Hi all! Well done for sticking with the course. Halfway there; 3 more weeks to go before the grading! This week was about how to handle the shinai and retain control over the arc and target of the cut. Important things to bear in mind for this are your grip on the shinai, arm movement, posture (again), and finally, te-no-uchi.
Shinai Grip
The shinai should be held as though you are supporting its weight, without excessive force. Gripping it tightly kills the range of movement available to the shinai within your hand. The little finger of the left hand should be wrapped around the bottom edge of the shinai, resulting in the end of the shinai sitting in the palm of your hand. The right hand should be near the top of the handle, with the top of the hand a finger width from the tsuba (guard). The shinai should be held with the ring finger, little finger, and thumb of each hands. Ensure that the “V” between the thumb and index finger is along the top of the shinai. Do not place the thumb along the top. This prevents the shinai from pivoting back, and if the shinai is forced back by, e.g., running into someone, the thumb will get injured.
Arm Movement
The feeling of swinging the shinai is somewhere between allowing the shinai to drop down from the height that it has been lifted to, and throwing it out as far forward as possible (without letting go, of course). The arms should not be tense, and should unfold at the shoulders, then elbows, then wrists. If the arms (and hence grip) are tense, the cut will become inaccurate, as natural unevenness in strength between arms will pull the shinai off centre. The tenseness will also prevent correction of the arc, and so the strike will miss. It will take practice to get the balance right between relaxing and feeding enough strength into the shinai such that it swings out, hence my encouragement to get used to the weight and handling of the shinai. Try to practice swinging the arms, both with and without shinai, keeping them relaxed but sending them out as far as possible.
Posture (as always)
Two main problems with posture may affect the control of the cut. Hunched shoulders, with the shoulder girdle rolled forward, does not allow full rotation of the shoulder joint. This prevents the arms from being raised up high enough for the cut, and hence the elbows must be bent more to compensate. This then leads to obstruction of your view, a slower cut, and later, when in armour. a opening for the opponent to strike the kote (wrist). Bending the upper body to the side and leaning off-centre will also stuff up your accuracy. The height of the strike is determined by the rotation of the shoulder joint and the bending of the knees. For these to be accurate, the relative position of the spine must be consistent.
Te-no-uchi
This is the use of the wrists and fingers to add the extra snap to the strike at the end of the swing. There are a variety of ways of thinking about how to execute this. One is to think of wringing the shinai handle at the end of the cut, turning both wrists inwards and gripping with the fingers. Another is to think of tightening the fingers on the shinai, together with a tipping forwards of the wrist joint. Either way, the important point is that the fingers and wrist are relaxed all the way up to the point before the te-no-uchi is executed, then tensed to give the shinai the snap, and then relaxed again. The last is an important part which is often missed.
I hope these points have been helpful. Next week will look at coordinating the whole body and introduction of a few more exercises built on this week's practise. See you on Monday!
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Friday, 29 October 2010
Beginner's Course Week 3
As described in the overall structure, the next few sessions will be focussing on particular basic technical aspects of kendo. Hence, there will be exercises that are useful for improving what we are practising that week. Please practice these when you have the chance and space. Although you may find these exercises difficult, strenuous, or repetitive and unexciting, practice is essential for the improvement of technique, and movements will eventually become muscle memory.
This week was on footwork and posture. Good footwork allows movement smoothly from point to point without sacrificing posture (shisei), required for balance and readiness. Therefore, when practising footwork, constantly check that the posture is good. Ensure that the upper body is upright, the head up and the shoulders back. When stationary, the feet should be shoulder width apart, pointing forwards, the left foot back with the heel off the ground. Keep relaxed and balanced.
As mentioned before, when moving, always move the leading foot first: this opens the stance, which is more stable. Push off with the trailing foot to move the hips in the direction desired, and keep the upper body neutral. This was the purpose of the lunge exercises. The exercise at the end of the session was to approach a target in kamae, stop at a distance in which the target could be reached, and a execute a strike to the head. The purpose this time was not the cut (although that was the fun bit), but to make sure that the posture was still correct by the time you had reached cutting distance, and were ready to strike. What you are going to do once you reach your desired position should not affect your kamae while you move there.
Fumikomi is the stamping footwork that is used when making a cut. It serves to coordinate the body and allows further cutting distance than sliding footwork (suri ashi). As mentioned in the previous blog entry, do not strike the ground with your heel! The impact will hurt the heel and be transferred all the way up through the leg to damage the knees and the spine, especially if the knees are locked. The sound comes from a slapping of the ground with the sole of the foot, not from the heaviness of the stamp. In this way, it is similar to the impact of the shinai on the target: it is not the strength of the cut but its sharpness and speed. Keep the knees bent when practising and do not try to extend too far, which is likely to cause knee-locking and heelstriking. Impact the ground which the whole sole at once to spread the impact over the whole foot. Practice with small steps or on the spot, so that you get used to the foot positions. The lunges can also be used to practice the fumikomi.
Finally, if you have obtained a shinai from submitting your membership form and payment, I encourage you to handle it, not necessarily for swinging, but just to get used to the weight and balance, and being relaxed when holding it. If you have not yet received the kit but have paid for the course, please be patient; more shinais and bokuto have been ordered and are on their way!
See you all again on Monday Week 4 !
Wei Hao
This week was on footwork and posture. Good footwork allows movement smoothly from point to point without sacrificing posture (shisei), required for balance and readiness. Therefore, when practising footwork, constantly check that the posture is good. Ensure that the upper body is upright, the head up and the shoulders back. When stationary, the feet should be shoulder width apart, pointing forwards, the left foot back with the heel off the ground. Keep relaxed and balanced.
As mentioned before, when moving, always move the leading foot first: this opens the stance, which is more stable. Push off with the trailing foot to move the hips in the direction desired, and keep the upper body neutral. This was the purpose of the lunge exercises. The exercise at the end of the session was to approach a target in kamae, stop at a distance in which the target could be reached, and a execute a strike to the head. The purpose this time was not the cut (although that was the fun bit), but to make sure that the posture was still correct by the time you had reached cutting distance, and were ready to strike. What you are going to do once you reach your desired position should not affect your kamae while you move there.
Fumikomi is the stamping footwork that is used when making a cut. It serves to coordinate the body and allows further cutting distance than sliding footwork (suri ashi). As mentioned in the previous blog entry, do not strike the ground with your heel! The impact will hurt the heel and be transferred all the way up through the leg to damage the knees and the spine, especially if the knees are locked. The sound comes from a slapping of the ground with the sole of the foot, not from the heaviness of the stamp. In this way, it is similar to the impact of the shinai on the target: it is not the strength of the cut but its sharpness and speed. Keep the knees bent when practising and do not try to extend too far, which is likely to cause knee-locking and heelstriking. Impact the ground which the whole sole at once to spread the impact over the whole foot. Practice with small steps or on the spot, so that you get used to the foot positions. The lunges can also be used to practice the fumikomi.
Finally, if you have obtained a shinai from submitting your membership form and payment, I encourage you to handle it, not necessarily for swinging, but just to get used to the weight and balance, and being relaxed when holding it. If you have not yet received the kit but have paid for the course, please be patient; more shinais and bokuto have been ordered and are on their way!
See you all again on Monday Week 4 !
Wei Hao
Friday, 22 October 2010
Beginner's Course Week 2
Hi everyone!
Hope you enjoyed the second session of this term's Beginner's Course.
Last week, our president, Wei Hao, has covered the general and safety aspect of our practice. So this week, I would like to go slightly more technical, and also touch on some of the dojo etiquette.
Please also refer to "Kendo Etiquette" section of our club's "Kendo for Beginners" guide: http://users.ox.ac.uk/~kendo/kendo4beginners/k4b2.html
Posture
Here are some videos from Youtube that might help you see what I mean:
Barefoot Heel Strike Running with Force - Slow Motion
Barefoot Forefoot Strike Running with Force - Slow Motion
Movement
"Rei" at the dojo
When you enter the dojo (in our case, the sports hall), bow (rei) towards the general direction of where we practice. It shows your respect towards the people who use the dojo, and commitment to what you are about to do -- kendo. Don't forget to bow towards the dojo again when you leave: it will become natural after a while.
"Onegai shimasu" and "Arigatou gozaimashita"
We will cover more specific mannerism during kendo practice. But the important thing for now is that you respect the people you practice kendo with. For this, please remember the following two words.
Say "Onegai shimasu" at the beginning of each session and each practice, and "Arigatou gozaimashita" to thank at the end of the practice/session.
Treat your shinai as if treating a real sword.
Do not leave them lying around where people may step on or trip over. Similarly, try not to step over a shinai, and NEVER kick a shinai out of the way. Shinai should be handled with care and respect. It will last longer with a bit of care, so you save money, and more importantly, it will be a lot safer for the people who practice kendo with you.
Don't forget to check for cracks or splinters before you start hitting something or someone.
Practicing at home
Remember what you were told at each kendo session; especially the safety aspects. Stretch well, and make sure that your surroundings are safe. Check the height of the ceiling, conditoion of the floor. Make sure you are not close to things or people when you swing your shinai. Not just in front of you... your shinai naturally falls back when you are swinging over your head!!
Stay safe, and be responsible!
That's it for this week: hope to see you again next week! ;)
--Naoki
Hope you enjoyed the second session of this term's Beginner's Course.
Last week, our president, Wei Hao, has covered the general and safety aspect of our practice. So this week, I would like to go slightly more technical, and also touch on some of the dojo etiquette.
Please also refer to "Kendo Etiquette" section of our club's "Kendo for Beginners" guide: http://users.ox.ac.uk/~kendo/kendo4beginners/k4b2.html
Posture
- Stay upright with shoulders back -- don't hunch over even when you are swinging the shinai.
- Imagine a vertical line that runs through from the top of your head to the floor between your legs. Maintain this throughout.
- Relax -- No point in tensing up. You need to be relaxed to move the way you want to. keep your arms and legs relaxed, and don't lock your elbows or knees.
- Legs shoulder width apart, left forward, right back.
- Left heel off the ground, weight on the ball of both feet. (right heel should be very slightly off the floor as well)
- Never cross your feet during movement, no matter which direction you are moving towards. (open and close)
- Get back to the balanced, even position after each step. This is important because you want to be ready to go whenever you see an opportunity.
Here are some videos from Youtube that might help you see what I mean:
Barefoot Heel Strike Running with Force - Slow Motion
Barefoot Forefoot Strike Running with Force - Slow Motion
Movement
- When you are moving in suriashi (sliding footwork), try not to bounce up and down. Imagine a line horizontal to the floor running along your waist. As you move forword or back, the waistline should stay leveled with this imaginary line.
- Remember not to let your heels go flat on the floor at any point in your movement! This is to allow agility in your motion, and also to protect your akelies tendon from snapping.
"Rei" at the dojo
When you enter the dojo (in our case, the sports hall), bow (rei) towards the general direction of where we practice. It shows your respect towards the people who use the dojo, and commitment to what you are about to do -- kendo. Don't forget to bow towards the dojo again when you leave: it will become natural after a while.
"Onegai shimasu" and "Arigatou gozaimashita"
We will cover more specific mannerism during kendo practice. But the important thing for now is that you respect the people you practice kendo with. For this, please remember the following two words.
Say "Onegai shimasu" at the beginning of each session and each practice, and "Arigatou gozaimashita" to thank at the end of the practice/session.
- Onegaishimasu is a bit hard to translate... in terms of kendo, it means something like "please teach me" as well as "let's train together". It shows good will and respect to your partner. "
- Arigatougozaimashita" simply means "thank you".
Treat your shinai as if treating a real sword.
Do not leave them lying around where people may step on or trip over. Similarly, try not to step over a shinai, and NEVER kick a shinai out of the way. Shinai should be handled with care and respect. It will last longer with a bit of care, so you save money, and more importantly, it will be a lot safer for the people who practice kendo with you.
Don't forget to check for cracks or splinters before you start hitting something or someone.
Practicing at home
Remember what you were told at each kendo session; especially the safety aspects. Stretch well, and make sure that your surroundings are safe. Check the height of the ceiling, conditoion of the floor. Make sure you are not close to things or people when you swing your shinai. Not just in front of you... your shinai naturally falls back when you are swinging over your head!!
Stay safe, and be responsible!
That's it for this week: hope to see you again next week! ;)
--Naoki
Friday, 15 October 2010
Beginner's Course Week 1
Hi all,
A warm welcome to all beginners who have joined us this week! The purpose of this blog is to support the training sessions on Monday evenings, explaining a bit more about what was taught and practised that evening. Also, the previous entries, written for the beginner's course last year, may also be helpful and give an idea of what was done in the last beginner's course, if you would like to do some reading beforehand. For these first two weeks, in which an overview session is given, this blog will cover more general issues. This week, a few points on safety and training.
Hydration
Kendo can be physically demanding and tiring, involving a lot of moving around. Even in cold weather, it is common to sweat while practising. It is therefore important to keep well hydrated; drink fluid before and after exercise, and during water breaks. Also, if you feel that you are in need of water, tell a senior and stop to get the drink. Water or isotonic drinks are recommended; high sugar drinks can make you dehydrated, and sometimes carbonated drinks might not sit well in the stomach when moving around.
Warm-up/stretch
Again, as with all strenuous exercise, it is important to warm up properly to avoid injuries. Tense muscles and tendons are prone to injury when put under strain, such as during sudden movement in kendo. We perform a combined warm-up at the beginning of each session, but if you arrive late, make sure that you warm yourself up before joining in.
Injuries
There are a number of other points in the prevention of injuries to yourself. The most important is to keep the rear ankle off the ground at all times. This cannot be stressed enough. The most common serious injury in kendo is the snapping of the Achilles tendon. This happens if the calf is not warmed up enough, and too much strain is put on it when trying to push off on the rear foot. This excessive strain occurs when the foot is flat against the ground and so the ankle cannot flex. Hence, it is important to keep the heel off the ground. This will occur naturally if the posture is maintained correctly and will become automatic in time.
Relaxation/Control/Strength
Excessive strength is not required in the swinging of the shinai, and it is in fact counter-productive. Using arm strength makes the arm move more slowly, and results in loss of control: attempting to increase the speed of the cuts by swinging the arms makes them tense. Focus on keeping the arms and upper body relaxed, without attempting to cut quickly. This will also improve body posture. Finally, using arm strength when cutting will mean that when you are hitting a live target, the strike will really hurt, even with the armour on.
Equipment check
For the moment, the only equipment that you will be using is the shinai, the bamboo sword. It is important to check that this is safe to use; it undergoes a lot of stress as it strikes targets and get hit. A damaged shinai can send sharp and potentially dangerous pieces of bamboo in all directions. Avoid hitting it on the side with the string; this is what holds the leather caps together, which contain the bamboo slats. (Also, it is the side that represents the blunt edge of the sword, so there's not much good trying to cut with it.) Check that the string is tight so the caps cannot come off. The cap at the tip should not be damaged (so don't lean on your shinai!) The leather around the centre of the shinai should be tight. Check that there are no splinters or cracks in the bamboo.
Personal Limits
Finally, the person that knows your limits best is yourself. If at any time you are feeling unwell, do not hesitate to make this known to a senior and drop out; join back in if and when you feel you can carry on. Also, if there are any injuries that may interfere with training, please also make this known!
A warm welcome to all beginners who have joined us this week! The purpose of this blog is to support the training sessions on Monday evenings, explaining a bit more about what was taught and practised that evening. Also, the previous entries, written for the beginner's course last year, may also be helpful and give an idea of what was done in the last beginner's course, if you would like to do some reading beforehand. For these first two weeks, in which an overview session is given, this blog will cover more general issues. This week, a few points on safety and training.
Hydration
Kendo can be physically demanding and tiring, involving a lot of moving around. Even in cold weather, it is common to sweat while practising. It is therefore important to keep well hydrated; drink fluid before and after exercise, and during water breaks. Also, if you feel that you are in need of water, tell a senior and stop to get the drink. Water or isotonic drinks are recommended; high sugar drinks can make you dehydrated, and sometimes carbonated drinks might not sit well in the stomach when moving around.
Warm-up/stretch
Again, as with all strenuous exercise, it is important to warm up properly to avoid injuries. Tense muscles and tendons are prone to injury when put under strain, such as during sudden movement in kendo. We perform a combined warm-up at the beginning of each session, but if you arrive late, make sure that you warm yourself up before joining in.
Injuries
There are a number of other points in the prevention of injuries to yourself. The most important is to keep the rear ankle off the ground at all times. This cannot be stressed enough. The most common serious injury in kendo is the snapping of the Achilles tendon. This happens if the calf is not warmed up enough, and too much strain is put on it when trying to push off on the rear foot. This excessive strain occurs when the foot is flat against the ground and so the ankle cannot flex. Hence, it is important to keep the heel off the ground. This will occur naturally if the posture is maintained correctly and will become automatic in time.
Relaxation/Control/Strength
Excessive strength is not required in the swinging of the shinai, and it is in fact counter-productive. Using arm strength makes the arm move more slowly, and results in loss of control: attempting to increase the speed of the cuts by swinging the arms makes them tense. Focus on keeping the arms and upper body relaxed, without attempting to cut quickly. This will also improve body posture. Finally, using arm strength when cutting will mean that when you are hitting a live target, the strike will really hurt, even with the armour on.
Equipment check
For the moment, the only equipment that you will be using is the shinai, the bamboo sword. It is important to check that this is safe to use; it undergoes a lot of stress as it strikes targets and get hit. A damaged shinai can send sharp and potentially dangerous pieces of bamboo in all directions. Avoid hitting it on the side with the string; this is what holds the leather caps together, which contain the bamboo slats. (Also, it is the side that represents the blunt edge of the sword, so there's not much good trying to cut with it.) Check that the string is tight so the caps cannot come off. The cap at the tip should not be damaged (so don't lean on your shinai!) The leather around the centre of the shinai should be tight. Check that there are no splinters or cracks in the bamboo.
Personal Limits
Finally, the person that knows your limits best is yourself. If at any time you are feeling unwell, do not hesitate to make this known to a senior and drop out; join back in if and when you feel you can carry on. Also, if there are any injuries that may interfere with training, please also make this known!
Monday, 11 October 2010
Beginner’s Course Michaelmas Term
Here is an outline of the beginner’s course, running the 8 weeks of Michaelmas term.
This is intended as an introduction to kendo for total beginners, but the exercises used should also be beneficial to advanced kendoka in improving kihon (basics). The aim of the course is to teach all the basic movements so that the shinai can be handled competently and exercises can be carried out safely on live targets.
An overview of everything on the course will take up the first two weeks, to give an idea of what will be achieved over the term. Following this, the next few weeks will revisit each aspect, using exercises intended to polish them. Finally, in week 8, a grading will be held in the same session as the Oxford Winter Cup.
The course is structured such that each session builds on what is covered the week before. The purpose of this document is that if you are unable to make a session, it is possible to check what was covered here. Also, this blog will be updated weekly for duration of the beginner’s course, will describe the exercises used in detail and the points covered that week.
Beginners can join any time in week 1, 2 or 3; however, membership forms must be in and paid for by the end of 3rd week in order to cover insurance with the British Kendo Association (BKA).
Week 1: Overview I
An short crash course quickly covering all that will be done over the next few weeks. There will
be a demonstration of a tournament (shiai) environment match at the end.
Week 2: Overview II
Continues from Overview I. The demonstration at the end of this session will be Kihon and practice exercises.
Week 3: Footwork, Posture, Kiai
A session focussing on the footwork and posture used in kendo. Suri-ashi, okuri-ashi, ayumiashi, hiraki-ashi, fumikomi. Smooth movement with correct posture, with and without shinai. Kiai (shouting).
Week 4: Shinai Handling
Correct holding and swinging the shinai (bamboo sword). Arm, elbow, wrist and finger action. Te-no-uchi, suburi.
Week 5: Ki-Ken-Tai no Icchi
Correct timing of movement and impact. Coordination of body, sword, and kiai.
Week 6: Men and Kote
Cutting of the head (men) and wrist (kote) targets. Use of te-no-uchi and ki-ken-tai no icchi.
Week 7: Kirikaeshi
Execution of kirikaeshi, an exercise involving a set pattern of cuts.
Week 8: Grading
Beginner’s grading. Testing of suburi, striking and kirikaeshi.
This is intended as an introduction to kendo for total beginners, but the exercises used should also be beneficial to advanced kendoka in improving kihon (basics). The aim of the course is to teach all the basic movements so that the shinai can be handled competently and exercises can be carried out safely on live targets.
An overview of everything on the course will take up the first two weeks, to give an idea of what will be achieved over the term. Following this, the next few weeks will revisit each aspect, using exercises intended to polish them. Finally, in week 8, a grading will be held in the same session as the Oxford Winter Cup.
The course is structured such that each session builds on what is covered the week before. The purpose of this document is that if you are unable to make a session, it is possible to check what was covered here. Also, this blog will be updated weekly for duration of the beginner’s course, will describe the exercises used in detail and the points covered that week.
Beginners can join any time in week 1, 2 or 3; however, membership forms must be in and paid for by the end of 3rd week in order to cover insurance with the British Kendo Association (BKA).
Week 1: Overview I
An short crash course quickly covering all that will be done over the next few weeks. There will
be a demonstration of a tournament (shiai) environment match at the end.
Week 2: Overview II
Continues from Overview I. The demonstration at the end of this session will be Kihon and practice exercises.
Week 3: Footwork, Posture, Kiai
A session focussing on the footwork and posture used in kendo. Suri-ashi, okuri-ashi, ayumiashi, hiraki-ashi, fumikomi. Smooth movement with correct posture, with and without shinai. Kiai (shouting).
Week 4: Shinai Handling
Correct holding and swinging the shinai (bamboo sword). Arm, elbow, wrist and finger action. Te-no-uchi, suburi.
Week 5: Ki-Ken-Tai no Icchi
Correct timing of movement and impact. Coordination of body, sword, and kiai.
Week 6: Men and Kote
Cutting of the head (men) and wrist (kote) targets. Use of te-no-uchi and ki-ken-tai no icchi.
Week 7: Kirikaeshi
Execution of kirikaeshi, an exercise involving a set pattern of cuts.
Week 8: Grading
Beginner’s grading. Testing of suburi, striking and kirikaeshi.
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Grading Requirements
As some people are looking at grading at the end of May, here is a link to part of the British Kendo Association website:
http://kendo.org.uk/kendo/grading-requirements/
It states very clearly what is looked for by examiners at each level of grading. It is good to look at this even if you have not yet registered for a grading as it will give you an idea of what to work for, and at which point you should be thinking about taking a grading!
Additionally the questions (Grading questions- Kendo) and other requirements are also worth a look at ("Gradings").
See you at practice!
http://kendo.org.uk/kendo/grading-requirements/
It states very clearly what is looked for by examiners at each level of grading. It is good to look at this even if you have not yet registered for a grading as it will give you an idea of what to work for, and at which point you should be thinking about taking a grading!
Additionally the questions (Grading questions- Kendo) and other requirements are also worth a look at ("Gradings").
See you at practice!
Monday, 8 March 2010
Hilary Term '10 wk 7 (08/03/10)
Hi all! Last Monday saw the people of the movement of beginners into armour, so this time we shall cover some points when putting on the bogu. It is easy to find how to put on bogu online, eg. (from e-bogu)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqSMDDmTAaE
Feel free to ask a member already in armour to show you how before the start of practice. It is good to practice putting on the bogu at home; learn to do it quickly so that during the line-up other members do not have to wait for you.
On this entry, what will be covered will not be how to wear the armour, but some small points to take note of when putting on each of the pieces, in the order they are put on. Remember that when putting on or taking off bogu in the dojo, always do so in seiza, at the side (not in the middle of) and facing into the dojo (more accurately, towards the shomen).
Tare
Make sure that the tare sits on your hipbone tightly when tying it on, this means that it will not slip down when moving around but is not tight around the stomach. The straps should be the same height as, and go around, the koshi ita (back board) of the hakama, not between it and the body. When tying the straps, ensure that they are not twisted but are flat against your body. This applies when tying all the other bogu on as well. Ensure that the knot does not protrude from the tare as they may be caught and untied during practice.
Do
The bottom of the do should rest on the tare such that the unpadded straps are just covered. Also, the top of a good-sized do should not be too far from the bottom of the men once the men has been put on. Ensure that the do is balanced and straight on, adjusted by tying the himo (strings) with different lengths. Also, when tying the knot at the back, the ribbon should have the loops pointing outwards left and right, not up and down. The knots on the front of the do should have the loops pointing either both inwards or both outwards, and the ends of the himo should be tucked in.
Men
Note that there are a variety of methods of tying the tenugui; choose one that suits you and your tenugui size. When putting the men on, put the face into the men as far as possible, such that the solid frame of the men is right against face. Do this by first fully putting the chin fully into the men, then bringing it up against the forehead. Make sure that the men cannot move around the head, as this can lead to it rotating around the head, or it coming off. Also if it is loose it will weigh on the head and be hard on the neck. It is important to have the himo flat against the men, as a twisted himo puts pressure against the head and if it is struck during practice, it hurts. The side flaps of the men should be pointing forwards, not outwards, as these protect the shoulders. When putting on the men, after tying the himo, put fingers between the back of the men and the head and pull outwards and forwards to achieve this, and to give some space between the men and the ears. Finally, the himo, once tied, should be the same length as each other and no more than 40cm from the knot.
Kote
Hold the kote at the joint when putting it on or off to reduce the stress on the wrist section of the gloves. Check that the himo are not dangling. It should not be tight around the wrist, as it must have space to flex in order to absorb impact: tight kote transmit the impact directly to the wrist. Remember to check this if you are wearing a wrist protector or guard.
Look forward to seeing all of you in armour next session!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqSMDDmTAaE
Feel free to ask a member already in armour to show you how before the start of practice. It is good to practice putting on the bogu at home; learn to do it quickly so that during the line-up other members do not have to wait for you.
On this entry, what will be covered will not be how to wear the armour, but some small points to take note of when putting on each of the pieces, in the order they are put on. Remember that when putting on or taking off bogu in the dojo, always do so in seiza, at the side (not in the middle of) and facing into the dojo (more accurately, towards the shomen).
Tare
Make sure that the tare sits on your hipbone tightly when tying it on, this means that it will not slip down when moving around but is not tight around the stomach. The straps should be the same height as, and go around, the koshi ita (back board) of the hakama, not between it and the body. When tying the straps, ensure that they are not twisted but are flat against your body. This applies when tying all the other bogu on as well. Ensure that the knot does not protrude from the tare as they may be caught and untied during practice.
Do
The bottom of the do should rest on the tare such that the unpadded straps are just covered. Also, the top of a good-sized do should not be too far from the bottom of the men once the men has been put on. Ensure that the do is balanced and straight on, adjusted by tying the himo (strings) with different lengths. Also, when tying the knot at the back, the ribbon should have the loops pointing outwards left and right, not up and down. The knots on the front of the do should have the loops pointing either both inwards or both outwards, and the ends of the himo should be tucked in.
Men
Note that there are a variety of methods of tying the tenugui; choose one that suits you and your tenugui size. When putting the men on, put the face into the men as far as possible, such that the solid frame of the men is right against face. Do this by first fully putting the chin fully into the men, then bringing it up against the forehead. Make sure that the men cannot move around the head, as this can lead to it rotating around the head, or it coming off. Also if it is loose it will weigh on the head and be hard on the neck. It is important to have the himo flat against the men, as a twisted himo puts pressure against the head and if it is struck during practice, it hurts. The side flaps of the men should be pointing forwards, not outwards, as these protect the shoulders. When putting on the men, after tying the himo, put fingers between the back of the men and the head and pull outwards and forwards to achieve this, and to give some space between the men and the ears. Finally, the himo, once tied, should be the same length as each other and no more than 40cm from the knot.
Kote
Hold the kote at the joint when putting it on or off to reduce the stress on the wrist section of the gloves. Check that the himo are not dangling. It should not be tight around the wrist, as it must have space to flex in order to absorb impact: tight kote transmit the impact directly to the wrist. Remember to check this if you are wearing a wrist protector or guard.
Look forward to seeing all of you in armour next session!
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