Emily’s Starter Kata guide: Tanken tai To

Disclaimer: these kata descriptions are the authors own interpretations of the patterns are based on the AJJF videos and the written descriptions from Kendo World articles. Some of the terminology may not be 100% accurate but is intended more to help in visualise positioning based on basic strike knowledge. Any errors lie with the author... Continue Reading →

Emily’s Starter Kata guide: Mokuju tai to

Disclaimer: these kata descriptions are the authors own interpretations of the patterns are based on the AJJF videos and the written descriptions from Kendo World articles. Some of the terminology may not be 100% accurate but is intended more to help in visualise positioning based on basic strike knowledge. Any errors lie with the author... Continue Reading →

Emily’s Starter Kata guide: Mokuju tai tanken

Disclaimer: these kata descriptions are the authors own interpretations of the patterns are based on the AJJF videos and the written descriptions from Kendo World articles. Some of the terminology may not be 100% accurate but is intended more to help in visualise positioning based on basic strike knowledge. Any errors lie with the author... Continue Reading →

Emily’s Starter Kata guide: Tanken tai tanken

Disclaimer: these kata descriptions are the authors own interpretations of the patterns are based on the AJJF videos and the written descriptions from Kendo World articles. Some of the terminology may not be 100% accurate but is intended more to help in visualise positioning based on basic strike knowledge. Any errors lie with the author... Continue Reading →

Emily’s Starter Kata guide: Mokuju tai mokuju

Disclaimer: these kata descriptions are the authors own interpretations of the patterns are based on the AJJF videos and the written descriptions from Kendo World articles. Some of the terminology may not be 100% accurate but is intended more to help in visualise positioning based on basic strike knowledge. Any errors lie with the author... Continue Reading →

Kata: Ju tai Tan 1

Mokuju: Take a defensive geidan (aimed more at the opponents back knee rather than their front knee). 3 steps in. See the opponent thinking of doing something. Strike them. Zanshin. Lower the mokuju. Return to centre. 5 steps back. Tanken: Slightly delayed behind the mokuju taking geidan make a small covering of their kamae. 3... Continue Reading →

Almost Okay…but – Chokutotsu

The group of people in this video were at the Belgium 2018 seminar and for many this was their first day with a mokuju. So this is not a criticism of them but rather these suggestions will hopefully aid the viewer in watching their own videos and deciding what needs to be fixed and maybe... Continue Reading →

Training basics: Drills

Note that many exercises do not have formal names and so different sensei may call exercises different things. These are what we call them. We always start (and end) class with Chokutotsu san bon of course 01:57 but there are a bunch of other exercises to do which keep things interesting. For all of the basic... Continue Reading →

Training advanced: Receiving Katotsu

Most of the elements in "Receiving Chokutotsu" apply here: The tiny step and receving of the strike The correct distance Posture while receiving The new things to focus on are how to draw the strike out of the student and how to make the opening correctly. To draw the strike create the opening by raising... Continue Reading →

Training advanced: Receiving Ura

Receiving Dattotsu: Most of the elements in Receiving Chokutotsu apply here: The tiny step and receiving of the strike The correct distance Posture while receiving   For dattotsu the motodachi has two extra tricky bits to focus on as well as all of those points. Firstly the motodachi wants the strike to be straight. The striker... Continue Reading →

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