Scope of Practice
All Practices
Manners: Rei/Mokusou/Seiza
Manners (Rei) are an essential part of kendo practice. It is said kendo begins and ends with Rei. Bowing shows gratitude to one’s country, teachers, fellow students, and to the practice place itself.
Seiza or Mokusou involves kneeling in tranquility and clearing one’s mind. By focusing the breath and closing the eyes, one clears and focuses the mind thus preparing it for practice.
Warmups and Suburi
Warmups include stretching, practice swings (Suburi), and other movements to get the body physically prepared for practice.
Stance: Kamae and Sonkyo
A good fighting stance (Kamae) is fundamental to Kendo. Learning the basic fighting stance is the first step on your kendo journey.
Beginner Practice
Footwork: Ashisabaki
The foundation of good Kendo. Various footwork drills to train the students on how to maneuver. Footwork involves sliding okuriashi (sliding footwork), fumokomiashi (thrusting footwork), and nusumiashi (stealthy footwork).
The Basics: Kirikaeshi and Kihon
The first part of practice involving the Shinai (bamboo practice sword) and armor (bogu). Every class officially starts with Kirikaeshi, a set drill involving alternating left and right strikes with focus on proper form, footwork, breathing techniques, and development of fighting spirit.
This is followed by Kihon waza (basics) drills. We perform the 4 basic strikes in Kendo to specially padded areas on the head, wrist, abdomen, and the throat (In Japanese: Men, Kote, Dou, and Tsuki respectively) against a participating partner.
Forms: Bokuto Ni Yoru Kendo Kihon Waza Keiko-Ho
A set of choreographed forms that use the wooden sword (bokken). Forms are performed in pairs, where one person is the attacker and the other the defender. Forms are for educational purposes and place emphasis on using correct form. No physical contact is allowed during the practicing of forms.
Knowing these forms are required for kyu testing.
Intermediate & Advanced Classes
Advanced Waza
Advanced Waza - Advanced techniques that branch from the 4 basic ones. This includes: Oji-waza (counterattack techniques), Shikake-waza (initiating techniques against resisting partner), Hiki-waza (techniques performed while retreating), and situational techniques. Advanced techniques could also include combination attacks.
Jigeiko
Training in which 2 partners try to apply what they have learned in a sparring environment. Can be as short as 1 minute bouts to as long as 5 minutes.
Strikes during Jigeiko must be performed with proper form and intent in order to be scored.
Nihon Kendo Kata
A sets of choreographed forms that use the wooden sword (bokken). Forms are performed in pairs, where one person is the attacker and the other the defender. Forms are for educational purposes and place emphasis on using correct form. No physical contact is allowed during the practicing of forms.
Knowing these forms are required for testing at 1kyu and above.