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Training on 11th March 08

Waikato Kendo Club
Tuesday 11th Mar. 2008
6.20 – 9.00pm

A. Management

1. Distributing Auto payment form for people who need it.
2. Organising Thursday’s 1st beginners’ class programme.

B. Training

I. Warm up time
Jumping suburi 40 origional + 10 x 3
Variated Suburi Focus -- te-no-uchi(手 の內)

II. Kihon training focus – feeling about your Kensen.
i. Kirikaishi x 3
ii. Big semei M 3 x 5
iii. Big semei (Kensen push to opponent’s tsuba) M 3 x N
iv. Small semei (Kensen push to opponent’s tsuba) M 3 x N
v. I-M few times

III. Stage One -- Kakari-geiko with set movement
# Big M – KM – KM+ Hiki D – KM – M Hiki M – KM Hiki D – M – Big M
** 5 minutes break

IV. Cool down.

C.Very Important

The main theme for the training is te-no-uchi(手 の內)
- The overall use of the hands when striking or responding, including
* the way of gripping the shinai,
* the tightening/loosening of the grip and
* the adjusting of the balance between the two hands.

Te-no-uchi is very important "everywhere" in Kendo because we are holding shinai all the time. So please be aware of the three points metioned above.

In addition to te-no-uchi, when we are striking, the shinai should be speeding up downward instead in a constant speed fashion. This will also help you understand the te-no-uchi.

For jumping suburi (haya suburi):
1.when raising shinai and jumping back, use 30% power - can relax, but don't stop at the top.
2.when striking and jumping forwards, use 70% power - move faster, do proper ten-no-uchi to ensure kensen will automatically lift after the strike, and immediately relax shoulders to raise.
3.once accustomed to this method, increase power - e.g. [raise : strike] 30%:70% => 40%:80% => 50%:100% etc
4.try not to use too little power nor make the muscles too tense - relax on upswing and (more) tense on downswing.

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