[escolubtessen]

A couple of questions came up recently regarding the regulations covering shiai:

A question was posed regarding a kenshi that had a paralyzed left hand. Would this
person need to wear a left kote (hand is in a brace/sling possibly) and also if they were
required to wear a kote on the left hand would it be a target if the person was using
right-handed (katate) jodan?

So the questions are A) if a person with their hand in a brace and/or a sling is in a shiai are they required to wear the kote on that hand (in this case it is the left hand) and B) if a kote is worn is that hand then a target.

I have looked at the IKF rules and didn't see mention of anything that gave any clarity on this. So I am looking for comments pre-dominantly by people that actually know and not just have an opinion (i.e. probably higher ranked kendoka that have been shinpan-cho or that are actively involved in rule mitigation), although all are welcome to comment. I of course have my own ideas about this but am looking for some more definitive answers. If you have any information that discusses this please let me know where to access it if possible.

Thanks all!

[elektikakass]

This might be a good thing to bring up at the upcoming seminar in Vancouver, if you are attending or know anyone who is.

[quedry36]

I doubt I'll be able to make the Vancouver shinpan seminar but I will definitely check with folks down this way to see if anyone is. Thanks for the suggestion Neil!

[SeelaypeKet]

I really suspect this will be a case by case thing at the discretion of the shimpan-cho.

[Nadin Maison]

What kind of bozo would hit a guys hand in a sling? Gees. Hopefully no one.

[NicolasOL]

I thought injury or no injury, if you are in migi-katate-jodan, the left kote isn't a target anyway...the left kote isn't a target until it is above the shoulder no?

[bensabath]

Sorry, nevermind:

http://www.kendo-guide.com/datotsu-t...eft-kote-.html

[Arbinknit]

I'm not sure what the ruling is in general for hitting kote if that hand is not helping to control the shinai. For example, if a normal jodan player launches a katate-men, can you score his right kote after he has let go? My gut says no but I don't have anything concrete to back it up.

[anfuckinggs]

In Kendo's Grueling Challenge, Ishida Kenichi scores migi kote while his aite is holding the shinai with only his left hand. It's not during katate waza from jodan. The aite is actually pulling it away to avoid getting hit. That was 1982, so things may have changed.

My understanding is that whenever someone is in a kamae other than chudan, both kote are targets, whether the kamae is katate or morote.

[juidizHusw]

I'm not sure what the ruling is in general for hitting kote if that hand is not helping to control the shinai. For example, if a normal jodan player launches a katate-men, can you score his right kote after he has let go? My gut says no but I don't have anything concrete to back it up.

Yes, you can.

My take on the OP is that as the hand takes no active part at any stage, it should not be a target.
But...in order to avoid it being used to block other targets (do), I would suggest that the person ties his hand on the back, rather than having it in a sling on the front.

I'll try to bring up this question at the IKF seminar.

[elton]

Interestingly enough I am currently working on a translation of the 'Kendo Shiai Shinpan Administration Essential Guide' (Kendo Shiai Shinpan unei yoryo no tebiki, 剣道試合・審判・ 運営要領の手引き) which unfortunately does not exist in English. I hope to have it completed by the FIK Shinpan Seminar coming up in Canada. There is no discussion of this situation in the 'Tebiki'..

Regarding valid datotsu-bui targets for striking, in the 2006 Japanese/English Rule Book, Article 13 of the Subsidiary Rules, it states;
2. The target area of Kote shall be the right forearm (the left forearm, if the opponent holds Shinai with his or her left hand forward) in the case of Chudan-no-kamae, or the left and right forearms in the case of other Kamae. Same text in the 1996 & 2000 editions, as well.

In the past I have attended shinpan seminars where indeed the concept of left kote is valid above the mune, not valid below the mune, was presented. When I consider the actual wording of the rules, it seems this explanation was designed to delineate chudan from jodan with an exact position. But in practice, I think it falls to the shinpan to determine when a kamae other than chudan has been assumed.

The point about a yuko datotsu after the hand leaves the shinai, or a hand not on the shinai is very interesting. Perhaps the FIK seminar will shed light on this for all of us. For me I would apply the subsidiary rules and not take a kote hit to a hand not holding the shinai. If the hand just left the shinai, I think the shinpan has to work out if the release was a dodge and therefore still part of the kamae, or if a one handed katate kamae was being assumed which would not be a point, since by definition it was no longer chudan.

I think the decision to wear the sling falls under Article 7, of the Subsidiary Rules " Shiai-sha may use supporters or others only in case of medical need, provided that they are tidy and not hazardous to their opponents, subject to the approval by Shinpan-shunin or Shinpan-cho". If this situation was presented to me as Shinpan-cho, I would most likely approve the sling and lack of a kote based upon safety and need. Safety of both the competitor and his opponents, and the medical need of the competitor to use the sling and not wear a kote. View in this way the lack of kote does not trouble me.

For me, the rules cover the situation and it would not be an issue. Now that I have publicly stated as much, it will be interesting to see if I managed to figure it out, or I missed by a mile.

[Imampaictjg]

After some further pondering and upon rereading the wording " the left and right forearms in the case of other Kamae" this is still troubling to me. But I think the intent is that the hands are valid if they are being used in the case of other kamae...

Does the Japanese version help? Maybe a native speaker or Kanji savvy individual can get more out of it. To me it states that essentially left as well as right are valid with other non-chudan kamae, but I am probably reading my own perception into it...
小手部は、中段の構えの右小手（左手前の左小手）および中段以外の構えなどのときの左小手また は右小手。

[iioijjjkkojhbb]

Yes, you can.

My take on the OP is that as the hand takes no active part at any stage, it should not be a target.
But...in order to avoid it being used to block other targets (do), I would suggest that the person ties his hand on the back, rather than having it in a sling on the front.

I'll try to bring up this question at the IKF seminar.

Really? I thought it stopped being valid once you threw and it was no longer holding the tsuka. Read that somewhere. In response to the OP, there was a match here where a one-handed player lost because his fake hand (in which he obviously has no feeling) touched the shinai of his opponent when it FELL OFF or something ridiculous like that. Was still considered a hansoku. Unless that arm is missing, I think it might need a kote on it. If you can still get hansoku from a fake hand, then the forearm should still be a valid datotsu.

Found this post archived:

http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/sho...l=1#post112128

Around 9 or 10 years ago, there was one gentleman in the pacific northwest that did one-handed jodan because he broke his arm or had some type of operation performed and his arm was in a cast. I was impressed that he still wanted to continue practicing even though he was injured. I would be scared about it getting hit and re-injure myself...

He would wrap his arm up with what appeared to be foam or some type of wrapping so that it would at least soften the blow if an errant strike hit his kote and forearm Not sure if that was meant to mean the area of his kote, or whether he wore an actual kote over his cast (which would take some refitting, one would think)...

[freevideom]

小手部は、中段の構えの右小手（左手前の左小手）および中段以外の構えなどのときの左小手また は右小手。

I think one point may be a little unclear in the English translation. I would translate it as:
The opponent's right kote is a target when they are in chudan no kamae (their left if they are holding the shinai with the left hand in front). At other times, such as when they are in kamae other than chudan, both the left and right kote are targets. The point that appears to be missing from the official translation is 中段以外の構えなどのとき - "at other times, such as when they are in kamae other than chudan." The Japanese reads a little more fuzzily to me than the English translation.

However I've only been doing kendo for a very short time, and of course have no shinpan experience, so please take what I say here with a pinch of salt.

[Maymayfor]

I think the kenshi should have some sort of protection beyond the sling. If it is determined that the left is indeed NOT a target, I would strongly recommend protection that is not the color of bogu. If he were to wear a kote it might appear to be a target.

Personally, I feel that a paralyzed limb is a target only to the desperate. If that is the only target his opponent can hit, then he is doing well.

[AdSuiteAdobe]

In Kendo's Grueling Challenge, Ishida Kenichi scores migi kote while his aite is holding the shinai with only his left hand. It's not during katate waza from jodan. The aite is actually pulling it away to avoid getting hit. That was 1982, so things may have changed.

I was originally going to mention this, but upon re-watching the video I realised that this isn't actually true. The red senshu certainly strikes migi kote as white pulls it away but in that match Ujie is red and Ishida is white. The ippon awarded is for Ishida's following Men.

The relevant part of the video can be seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXMfPPWkMVY#t=05m42s . The video quality is quite poor but the competitor's colours can be deduced from their starting positions (and white's zekken has a 田 )

I do agree that given the almost 30 years that have passed since then, this might not be the best example to be used as precedent.

[jamisi]

Really? I thought it stopped being valid once you threw and it was no longer holding the tsuka. Read that somewhere. In response to the OP, there was a match here where a one-handed player lost because his fake hand (in which he obviously has no feeling) touched the shinai of his opponent when it FELL OFF or something ridiculous like that. Was still considered a hansoku. Unless that arm is missing, I think it might need a kote on it. If you can still get hansoku from a fake hand, then the forearm should still be a valid datotsu.

That is in another documentary that was once on youtube as well, about a korean competitor who played in Jodan after losing one arm. However, he did not lose the match because his prosthetic hand fell off and touched the shinai; he accidentally grabbed the shinai blade by mistake when he attempted to recover his grip. Though perhaps harsh, it does bear mentioning that he was able to use his prosthetic hand to hold the shinai and to launch his strikes, a large difference with the scenario the OP presents.

[oneliRafmeene]

Siome years ago I asked a senior 7th dan (who is well versed in refereeing matters) about this. The reply was if a kote was above the bottom line of the do plate, it was a valid target, but of course this was in the context of both hands on the shinai (or on any shinai in the case of nito).

Usually with katate waza, the hand that comes off the shinai is brought back quickly against the do, in a manner somewhat analagous to saya biki in iaido. It is part of the technique, and adds strength to it, as well as keeping the hand from hanging about in mid air and being a target.

On the occasions I have fenced with one-armed/handed people, they have fought from jodan. Their non-operative limb was usually tucked out of the way against the do, making it a difficult target anyway, and I would think most referees would not see a strike on such a target as yuko-datotsu anyway.

[adverwork]

The first question I would have to ask is if this person should be in the tournament? Is this a current injury perhaps subject to further injury? Is it a permanent condition? You have to consider fairness to the opponent as well. There is a chance that if the arm is in a sling in front that it could be injured or broken from taiatari. I seen a broken forearm before from this and it was not injured to begin with and being used in our normal fashion. Two doh slamming together will crush it.

As to whether it is a target depends on where or how they have it slung or protected. I practiced with someone in a similar situation where the hand was in a kote out front moving freely, but unable to grip the shinai. I considered it a target even when everyone else acted like it was taboo. The opponent thought it was quite funny and enjoyable that I treated it as such. He sure adjusted fast to it.

[excholza]

So to summarise the current state of rules relating to migi-kote:

In theory: Both kotes are targets when a person is outside of chudan, or doing something to that effect.

In practice: Nobody is sure and confusion reigns - in which case the rule applicable to hits by the shoto of a nito kenshi (i.e. a hit by a shoto can score in theory score but not in practice) applies. A well known exception to this general rule applies to a person in jodan, due to the number of times such hits have been scored in the past.

My take on it is that if it's a jigeiko then fine, avoid that injured arm. On the other hand, if it's shiai and the person with the injured arm made a choice to participate then it should be fair game. Some may say it's unsportsman like to go after the limp arm, and I would personally agree. But is it not also unsportsman like for a person, in shiai, to burden his opponent's ability to do his own kendo with an additional layer of restriction when he could just as easily sit out the shiai?