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**lipitrRrxX** · 05-25-2007, 10:10 PM

It is a really quite day at work and I have nothing to do. So time to humour everyone with my poor grammar skills.

Never is a bit strong. We do Kata against an opponent. And I have been hit on the head by a bokken by a person who didn't pull his cut.
I fount it pretty amusing. The guy was going for his Shodan (so knew what he was doing) and he was meant to stop the cut just above my forehead. However he was so nervous he forgot to pull the cut and gave me a decent wack. I didn't flinch and continued on with the kata, The guy was shaken and with his next attack pull it way to short (a cut to the wrist). Observers noted that the blow to my head looked painful.
Also high level Dan grades do kata with metal blades. These blades are not Iaito or Shinken, they have been tempers to handle the impact of collision with another blade (I have seen Iaito get bent out of shape due to been used in kendo kata).

Anyway what I am trying to say, Bokken are ore dangerous when people become comfortable using them. At the moment Praveens is worried about hurting his instructor and pulling his cut early. The real danger is when you get confident but lose focus or don't yet have enough control.

As I said in a earlier post this is revenant to kendo, as I don't have experience in other arts

Uh, uh. *shakes head*

We DON'T ever hit each other in our paired kata. Not on purpose. Praveens-san said his teacher wanted to be hit. I have NEVER been asked by ANY sensei I've done kata with-a nanadan included-to hit them with my bokken.

What you are describing, was an accident that happened as a result of a tenouchi problem, most likely. We do the same with shinai. Bad tenouchi means the shinai will club someone and hurt them.

I hit that nanadan by accident on the head once because my maai was off and I accidentally got too close. It was SO embarrassing!! Fortunately, I didn't follow through, and stopped my cut. I had been learning one of the kata I didn't know. I then bowed and said profusely how sorry I was. That was during my first year in kendo at summer camp that year.

As to the iaito, yes, I know all about that. The only contact they get is the same as when one uses the bokken, and that's sword to sword contact in kata No. 4-10.
Nobody ever strikes the person themselves. With Iaito, it can mean death in our kata if we got too close for a shomen cut and forgot tenouchi(to pull), or an injured hand, etc. As far as I know, that's the main reason why only higher dan level people use the iaito, and for demos only. It's just too dangerous otherwise.

In case anyone wonders, having good tenouchi and pulling are the same animal, to me. As far as I know, this is correct, from what I have learned in the dojo. If anyone doesn't agree, please explain. I'd be happy to hear it! I'm only now considering this because of how Martino-san is using the word "pulling." I've never been told that so far. I've only been told I must use good tenouchi to stop the shinai or bokken.

As to your last paragraph, I understand what you are saying, and it's true in a normal situation.

Kaoru

05-25-2007, 10:10 PM	#18
lipitrRrxX Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 482 Senior Member	It is a really quite day at work and I have nothing to do. So time to humour everyone with my poor grammar skills. Never is a bit strong. We do Kata against an opponent. And I have been hit on the head by a bokken by a person who didn't pull his cut. I fount it pretty amusing. The guy was going for his Shodan (so knew what he was doing) and he was meant to stop the cut just above my forehead. However he was so nervous he forgot to pull the cut and gave me a decent wack. I didn't flinch and continued on with the kata, The guy was shaken and with his next attack pull it way to short (a cut to the wrist). Observers noted that the blow to my head looked painful. Also high level Dan grades do kata with metal blades. These blades are not Iaito or Shinken, they have been tempers to handle the impact of collision with another blade (I have seen Iaito get bent out of shape due to been used in kendo kata). Anyway what I am trying to say, Bokken are ore dangerous when people become comfortable using them. At the moment Praveens is worried about hurting his instructor and pulling his cut early. The real danger is when you get confident but lose focus or don't yet have enough control. As I said in a earlier post this is revenant to kendo, as I don't have experience in other arts Uh, uh. shakes head We DON'T ever hit each other in our paired kata. Not on purpose. Praveens-san said his teacher wanted to be hit. I have NEVER been asked by ANY sensei I've done kata with-a nanadan included-to hit them with my bokken. What you are describing, was an accident that happened as a result of a tenouchi problem, most likely. We do the same with shinai. Bad tenouchi means the shinai will club someone and hurt them. I hit that nanadan by accident on the head once because my maai was off and I accidentally got too close. It was SO embarrassing!! Fortunately, I didn't follow through, and stopped my cut. I had been learning one of the kata I didn't know. I then bowed and said profusely how sorry I was. That was during my first year in kendo at summer camp that year. As to the iaito, yes, I know all about that. The only contact they get is the same as when one uses the bokken, and that's sword to sword contact in kata No. 4-10. Nobody ever strikes the person themselves. With Iaito, it can mean death in our kata if we got too close for a shomen cut and forgot tenouchi(to pull), or an injured hand, etc. As far as I know, that's the main reason why only higher dan level people use the iaito, and for demos only. It's just too dangerous otherwise. In case anyone wonders, having good tenouchi and pulling are the same animal, to me. As far as I know, this is correct, from what I have learned in the dojo. If anyone doesn't agree, please explain. I'd be happy to hear it! I'm only now considering this because of how Martino-san is using the word "pulling." I've never been told that so far. I've only been told I must use good tenouchi to stop the shinai or bokken. As to your last paragraph, I understand what you are saying, and it's true in a normal situation. Kaoru
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