set yourself into the chudan position.

Sequence from 3. to 5.

Chūdan in Sotai Dōsa

When you are done, 

1. Take chudan so your shinai and your partner's shinai meet where you started.
2. Sit in sonkyo.
3. Put your shinai away into the taito position.
4. Stand up and take five little steps backwards onto the left foot.
5. Quietly lower your shinai into the sagetō position.
6. Bow to your partner looking into your partner's eyes. Say Arigato Gozaimashita.

How to receive

If you are a receiver or motodachi, this is how you receive.

1. Let go your left hand.
2. Turn your shinai towards your body and have it horizontal as shown in picture.
3. Grab your shinai between kensaki and nakayui.
4. Position your shinai depending on where your partner is striking.

When you are receiving men strikes, make sure your shinai is in front of you, not above your head.

If your shinai is right above your head and your partner misses your shinai, your partner may hit your face with his/her shinai.

In the pair work, motodachi's job is more than just receiving.

It is motodachi's responsibility to adjust the distance between motodachi and his/her partner.

Therefore, after every strike, motodachi has to go back to chudan. And the striker or kakarite also has to take chudan.

This way they both know the right distance, i.e. issoku-itto-no-ma.

Some points that kakarite has to be aware of

Kakarite tends to aim at shinai instead of actual targets, because shinai is a closer target than the actual target.

For example, when kakarite is supposed to strike motodachi's men, kakarite's shinai is not reaching the motodachi's men because kakarite is aiming at shinai, not men.

This is very common and understandable until kakarite gets used to striking an actual target.

However, as kakarite gets used to this exercise, he or she should take a bigger step forwards to strike men so he or she can reach the actual target.

Extra warning!

Because kakarite has a target to strike, it is quite likely that he or she will put too much strength into the strike. That is the opposite of what kakarite should do.

To avoid this, kakarite should concentrate on taking a bigger step rather than on striking. If you concentrate on striking, you are likely to become tense and lose your basics.

Having a target allows you to feel what it is like to make the strike. This is the time to put everything you have learned together. This is not an exercise to hit as hard as you can. Please remember that.

Kote Strike in Pair Work

Kote strike in pair work is easier after you learned how to receive men strikes.

Basically motodachi just lowers their shinai from their men height to their kote height. This is how you receive kote.

1. Let go your left hand.
2. Turn your shinai towards your body and have it horizontal as shown in picture.
3. Grab your shinai between kensaki and nakayui.
4. Position your shinai depending on where your partner is striking.

Yes. The procedure is exactly same as the above-mentioned. You just have to lower your shinai at your kote height.

Again it is very important to go back to chudan after each strike.

kakarite has to take a smaller step forwards and lift up his/her shinai to the point where he/she can see their motodachi's kote. So he/she does not have to bring his/her hands right above his/her head. If you do not remember why, you can click here.

Dō Strikes in Pair Work

It is a bit difficult to receive dō strikes if we are not wearing dō protection. If you are a motodachi, I suggest that you should wear your dō to let your kakarite to strike your dō. However, I will explain how to receive dō strikes without wearing dō protection.

1. Let go your right hand and lift your left hand up so the kensaki is pointing down.
2. Grab the shinai with the right hand. 
3. The blade should be facing outwards.
4. Place the shinai in front of you slightly to the right. Receiving dō strikes is more difficult than receiving kote and men. When you get used to this method, it should not be a big problem.

But you still have to go back to chudan every time kakarite finishes a dō strike. It is a bit time-consuming. There is another way to receive dō strikes, but I do not recommend it.

It is much easier to receive dō strikes with actual dō protection. That is why I recommend wearing dō protection for this exercise.

Hope this helps.

Back to Level 2: Build Strong Basics

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