While you are away at home or holiday, if you fancy learning more about kendo, take a look at some videos found online. Here is a page with some basic stuff:
http://kendo.org.uk/videos/kendo-kihon-and-waza/
There are a lot of interesting videos out there (for example, on Youtube), available for you free! So while you are resting your body, train your mind and develop your knowledge about kendo!
http://kendo.org.uk/videos/
I would also like to encourage people to attend kendo trainings wherever you are... it's nice to practice with different set of people instructed by different sensei's with different styles.
Find your nearest clubs in the UK: http://kendo.org.uk/clubs/maps/
Also, do some suburi if you fancy a bit of exercise... avoid low-cealing rooms though.
Avoid injuries by doing appropreate warm-up, stretching and cool-down before and after exercise.
Stay safe, healthy, and don't forget about kendo over the vacation!
A lot to come in 2010!
Thursday, 17 December 2009
Friday, 11 December 2009
Kendo clothing: Hakama and keiko-gi
If you've started kendo recently, you probably have been wearing some sportswear to practice. That's perfectly fine for now, but if you are planning to get into armour fairly soon, it may be a good idea to place orders to get your hakama (flared trousers) and kendo-gi (or keiko-gi: the top).
1. Getting your new kendo clothing
I think most of us buy our supply from either of these websites:
Eurokendo (http://www.eurokendo.com/)
Nine Circles (http://www.ninecircles.co.uk/)
Take your time and measure yourself properly when you are ordering: especially for a hakama.
If you get a hakama too long for you, it may get in your way (I've tripped on my own hakama and fell down a few times when it was too long for me!). On the other hand, if it's too short, it looks a bit silly... so please get the right size for your safety, and for you to look good.
We don't specify a colour as a club. Many of us generally wear navy blue keiko-gi and hakama... probably the most standard. Some of us wear white keiko-gi with black hakama (including me) just because we happen to have them.
If you are buying one now, probably navy blue's recommended, because white one becomes dirty / stained quite easily! Your choice in the end though!
Also, try to get at least one "tenugui" at hand. This is the cloth that you place around your head when you put a men on. There are lots of colours and designes... but the important thing is, it absorbs your sweat and that it can wrap around your head tightly!
If you forget to get one, don't worry: most of the senior members probably have spares they can give/lend you! No need to get more than one or two... you'll get free tenugui for almost every competition you attend :p it'll multiply in numbers very quickly...
2. Maintenance
When you do get your navy blue keiko-gi, wash them separately from all your other clothes, and avoid tumble drying the first few times you wash them (because it may shrink beyond recognition...). You don't normally have to wash them more than once every two weeks... or even a month.
Do hang it up in your room (preferrably by a radiator) or outside after each practice... it will make the practice a lot more pleasent that way next time you wear it...
I don't recommend you wash your hakama unless you really need to. Just fold it neatly and put it away.
If you want to wash it, either hand-wash while it's folded, or place it neatly folded in a washing net/bag and use a delicate cycle. Hang it up in a way the folds are kept the way it was.
3. Bogu
We don't recommend you to buy your own bogu at this point, as they can be quite pricey. We have some in our club shead that you can borrow and use, so don't feel obligated to buy your own.
However, if you want to have your own, feel free. Again, measure yourself properly before placing an order (especially when you are buying it online)!
If you have any questions about clothing or equipments, email away to one of the senior members!
1. Getting your new kendo clothing
I think most of us buy our supply from either of these websites:
Eurokendo (http://www.eurokendo.com/)
Nine Circles (http://www.ninecircles.co.uk/)
Take your time and measure yourself properly when you are ordering: especially for a hakama.
If you get a hakama too long for you, it may get in your way (I've tripped on my own hakama and fell down a few times when it was too long for me!). On the other hand, if it's too short, it looks a bit silly... so please get the right size for your safety, and for you to look good.
We don't specify a colour as a club. Many of us generally wear navy blue keiko-gi and hakama... probably the most standard. Some of us wear white keiko-gi with black hakama (including me) just because we happen to have them.
If you are buying one now, probably navy blue's recommended, because white one becomes dirty / stained quite easily! Your choice in the end though!
Also, try to get at least one "tenugui" at hand. This is the cloth that you place around your head when you put a men on. There are lots of colours and designes... but the important thing is, it absorbs your sweat and that it can wrap around your head tightly!
If you forget to get one, don't worry: most of the senior members probably have spares they can give/lend you! No need to get more than one or two... you'll get free tenugui for almost every competition you attend :p it'll multiply in numbers very quickly...
2. Maintenance
When you do get your navy blue keiko-gi, wash them separately from all your other clothes, and avoid tumble drying the first few times you wash them (because it may shrink beyond recognition...). You don't normally have to wash them more than once every two weeks... or even a month.
Do hang it up in your room (preferrably by a radiator) or outside after each practice... it will make the practice a lot more pleasent that way next time you wear it...
I don't recommend you wash your hakama unless you really need to. Just fold it neatly and put it away.
If you want to wash it, either hand-wash while it's folded, or place it neatly folded in a washing net/bag and use a delicate cycle. Hang it up in a way the folds are kept the way it was.
3. Bogu
We don't recommend you to buy your own bogu at this point, as they can be quite pricey. We have some in our club shead that you can borrow and use, so don't feel obligated to buy your own.
However, if you want to have your own, feel free. Again, measure yourself properly before placing an order (especially when you are buying it online)!
If you have any questions about clothing or equipments, email away to one of the senior members!
Winter Break practice plan
Winter break is among us... here is the plan for our kendo practice sessions during this period. Please take note of the time changes for Monday sessions.
If you have any questions, please contact Naoki (naoki.ichiryu[at]lincoln.ox.ac.uk).
Dates and times for Winter Holiday kendo practice sessions
Sat 12 December 09 (14:30 - 16:30)
Mon 14 December 09 (20:00 - 22:00)
Wed 16 December 09 (20:00 - 21:30)
Sat 19 December 09 (14:30 - 16:30)
Mon 21 December 09 (20:00 - 22:00)
Wed 23 December 09 -- NO PRACTICE
Sat 26 December 09 -- NO PRACTICE
Mon 28 December 09 -- NO PRACTICE
Wed 30 December 09 -- NO PRACTICE
--
Sat 02 January 09 -- NO PRACTICE
Mon 04 January 10 (20:00 - 22:00)
Wed 06 January 10 -- Cancelled due to snow
Sat 09 January 10 -- Cancelled due to snow
-- Back to term-time practice
Mon 11 January 10 (21:00 - 22:30) -- TBCWed 13 January... etc.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Week 8 (30 November 09) Summary
Well done and congratulations to the beginners who graded at the Oxford Kendo Cup!
You have achieved so much during this term!
I was very pleased to see so many people looking good doing kendo.
Thank you very much to those of you who also stayed for the Armoured members' competition as well.
I hope you enjoyed watching the match.
Here's some of the things we learned during the this week's practice:
1. Continuity
During this term, you have learnt to make basic cuts. We have practiced this during suburi, and kihon geiko.
Now we've moved on to do a bit more than just single cuts.
When doing kirikaeshi, or uchicomi geiko, you have to make sure to have the continuity from the beginning of an exercise to the end.
This includes the first chudan-no-kamae at tooma, and lasts until you've made your final cut and turned around to chudan-no-kamae at tooma again.
I think Dave-sensei instructed to do a uchicomi geiko (men, kote, kote-men, men) in one breath during this Monday's practice. Many of you may have found this challenging, because it's often difficult to do everything in one breath when you are not used to moving around very fast.
Don't worry too much if you couldn't do everything in a single breath at this moment, because if you try to speed up too much, you may lose some of the important aspects of the cut we learned so far.
Instead, it would be useful to know the concept and the mentality, and try to get there eventually. The reason why we do exercise with multiple movements, is to train our mind and body to give good zanshin, and to stay focused so as not to give away opportunity to the opponent during a match.
Try to keep yourself focused throughout the exercise. Don't worry if you do something wrong, or miss a target. It happens all the time in sparring or a match. If you break your concentration, you are giving your opponent a big opportunity. The important thing is to just keep your mind focused until the end of the exercise without breaks in between.
Once you can do that, try to make your kiai a little more continuous as well. This will train you for correct breathing, and eventually you will be able to do everything in one breath.
2. Being a motodachi
If you are not wearing an armour, you will rarely be asked to stand as a motodachi (unless you are receiving cuts with your shinai).
However, from next term on, you will be wearing armours, and you will have to stand as motodachi, so it's useful to know a few things about being a motodachi at this point.
During the exercise where you are the kakarite (person doing the exercise), watch what your motodachi partner is doing.
Motodachi is supposed to aid the partner's practice, and offer a good target for kakarite.
They should kiai with the kakarite, and should keep a good posture throughout the exercise, be ready, and move according to the exercise being practised.
When the kakarite move through after a cut, motodachi should either step sideways (taisabaki) and avoid impact, or receive a taiatari (body impact) with a correct posture. Once the kakarite is back to the position to make a cut, motodachi should be ready right away to receive the next cut
This may involve the motodachi running after kakarite (either gone through, or did a hiki-waza) to catch up at tooma. If the motodachi doesn't do this, kakarite will end up having to run back up to them before they can make the next cut.
This is an important exercise for the motodachi as well, because it train their readiness and to work out the distance at all times.
3. Some Japanese words you may want to learn...
At the beginning of an exercise: Onegaishimasu
At the end of an exercise: Arigatou-gozaimashita (thank you)
Do try to use these words during the exercise. It will encourage your partner and yourself to practice kendo with a positive attitude!
See you next week!
You have achieved so much during this term!
I was very pleased to see so many people looking good doing kendo.
Thank you very much to those of you who also stayed for the Armoured members' competition as well.
I hope you enjoyed watching the match.
Here's some of the things we learned during the this week's practice:
1. Continuity
During this term, you have learnt to make basic cuts. We have practiced this during suburi, and kihon geiko.
Now we've moved on to do a bit more than just single cuts.
When doing kirikaeshi, or uchicomi geiko, you have to make sure to have the continuity from the beginning of an exercise to the end.
This includes the first chudan-no-kamae at tooma, and lasts until you've made your final cut and turned around to chudan-no-kamae at tooma again.
I think Dave-sensei instructed to do a uchicomi geiko (men, kote, kote-men, men) in one breath during this Monday's practice. Many of you may have found this challenging, because it's often difficult to do everything in one breath when you are not used to moving around very fast.
Don't worry too much if you couldn't do everything in a single breath at this moment, because if you try to speed up too much, you may lose some of the important aspects of the cut we learned so far.
Instead, it would be useful to know the concept and the mentality, and try to get there eventually. The reason why we do exercise with multiple movements, is to train our mind and body to give good zanshin, and to stay focused so as not to give away opportunity to the opponent during a match.
Try to keep yourself focused throughout the exercise. Don't worry if you do something wrong, or miss a target. It happens all the time in sparring or a match. If you break your concentration, you are giving your opponent a big opportunity. The important thing is to just keep your mind focused until the end of the exercise without breaks in between.
Once you can do that, try to make your kiai a little more continuous as well. This will train you for correct breathing, and eventually you will be able to do everything in one breath.
2. Being a motodachi
If you are not wearing an armour, you will rarely be asked to stand as a motodachi (unless you are receiving cuts with your shinai).
However, from next term on, you will be wearing armours, and you will have to stand as motodachi, so it's useful to know a few things about being a motodachi at this point.
During the exercise where you are the kakarite (person doing the exercise), watch what your motodachi partner is doing.
Motodachi is supposed to aid the partner's practice, and offer a good target for kakarite.
They should kiai with the kakarite, and should keep a good posture throughout the exercise, be ready, and move according to the exercise being practised.
When the kakarite move through after a cut, motodachi should either step sideways (taisabaki) and avoid impact, or receive a taiatari (body impact) with a correct posture. Once the kakarite is back to the position to make a cut, motodachi should be ready right away to receive the next cut
This may involve the motodachi running after kakarite (either gone through, or did a hiki-waza) to catch up at tooma. If the motodachi doesn't do this, kakarite will end up having to run back up to them before they can make the next cut.
This is an important exercise for the motodachi as well, because it train their readiness and to work out the distance at all times.
3. Some Japanese words you may want to learn...
At the beginning of an exercise: Onegaishimasu
At the end of an exercise: Arigatou-gozaimashita (thank you)
Do try to use these words during the exercise. It will encourage your partner and yourself to practice kendo with a positive attitude!
See you next week!
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