Hiki-waza, attacking your opponent from tsubazeriai and immediately propelling your self backwards away from your opponent.
In this post I'll talk about some ways to create the opening for hiki-waza.
This type of waza can be tricky to execute, starting from tsubazeriai (swords crossed at close distance) you have to make the opening, strike, and withdraw quickly while moving backwards at pace and more often than not being chased by your opponent.
I talked in another post about watching your opponent for the moment he breaks his concentration or stops his attack after making
tsubazeriai
While studying today I came across a paragraph in my kendo book detailing how to create openings for hiki-waza. It talks about reading your opponents kamae during tsubazeriai, is it strong and centred or is it flexible. Depending on the type of kamae we vary the way we make openings.
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| How to strike Hiki-kote. From 強くなる剣道入れ入門 (Kendo Manual) |
Continue reading after the break!
I had my first session back from my summer vacation on Thursday night, after almost 6 weeks away from kendo it was a challenging session both physically and mentally!
It was a good kihon session led by T Sensei and Michi no Ko, and I found my self struggling for form through lack of practice.
One of the main things that was holding me back was my movement, I was lurching, leaping forward with my left leg trailing out behind me, and generally not doing very good kendo..... 4 weeks sitting on sunny beaches will do that!!
T Sensei was talking alot during the session about body movement, using your feet to put your body in a good position for strikes, giving you the time and space to correctly execute your waza and strike your opponent.
Had my first keiko after a week off last night.
Torikai Sensei was there!! I haven't practiced with him since last August!
It was a great class. As always with him! Full on waza!
Torikai Sensei Michinoko - June 5th 2012 keiko menu!
Kirikaeshi x 1
Men men dou dou kirikaeshi x 1
Men from issokuitto no maai
Men from kensen to kensen (creeping in to distance and striking with ichibyoshi, timing of one)
Kote
Kote men
Right now it gets tough!
Harai kote kote
Bring the kensen down and to the left strike opponents shinai away to the right. Called "ura harai"
(various timings, with all three at once, a pause between harai and kote kote, or harai kote, kote)
Harai kote kote men
Harai kote gyaku do
Harai kote maite men (maite from maku- to roll "maki waza") strike harai kote, your now on the ura side, make a sweep the the right with your shinai to push your opponents shinai further away from the centre and strike men
Katsugi kote gyaku do
We did something else with gyaku do, but I've forgotten!
Next we did uchikomi geiko,
Men x2 kote men x 2 kirikaeshi x 1
A quick break and jigeiko.
Overall a great lesson. I'm aiming now at getting more at my timing and seme rather than fitness and I hope I can keen alot from Nagashima Sensei ad Torikai Sensei at michinoko.
Torikai senseis kendo is amazing. His footwork is on another level. He was showing the importance of kirikaeshi (not the exercise but the actual returning cuts) in keiko by having opponents block one side and he then strikes the opposite men or do. Or even kote. Using super quick wrists and amazing hiraki ashi footwork!
He is just a beast.
One important thing ill do from now on also,Torikai Sensei keeps his feet perfectly positioned at all times, never letting the left right foot get too far ahead. It was great to watch his keiko again!
