Want to say congratulations to Salmon Sensei for successfully passing his Kyoshi exam.

Geoff has always been a pleasure to train with and deal with regarding visiting Ireland. Constantly gives great advice on all things kendo, big and small. He also likes a few pints, as we all remember for "that" sayonara party!

Once again, congratulations Sensei!
お疲れ様でした！おめでとうございます！

One advantage of Yokose ES. Two of the teachers do kendo! They can speak alright english and talk to me everyday.

Trying to pick up some new words by translating a kendo manual. it's not an exact science as my Japanese is rubbish. But I will hopefully pick up a few new words that the Sensei in my dojo are probably saying to me all the time.

Today I learned おこりばな, relating to debanna men.
From what they said in English and physical examples. I've guessed it to mean.

The moment the aite lifts his arms to cut. Or the beginning of a cut.

They said 打つ瞬間
打つ is utsu (men "uchi") to strike, to hit.

瞬間 shun kan means moment or instant

So it means the moment of cutting or the instant of cutting.

From their demonstrations relating to debanna men/kote, it is the beginning of aites men cut. The point in which your debanna wants to land.

As they lift for men, bang your men hits. As they raise for men the kote is gone.

I don't think it means a flinch, for example you make seme, aite lifts his hands slightly, pauses, and then hits men. that is a different word. Possibly just "saki" or opening.

If anyone has a better translation or better way to express this word, I woul be most grateful!

I get the gist of it, so mission accomplished for today!

Take that winter.

My disgustingly pink uniqlo room shoes. Yes yes yes. They had many other colors an patterns. But these were just so awful that I had to!

And my everlasting "sheepskin" converse. With a good pair of socks these things are amazing. Really warm!
The only let down is the sole. Its pretty cold!

Last night I practiced with the junior Highschool group again.

It was really good and I feel a lot ether after it!

First up was kirikaeshi, normal and then 50 cuts.

After that we did a weird version! Alot of the time people do kirikaeshi at that speed their arms end up extended and the cuts come from the wrists and elbows in stead if being big swings. Onuki Sensei made the point that sometimes your hands come over your head and the cut is not correct or sloppy.

So! We did it with our elbows tucked it at the do! Not stuck rigidly but they were kept down! So it was just an exercise using the forearms!
It made a difference to my men cut later in the practice.

We did about 5 sets of 30!!

We then did a lot of waza focusing around one type of seme or invitation

Kakrite steps in to distance, bends the left knee (and right a little) and almost drops it. Pushing the left hip forward at the same time. It really let's you burst forward when done properly. (Onuki Senseis demonstration was excellent) basically we used that move to invite the aite into attacking.

We did men, kote, aikote-men, (plus adding hiki men to the last two), kaeshi do, kote kaeshi kote, kote kaeshi kote-men, and kaeshi men!

The idea as always is that you make that movement with the intention of cutting. You don't wait, you step in with reason, hold/tame, and go when they flinch!

It works pretty well, though mine was pretty sloppy!

I got a few nice aikote men though! I need work more on the follow up hiki men. I think that kind of technique would really stand to me in Europe, a lot of people (myself included) would be caught out by it, as we tend to stop after forward attacks, I've tried to eliminate this from my kendo, but it's hard ne!

The most interesting was the kaeshi kote.

You step in, make the invitation, when aite comes for kote, you move your kensen to the right and catch the cut.

At this point Onuki Sensei made a point about tame, he repeated that word a few times! You catch the cut, tame/hold/pause and then cut the kote.

Obviously it has to be fast, but there was a definate mention of tame, and a clear pause when he demonstrated it. Also watching the stronger students it was clear they were pausing.

The kote zanshin can be backwards or forwards. (this is jhs stuff, so it's very shiai aimed btw!!)

After making the kaeshi you step diagonally to the left to make the kote.

Kote-men is similar but obviously a lot harder!! It made it easier going backwards if the aite tries to follow through on the kote, that way when you go back after you hit , they follow which makes the men easier to hit! Forwards is pretty tough as the kote and men have to be done so close to the target!

Last was kaeshi men. It was a lot like suriage though, but he defiantly said kaeshi!

The main idea was not to raise the arms too high. I don't think his hands came much above his chin. You turn your shinai slightly to the right, catch the aites men cut and with your fore arms and wrists, snap off a men cut.
The main point is that you shouldn't raise your arms too high. I don't know if it is "kaeshi men" as most people know it, but that's what he said!

Anyway. I'm on a break in school. Just thought I'd throw that out there real quick.

Thanks

Edit. I wrote this on my phone. So dont mind the spelling mistakes!

I think apple purposely made the new iPhones change things to incorrect spellings anyway. The cunts.

My new Kote arrive today, Tokuren Keishi Gata from Miayko Kendogu.

Very happy with them after one keiko. The fist is shaped a lot more than normal kote, and fits very well. The trim around the fist that keeps the tenouchi-gawa on is a bit stiff, but this will break in quickly (like my other kote from Miyako)

I'm very happy with them, I think in a month or two, when properly broken in they will be really great.

Tokuren Keishi-Gata Kote

Clockwise from top left. 5000 yen kote from Budogu Suzuki Keishi-gata kote Toru-Sempai's old kote 2.5 bu kote from Tozando

If you love someone, set them free.

Time flies!
I've been here 4 months now since the 27th of June.

In that short amount of time it seems my kendo club has taken on a few new faces. Looks like a really happy bunch!

Can't wait to meet you all in march!

Last night I went to omigawa for kata practice.

This time with Kobayashi Sensei himself.

I was a little wound up so I found it hard to settle at first. I kept taking the lead as shidachi by mistake.

But, after a quick reminder and a moment to get my head together the rest of the lesson went ok. I did my best to do the things he told me the last time. Making sure that shidachi's counter cuts flowed in one motion.

He pointed out my mistakes but this time we did a lot more repetition rather than explanation.

Kata 3

The initial distance is closer than tip to tip.

Uchidachis parry (I must find the correct name of this waza) should take the centre away from shidachi. If shidachi were to walk forwards they would be impaled on your sword.

The movements should be done with the wrists. And it seemed as If the right hand was staying in the centre while the left hand was doing the work. Both hands should be loose and the wrists quick to do it right. it's not a harai or anything like that.

Kata 5.

The suriage should come to jodan and not swing back further.

Kata 6.

Uchidachi should be at a closer distance than tip to tip for the small kote.

For shidachi, the suriage should be made as the left foot steps and the cut on the right. The suriage doesn't need to be "wound up" by drawing the sword to the left before making the suriage. Just move the sword to the right, It should just be a sweep to the right using the shape of the bokken to deflect.

Kata 7. We went through this alot!

The initial tsuki

Uchidachi makes a tsuki turning the bokken slightly so the blade faces out to the right. like this \ with the hasuji being on the bottom.

Shidachi responds by pushing out his arms and turning the bokken so the blade faces to the left / (again blade on the bottom)Stepping back at the same time. While keeping the arms extended. There should be a moment of tension as you both retune to chudan.

Uchidachis shonogi and shidachis blade (not hasuji) should be touching.

This tsuki shouldn't be too high. It's not over the head. It's a tsuki.

Uchidachi makes the men strike. Shidachi does nuki do.

Steps in 1 2 3

1. Right foot slightly forward and diagonal. Lift the sword using the right hand so it is straight up and slightly to the left of centre.

2. Brin the left foot past the right, again moving diagonally. turning the foot so that the inside faces in the direction you are moving.

Cut do. Actually cut.

This has to be done quickly. Like kote men. Pan-pan

3. Bring the right foot forwards and sweep the kensen through the opponents body. Make eye contact as you go through. Then drop onto one knee. The sword should be held out to the right. The sword should be held so that it is level. With the blade facing to your rear.

Kobayashi said an absolute gem here.

I love to get the actually Japanese for it. But basically. The sword should be so flat that water would rest on it and not flow off either the edge or along the length.

Eye contact should be made as soon as you pass through. Uchidachis gaze should follow shidachi as he passes.

Shidachi makes zanshin with waki no kamae. Both turn to face each other. Shidachi squares the body and brings the bokken from waki through jodan and into chudan no kamae. Uchidahi pivots and takes jodan with the left foot forward and then chudan by drawing the left foot back.

Uchidachi takes a step back drawing shidachi to his feet.
Shidachi steps from the left foot to rise, the right foot goes through and you take regular chudan.

Both circle around to the centre don't cross your feet as that Would take you off balance.

As I digest the knowledge more I'll edit this.

Again Kobayashi Sensei showed endless patience. I struggled to understand his japanese. But I could follow his body moments fairly well. I look forward to the day I can communicate better with him!