Sunday, 30 April 2017

1) Dont practice so slowly that  you add tension, need to think about acceleration too.
2) You are not just showing that you know the choreography
3) Ushiro - up on toes then start to draw as you face door and turn - left leg is forward always with cut.
4) tsuka ate - right foot touches left knee in tate hiza
5) Sanpo giri - dont let sword go right down back. Make first cut count. LOOK before cut.
6) Shiho giri - look before cut.
7) Nuki uchi - sword goes up above head, not shoulder - shoulder is So Giri.

BY MOVING BACK FROM CENTRE YOU KEEP BOSHI ON OPPONENT LONGER - NOT JUST AESTHETICS BUT SEME

HEEL IS TOO HIGH OFF GROUND - should be height of pound coin only. TOO HIGH making you lean forward.

Chiburi - snap is by movement of chest as shake off blood and hands back on saya but not tense. Work on this
Yoko chiburi - keep blade more level, not pointing down - remember brushing carrots off table.

PROBLEMS AND FAULTS OFTEN IN HANDS

Sunday, 23 April 2017

Relaxation
It's not just relaxation in body and shoulders it's about hands and particularly chiburu and noto and you can relax more generally. Remember with the swing, it's 85% relaxation, 15% focus and tension. Only areas where you should have tension are the te no uchi grip, the cut and the part of noto where you sheathe the sword to begin with and are vulnerable. Rest has to be really relaxed

So Giri - you showed no acceleration or focus. It's bloody hard though.

Kesa Giri - on upward cut need to remember you are cutting their side, or Do. Then you cut down again in another diagonal cut. Dont try and cut their face on first cut.

Morote Tsuki
Got to have more focus on the face cut. Sword not straying out so much but again tension and dont go into a weird Jodan and freeze before cutting. Hands should be very loose and the Kashira guides where the attack is going - seme.

Keep right hand higher than left - dont let the sword fall behind your back. Right hand higher than left

Shiho Giri
Dont sweep the brush literally, keep hands on hips but raise up to your head ASAP as you cut. More work on this needed but better

I dont really understand difference between Yoko chiburi and bigger ones. Need to work on this

Mae chiburi - slow, slow, fast

Rhythm
Acceleration
Relaxation
Body movement is improving but hands still need work 

Sunday, 9 April 2017

Bumper lesson today so many tips

1) Seme, Seme, Seme - seme means it's not stop start and keeps it flowing if done properly

2) Mae - got to move forward. Then push sword more up to ceiling rather than behind. Then, KKTI on back leg. Then Wrist Elbow Shoulder. Then push slightly forward and out before curving outwards.

DRAW. As you push out with kashira, smoothly pulling back in saya biki - two opposing movements gives you the power

3) NOTO - must be 45 degrees to begin with. Only part of NOTO that should be fast is first part of sheathing as this is when you most vulnerable

4) BIG breakthrough. For Morote Tsuki and Sanpo Giri. From Hasso Gamae, imagine tip sweeps forward like a broom but hands stay on hips, then simply raise up. Your tip was going way out in a big sweep - WRONG. Same for Morote Tsuki cuts. Keep hands relaxed. This SHOULD help you keep hands more parallel

BIG ISSUE IS STILL RELAXING ON ALL THE MOVEMENTS NOT JUST CUTS. Handle sword in more relaxed way

Saya banare gets better with practice, again about being relaxed

http://www.britishkendoassociation.com/381-2/


Friday, 7 April 2017

Saya-banare literally means to "release or let go of the saya", i.e. letting the tip go, letting the draw happen, letting the arrow off the bowstring...etc etc etc...

Saya-biki is the drawing back of the scabbard.

Saya-banare is the uncapping of the cutting part or kissaki.
Interesting bunkai on the first 10 or so
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8_llxYGsu8

Sunday, 2 April 2017

1) Mae: you are unsheathing the sword way to soon, rushing it and getting the scrape. Unsheath the sword as you move forward in a controlled way, with lots of saya biki, then cut, but not too high. Pivot from wrist to bring sword back behind head, without allowing tsuba to cross your centre.

2) Kesa giri. Raise sword a bit to keep on SEME pressure with koshira. Only 50% withdrawl before turn and make upward cut count, then STEP IN - i had forgotten that.

3) Sanpo is THREE opponents, Shiho is FOUR - you are getting confused

4) Shiho - you need to smash down with your hand OVER the handle or it gets tangled, and keep HIPS square. Then have feet pointing same direction as you tsuki, your feet were SPLAYED

DONT TENSE UP HANDS when you try to keep them in

5) chiburi. Practice on ground, horizontal, pointing towards opponent WHO IS ON THE FLOOR so keep tip POINTING TOWARDS them and keep the whole thing DOWN