[gernica]

What's the weirdest/funniest piece of advice that you've been given by a sensei? It doesn't even have to be necessarily related to Kendo.

I've been told to switch to "Freedom Kendo" in the middle of a tournament. In the middle of a large crowd. With the agreement of several other sensei.

[ptmQqoxw]

Wow, now that is something that I would have to ask "why?"

[Sopsneork]

HAHAHA!!! Goin commando is the way to go! It was Kendo sensei telling you this right?

[Intory]

HAHAHA!!! Goin commando is the way to go! It was Kendo sensei telling you this right?

Haha of course. I can't imagine ever hearing that from a Naginata sensei.

[noingenah]

One of my sensei, whilst trying to get us brand new beginners to not try to guide our strikes to the target, but rather just strike at the target (I can't explain it well, for some reason), gave us an example that went something along the lines of the following: He briefly explained the hisotry and nature of kyudo, then touched on technique, getting more specific with this, and said, "And once they've released the arrow, they drop their bows and run down the range to catch up with the arrow, at which point they grab it and stick it right in the center of the target". He said it so seriously we almost thought he might be serious. After a short pause he continued, "no, of course they don't because that's stupid!". After a good laugh he then related it to how a good men should work. Anywho, I though the analogy was pure genious.

[brorwargy]

well... nice story... hahahahaha

[Anypeny]

At the end of a long, two day seminar, a sensei told the assembled group, many of whom were to enter their first shiai the next day, to make sure that they "always hit with the correct part of the shimpan" and not long after that to remember "when entering the shinai...." Gave us all a good chuckle but I'll never be able to get the image out of my head of someone picking up the shimpan and beating their opponent to death with him/her.

[BriKevin]

this wasn't really any strange advice from a sensei, but I think I asked a guy something like, "i'm having trouble doing XYZ... I start to do XYZ, and then the opponent seems to always do that in response, and then I do this again and he does that, and then my feet do this, and his hands do that, and then when I attack...'

And after carefully and patiently listening to me ramble on for a while, i shut up and there was a dramatic pause. he just looked right at me and said simply, "Just focus the opponent."

"yeah, but what about my problem?"

"just focus the opponent."

"I don't understand."

"just focus the opponent.."

dunno why that just makes me chuckle to think about that..