Post by Jonathan Anderson on Mar 11, 2010 11:28:32 GMT -4
All,
If you will indulge me, I’d like to touch on a few points with regard to the oncoming shinsa. Those of you that are not attempting promotion at the end of this month may still do well to look this over in preparation for when you do attempt for promotion.
I’ve been stressing the importance of being aggressive in a Kyu-level test for the past few weeks, and let’s face it: Kendo is an aggressive martial art. However, the aggression in Kendo is not wild and unrestrained energy; it is dignified, focused, and deliberate. Let me also interject that the word “aggressive” doesn’t necessarily carry the correct feeling – unfortunately, even though English has twice as many words as any other language on Earth, it seems that there are sentiments and concepts that can be more easily expressed in other languages. Go figure. At any rate, despite the somewhat negative connotations the word can carry, it’s the best word we have for our purposes. Alright, enough of that tangent – back to the main point. Aggression must be tempered and balanced with a feeling of precise control – hence part of why we kiai the name of the target at the moment of impact – and poised relaxation. You read that right: you should appear to be somewhat relaxed even as you deliver what would be a lethal attack in a different setting. That, simply put, is because you should BE relaxed. If something like “relaxed aggression,” sounds like a contradiction to you, welcome to the martial arts. ;D Further, in a shinsa it is expected that you will be a gracious testing partner, which means that while you should not stand there offering openings to your partner, you also should not attack such that you overwhelm your partner, giving them no opportunity to attack at all. Remember: both of you are being tested, and both of you only have 90 seconds to show your stuff, so you both must work together. You should give a good fight, but if they deliver a strike to you, you have another opportunity to show your fighting spirit: to be fearless before the strike, rather than shrinking away from it… after all, you HAVE armor on. ;D Basically, this comes down to something you hear in sports quite a bit: being a good sportsperson.
While it is essential to be aggressive in Kendo, there is much more to it than wailing away on an opponent/sparring partner with reckless abandon. Some of you have been on the receiving end of a seemingly endless barrage of strikes – perhaps by me ;D – and that may have given you the idea that Kendo is like that. While striking combinations are a part of Kendo, they are a single tactic that can be used, but are by no means the core of Kendo. If you’ve found yourself the recipient of a rain of strikes, it’s probably that I’m trying to show you that you are making some kind of mistake – attempting to block when you shouldn’t, backpedaling/retreating, etc. Don’t forget Ki-Ken-Tai-Ichi: Spirit/Mind, Sword, and Body as One - the most crucial and fundamental concept of Kendo, and the essence of Ki-Ken-Tai-Ichi is demonstrated far more effectively by a single Men Uchi than by a dozen or so attacks. At the Kyu rank level, you should be focusing on each strike individually, rather than on combinations. Granted, I have you guys do Kote Men Uchi drills, and nidan/sandan waza are good waza to know, but you won’t be required to demonstrate the technique in a shinsa gi geiko until you are attempting Ni Dan or so.
I’d like to bring up a different idea at this point: I have told everyone that in Kyu-level shinsa, what is being graded is your reigi and your fighting spirit. This is true, and I don’t want anyone to take anything here to mean that what I’ve said before is any less relevant. What I’d like everyone to think about is the fact that brute physical force is not the only method by which one can demonstrate aggressiveness and fighting spirit – after all, we’re a little more advanced than the caveman stereotype of smacking someone over the head with a club. Perhaps some of you have felt a degree of pressure – what we call “seme” – when you have sparred with me, Michael Vanderhoof, or Yoko-dono. It is intangible, and very difficult to see, particularly by someone that does not know what to look for, but it is there. It is one method for demonstrating fighting spirit that is not outwardly apparent for all to see, but I guarantee you the judges will see it. Additionally, you can use your “conversations” to demonstrate your spirit as well. If you’ve been paying attention when me, Michael, or Yoko-dono have sparred, you might have noticed that we’ll kiai back and forth with each other between strikes while we are sizing each other up. Believe it or not, even though no intelligible words are exchanged, we are carrying on a conversation with each other. Also, something that I’ve been trying to start doing, and something that was pointed out by a sensei when Michael and I tested to Nidan, is that I’ll start a steadily building kiai, which reaches its climax with the actual strike. Remember that “kiai” translates as “spirit yell,” so if you’re to SHOW your spirit, and a kiai is a spirit yell, you can certainly show a powerful fighting spirit by having an indomitable kiai.
Simple, right?
To go back to the physical aspect for just another moment before I get off the soapbox, I have told you all that in a Kyu-level shinsa, you should not go more than three seconds without launching an attack of some kind. This is still true. What I'd like to do is give you what I hope will be a slightly clearer idea of what kind of mindset you should have. If, during your shinsa gi geiko, your opponent leaves their Kote open, you should strike their Kote. If they leave their Men open, strike Men. (Remember, Do and Tsuki don't exist for you yet.) Simple enough so far. If they give no openings within the three seconds, strike for Men. That is all.
Questions?
If you will indulge me, I’d like to touch on a few points with regard to the oncoming shinsa. Those of you that are not attempting promotion at the end of this month may still do well to look this over in preparation for when you do attempt for promotion.
I’ve been stressing the importance of being aggressive in a Kyu-level test for the past few weeks, and let’s face it: Kendo is an aggressive martial art. However, the aggression in Kendo is not wild and unrestrained energy; it is dignified, focused, and deliberate. Let me also interject that the word “aggressive” doesn’t necessarily carry the correct feeling – unfortunately, even though English has twice as many words as any other language on Earth, it seems that there are sentiments and concepts that can be more easily expressed in other languages. Go figure. At any rate, despite the somewhat negative connotations the word can carry, it’s the best word we have for our purposes. Alright, enough of that tangent – back to the main point. Aggression must be tempered and balanced with a feeling of precise control – hence part of why we kiai the name of the target at the moment of impact – and poised relaxation. You read that right: you should appear to be somewhat relaxed even as you deliver what would be a lethal attack in a different setting. That, simply put, is because you should BE relaxed. If something like “relaxed aggression,” sounds like a contradiction to you, welcome to the martial arts. ;D Further, in a shinsa it is expected that you will be a gracious testing partner, which means that while you should not stand there offering openings to your partner, you also should not attack such that you overwhelm your partner, giving them no opportunity to attack at all. Remember: both of you are being tested, and both of you only have 90 seconds to show your stuff, so you both must work together. You should give a good fight, but if they deliver a strike to you, you have another opportunity to show your fighting spirit: to be fearless before the strike, rather than shrinking away from it… after all, you HAVE armor on. ;D Basically, this comes down to something you hear in sports quite a bit: being a good sportsperson.
While it is essential to be aggressive in Kendo, there is much more to it than wailing away on an opponent/sparring partner with reckless abandon. Some of you have been on the receiving end of a seemingly endless barrage of strikes – perhaps by me ;D – and that may have given you the idea that Kendo is like that. While striking combinations are a part of Kendo, they are a single tactic that can be used, but are by no means the core of Kendo. If you’ve found yourself the recipient of a rain of strikes, it’s probably that I’m trying to show you that you are making some kind of mistake – attempting to block when you shouldn’t, backpedaling/retreating, etc. Don’t forget Ki-Ken-Tai-Ichi: Spirit/Mind, Sword, and Body as One - the most crucial and fundamental concept of Kendo, and the essence of Ki-Ken-Tai-Ichi is demonstrated far more effectively by a single Men Uchi than by a dozen or so attacks. At the Kyu rank level, you should be focusing on each strike individually, rather than on combinations. Granted, I have you guys do Kote Men Uchi drills, and nidan/sandan waza are good waza to know, but you won’t be required to demonstrate the technique in a shinsa gi geiko until you are attempting Ni Dan or so.
I’d like to bring up a different idea at this point: I have told everyone that in Kyu-level shinsa, what is being graded is your reigi and your fighting spirit. This is true, and I don’t want anyone to take anything here to mean that what I’ve said before is any less relevant. What I’d like everyone to think about is the fact that brute physical force is not the only method by which one can demonstrate aggressiveness and fighting spirit – after all, we’re a little more advanced than the caveman stereotype of smacking someone over the head with a club. Perhaps some of you have felt a degree of pressure – what we call “seme” – when you have sparred with me, Michael Vanderhoof, or Yoko-dono. It is intangible, and very difficult to see, particularly by someone that does not know what to look for, but it is there. It is one method for demonstrating fighting spirit that is not outwardly apparent for all to see, but I guarantee you the judges will see it. Additionally, you can use your “conversations” to demonstrate your spirit as well. If you’ve been paying attention when me, Michael, or Yoko-dono have sparred, you might have noticed that we’ll kiai back and forth with each other between strikes while we are sizing each other up. Believe it or not, even though no intelligible words are exchanged, we are carrying on a conversation with each other. Also, something that I’ve been trying to start doing, and something that was pointed out by a sensei when Michael and I tested to Nidan, is that I’ll start a steadily building kiai, which reaches its climax with the actual strike. Remember that “kiai” translates as “spirit yell,” so if you’re to SHOW your spirit, and a kiai is a spirit yell, you can certainly show a powerful fighting spirit by having an indomitable kiai.
Simple, right?
To go back to the physical aspect for just another moment before I get off the soapbox, I have told you all that in a Kyu-level shinsa, you should not go more than three seconds without launching an attack of some kind. This is still true. What I'd like to do is give you what I hope will be a slightly clearer idea of what kind of mindset you should have. If, during your shinsa gi geiko, your opponent leaves their Kote open, you should strike their Kote. If they leave their Men open, strike Men. (Remember, Do and Tsuki don't exist for you yet.) Simple enough so far. If they give no openings within the three seconds, strike for Men. That is all.
Questions?
Seriously, either I'm covering things so well that I leave no room for doubt in your minds UNlikely..., or I'm confounding you so badly that you don't know where to start. ;D
