kendou ha menippon! fourth chapter (3)

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.

Respond type technique are the type of techniques that sword man strike opponent while he is responding opponent’s technique and changing his movement. There are “dodge and strike type technique” and “rubbing up sword type technique” and “return sword type technique” and “shoot down sword type technique” and other type technique. In case sword man perform respond type technique, it is important to acquire what is mentioned in the below.

• Sword man should control the tip with fulfilling ki at all time unless he turn behind opponent.
• Sword man should make sure of contents of technique that opponent set up and chance to respond that.
• Sword man should see the distance and do defensive movement accurately.
• Sword man should keep correct blade muscle and perform movement to respond and strike opponent as a series of flow.
• Sword man should make his wrist work softly and not respond so as to receive technique which opponent set up.
• Sword man should use ridge on the side of blade to respond opponent’s strike.

It is important for sword man to make sure of and penetrate into opponent’s movement. Sword man should set up dodge movement momently after he made sure of and penetrated into opponent’s movement but it is ideal to determine effective hit at same time opponent’s technique was exhausted. Sword man should dodge opponent’s technique while he is making not only hands and upper body but also foot work accurately. Sword man should keep in mind to dodge opponent’s movement while he is opening his body in that situation.

In case sword man dodge that opponent strikw men and crash opponent’s dou, sword man should keep in mind to set up strike opponent on his own accord. Sword man should be face to face opponent and strike him in case he open his body and strike opponent because he have to strike opponent with correct blade muscle. In case sword man dodge that opponent strike kote and strike opponent’s kote, he should strike opponent while he is making snap of his wrist and hands work and step on sharply because swing width become low when he perform that technique.

In case sword man perform rubbing up sword type technique, he have to make sure of opponent’s technique and distance and situation when he is rubbing up opponent’s sinai.

Sword man should rub up opponent’s sinai with ridge on the side of a sword blade of his sinai. The point to rub up opponent’s sinai differ from the way to capture the chance and momentum of opponent and distance but at least sword man should rub up opponent’s sinai with more tip point of ridge on the side of sword blade than middle of effective strike part. Sword man should describe a curve when he rub up opponent’s sinai. Sword man should rub up opponent’s sinai softly so that sinai which rubbed up opponent’s sinai works to strike opponent as it is. Sword man should rub up opponent’s sinai and strike him like that he shave ridge on the side of sword blade and extend his sinai to opponent’s side.

Return sword type technique is type of technique that sword man respond opponent’s strike so as to suppress the momentum of opponent’s sinai and return his sinai to opposite side of where he received sinai and strike opponent. Sword man should draw opponent sufficiently and strike opponent to respond at the moment opponent is about to determine effective hit.

Sword man should draw opponent sufficiently until the moment opponent’ technique is about to determine that is the timing when sword man leave one hair space forward
while opponent’s strike is about to reach effective part and respond. After that sword man have a narrow escape from death and he launch counterattack and strike opponent. The next door is opened by holding up until the moment opponent is about to determine effective hit.

Sword man should respond to opponent’s sinai like that he welcome opponent’s sinai to use ridge on the side of sword blade at a slight angle. If sword man receive opponent’s sinai while he put effort to his wrist, he become to keep receiving opponent’s sinai or not to be able to return his sinai smoothly. Sword man should make his wrist work softly so as not to break flows from “respond opponent’s strike” and “return his sinai” and to “strike opponent”. Sword man should make sure of momentum of opponent’s strike and distance and respond to opponent’s strike while he is handling first foot so as not to respond on the spot and return opponent’s sinai and strike him while he is drawing following leg to first leg. If distance between sword man and opponent was closed, sword man should adjust distance to open his body and strike opponent.

Sword man should shoot down opponent’s sinai on the middle of effective strike part to use blade part of his sinai. When sword man shoot down opponent’s sinai, he shoot down opponent’s sinai at once so as to knock down opponent’s sinai while he is twisting his waist and making his hand work. The main point of shoot down sword type technique is to remove momentum of opponent’s ki and sword and body certainly when they were exhausted as technique and strike opponent. It is important for sword man to shoot down opponent’s sinai severely so that opponent can not launch counterattack because he kill the momentum of opponent’s sinai certainly and strike opponent when opponent’s technique was exhausted.