Subscribe NOW to ensure you don't miss out! The Kendo Show is dedicated to increasing the enjoyment and practice of Kendo around the world!
Join host, Andy Fisher, as he brings you informative instructional videos, discussions on the concepts of Kendo, equipment and maintenance information, interviews with other Kendoka, visits to various Dojo - and more!
I'm very new to kendo, so I'm sure I'm missing a lot of context. I'm curious why beginners are taught large men strikes when these strikes are largely ineffective in a shiai? Why not start beginners with the smaller strikes in the first place?
This has always been a point of contention that has frustrated me with western kendo. People at my club have tried to convince me that kendo shiai isn't a fight, but a performance, like a dance, where you show your "spirit" to the shinpan for an ippon. And the way you "show" them is through dumb things like not blocking, running into the sunset after a men, ect. NOBODY gets the meaning of the word zanshin. It means to stay aware and ready to fight even after a hit, not showing that you're soooooo confident in your hit that you don't need to care about the aftermath. Even though it's not real, and has been highly sportifized, kendo is inherintly a sword FIGHT. You want to win and your opponent wants to win. And all kihon, waza, and theory of kendo should be and is built upon that.
My teen took to kendo much better than their younger siblings. Will try again with them as they get older, it's really not a sport in the US as much as a countercultural lifestyle.
Thank you for always answering all our questions sensei! You da real MVP! When I was a young lad with less disposable income, I just owned/used one bogu set with a second pair of kote for everything from practice, shiai, grading, etc. Now that I'm a bit older, more serious about my kendo, and with more disposable income, I'd like have a few sets that I can use for specific purposes. I was thinking 3 sets would cover all the bases: (1) practice set - sturdy bogu set with more cushion (wider stitches), two pairs of kote with smoked palms (I heard they last a little longer), black yamato do (2) shiai/jissengata set - lighter orizashi bogu set (less cushion), white kote palms, fiber do, maybe a little color (tame nuri dodai, red yaban, red tonbo inden, etc.) (3) grading/seminar set. - deer skin reinforced bogu (finer/tighter stiches), roiro black bamboo do with deer skin mune From your experience, would having a 3-bogu-set collection like the one above reasonable, excessive, or perhaps lacking?
Kendo, especially for the young, is best-suited for those who tend to be serious-minded. It's therefore not designed for the majority of people and will always remain a niche passion.
My question to you is how young? If you are talking about H/S and college age, perhaps? I think like Fisher sensei is saying, it’s not to entertain kids and to teach them chambara, but I’d want kendo to be fun for kids and at the same time, have them take away reiho and the basics. At least for my kid (7 years old), its a way to get him exposed to different things (he’s in a swim team in the summers) and to have him interact with something other than an IPad (particularly other kids) as he is an only child.
@@timkono5645 I believe Fisher Sensei's policy is to allow teenagers in class but to treat them as adults. I would say that teenagers are mature enough to know whether they like kendo or not and can choose to stick with it but for kids younger than that (7 or 9 years old), the mindless repetition and etiquette can be very daunting. That is why most younger kids who do kendo are from Asian families (Japanese or Korean) where they are forced to stick with it. However, kudos to you and your kid for experiencing kendo! Hopefully it works out.
This was a deep episode, and you humbleness and willing to take a berating in the pursuit of kendo was on show. Clearly you passed a strange, yet now-it-seems-obvious test. I would probably flip out and scowl, huff and puff, but hopefully I have the maturity one day to not be phased by shame and criticism by a sensei.
Hi Sensei, I'm still very new to Kendo (11 months in), recently I started to take part in ji geiko and internal shiai which I very much enjoy. Here comes the question though, when paired with other newish Kendoka, it feels like we are more or less randomly jumping into eachother trying to be proactive and hit... something? Could you provide some advice on how to start to introduce a little more control into this sort of practice? When paired with a sensei or experienced senpai it feels way more like trying to execute the proper waza, which we are learning in kihon and it seems to be way more helpful in terms of improvement and as a learning experience. Thank you for your work and for the most helpful ! Kendo Videos ! In the alpha quadrant! P.S.: I 'm very much looking forward to my brand new myrmidon set once customs finally clears it!
Hi sensei! I noticed that for Kendostar's Kouten you have a black kamon. Is that common? Is this a new trend? Is there particular meaning with which you choose your kamon color? I've only seen gold kamons on the do.
Hi Fisher sensei, do you have advice for proper tenouchi or any recommended resources for building forearm strength? I had to take a break from kendo due to straining my lower two fingers and forearm on my left side. Thank you
Hi sensei, sorry for being unclear in my question about blocking men strikes with the left kote. What I meant to say is that the person blocking with the left kote takes their left hand off of the tsuka entirely and performs a high block with their left hand like an age-uke in shotokan karate. Hopefully this clears things up!
I tried kendo as an obese person I found it physically taxing the training session was two hours I wanted to quit many times. Made it to the end but I won't be going back until I lose some weight
They say kendo isn’t sword fighting but it’s the boxing of martial arts.....take a guy who’s done iaido for ten years then take a guy who’s been doing kendo at good school that spars hard who’s only been doing it for 4 months....hand them both a sword and tell them to fight the kendo guy wins every time same as boxing over karate..... just sayin
Hi sensei, thanks again for another awesome kendo video! My question this week pertains to blocking men strikes with the left kote when in chudan. I've noticed a few people at local tournaments occasionally raising their left hand to block incoming men strikes with the left kote. Would a strike to the left kote be considered valid in a scenario like this, provided that the person striking the left kote has the intent towards said target? Will the person blocking with their left kote receive a hansoku for this?
What I find frustrating about this whole shinpan discussion online is that people seem to forget Kendo is a Budo. We are not watching football ok? I don’t think this continues criticism against the shinpan aligns with the spirit of kendo. Appreciate your stance on the matter 🙏
One minor story I have from the WKC is that I was at our table talking with the other team members when we started hearing hooting and hollering from a table further away that had amassed a small crowd at that point (I don't remember whose table it was, I thiiink it was China or Hong Kong?) and I got curious and went over and saw a guy at the center of attention. My man was fully doing magic tricks with an Oreo. He bit it in half, flicked it and made it whole again the whole table exploded in cheers it was *fantastic*
Fisher-sensei thank you very much for reviewing the video I sent you :)) now I know what to work on still on the beginning of my kendo journey but I know I am not alone, loving this kendo community (from the kokoro🫀), thanks for all your work, much appreciated 🙏 #kendoislife
The new rules are trickling down to the lower and local tournaments already, and now all the dumb hansokus are rewarded and multiple interruptions. In my opinion as an old fart, it's not good for kendo because it is becoming more Olympic judo and taekwando, instead of budo. Yes I like the rough and gritty Koreans in white...
The armchair warriors complaining don't understand that every person will have a slightly different interpretation of the covid rules. This is Also an issue in Japan, OT doesn't have anything to do with bias. Of course the Japanese players are going to be more nuanced and experienced on understanding when a strike could go for ippon during those moments, their taikai schedule is much more packed as they are professionals... It's not rocket science folks.
It's honestly kinda boring to see the same answer over and over again on WKC Shinpan. Always taking neutral position. Answering by not answering. Virtue signaling. Yeah we get it. You are a GOOD GUY. Judging the final match WKC is not "every shiai that ever happened." Shushin didn't know the rules; and it translated to some people as "bias".
I am pretty sure he knew the rules but simply applied them in an attempt to be overly correct. Also Andy cant really take a stance and these things publicly as the kendo world isnt that big for people that are living and breathing kendo. He might end up hugely comprimising his reputation within the kendo scene. I get the frustration and especially considering the titles but most people are not really able to even closely have an idea what it takes to shinpan EKC, WKC, AJKC and other high level tournaments. Also there is room within the rules to apply them as you as a shinpan see fit. Thats why there is 3 of them in the first place.
@@Corey91666 I am happy to take a stance on it - it is that I believe that the Shinpan did their absolute best to judge the Shiai fairly and in accordance with the rules. At the time I thought some of their stoppages were excessive, as I was watching from far away. After watching the video, I now understand the justification for them. Especially after being a Shinpan at the international level myself, I don't believe in criticizing the calls of Shinpan who are judging at a level I have never done myself. So I do not have an firm opinion on the calls they made, as I don't feel qualified to make one. I don't deny that, as humans, we naturally hold or form an implicit bias whilst doing Shinpan. We do our best not to allow that to guide or control our decisions, and I do not believe any of the Shinpan at the WKC were actively trying to engineer a victory for any specific team. As you very rightly said, many of the people criticising these Shinpan, do not have much Shinpan experience themselves - yet they are sure they can do better.
The word is overtheorize :). And I fully agree with @deep8174 on his first point. At a certain point in a prominent kendo career such as yours, you should be at a point where you can openly critique shinpan at the WKC with valid arguments. As a high level player, you know what should and should not be allowed in a match, especially when you're receiving and not just looking at it. There's a big problem of accountability in the community towards the judges and their holy status. Now, that you don't WANT to say your opinion on the internet to not attract negative attention, that's another thing. Every time this type of situation comes up and the answer is "well everyone out there just isn't qualified enough so they don't understand" is quite diminutive of the people watching who are usually practitioners themselves. I've seen this at IKF seminars before the WKC. One very interesting situation where some shinpan didn't an issue Ippon and the match was stopped by the Japanese guest to ask why it wasn't awarded, got the explanation and then turned around to everyone watching and asked if THEY would have given it and 95% of the people raised their hands. He turned back to the shinpans and went well... if EVERYONE else thinks it was good, I'm pretty sure it means it was. We might not be advanced enough to judge nuances of grading for 7-8th dan but those who practice high level kendo actively and had the chance to train/learn with top level players should very well be able to tell a good point in this type of event. The only excuse that's valid in this case is the fact that video footage can cause discrepancies and the audio isn't as sharp sometimes. I'm split on taking out the "Covid rules" though. Matches without 60% time spent in tsubazeriai are much better overall. The issue in this case isn't the rule per say but that lack of understanding of the flow of a match between two players from the "western" community.
Thanks for your comment! Actually I have stated my opinion on this, which I suppose I did not clearly communicate in the video. Have written it elsewhere on these comments, and will copy it below - 'it is that I believe that the Shinpan did their absolute best to judge the Shiai fairly and in accordance with the rules. At the time I thought some of their stoppages were excessive, as I was watching from far away. After watching the video, I now understand the justification for them. Especially after being a Shinpan at the international level myself, I don't believe in criticizing the calls of Shinpan who are judging at a level I have never done myself. So I do not have an firm opinion on the calls they made, as I don't feel qualified to make one. ' I know a lot of people seem to want me to have a different opinion on this, perhaps one similar to theirs. Before I had experienced refereeing at an international level like (but not quite as high as) this one, I may have felt differently. But my opinion is as above, simple as that.
Come shin pan then. Want to see a change? Be the change yourself. It's easy to go "wah wah wah". This is always the case after a WKC. Viewers and competitors who are relatively new to high level shiai, people that don't understand a proper tuko datotsu or kī ken tai. Instead of blaming others, the arm chair warriors should first better themselves, their understanding, or their local or national or regional Federation for not enforcing, teaching, or up keeping regulations, seminars, shinsa, or taikai at a decent level.
😂 I think you’re being politically correct in your assessment/neutrality in the new “Covid rules”. You don’t need to be qualified to read and interpret the rules. You also did a whole video on these rules back in April 2023. I still feel those ippons were awarded incorrectly. Now that the pandemic is not an issue anymore the rule should be removed. The shinpans already have the discretion to break up tsubazeriai
I think we should not remove this rule because for sure more than 50% of the shiai will be in Tsubazeriai, I think it will be better to instruct the shinpans to avoid more getting ippons when both players past the "3 seconds/ one breath" and starting to break tsubazeriai..
The thing that I find a bit hypocritical is how before the pandemic, when onlookers mocked Kendo for boring "sword hugging" for far too long, all the online Kendo Gurus went "You don't understand! Tsubazeriai is so nuanced and technical and a timelimit would ruin it! You just can't see it!" and now that there is a time limit all Kendo gurus online say "Well it's better now because we don't want to watch fights that are 50% time wasting in boring Tsuazeriai!" In the end, whatever is in the official rules is what people will say is good, because Kendo is about conforming. Same reason as for why whatever the Shimpan say is always correct.
@@dermaniac5205not really. When you train for high level kendo you will realize that tsubazeriai is in fact nuanced and it takes alot of effort to make it work in your favor. However if you cant make it work for you it remains a fairly easy way to defend yourself against stronger opponents. That being said people were skeptical enforcing a rule that limits the free flow of shiai. In the end though kendo is greatly improved though. Some people predicted that and others felt it sucked because part of your gameplan might have revolved around beating an opponent in tsubazeriai and spending alot of training on that.
You are right, I did do a video in 2023. I also did another 2 months ago, explaining the nuances in more detail - which is what I was alluding to in my answer. The provisional rules, in the context you are talking about, are at the discretion of the Shinpan. They are not objective standards. If you don't like how they are applied at the WKC, then your only choices are to accept it, or become a WKC Shinpan, and apply them as you see fit. You are also perfectly entitled to feel that they are awarded incorrectly. I've seen many points awarded that *I* thought were awarded incorrectly, including at the WKC. But in such cases (as was the point I was making in this video), what *I* think doesn't matter. Regarding the provisional rules - at this point, we should stop calling them 'COVID' rules. There is a very small chance that they are going away, like it or not.
@@dermaniac5205 I am not sure about your other points, but I agree with you on this completely - 'Kendo is about conforming. Same reason as for why whatever the Shimpan say is always correct.'
Thank you so much for going over my video, -I certainly hadn't been expecting it within mere *hours* of sending the email! I think you may be correct about me misinterpreting that sensei's advice about a big men strike, -that would certainly make more sense. I'm very grateful for the pointers you gave me, I had felt my posture looked cringey as soon as I saw the video, but I hadn't realized the specifics until you drew attention to them (just how high my left heel was, -also something I get called out on in iaido a lot without me noticing I was doing it, my S-shape posture, how extremely high I was lifting my right knee in my strikes, and the crazy over-retraction of my shinai before the strikes). Clearly it would be a good idea for me to start going to practices from the start time again for when the ES kids are primarily doing footwork practice, -not just showing up for when the bogu goes on and the waza drilling begins, heh (I was much more dedicated at my old dojos, because I knew that as soon as I gave myself any excuses to not go *every* time, from the beginning, it'd quickly be a slippery slope from there...). Also, my wife said I should write down the main points of the tips you gave me and put them in my gear bag to review before each practice, so I've done just that.
Any comments on the shinpan awarding ippons during tsubazeriai? I found them biased towards the JPN team when many times (etc, BRA/FRA/CAN v JPN) when opponents were separating/breaking up the JPN player would strike and be awarded. What's the point of having the new rules when it is not judged properly?
