Yuko-datotsu (有効打突)

Ippon (n.): The act of successfully scoring a waza in kendo. The act of striking with ki-ken-tai-no-itchi.

Ki-ken-tai-no-itchi (n.):

A term which expresses an important element in moving for offense and defense; it is mainly used in teaching striking moves. Ki is spirit, ken refers to the handling of the shinai, and tai refers to the body movements and posture. When there three elements harmonize and function together with the correct timing, they create the conditions for a valid strike.

Yuko-datotsu (n.):

Making a valid strike. A valid strike which is considered ippon. According to the rules, a waza is complete when the following conditions are met: showing a fullness of spirit and appropriate posture, striking a datotsu-bui (striking zone) of the opponent with the striking region of one’s own shinai while using correct ha-suji, and expressing zan-shin.

If the necessary conditions are met, ippon is also given in the following cases: when ones strikes the opponent as soon as the opponent drops his/her shinai, steps out of court, or falls down, and when one strikes the opponent just as the signal for the end of match is given.

Ippon is not given in the following cases: when both players simultaneously make valid strikes and when one player makes a valid strike but the opponent shows full spirit and proper posture and the tip of his/her shinai is on the front of the chest of the striking player.

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6 Japanese Martial Arts That Are Spread Throughout The World

#1 Aikido 合気道

 Aikido is a Japanese Martial Art created during the 1920s by Morihei Ueshiba (1883~1969), an expert who reached the highest level of mastery in the classical Japanese Martial Arts. Aikido is performed by blending with the motion of the attacker and redirecting the force of the attack rather than opposing it head-on. Aikido has not competition. The goal of Aikido training is not perfection of a step or skill, but rather improving one's character according to the rules of nature.

#2 Judo 柔道

Judo means "The Gentle Way" in Japanese. Contrary to the meaning, Judo is competitive and intense. Jigoro Kano created Judo in 1882. Throwing, taking down, striking and some offensive techniques are used in Judo. But Kano's way is not only getting techniques to win, but cultivating their personalities. Probably Judo is the most famous martial arts in Japan because it's an athletic event of Olympic games.

#3 Kendo 剣道

 Kendo 剣道 is a modern Japanese martial art, which descended from swordsmanship (kenjutsu) and uses bamboo swords (shinai) and protective armour (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and many other nations across the world.
Kendo is an activity that combines martial arts practices and values with strenuous sport-like physical activity.Kendo is the result of transformation from the tool to kill each other to the way to learn techniques and develop their mental thing.

#4 Iaido 居合道

 Iaido 居合道, abbreviated with iai 居合, is a modern Japanese martial art/sport. Iaido is associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard or saya, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard. While beginning practitioners of iaido may start learning with a wooden sword (bokken) depending on the teaching style of a particular instructor, most of the practitioners use the blunt edged sword, called iaitō. Few, more experienced, iaido practitioners use a sharp edged sword (shin ken). Iaido is a very rare in the way that it consists of the flow which start to sit to ending to sheathe a sword.

#5 Karate 空手

 Karate 空手 is a martial art developed on the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It developed from the indigenous martial arts of Ryukyu Islands under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fujian White Crane.Karate is now predominantly a striking art using punching, kicking, knee strikes, elbow strikes and open hand techniques such as knife-hands, spear-hands, and palm-heel strikes. Historically and in some modern styles grappling, throws, joint locks, restraints, and vital point strikes are also taught. A karate practitioner is called a karateka 空手家. Karate has the rank certification and colored belts differ depending on the organizations. Usually black belt is the highest rank.

#6 Kyudo 弓道

Kyudo 弓道 is the Japanese martial art of archery. Bow and arrow which used in Kyudo were the weapons of the Samurai. As time went by, it had gotten be ceremonial and popular. A series of motions to shoot an arrow is important to hit the target. It always needs to have a calm mind. 

Kyudo is different from other martial arts in that an opponent is not a human but a target. Therefore you can enjoy yourself.If your arrow couldn't pierce a target, the cause is arising from you. It makes you to consider yourself and develop your mind.

A man doesn't have time.

"A man doesn't have time in his life
to have time for everything.
He doesn't have seasons enough to have
a season for every purpose. Ecclesiastes
Was wrong about that.

A man needs to love and to hate at the same moment,
to laugh and cry with the same eyes,
with the same hands to throw stones and to gather them,
to make love in war and war in love.
And to hate and forgive and remember and forget,
to arrange and confuse, to eat and to digest
what history 
takes years and years to do.

A man doesn't have time.
When he loses he seeks, when he finds
he forgets, when he forgets he loves, when he loves
he begins to forget.

And his soul is seasoned, his soul
is very professional.
Only his body remains forever
an amateur. It tries and it misses,
gets muddled, doesn't learn a thing,
drunk and blind in its pleasures 
and its pains.

He will die as figs die in autumn,
Shriveled and full of himself and sweet,
the leaves growing dry on the ground,
the bare branches pointing to the place
where there's time for everything. 
" ― Yehuda Amichai, The Selected Poetry of Yehuda Amichai

Martial Arts 2015: ALL ABOUT KENDO - New BBC Documentary Full HD

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Kiai!

Kiai – Usually understood as a sudden exclamation of energy within an attack accompanied by a deep sound resonating from the Hara. There are other ways of understandings of Kiai such as silent Kiai.

I love Kiai. Making noise is fun, especially when swinging a stick at someone’s head. It’s one of things the first attracted me to studying Budo, in particular Katori Shinto Ryu.

But besides from the enjoyment of it, what else does it add to training?

Kiai is useful for study, it adds a quality to training which is difficult to obtain otherwise. By using Kiai we can sink our energy down into our Center, relaxing the upper body, ensuring that the movements are coming from the right place. This of course only applies when the Kiai is correct, if it is ‘throaty’ then it will likely serve the opposite effect.

The Kiai also works to unified breath with movement. Essential to training in all Budo Arts, correct breathing relaxes body and mind, with a partner in Kata training it will also help to maintain a shared rhythm and pace.

For some beginning students Kiai can help lower inhibitions. If they can get over making noise and perhaps feeling a bit foolish doing so, they can better able to receive the correct instruction. I have often seen a turning point in students, when they accept Kiai as a necessary part of training. It can do wonders for training and perhaps has further reaching repercussions. Hopefully helping build self confidence.

The Kiai is also very useful as a way to focus your attention on the moment, your partner and all of what you are doing. The Kiai in Katori Shinto Ryu is accompanied by taking the line of attack, adding greatly to the precision of technique.

The eyes Kiai, the voice Kiai, the whole person is brought into the moment. This sensation is extremely valuable to me and is certainly something I would like to pass on. People’s minds are often so distracted with the many obligations of life, taking them out of the present, always thinking of what they must do tomorrow or left undone yesterday. Budo training in general serves to bring people together in a signal moment. Training with passionate intend simply exemplifies this.

How to Use the Combat Concepts of Legendary Swordsman Miyamoto Musashi in 21st Century Self-Defense

Taken from Black belt (http://www.blackbeltmag.com/) a post done by by Gabriel Suarez  in  August 26, 2015

Ask a martial artist who’s up on his history to name the greatest warrior of all time, and chances are he’ll say Miyamoto Musashi, the legendary Japanese swordsman who cut down 60 men with his blade. No doubt there have been many other fighting men — both before and after Musashi’s day (1584-1645) — who killed more enemies, but undocumented knowledge seldom outlives those who possess it. What makes Musashi special is that he accumulated an incredible amount of experience and committed his wisdom to paper in the form of a timeless classic titled Go Rin No Sho. We know it as The Book of Five Rings.

On cursory examination, the text appears to be a simple work designed to educate young swordsmen. Yet it embodies a plethora of between-the-lines observations and advice that will enthrall anyone who reads it with a warrior’s eye. Its prose captures an old warrior’s perceptions of the world around him and conveys the lessons the master deemed essential for a young warrior’s survival. It’s important to remember that when Musashi put pen to paper, he was very old. He knew that for him, there would be no more battles and, therefore, no need to hold anything back in an effort to keep enemies from learning secret fighting methods and using them against him.

Much of the content of The Book of Five Rings is specific to combat in old Japan, yet Musashi has plenty to teach 21st-century martial artists. We may carry a tactical folder and a Glock instead of a wakizashi and a katana, but fighting is fighting regardless of the year, and much of Musashi’s wisdom still applies.

His text is divided into five parts: Ground, Water, Fire, Wind and Void. A full discussion of their modern applications is beyond the scope of this article, so I’ll focus on the most poignant lessons.

Ground

“Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest and the deepest things as if they were a straight road mapped out on the ground,” Musashi wrote. His meaning is clear: Success in combat requires planning.

A lesson frequently learned early in a martial artist’s training is that those who are destined to win do so by first studying and then fighting. Those who are destined to lose tend to fight first and then study why they lost. Although no one can accurately predict the outcome of every battle and prepare specifically for it, you can certainly stack the deck in your favor.

Download a free guide titled “Miyamoto Musashi: Samurai Weapons Legend, Creator of Niten Ichi-Ryu and Author of The Book of Five Rings” here!

You must develop a realistic understanding of your skills and capabilities. Study the dynamics of conflict until you possess a basic understanding of how combat unfolds. It’s crucial to approach this with a 21st-century focus since modern-day assailants don’t always use weapons that existed in ancient Japan.

Musashi compared the way of the warrior to the way of the carpenter. The carpenter plans everything with great specificity, and you, as a martial artist, should do the same — both inside and outside the dojo. You may know exactly how you would spar with a classmate who likes to lead with a roundhouse kick, but do you have a plan in the event of a home-invasion robbery? How about a car jacking or mugging? Being prepared means you’ll never be a deer in the headlights, frozen by the savagery of the world. Leave nothing to chance.

Water

In the second section of his treatise, Musashi wrote: “Water adopts the shape of its receptacle. It is sometimes a trickle and sometimes a wild sea. Water has a clear blue color. By the clarity, things of [my] school are shown in this book.”

One of the most difficult attributes to develop is adaptability. A wise martial artist uses techniques and tactics that fit the circumstances of the fight. His goal is to hit his adversary, not necessarily to execute his favorite technique. Knowing which kick or punch to throw as a fight begins — and being able to change course at a moment’s notice — is essential.

“Learn the Lesson of Compassion From Japanese Swordsman Miyamoto Musashi” by reading this post.

The ability to become a tactical chameleon requires exposure to different fighting styles. Witness the generally poor showings made by one-dimensional fighters who enter MMA competitions such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In that kind of limited-rules environment, the fighter that triumphs is the one who has trained in every conceivable method, from ground grappling to kickboxing and all ranges in between.

Musashi’s moral: Study everything, keep what is useful and do not limit yourself to any one system.

Fire

“This book is about fighting,” Musashi wrote. “The spirit of fire is fierce, whether the fire be small or big. And so it is with battles.”

I once saw a well-trained martial artist get his rear end handed to him by an untrained yet much fiercer street thug who had no concerns about getting beaten up or killed. That illustrated to me the importance of ferocity. Being in great shape or having trained under a renowned master is simply not enough.

Becoming a fierce fighter doesn’t mean you have to live an austere existence like Musashi did — never washing your body lest you let down your guard, never sleeping on a pad lest it make you weak and so on. It means getting your mind oriented correctly in terms of life-or-death combat. As he wrote, “The way of the warrior is the resolute acceptance of death.”

In medieval times, Japanese warriors cultivated a fatalistic approach to things. In other words, they trained to die. As a modern-day warrior, you need not seek out your own demise in the service of another, but you must make friends with the idea of sacrificing your life so that in the midst of the fight, you aren’t distracted by thoughts of self-preservation. Of course, you should endeavor to preserve your life, but you should do so with the strength that comes from having a resolute acceptance of death and the purity of focus that accompanies it.

Wind

“In strategy, you must know the ways of other schools, so I have written about various other traditions of strategy in this, the Wind Book.”

Musashi focused much of his study on the martial ways of his adversaries. He isn’t the only historical figure to have done that; commentators as geographically and culturally diverse as Carl Von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu have penned similar admonishments.

Who are the likely adversaries of the 21st-century martial artist? Gang members, criminals and terrorists, for the most part. You must learn who they are, how they operate and what they wear. In a self-defense situation, you won’t find yourself face-to-face with a kendo student holding a samurai sword or with a kickboxer who announces himself and bows as though he’s part of a Hollywood fight flick. The opponent you’re most likely to confront today is a person skilled at taking you by surprise and willing to deprive you of your life without a moment’s hesitation.

“Some of the world’s strategists are concerned only with sword fencing and limit their training to flourishing the long sword and carriage of the body,” Musashi wrote. “But is dexterity alone sufficient to win? This is not the essence of the way. … In my doctrine, I dislike preconceived, narrow spirit. You must study this well.”

The lesson is obvious: Don’t be limited in your studies. If you take taekwondo,consider adding wing chun and Brazilian jiu-jitsu to expand your horizons. If you focus on unarmed fighting, spend some time learning knife and gun methods. If you’re a shooter, dabble in jeet kune do as a supplement. Remember that narrow-mindedness kills.

“Cutting down the enemy is the way of strategy, and there is no need for many refinements of it,” Musashi wrote. Nevertheless, some martial arts teachers romanticize combat. Those of us who have been there and done that know it’s a foolish thing to do. Combat has an ugliness, a reality and a finality that cut through all the dogma, doctrine, style disputes and miscellaneous clap-trap that clogs our consciousness. It’s simple, violent and animalistic. Understand it and accept it.

Void

Musashi wrote: “To attain the way of strategy as a warrior, you must study other martial arts and not deviate even a little from the way of the warrior. With your spirit settled, accumulate practice day by day, and hour by hour. Polish the twofold spirit [of] heart and mind, and sharpen the twofold gaze [of] perception and sight. When your spirit is not in the least clouded, when the clouds of bewilderment clear away, there is the true void.”

This passage typifies the Book of the Void, and throughout it, two aspects stand out: the mental, which Musashi calls “spiritual,” and the technical.

“Samurai Weapons Philosophy: How the Samurai Sword Can Enhance Life Rather Than Simply Take It” is the title of a free guide you can download right now. Click here to get started.

Mental: After a particularly violent gunfight, a superior asked me if I’d been scared. I said, truthfully, that I had not been. Then I qualified my answer: My lack of fear hadn’t stemmed from my being particularly brave or particularly stupid, but from being completely occupied with winning. I had trained myself to fight as well as I could, and I had a firm understanding of the rules of engagement. Additionally, I had a fall-back plan for any after-action eventuality that might crop up. Quite simply, I had a focused spirit, which is the essence of the void Musashi described.

Technical: In the November 2001 issue of Black Belt, I wrote an article titled “Enough Is Enough! The Case for Keeping Your Self-Defense Arsenal Short and Sweet.” It discussed how knowing too many techniques can be a liability because any move that’s unnatural or overly complicated will not be physically memorized. And if it’s not physically memorized, you’ll never use it in a fight.

That concept of physical memorization and subconscious programming is not new. The Japanese sword master Yagyu Tajima No Kami wrote: “Learning and knowledge are meant to be forgotten, and it is only when this is realized that you feel perfectly comfortable. The body will move as if automatically, without conscious effort on the part of the swordsman. All of the training is there, but the mind is utterly unconscious of it.”

Yagyu was referring to swordsmanship, but the concept is entirely valid for modern combatives. Likewise, Musashi’s Go Rin No Sho, which is more than 350 years old, remains a valid guide for the education of modern practitioners of the self-defense arts.

Gabriel Suarez is president of Suarez International Inc., a Prescott, Arizona-based training and consulting group that teaches modern combatives courses around the world.

Permalink: http://www.blackbeltmag.com/daily/martial-arts-philosophy/japanese-martial-arts/how-to-use-the-combat-concepts-of-legendary-swordsman-miyamoto-musashi-in-21st-century-self-defense/

What's the Difference between Syrah, Shiraz and Petite Sirah?

Syrah. Shiraz. Petite Sirah. These wines sound similar and in result, leave people confused what's the difference between the three of them.

Syrah and Shiraz are the exact same grape, much like Pinot Grigio and Pinot Grisare also the same grape. So whether you're drinking a wine that says Syrah or a wine that says Shiraz, the wine is made from the same grape. The French call the grape Syrah, while Australians call the grape Shiraz. If your label says Shiraz, there's a good chance it's from Australia. The rest of the world tends to follow the French and call the grape Syrah, but this is not a strict rule. Syrah is pronounced sih-RAH. Shiraz is pronounced sher-AS (rhymes with jazz).

Over time, however, Syrah and Shiraz have taken on meaning beyond preference of name. Australians like to make big jammy wines from this grape, and wines named Shiraz tend to be in this style. The French make less fruit-forward wines in general, so wines named Syrah tend to be more restraint than Shiraz. This is a general rule of thumb, but not always the case. Keep in mind that although Shiraz and Syrah can be different stylistically, they are still the same grape.

Petite Sirah, on the other hand, is an entirely different grape than Syrah/Shiraz, although it sometimes gets confused because Sirah is pronounced the same as Syrah. Elsewhere in the world this grape is called Durif. Petite Sirah wines are big and inky with tons of dark fruit flavors. Don't make the mistake that this grape is in any way related to Syrah/Shiraz, as people sometimes do.

In short: Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape, both used depending on the brand/winemaker preference. Petite Sirah is a different grape and has no relation to Syrah and Shiraz.

Taken from Vivino (http://www.vivino.com/news/whats-the-difference-between-syrah-shiraz-and-petite-sirah?utm_source=summary_email&utm_medium=weekly&utm_campaign=11-09-2015) accessed at  Sept 12th, 2015

Left foot

We concentrated on men-uchi last week. We started by hitting men from a static position then progressed through taking just one sliding step, to stepping into distance and striking, through to hitting with fumikomi ashi and then moving into zanshin.  We finished with debana men practice during which a dojo member asked for my advice on why he was having difficulty pushing off to make the strike. Instead of being able to launch an attack at will, all of his weight was moving to the left foot and he needed to readjust his foot position before he could move.

Watching his practice it was obvious that the heel of his left foot was too far off the ground, to the extent that he had no traction to push himself forward.  Instead he had to move his left foot forward each time that he needed to attack. To my mind a lot of energy was being wasted on unnecessary action.

Matsumoto Toshio sensei talked about the sole of the left foot being at a 15% angle from the floor, with the left leg being almost straight and keeping a feeling of tension behind the left knee. If you follow this advice then it is possible to move instantly from any spot. You of course need to keep the distance between your feet constant throughout your keiko, moving the left foot into position whenever your right foot moves, but you should be able to stop at any given time and instantly launch from the back foot.

How far apart your feet should be is open to debate. Conventional kendo wisdom suggests that the big toe of the left foot should be in line with the heel of your right foot and that there should be a fist’s distance separating the width of your stance.  In reality some All Japan class players have a much bigger gap between the forward and rear foot and they have the leg strength to make much longer steps than us amateurs.  I also believe that the fists distance in width is only a guide. In most sports, feet and knees should be in line with your hips. So your feet should be far enough apart for you to be stable and balanced.

The final piece of the jigsaw is to ensure that as you push with the left the right foot moves forward and not up. By keeping a slight bend in your right knee you should be able to make fumikomi with a big slapping sound and not damaging you knee or heel in the process.

Scrabble

This has got to be one of the cleverest E-mails I've received in a while.  Someone out there  must be "deadly" at Scrabble. (Wait till you see the last one)!

PRESBYTERIAN: 
When you rearrange the letters:
BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER: 
When you rearrange the letters:
MOON STARER

DESPERATION:

When you rearrange the letters:
A ROPE ENDS IT

THE EYES:  
When you rearrange the letters: 
THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH:
When you rearrange the letters: 
HE BUGS GORE

THE MORSE CODE:
When you rearrange the letters: 
HERE COME DOTS

DORMITORY: 
When you rearrange the letters:
DIRTY ROOM

SLOT MACHINES:
When you rearrange the letters: 
CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY:
When you rearrange the letters:
IS NO AMITY

ELECTION RESULTS:
When you rearrange the letters: 
LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS: 
When you rearrange the letters: 
ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT: 
When you rearrange the letters:
I'M A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES: 
When you rearrange the letters:
THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO: 
When you rearrange the letters:
TWELVE PLUS ONE

AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE:

MOTHER-IN-LAW:
When you rearrange the letters: 
WOMAN HITLER

Bet your friends haven't seen this one!!!
DON'T FORGET TO SHARE THIS

Kendo basic skills

ETIQUETTE (REI-GI)

Rei-Gi (manners) is perhaps the most important thing that kendo and iaido can teach us, and it coincides with traditions of old.  Simply showing respect and courtesy in all you do will help you grow as person throughout your life.  Learn it and live it.

THE DOJO:

When entering the dojo, remove your shoes and place them outside the door in an orderly fashion.  After entering the dojo, politely bow to show respect.  Generally, the bow can be directed at the front of the dojo or to Sensei.  

After you bow, find your place along the outer portion of the dojo and place your gear in an orderly fashion.  Generally, seating will follow a progression from highest rank to lowest rank or least tenure in the class.  Remember to respect your gear and your swords; even the shinai should be considered a sword and placed carefully upon the ground and carried in an appropriate manner.

As a beginning student, you will often be asked to help with tasks such as cleaning the dojo, sweeping the floors, setting up chairs, etc.  It is important to be on-time and ready to go at the scheduled class time, so these tasks should be performed in a manner to permit class to start on-time.  Once these tasks are complete, all students should be dressed and ready to go.

PRACTICE (KEIKO):

Our classes typically begin with the study of iaido, the way of drawing the sword, and prior to kendo.  As a member, you are not required to study both kendo and iaido, you may choose either.  It is, however, recommended that you study both, as they will only enhance your learning and are complimentary in nature.

It is customary to join the lineup at the beginning and at the end of the practice, sitting on the left hand side of the person who has a higher grade or more tenure than you.  The command Seiretsu (Line Up) will be given, followed by the commands to bow (Rei) and to start practice (Keiko).  If you study iaido as well as kendo, we will lineup to perform stretching and basic warm-ups to begin the class.  When in doubt, follow a student with experience in the progression of things.

After lining up, practice begins with Za-Rei and the following commands will be issued:

Kyotsuke (Attention).

Chakuza (Take seiza).

Seiza (Sit in the formal position with good posture).  Make sure you are lined up with your sempai (the person to your right in our dojo) and follow their “lead”. If you are standing in the second line, be sure to position yourself behind a senior student, beginning at the far right, and follow them.

Mokuso (mediation-like breathing).

Mokuso Yame (period is finished).

Shomen-ni Rei (bow to front of the dojo or flag).

Sensei-gata-ni Rei (or SENSEI"S NAME-Sensei-ni Rei) *.

Otagai-ni Rei (bow to other participants) *.

* If you wish to thank Sensei(s) or other students at this point in class, you may say “onegaishimasu”, which roughly equates to “Thank you for what you are about to teach me”.

This will be followed by standing, forming a large circle in the dojo, and the beginning of basic warm-up exercises (Suburi).  After basics, students will once again line-up, and the command Men-o Tsuke will be given to place the full armor (Bogu) on, and class will continue. When class ends, students once again lineup for To-Rei, and the following commands will be issued:

Kyotsuke (Attention).

 Chakuza (Take seiza).

Seiza (Sit in the formal position with good posture).

Men-o Tare (Remove the head armor).

Mokuso (mediation-like breathing).

Mokuso Yame (period is finished).

Sensei-Gata-ni Rei (or SENSEI"S NAME-Sensei-ni Rei).*

Shomen-ni Rei (bow to front of the dojo or flag).

Otagai-ni Rei (bow to other participants).*

Keiko Owari (practice is over).

* If you wish to thank Sensei(s) or other students at this point in class, you may say “arigato gozaimashita”, which roughly equates to “Thank you for what you taught me today”.

Sensei will then discuss practice or announcements are made (while in seiza), followed by a command signaling the end of class (dismissed).  If you would like to thank someone who was particularly helpful to you during the class, please do so after finishing the session.

During Sunday’s class, Kendo Kata will commence after iaido.  Kendo kata is a fundamental study of the basics of kendo and is an important part of learning the way of the sword.

Your advancement in kendo and iaido is shown by your movement, behavior, appearance, and attitude, and this begins before you enter the dojo.   Other students, both higher and lower in rank or grade, will judge you on these principles and learn from your example.

GENERAL DO’S AND DON’TS:

Ø  Be committed and come to class regularly.  If not, you not only waste your time, but you waste your instructor’s time and you may keep class progression at a slower pace.

Ø  Be on-time if not early to class.  If late, enter quietly without distracting others.  Dress, prepare, and warm up before joining the session.  Wait until an exercise is complete, step into the group, and bow.  Similarly if you have to be excused before the end of the practice, let sensei or a senior know.

Ø  Never sit or rest without permission unless you feel ill during class.  If ill or injured, bow out and get well.  Only you know your body.

Ø  Make the most of every practice.  Come prepared mentally and physically.

Ø  It is customary to walk behind a kendoka wearing armor and standing or sitting in position. If it is unavoidable, stretch your right arm in front of you, bow slightly, and excuse yourself while passing.

Ø  While instruction is being given by the sensei, sempai, or visiting teacher, do not interrupt, contradict, or be uncooperative. Do not allow your attention to wander during instruction.

Ø  Do not lean against the wall or on a shinai, using it as a cane.

Ø  Do not wear a hat, speak loudly, or use abusive language in the dojo.

Ø  Always place your shinai or sword out of the way, where others cannot stumble over or step on it. Do not rest it against the wall in an upright position.

Ø  Never step on or over a shinai, iaito, bokuto, or any representation of a sword.

Ø  Never kick, step on, or move someone’s bogu; treat them with respect.

Ø  Always bow to your opponent before and after a keiko.  Show respect by saying loud and clear, "onegaishimasu" while bowing before engaging and "arigato gozaimashita" after engaging.

Ø  If your armor becomes loose or untied, raise your right arm to signal you need to stop, step back, correct the problem, then start again with a standing bow.

Ø  Always place safety first.

Ø  Always take the opportunity to practice with higher ranks, and never allow a sensei or senior student to stand idle.

Ø  Always show your best reigi (etiquette), shisei (attitude), and kigurai (pride) wherever you practice.  Not only do you represent yourself, your represent your dojo, your sensei, and your sempai.

ADDITIONAL COMMANDS & TERMINOLOGY:

Kiritsu - Stand up

Kamae te - assume a chudan no kamae position.

Sonkyo - squat down facing the sempai.

Taito - Bring your shinai to your hip as if it was a sword in a scabbard.

Osame to - return your sword to the sheathed position

Reigi-saho - etiquette in the dojo, courtesy, discipline and manners on the whole.

Shisei – attitude.

Kigurai – pride.

Ohki – large motion.

Tobi-komi – practical motion.

Kihon-Waza (basic or promise practice)

Kiri-kaeshi – a basic exercise utilizing a series of men strikes forward and backward.

Kakari-geiko – an exercise that incorporates continuous attacking by creating your own opening.

Uchi-komi-keiko – an exercise that incorporates continuous attacking with motodachi showing openings.

Basic Strikes OR CUTS:

Men (head)

Kote (wrist)

Do (body)

Tsuki (throat)

Counting in Japanese:

1. Ichi (eech)                   

2. Ni (nee)                       

3. San (sahn)                   

4. Shi (she)                      

5. Go (go)                       

6. Roku (rook)

7. Shichi (sheech)

8. Hachi (hach)

9. Kyu (koo)

10. Ju (joo)

Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei – Seitei Iaido

The way of drawing the Japanese Sword according to the All Japan Kendo Federation.

For members of the dojo wishing to study Iaido this guide is a supplement to your study of Iaido.  It will answer some basic questions pertaining to Iaido, and help you become familiar with the terminology and the study of Iaido as a complimentary study to kendo. 

If you have questions, and you will, please feel free to ask any member before and after class, and always put Sensei’s instruction first. We understand that new students may have a lot of questions, but class is not the time to ask questions.  Class is the time to study, learn, and practice.

APSU Iai & Kendo Club studies Iaido as developed by the All Japan Kendo Federation (Seitei).  The first seven forms of Seitei Iai were established in 1969, three more followed in 1980, and two more new forms were added in 2000, making a total of 12.  Advanced members also study Muso Shinden-Ryu, a Koryu or old school set of kata dating back to 1869.

THE SEITEI KATA

1. Ipponme – “Mae” (To the front)

2. Nihonme – “Ushiro” (To the rear)

3. Sanponme – “Ukenagashi” (Take and give back) or (Receive, Parry and Cut)

4. Yonhonme – “Tsuka-ate” (Strike with the tsuka/hilt)

5. Gohonme – “Kesa giri” (Diagonal cuts)

6. Ropponme – “Morote tsuki” (2 handed thrust)

7. Shichihonme – “Sanpo giri” (3 direction cuts)

8. Hachihonme – “Ganmen-ate” (Strike to the face)

9. Kyuhonme – “Soete tsuki” (Companion hand thrust)

10. Jupponme – “Shiho giri” (4 direction cuts)

11. Juipponme – “Sou giri” (Many/complete cuts)

12. Ju Nihonme – “Nukiuchi” (Sudden draw and cut down)

KEY CONCEPTS

Chiburi: cleansing of the blade. Chiburi also has a spiritual meaning of cleaning one’s soul.

Iaito – literally sword for iai, practice sword – unsharpened, typically made of alloy.

Jo-ha-kyu – the rhythm within a kata as slow-to-fast-to-slow movement.

Kesa-giri – the diagonal cut that follows the keiko-gi line. Named after the kesa/lapel that monks wore.

Keito – holding the sword at the hip while in attention.

Ki-ken-tai-itchi - Ki is spirit, ken refers to the sword, and tai refers to body.   Spirit, sword, and body as one.

Kiri-oroshi - cutting down. Usually it is a 2-handed cut down from over the head.

Kokyuu - The act of inhaling and exhaling.

Metsuke – one’s gaze or look.

Mono-uchi - The “cutting” part of the sword.

Notto – returning the sword to the sheath or saya.

Nukitsuke - the cut made, in one continuous motion, from drawing the sword.

Obi – the belt wrapped around the waist/keiko-gi, in which the sword is placed.

Seitei – basic, fundamental. Seitei Gata is fundamental techniques kata.

Seiza – formal kneeling/sitting position.

Shibori – the wringing motion of one’s hands when performing a cut.

Shinken – literally “live sword” – used to describe sharp swords made in the Japanese style.

Tate-hiza – raised-knee position when kneeling/sitting.

Teito – holding the sword loose by the left side.

Torei - bow to the sword.

Zanshin – remaining spirit/heart.

Za rei – kneeling bow.