Commentary by Jacek Lipiński
I think a good place to start would be to say that it was my first match with actual referees ever – and it sure shows.
Once or twice I had some humble shiai geiko in the past, but a full set of referees was something new.
I actually felt very dissatisfied with my performance in the match, and after watching the videos I can finally understand why.
What should come as no surprise, I didn’t have the full scope of what actually is allowed or not during a match, which influenced not only some of my actions but also my approach.
Those 6 minutes on my behalf are basically futile attempts to catch some balance in an actual match. I tried to use my practice experience to find an opportunity to strike, with some success, but it couldn’t bear any fruit because of tension in my arms. Instead of performing proper thrusts I basically tried to drive the mokuju through my opponent.
Sadly I couldn’t clear my mind and relax in time, which resulted in not scoring even once.
Fortunately for me I was able to more or less read my opponents actions which allowed me to avoid getting hit properly and landing some clumsy strikes myself.
The main lesson I learned during this match is that I still had much to learn and that transfer for practice to an actual match requires not only physical fitness, but also a right mind set.
Commentary by Oleksii Zelentsov
This fight was very difficult for me. It was my first shiai in jukendo. Jacek moved very well and quickly. I realized that I missed the strikes. He outperformed me in speed and technique. Jacek breathed better, he is a more experienced kendoka. I lacked the mobility. My strikes were too slow. For me, it was a wonderful experience.
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