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!
Monday, 8 March 2010
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Shiai rules and roles
Just a few useful reference when watching a shiai (match).
Please refer to published books or BKA official guide for more details!
For one shiai-jo:
3 referees
2 ribbon tying people (one on each side of the shiai-jo, with red or white ribbons)
1 score-board keeper
1 time-keeper (a person with a stopwatch and a yellow flag)
Score board:
men - M
kote - K
do - D
tsuki - T
hansoku - triangle
hikiwake - X
Words used in matches:
ippon
Ippon is a score. A normal match is "sanbon shobu" (or three-point match) where a competitor with two points win.
If two points are scored initially by the same player twice, then there won't be a third game.
If two competitors each score ippon each, then there will be the determining game, or "shobu".
hansoku
Hansoku is a faul. It happens most commonly in "jo-gai" which is a faul of a competitor stepping out of the shiai-jo.
Also, hansoku may be called by the referee if boryoku (violence) is used during the match.
shiai
Shiai is a match.
shiai-jo
A square field defined by a line drawn on the floor where the match takes place.
It's a square with two lines where each player stands behind with a toe at least touching the line.
The cross defines the centre of the shiai-jo.
When a player steps out of the square, the refree calls "jo-gai".
This is hansoku, and if repeated twice, would accumulate to ippon for the other player.
encho
Encho is a extended period of time in which the match continues beyond its normal time-limit.
This happens when the match hasn't been decided.
shinpan
Referee
"hajime" - "Start" refree's declaration of the beginning of a game (time starts)
"yame" - "Stop" refree's call to stop a game (time stops)
"wakare" - "Separate" referee's call to separate the two competitors to tooma.
"shobu ari" - "Match has been decided" - referee's call to declare the end of the match.
"hikiwake" -"Draw" - referee declares the end of match with a draw. This happens when no ippon has been scored by either of the competitors, or both scored one ippon each.
Please refer to published books or BKA official guide for more details!
For one shiai-jo:
3 referees
2 ribbon tying people (one on each side of the shiai-jo, with red or white ribbons)
1 score-board keeper
1 time-keeper (a person with a stopwatch and a yellow flag)
Score board:
men - M
kote - K
do - D
tsuki - T
hansoku - triangle
hikiwake - X
Words used in matches:
ippon
Ippon is a score. A normal match is "sanbon shobu" (or three-point match) where a competitor with two points win.
If two points are scored initially by the same player twice, then there won't be a third game.
If two competitors each score ippon each, then there will be the determining game, or "shobu".
hansoku
Hansoku is a faul. It happens most commonly in "jo-gai" which is a faul of a competitor stepping out of the shiai-jo.
Also, hansoku may be called by the referee if boryoku (violence) is used during the match.
shiai
Shiai is a match.
shiai-jo
A square field defined by a line drawn on the floor where the match takes place.
It's a square with two lines where each player stands behind with a toe at least touching the line.
The cross defines the centre of the shiai-jo.
When a player steps out of the square, the refree calls "jo-gai".
This is hansoku, and if repeated twice, would accumulate to ippon for the other player.
encho
Encho is a extended period of time in which the match continues beyond its normal time-limit.
This happens when the match hasn't been decided.
shinpan
Referee
"hajime" - "Start" refree's declaration of the beginning of a game (time starts)
"yame" - "Stop" refree's call to stop a game (time stops)
"wakare" - "Separate" referee's call to separate the two competitors to tooma.
"shobu ari" - "Match has been decided" - referee's call to declare the end of the match.
"hikiwake" -"Draw" - referee declares the end of match with a draw. This happens when no ippon has been scored by either of the competitors, or both scored one ippon each.
Hilary Term '10 Week 2-4
Apologies for the laxness of the blog updating recently! There has been much training going on and so forth, especially in the run-up to the Varsity match. To make up for it there is a massive post this time! Let's dive straight into the topics; the musings and opinion will be aplenty therein...
2nd Kata
Continuing the descriptions of the kata from the last entry, the 2nd kata form, nihonme, will be discussed. Starting from the nine pace distance, both uchidachi and shidachi maintain chudan and take three steps (ayumi ashi) in to issoku ito no maai. Uchidachi watches for and takes the opportunity to cut kote with a step (okuri ashi) forward and kiai “yah”. Shidachi drops both hands and steps (okuri ashi) diagonally back and to the left, avoiding the cut to the wrist. Following this, shidachi cuts kote with okuriashi and kiai “toh”. Uchidachi watches shidachi for zanshin, and steps back half a step (okuri ashi) to return to the centre. Shidachi moves right (okuri ashi) to return to his point. It is good for uchidachi to keep the point of the bokuto down and delay returning to chudan until after shidachi has reached the starting position in order to avoid ungainly manoeuvring of bokuto around each other.
Basic exercises and looking ahead to armour practice
There has not been much in terms of new exercises and techniques being practised on the Monday sessions, but the intensity of them is increasing. One may be tempted to wonder why it is that the same exercises are just being done over and over again, if there are other techniques and movements, and why it is that these are not being taught. It is important to understand that it is not sufficient to merely do the movements, but to be able to do them correctly, accurately and automatically without thinking about each part of the body. This condition is important as once in armour, the feeling is very different, and it becomes exceedingly difficult to consciously control each individual part of the body. Remember that if cuts are done wildly, it is very easy to incur injury. More advanced techniques require, for safety, both practitioners to be in armour: take the opportunity now to observe how the armour is put on by members of the club; this will give you an idea of what to do when you start using it later this term.
Motodachi geiko
The aim of motodachi geiko is to give the chance for a large number of members to practice many repetitions of waza and exercises in a limited time. Consequently, outside of stopping to give advice, the motodachi will seek to allow as many people to do the exercise as efficiently as possible. Assist the motodachi in this by being ready to step up and begin the exercise quickly; if you are the next person in line, watch the exercise and move up as soon as the person before you is done. Remember that motodachi may choose not to put away the shinai at the end of the exercise and move straight on to receiving the next kakarite. When doing the rei at the end of the exercise, allow the person behind you to move forward into position at the same time. The formality of taking a set number of steps forwards and backward at the beginning of the exercise is relaxed. Finally, and most importantly, never allow a queue to go empty. If a queue is significantly shorter than another, move to the shorter queue. Everyone doing this means that there will be equal opportunities for rest. If you are unwell or unable to continue, it is acceptable let someone know and drop out and move to the side and perhaps rejoin later; however do not hang back and stand around, as it causes confusion. Also there is no need to be polite and let someone go ahead; either person just stepping in and doing the exercise means that both people will finish faster.
Once again, well done for sticking with the practices as they have become harder and intense in order to prepare for moving people into armour this term! The work has been paying off: the improvement that we have seen is most impressive, and I look forward greatly to more members joining the ranks of those in bogu!
2nd Kata
Continuing the descriptions of the kata from the last entry, the 2nd kata form, nihonme, will be discussed. Starting from the nine pace distance, both uchidachi and shidachi maintain chudan and take three steps (ayumi ashi) in to issoku ito no maai. Uchidachi watches for and takes the opportunity to cut kote with a step (okuri ashi) forward and kiai “yah”. Shidachi drops both hands and steps (okuri ashi) diagonally back and to the left, avoiding the cut to the wrist. Following this, shidachi cuts kote with okuriashi and kiai “toh”. Uchidachi watches shidachi for zanshin, and steps back half a step (okuri ashi) to return to the centre. Shidachi moves right (okuri ashi) to return to his point. It is good for uchidachi to keep the point of the bokuto down and delay returning to chudan until after shidachi has reached the starting position in order to avoid ungainly manoeuvring of bokuto around each other.
Basic exercises and looking ahead to armour practice
There has not been much in terms of new exercises and techniques being practised on the Monday sessions, but the intensity of them is increasing. One may be tempted to wonder why it is that the same exercises are just being done over and over again, if there are other techniques and movements, and why it is that these are not being taught. It is important to understand that it is not sufficient to merely do the movements, but to be able to do them correctly, accurately and automatically without thinking about each part of the body. This condition is important as once in armour, the feeling is very different, and it becomes exceedingly difficult to consciously control each individual part of the body. Remember that if cuts are done wildly, it is very easy to incur injury. More advanced techniques require, for safety, both practitioners to be in armour: take the opportunity now to observe how the armour is put on by members of the club; this will give you an idea of what to do when you start using it later this term.
Motodachi geiko
The aim of motodachi geiko is to give the chance for a large number of members to practice many repetitions of waza and exercises in a limited time. Consequently, outside of stopping to give advice, the motodachi will seek to allow as many people to do the exercise as efficiently as possible. Assist the motodachi in this by being ready to step up and begin the exercise quickly; if you are the next person in line, watch the exercise and move up as soon as the person before you is done. Remember that motodachi may choose not to put away the shinai at the end of the exercise and move straight on to receiving the next kakarite. When doing the rei at the end of the exercise, allow the person behind you to move forward into position at the same time. The formality of taking a set number of steps forwards and backward at the beginning of the exercise is relaxed. Finally, and most importantly, never allow a queue to go empty. If a queue is significantly shorter than another, move to the shorter queue. Everyone doing this means that there will be equal opportunities for rest. If you are unwell or unable to continue, it is acceptable let someone know and drop out and move to the side and perhaps rejoin later; however do not hang back and stand around, as it causes confusion. Also there is no need to be polite and let someone go ahead; either person just stepping in and doing the exercise means that both people will finish faster.
Once again, well done for sticking with the practices as they have become harder and intense in order to prepare for moving people into armour this term! The work has been paying off: the improvement that we have seen is most impressive, and I look forward greatly to more members joining the ranks of those in bogu!
Monday, 25 January 2010
Hilary Term '10 Week 1 (18/01/10)
Hi all; welcome back to Oxford if you have been away or on holiday. The blog will once again be maintained weekly to describe the Monday sessions during term time, so look forward to the updates (even if they do turn up quite late in the week)!
This week, Monday’s focus was on an aspect of kendo that beginners may not have encountered before: Nihon Kendo Kata. This is a set series of movements using the bokuto, meant to teach, amongst other things, range, concentration, correct movement and accuracy, and connection with the opponent. There are ten sets of movements in total, an increasing amount of which are required for gradings from ikkyu onwards. The first seven are performed with both uchidachi (teaching side) and shidachi (student side) using tachi (long sword), while for the last three shidachi changes to using the kodachi (short sword). On Monday, the first two were taught. The first three are required for ikkyu. Often, grading questions ask that one of the sets be described. Due to space considerations, this entry will cover only the movements involved in the first kata; this only scratches the surface, but of course learning this is the first step in terms of being able to perform it correctly.
When one begins to practice kata, one does sonkyo normally, and stands into chudan at tooma. Each set begins at nine pace distance, and to reach that distance, both sides tip the sword down and to the right, at about the height of gedan and with the edge pointing in. The point should be slightly outside of the opponent’s right knee. Five small steps (ayumi ashi) are taken backwards by both sides to reach nine pace distance.
Ipponme (first kata):
From nine pace distance, uchidachi takes hidari (left foot forward) jodan, and shidachi takes migi (right foot forward) jodan. Both sides take three steps (ayumi ashi) into a range such that uchidachi would be able to cut shidachi with stepping forward with the right foot: issoku itto no maai. Uchidachi watches for the opportunity to cut shidachi, and does so with a large swing all the way down to gedan. The kiai used is “yah”. When uchidachi does this, shidachi steps back (okuri ashi) to avoid the cut, and then forwards (again okuri ashi) cutting to the head with kiai “toh”. Uchidachi steps back (okuri ashi) half a step to test zanshin; shidachi brings the tip of the bokuto down to point to the face of uchidachi. Shidachi then steps forward into hidari jodan, forcing uchidachi to step back another half step (okuriashi). When satisfied with zanshin, uchidachi brings the bokuto back into chudan, signalling the end of the movements and that shidachi should return to chudan. Both return to nine pace distance in the manner described in the earlier paragraph.
Please consider the kata movements and rehearse them, either physically or mentally, so that the next time it is practiced, the emphasis and improvements can be not on what the movements are, but the quality of execution. Look forward to future updates in which later sets and implications will be discussed!
This week, Monday’s focus was on an aspect of kendo that beginners may not have encountered before: Nihon Kendo Kata. This is a set series of movements using the bokuto, meant to teach, amongst other things, range, concentration, correct movement and accuracy, and connection with the opponent. There are ten sets of movements in total, an increasing amount of which are required for gradings from ikkyu onwards. The first seven are performed with both uchidachi (teaching side) and shidachi (student side) using tachi (long sword), while for the last three shidachi changes to using the kodachi (short sword). On Monday, the first two were taught. The first three are required for ikkyu. Often, grading questions ask that one of the sets be described. Due to space considerations, this entry will cover only the movements involved in the first kata; this only scratches the surface, but of course learning this is the first step in terms of being able to perform it correctly.
When one begins to practice kata, one does sonkyo normally, and stands into chudan at tooma. Each set begins at nine pace distance, and to reach that distance, both sides tip the sword down and to the right, at about the height of gedan and with the edge pointing in. The point should be slightly outside of the opponent’s right knee. Five small steps (ayumi ashi) are taken backwards by both sides to reach nine pace distance.
Ipponme (first kata):
From nine pace distance, uchidachi takes hidari (left foot forward) jodan, and shidachi takes migi (right foot forward) jodan. Both sides take three steps (ayumi ashi) into a range such that uchidachi would be able to cut shidachi with stepping forward with the right foot: issoku itto no maai. Uchidachi watches for the opportunity to cut shidachi, and does so with a large swing all the way down to gedan. The kiai used is “yah”. When uchidachi does this, shidachi steps back (okuri ashi) to avoid the cut, and then forwards (again okuri ashi) cutting to the head with kiai “toh”. Uchidachi steps back (okuri ashi) half a step to test zanshin; shidachi brings the tip of the bokuto down to point to the face of uchidachi. Shidachi then steps forward into hidari jodan, forcing uchidachi to step back another half step (okuriashi). When satisfied with zanshin, uchidachi brings the bokuto back into chudan, signalling the end of the movements and that shidachi should return to chudan. Both return to nine pace distance in the manner described in the earlier paragraph.
Please consider the kata movements and rehearse them, either physically or mentally, so that the next time it is practiced, the emphasis and improvements can be not on what the movements are, but the quality of execution. Look forward to future updates in which later sets and implications will be discussed!
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
CANCELLED: Wednesday 13th Jan 2010
Today's session (13th January 2010) is now cancelled due to Oxford School closing early.
Monday, 11 January 2010
Snow in Oxford
Dear OUKC members,
Please note that some of our practice sessions have been disrupted due to snow and ice, which caused schools and some sports facilities to be closed.
I can confirm now that our Saturday session planned for 9th January 2010 is cancelled, since Cheney School will be closed.
Monday session on 11th January 2010 is also cancelled (Updated 11th Jan).
Please pay close attention to your emails to receive updates on our practice sessions.
Also, anyone who was intending to attend a Kyusha Taikai (Competition) that was planned for this Saturday (9th January 2010) is now announced to be postponed on BKA website.
(http://kendo.org.uk/2010/01/06/kyusha-taikai-travel-update/)
Lastly, do take a lot of care on the roads. Hope to see you all soon.
Please note that some of our practice sessions have been disrupted due to snow and ice, which caused schools and some sports facilities to be closed.
I can confirm now that our Saturday session planned for 9th January 2010 is cancelled, since Cheney School will be closed.
Monday session on 11th January 2010 is also cancelled (Updated 11th Jan).
Please pay close attention to your emails to receive updates on our practice sessions.
Also, anyone who was intending to attend a Kyusha Taikai (Competition) that was planned for this Saturday (9th January 2010) is now announced to be postponed on BKA website.
(http://kendo.org.uk/2010/01/06/kyusha-taikai-travel-update/)
Lastly, do take a lot of care on the roads. Hope to see you all soon.
Thursday, 17 December 2009
Kendo videos etc.
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!
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!
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