kendou ha menippon! fourth chapter (1)

sword man who desire to master neat and orthodox kendo

This book explain the way of thinking that acquire orthodox kendo which fits the sword.

This is type of technique that capture the changing of opponent’s stance like that dropping or raising or opening opponent’s sword tip or floating opponent’s both fists to attack opponent. Sword man capture the changing of opponent’s body movement or his stance while he is seeing opponent’s whole body as well as his eyes and attack him and then step on and strike him.

The changing are also breaking of opponent’s stance or gap due to sword man’s attack. Attacks are summarized that “control the tip with ki” and “steal the center line with sword” and “develop advantageous distance” but active and aggressive works of ki to cut in center line of opponent and break his stance is basis fundamentally. Sword man have to seek the changing while he is working ki and cutting in center line of opponent and breaking his stance and competing distance.

It is main point that sword man have preparedness of posture which works ki so that whenever he can attack and strike opponent in case he do cyuudan stance. In particular left fist is expected to work that. In case sword man attack opponent, he should close the distance while he fix his left fist to lower abdomen unless he cut in center line of opponent only by his hands and put extra effort to upper limbs.

Sword man should capture the changing of opponent’s stance when he attack opponent and then step on and strike opponent. The process from attacking to strike opponent
is demanded fighting spirits to break opponent’s sinai by his chest. In this flow how to use right leg become critical challenge. Right leg is not only attacking leg but also leg which determine strike opponent when he capture the chance.

Sword man should adjust distance while he is cutting in center line of opponent to stride his right leg on floor board. and seek the chance to strike opponent while he is preparing his left leg firmly so that whenever he can strike opponent. When sword man capture the chance, and then he should step on and strike opponent. Sword man should draw his left leg to right leg momently when opponent try to part from his distance to step back in the middle of attacking. According to the situation in the place expansion change that whether he should strike opponent after he draw his left leg to right leg or he should attack opponent again.

There are two types of way of thinking about combo type technique. In any case it is important for sword man to concentrate all his effort on striking opponent one by one and
continue striking opponent until he determine effective hit. It is important for sword man to perform technique to make sure of success or failure of technique which he set up and changing of opponent’s movement and chance to strike opponent in the process that he strike opponent in succession. How to do foot movement and set up strike movement differ from distance. As flowing of blade muscle the changing of blade muscle which direct from vertical orientation to sideways is easy but the reverse of that is difficult.

Sweep sword type technique is the technique to sweep opponent’s sinai from front or back and break opponent’s stance and strike him in case stance of opponent do not have gap to
strike him. In case sword tip of opponent is on the center line of sword man’s body and opponent do stance firmly, sword man can not strike opponent because opponent’s sword tip interrupt him. If sword man manage to strike opponent, it is necessary for him to exclude opponent’s sword tip from center line of his body, in short sword man have to
sweep opponent’s sword tip to break opponent’s stance.

It is inviolable rule to perform a technique per a curve in case sword man perform technique. In short it is important to perform technique like that sword man sweep opponent’s sinai and then he strike opponent momently. The work that sword man sweep opponent’s sinai become swinging up before he strike opponent. To do that sword man should use joint of his wrist softly and sweep opponent’s sinai sharply to make snap of his wrist work in the moment he sweep. Effect is not expected to sweep only by right hand and hard to lead correct strike movement. Sword man should sweep opponent’s sinai while he do not break his preparedness of left waist and left fist during paying attention to how to use right leg smoothly. Moreover it is more effective to sweep opponent’s sinai capturing the timing opponent set up strike movement or taking the chance when opponent try to step back.

The chance to strike opponent is told that the “changing of opponent’s mind” and “the timing of initiative” and “smelling of danger” but it is difficult to regard that is chance to strike opponent. It is also changing of form that sword man can capture in his eyes. Sword man should capture the chance to strike opponent while he is observing the changing of opponent’s facial expression and stance wholly. There are factors to judge the chance to strike opponent in the below.

• Opponent’s twinkle of his eye become strong.
• Opponent’s expression of his face change.
• Opponent put effort to his fist and shoulder.
• Opponent’s sword tip and fist begin to move
• Opponent’s waist is about to drop
• Opponent’s right leg begin to put forward.

Sword man should prepare to work fulfilling ki to control opponent’s sword tip and set up strike him at all times in the condition the matching of mind and ki and power. Moreover it is important for sword man to capture the chance and strike opponent at the risk of his life while he use his whole body as his eyes.