Seme and Footwork

Text forwarded from Marleen's Facebook:

Sato Sensei, Kitamoto 2014

Utsunomiya sensei & Sakimoto San, Tokyo 2014

＊

I asked Sato sensei after Farewell Party @ Kitamoto Camp a question about Seme.

I said, "Sensei, is there anyway we could train to make stronger Seme?"

Sato snesei gently held my hand and told me,

"NO. strong Seme comes from good Suri-ashi".

One day later, I had the honor to obtain Mutsumi Utsunomiya sensei's instruction. He showed me how it works.

Since then, footwork means more to me.

我在北本外國劍道指導者夏令營最後一個晚上，問了佐藤老師一個盤據在我心裡很久的問題。我問：「老師，有什麼方法可以訓練出很強的『攻』？」老師溫和地拉起我的右手拍一拍並說：

「沒有這樣的方法。在劍道裡有效的『攻』來自於腳步...

放鬆妳的手跟肩膀，練習腳步是唯一的方法」

二天之後，我有幸可以得到宇都宮老師的指導練習。他充分展示了如何運用腳步進的攻法。

從此，「腳步」對於我有了全新的意義。

Some following conversation on Facebook ...

Utsunomiya
Important point is not breaking down kamae, any time.
But in fact, it is very difficult.
· 5 October at 22:14

Marleen
Dear sensei, I couldn't agree with you any more about "not breaking down kamae any time".
There is a instance from training yesterday. I get to the point I can strike but I was not able to do as I was at the moment of breath in. Thus, I found breath control needs to match with seme.

Marleen
Sensei,
I was too rush to tell you about the instance, forgot to say THANK YOU to your kind reminding
I will try my best not to break down my kamai

Utsunomiya
Dear.Marleen
Don't worry. I'm happy heard that you got another important thing, breath control with seme.
"Not breaking down kamae" is too seriously.
When one's kamae is effective, another one is not in mai.
And a waste action is not appeared, so we are moved by the way (behavior ).
Let't try!

Marleen
Thank you Sensei for the clarification
I will try my best to learn to manage both (Kamai & breath) while seme in to my opponent every time in training

Comments

How do you practice seme?

Kobayashi Hideo Sensei – How to Seme (w/English CC) 小林英雄先生 - 攻め方 How do you practice S eme ? Very early on, I have heard of the “Three Opportunities to Strike”: strike when your opponent’s technique is about to start, strike when your opponent’s technique ends, and when the opponent is mentally and physically depleted. Since then, this line of thinking has given me a direction in how to train. In 2017, Utsunomiya sensei, 7-dan kyoshi, came to visit us and taught me the concept of “okori”. That reminds me of the conversation that happened 8 years before that in 2009 with Morioka sensei, also 7-dan kyoshi, who asked me: “What is the timing or reason of your strike?” I think most people are familiar with the idea that you should “ seme then strike ”. However, when do you strike after seme has been a source of struggle for most kenyu. That’s why when I saw the video from Kobayashi Hanshi where you seme for the purposes of creating “okori” , I felt this added a whole other d

Kendo Journey: A "Travel Guide" from Shodan to Godan-and-a-Half

Waikato Kendo Association Grading (2009) Kendo Journey: A Travel Guide from Shodan to Godan-and-a-Half （中文） by Sam Tsai December 27, 2017 Those that know me should know that back in 1998, Marleen and I moved to Hamilton, New Zealand and ended up being the only two people that practiced kendo within the 100 kilometers radius. In the following year, the stars were aligned as we formed the Waikato Kendo Association and I found myself shouldering the responsibility of being a kendo instructor. Practicing kendo myself and teaching others how to do kendo are totally different things! About half a year after we established the dojo, Hsu Heng-Hsiung sensei , coach of Team Taiwan, led a delegation of more than 20 kenshi to come visit us in New Zealand. About a year after their visit, I was in Taiwan visiting sensei. The first thing he said to me was, “Tell me, what are you having trouble teaching?” I could not help myself but laugh out loud as I replied, “Coach you are wise

Starting your kendo journey in 2024

You are warmly invited to join us and start your New Year resolutions as a Modern Samurai . --- Information for Year 2024 Beginners --- Little Samurai Class (age under 14): 1.30 - 2.30pm, Saturdays Beginners Class (age 14 and above): 2.30 - 3.30pm, Saturdays Intermediate and Advanced Class : 3.30 - 6.00pm, Saturdays Starting Dates: Class A: Saturday 10 February Class B: Saturday 9 March Class C: Saturday 4 May Class D: Saturday 27 July Join our Beginners Facebook Group now to get updates. Course Information: No previous experience required. Regardless of gender, ages from 6 to 60 are all welcome. First lesson is your Free trial. Fees: Kids and School students: 50.00 per month Tertiary students and adults: 80.00 per month Family discounts : the 2nd family member is 50%OFF, and from the 3rd one is free. Learning Objectives: By the end of the course, you will be ready to put on Bogu (armour) and start your Kendo journey as a modern Samurai! Venue: School of Education (SOE

Waikato Kendo Club

Search This Blog