A new martial art
 

A few weeks ago I took up another martial art in addition to iaido. Can you guess what it is?

That's right: I've started kendo. I hadn't planned to, but I did one practice and was hooked.

Kendo is awesome.

WELCOME!!! Now we have you!!http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/smile.gif

Same thing happened to me. I thought I would start kendo to help me improve iaido....I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought.

you too? .... another one doomed http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/laugh.gif


welcome to the club of k3nd0 n00bs http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...es/biggrin.gif

Ah but there you are mistaken. We've handled a sword before and we tend to do kendo like we do iai....WE COMPLETE THE CUT! Bite down and toughen up boys! My first few weeks I was making people bounce. I still do occasionally when I get a little overenthused. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/laugh.gif

Yeah great innit?

Another good thing to do to those who only do kendo is go into a kamae like TSKSR sasagakura ( left arm out at the opponent, palm toward face- sword is brought back over right shoulder). When they stop to say "what're ya doin' " (which they always do) you get a nice yokomen. At this point they will bleat (and yes it is bleating) "that's not kendo".

To which you smile nicely and point out that you hit him on his men with your shinai before he hit you; ask him what isn't kendo about that!http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/smile.gif

Congrats, now you're hooked. Welcome to the world of Kendo beginners

The fact that it's sucker punchin like a little toe rag probably.

Raising a hand up is generally cause for the other person to think "What's wrong? Are you injured? Himo undone?" only for you to hit them... very nice...

Next time he does that he'll get suckered and then something might be wrong.

I too, started kendo after iai. It was fun "experimenting" different kiai in the beginning...yelling out random, weird sounds was fun. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...es/biggrin.gif

I don't want satsuma to get suckered!
...well...... http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/tongue.gif

I quite enjoy his banter from time to time but i find it really annoying when people come to aiki and they try to karatefy or ninjafy the moves... parallels with the kendo thing. It just annoys me.

Oh, welcome to kendo Oroshi! I hope you didn't like the skin on your feet. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...es/biggrin.gif

I'm trying not to approach kendo as an extension of iai. Obviously some things are directly transferable, but I'm not assuming anything.

I'm doing my best not to smash people to the floor by following through with my cuts (koryu iai/kenjutsu doesn't always call for a cut to gedan though so it's no real challenge). Using a shinai feels weird, though, and I haven't yet got used to stretching forward with my arms when I strike. The one thing I'm finding really difficult is hayasuburi. Too much zengogiri practice is getting in the way! I have to do it really slowly at the moment (ososuburi?).

I'm still trying to find my kiai.

welcome to kendo !

doing it slowly might be a bit of an oxymoron but the key is the footwork & its better to do hayasuburi slowly but correctly rather than quickly (yes I know) but wrong !
the feet move independently, dont jump back and forward both feet at the same time
get that right & the rest will follow

regards

Phil..

Don't worry, you are already ahead of the game when it comes to kata.

You might have a hard time using small technique, it feels very foreign, but you will get complements on big waza.

Congratulations.

Kendo = the way of the sword, so I reckon you'll be a more complete japanese swordsman as a result.

My favourite seitei iaido hanshi hachi dan often says "kendo - iaido - same..."

Would that be Oda Sensei, by chance, Kendoka?

My old kendo sensei used to bemoan the iaidoka holding their shinai like iaito http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/smile.gif When I'm doing my morning men cuts, I use bokken, shinai and iaito and always try to make sure I'm holding the shinai right down at the end of the tsuka so I don't fall into that trap.

My nanadan sensei says "kendo and iaido: the two wheels of a cart"... so it seems like a common thought for people who has been doing this for a little while. Fine with me, I really enjoy both.

Welcome to kendo, Oroshi, and congratulations on having your whole cart rolling... http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...es/biggrin.gif

That's how I was taught to hold my iaito as well. Other people hold it farther up but it never felt comfortable for me.

What sort of iaido do you do?

Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu
taught by Nick Suino
taught by Katsuo Yamaguchi

pinky finger just on the end of the tsuka