The importance of feet

[tarigwaemir]

Lowell House on the Feast of St. Blaise

By complete coincidence, I met sangoire in person for the very first time today, just before starting kendo practice at the MAC. (Sorry I couldn't place your name at first, sangoire. I thought your face was incredibly familiar but couldn't remember where I'd seen it before. Now I know it was from your facebook photo and the occasional LJ picture post.) Anyway, it was too bad we didn't have a chance to talk. One of these days, someone should organize a Boston area LJ animanga fandom meet-up. ^_^

Right now my right big toe is throbbing rather painfully because someone stepped on it during tai-atari at practice. Getting back into shape after one and a half months of not touching a shinai is painful. I shan't describe the humiliation of Wednesday's practice, but tonight's was a lot better. Hopefully tomorrow will be better still...and hopefully I'll be able to ignore the pain of this stupid toe. (Ice pack is in the process of freezing at the moment. >_>)

The theme for this year's Gasshuku is going to be "footwork" (well, it needs to be officially approved by our coach, but I don't think there'll be any major objections). In an attempt to get myself thinking about kendo again, I thought I should set down some personal goals for myself, in relation to the theme.

1. Fumikomi - At the moment, two key problems: lifting my foot too high and not synchronizing footwork with strike. Or rather, the two problems are in fact the same. The reason I lift my foot too much is because I'm trying to compensate for my tendency to stomp before I swing. But the key is not to lift my foot higher (even if it gives a more satisfying "boom" against the floor), but to move my foot more forwards. The goal then is to focus on doing larger fumikomi.

2. Suriashi - Take larger suriashi steps during suburi. Take faster suriashi steps during drills. Do not lift feet off floor, but glide. Keep power in left leg.

3. Kamae - Well, technically this refers to stance and posture rather than footwork, but my footwork is better if my back is straight and my shoulders are relaxed. Lately I've been developing the bad habit of tensing up my shoulders, which I never really had a problem with before. I think it results from my unconscious desire to make my strikes more forceful and to extend more. But the extension problem would be solved with the right footwork, not tense arms and definitely not leaning forward (which I don't think I'm doing at the moment, at least I hope not). As for force, the snap in the strike doesn't come from tension in the arms but rather tenouchi, the inward squeeze of the grip at the moment of impact. I should know better than to tense up, but I've been doing it throughout practice, especially in kirikaeshi because I'm so intent on trying to make my strike hit at the right angle.

4. Seme - Still an abstract concept for me. I've felt seme from experienced players, especially sensei, but still have yet to figure out how to really exert it. But Ota-san, when she visited last fall, said something rather enlightening, that seme must come from the feet. Indecisive "stutter" steps will reveal that you're not confident in yourself. Shifting weight backwards gives away your intention to strike and allows the opponent to dodge or defend. Moving sideways is pointless unless it also pushes you forward as well into invading your opponent's center. The goal is to stop thinking so much about the kensen as the source of seme but rather my feet.

(...I know many of you are giggling right now, and I'd like to point out that in this case seme has nothing to do with sex. Just in case you were wondering.)

Yours &c.

Comments

[memlu.livejournal.com]

I hope your toe feels better! (Ahhh, that's never fun.) And, of course, best of luck with your goals, in regards to footwork. :)

(I don't comment much on your kendo posts, but I do want to say they're very enlightening and thoughtful. So thank you. :))

[troisroyaumes]

Thanks~ Apparently the toe is, um, fractured, but I hope it's not bad enough that it'll stop me from practicing during Gasshuku. >_>;; And yay, someone likes the kendo posts. ^____^

[tryogeru.livejournal.com]

heh. kendo *is* sex. gay sex. we know that by now.

[troisroyaumes]

When did you make this icon? O_O

[tryogeru.livejournal.com]

which one? The greg one or the hei mao jing zhang one?

[ladydaera.livejournal.com]

what is non-kendo seme?

[troisroyaumes]

Well, seme is supposed to be a general Japanese martial arts term used in much the same way we use it in kendo (in some cases it also seems to mean uchidachi) but in terms of yaoi and animanga fandom, it usually refers to the sexually dominant partner. ^_^;;