7.6.09 Bubb a loo
Today's concept was exaggeration of movement to help understand the mechanics of tip speed. Most of the time we practice within the constraints of proper form and movement, but sometimes you have to think outside of the box to help understand what makes the proper form....proper.
Learning to use your hips start from the feet. Learning to transfer momentum generated from the hip is associated with how well you control you core and lower body. That's what we cut with not our upper body. Our upper body's job is to hold on to the sword and make sure the hasuji is correct.
There are various timing of footwork.
1) step at the moment of impact. Seen most commonly in kendo fumikomi. Reliance of speed and to make up for the small movement, fumikomi helps displaces the bodies weight in the hit. Although this is more for "hitting" rather than cutting
2) step right before the moment of cutting. This helps you pivot on your front foot to be able to help throw your hips into a cut. High level versions of this, the moment the foot is landing the sword is in motion giving a very strong but controlled swing (hataya sensei)
3) step and then cut - usually for power cutting. Also when we practice tameshigiri, we have our feet already placed. This is so you can learn distance, and learn to use your base. If your base is already set you only need to worry about the cut. As you improve, you can try the 2nd method of timing for cutting.
For kata and gekken, we try to use the 2nd timing. For cutting, we use the 3rd timing.
Notes -
Neil - Henry worked with you more, so the main thing i saw was....
1) for toyama kata 1, your timing of nukitsuke and footwork is off. Sword should finish when body finishes.
Andy -
1) shoden kata -
a) posture and sword position!
b) noto should start at half the blade, not near the habaki
c) stance, and center of gravity. If i see your toes moving around that means that your center is not low
2) toyama kata -
a) remember targeting, have your hips behind nukitsuke
b) strong cuts
c) posture!
Learning to use your hips start from the feet. Learning to transfer momentum generated from the hip is associated with how well you control you core and lower body. That's what we cut with not our upper body. Our upper body's job is to hold on to the sword and make sure the hasuji is correct.
There are various timing of footwork.
1) step at the moment of impact. Seen most commonly in kendo fumikomi. Reliance of speed and to make up for the small movement, fumikomi helps displaces the bodies weight in the hit. Although this is more for "hitting" rather than cutting
2) step right before the moment of cutting. This helps you pivot on your front foot to be able to help throw your hips into a cut. High level versions of this, the moment the foot is landing the sword is in motion giving a very strong but controlled swing (hataya sensei)
3) step and then cut - usually for power cutting. Also when we practice tameshigiri, we have our feet already placed. This is so you can learn distance, and learn to use your base. If your base is already set you only need to worry about the cut. As you improve, you can try the 2nd method of timing for cutting.
For kata and gekken, we try to use the 2nd timing. For cutting, we use the 3rd timing.
Notes -
Neil - Henry worked with you more, so the main thing i saw was....
1) for toyama kata 1, your timing of nukitsuke and footwork is off. Sword should finish when body finishes.
Andy -
1) shoden kata -
a) posture and sword position!
b) noto should start at half the blade, not near the habaki
c) stance, and center of gravity. If i see your toes moving around that means that your center is not low
2) toyama kata -
a) remember targeting, have your hips behind nukitsuke
b) strong cuts
c) posture!
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