[Jadykeery]

I learnt something of seme (which btw, in Aus we translate as "pressure" but which I have read in a dictionary is closer "to storm" or "to attack" - as in a castle, etc: Hamish? you're the resident scholar... What's the etymology of "semeru"?) recently from the Toda sensei visit to Melbourne.

Previously I had always thought seme to be some kind of projection outwards towards your opponent. Whilst it certainly is in terms of body movement and shinai position, the internal feeling is not necessarily so. What I realised from Toda was that his fearsome seme came from a complete lack of care about the result of my attacks on him. This fearlessness seemed to sap the energy from my bones. After training with him for a few minutes he was able to actually induce this feeling in me, showing me debana-men and de-gote. What I realised was hard to put into words, but there is no sense of pushing outwards at your opponent at all. You are not throwing any vibes at them, so to speak, they are simply pummelling themselves with their own stuff.

This may not make any sense...