Notes from the 33rd Gedatsukai International Kendo Seminar held from July 25 – August 1 2008

By Sue Lytollis (and Liz Dutton) New Zealand reps

These notes were taken during or after the many and varied classes provided by the BEST Kendo Sensei in Japan.  They may lack some accuracy but are as verbatim as they come.  Take what you will from the gems below and apologies for any misspellings of Japanese terms

A précis of the camp

I attended my first seminar in 1984 and 1985 when it was 2 weeks long and I was a young nidan in my 20s.  I recall then how grueling it was and how one of the Spanish members had his wrist broken as a reward for his constant and never to be altered heavy kote hits.  That was old style justice.  I recall how hot it was and how the special lukewarm gedatsukai tea would be rolled out after the session.  I recall a NZ member Mike Hopley drinking so much cold soda after one very dour training, that he ‘froze’ the inside of his stomach and had to be hospitalised.  I also recall the comraderie between Gedatsukai staff, the sensei and the ‘foreigners’.

Strangely, coming back to Kitamoto 23 years later had some similarities and many contrasts.  I noticed the (to me) brand new living quarters and dojo.  It is now one week long with some air con in the main dojo for one hour of the last training, and now the cooking is outsourced so there is less banter with the chefs in the kitchen area.  I returned a fifth dan and nearing 50 hungry for my 6th dan and all the wealth of wisdom a seminar of this kind can offer.  I was one of 59 foreign reps from 40 countries.  There were nine women ranging from the strong sixth dan Olga (Spain) to the ‘more fresh to Kendo’ I kyu Rosemarie - Miss Panama. 

My general impressions of the international crew were that we had our little cliques but overall were very friendly and we all got on.  Of course the Kiwi’s spent most of their spare time trying to bait the Ozzies and vice versa.  This was aided considerably by having our Kiwi 6th dan Alex Bennett as the interpreter.  As one of the Ozzie boys seemed a motodachi favourite with the sensei, you would often hear Alex state “where is that mongrel Australian, the ugly one”.  A translation best appreciated by those from the antipodes.  The highlight of our highjinks was when Liz was furtively fighting a 7th dan Korean (yes there were thee 7th dans from Korea on this camp) and the Shushin discovered she had a small hitchhiker (koala) attached to her do himo.  What do you do?  Revenge was got when the Ozzies found bananas in their zekens the next day.  Another interesting cultural phenomenon was Soleiman from Iran who became a crowd favourite.  As a Muslim Pork was not on his menu but Gedatsukai does not cater for food differences.  It was lovely to see how Soleiman would be surrounded by many plates of the things he could eat, donated by those who did not mind sharing.  Solly as he became known became a favourite of the ladies as he is an experienced ‘bone cruncher’ and gave us treatments.   One of the very few gentlemen to get an invite to our quarters.  However not all was fun, games and bone crunching.  The schedule went as follows.

Up at 5.45am to tape up and prepare for the morning suburi geiko from 6.30 – 7.30a.m.  Breakfast from 8am.
Mid morning session from 9.30 – 11.30am with lunch at noon. (Kata)
Afternoon session from 2 – 5pm with dinner from 6.30pm. (Shimpan/Kihon/keiko)

Evenings were not sacrosanct.  A bevy of different Bogu repairers came to the premises and fixed exhausted bogu and training exhausted kendoka in the fine arts of kote stitching and so on.  It was a great opportunity and one night they even laid on a special ‘how ladies wear gi and hakama’ session which was highly informative.  As our days progressed sore feet were de riguer and many Kendoka looked like mummies in the making, however, there were plenty of first aid supplies provided.  As much as Sato Sensei did make repeated calls for safety, it occurred that one of our young men from Austria broke a bone in his foot, but it must be said that this happened in the ‘after training’ at 5pm and was more from a fluke accident than anything untoward.  It was admirable to see how the Sensei and his roommates supported him in the remaining days of the seminar.

Two nights were taken up with the welcome and then the sayanara party – both events generously catered with fabulous Japanese food and for the Sayanara party rooms were ordered to provide an  entertainment sketch that had us all in stitches of laughter.  Apart from the bevy of kimono-ed young ladies doing Maori hand movements and Sue with poi to a Maori song, the men led with a drinking shiai modeled on our own Kendo shiai and a highlight was watching Yamanaka S use his shinai to hit the bobbing ‘moles’ in a take off of an arcade game.  He followed up with a popular dance of a fisherman catching eels – mighty funny.

Sadly for those embarking on a grading the following morning, all ideas of a rash overindulgence in the generously proportioned bar were forgotten.  Even the famous after party in the Sensei room had to be toned down by shinsha amongst us but I am sure the ones who need not worry enjoyed themselves immensely.

Overall, this is a must if you are a Club leader and if you are from a developing country you can be a lower dan.  It provided us with some, if not, THE BEST Kendo instruction in our combined Kendo career of 56 years.  So remember to think about when this camp is, the deadline for it (usually April) and get onto your Kendo Federation.  It will boost the enthusiasm and exhuberance you have for your Kendo beyond all your expectations.

Day One – Friday

A nice whammy into the hot air of the Saitama Station.  Looking around furtively for other ‘foreigners’ holding bogu and finding the welcoming Gedatsukai truck to put in your gear.  A short walk to the headquarters and a nice one hour kihon and goodo keiko with a fabulous line up of sensei to line up for was a great way to shift any travel dust.  The welcome party was held that night.

Day Two – Saturday - The theme of the 33rd seminar was Yuko Datotsu

Suburi – try to make your steps into the Men cuts longer to gain greater distance, make your cuts even bigger.  Your men cut should end at the shoulder of your imaginary opponent as this shows you are going through with the cut. Make your suburi have meaning or it will become tedious. Change it round from time to time, focus on different aspects of it. Note with jogai – if you take your shinai right back to your backside then this is a warm up.  To jodan, then this is a cut – make this clear.  Try kote men straight and then kote do on an angle (as if you were to pass by your opponent).  Also introduce ojiwaza into your suburi i.e. men suriage men; men kaeshi men; men kaishi do.
Make any combinations you can think of.

Some combinations practiced with bogu on , on other days were
Men suriage men
Men suriage do
Men kaeshi do
Men debana kote
Men then kote men

Now think of suburi as a work out.  Hold two shinai together (even 3!) (Yamanaka showed us 4 or even 5).  Introduce squatting and suburi.

Shimpan – Good Shimpan move while nothing is happening and stop when there are attacks! Yes grasshopper good advice!  A good referee will think ahead and get into a good viewing position. Allow players to settle into sonkyo before you call hajime; make sure they are at the correct cutting distance before they start (a lot of emphasis was placed on having shinai at least one fist apart in all forms of Kendo during this seminar).  Read your rule book.  We spent a lot of time reflecting on the wisdom in the referee manual so before you go and referee dust up by reading this manual.  Anything NOT in the manual would fall under Article 1 on Page 1 (look it up!).  A shimpan role is to make a fight FAIR; to enable a match so that each player can do their best form.  Be in command.  When you are not moving in the shiaijo keep your heels together when you are standing still. 

There are only two times you can call kiken (don’t see the cut) and this is for kote or tsuki – you have no excuse for Do or Men cuts. Sensei said in 85% of the times referees use kiken, they shouldn’t have.  Don’t blindly copy shushin if they are a high level referee, you need 3 good refs to make a fair match.  If you disagree wity a call make sure you wave your flags 3-4 x so that it is clear you disagree. 

The word ‘isocyles triangle’ was used a lot in terms of how you can keep the triangle in the shiaijo and this does not always mean that fukushin must head that triangle.  It is possible for side referees to be the pinnacle of the triangle as long as it maintains a good oversight of the match.

When Shimpan are exiting the shiajo the Shimpan turns to their right and walks out so this will determine what direction you exit.

Be impartial, be confident.  Make it a habit in your own training to think ‘what was missing in that cut not to make it a yukodatotsu?’ and you can learn from that.
6 key aspects to a successful yukodatotsu – (Page 5, article 12 in manual)

1 – Ki – high spirits
2 – Ken – cutting with the correct part of the shinai - monuchi
3 – Tai with correct posture
4 – on correct part of the target
5 – Hasugi – direction of the blade, cutting edge correct
6 – zanshin

If one thing is missing this is not Yuko datotsu.  However, you look for 90-100% of the combination of the above as explained, if you look for the absolute perfect cut you may never see it in a 4 minute match.  So be very clear what 89% looks like!!

Emphasis was also placed on the strength of the cut known as Kyoodo – a touch is NO GOOD.  It must have SAE (crispness and preciseness of the cut that was emphasized throughout the seminar); and looking for a striking opportunity.

Tsubatsiriai was also pointed out as very important to watch out for and to be aware of those who waste time (jikan no kuugi this is known as).  This can become common in team matches when a match is drawn and the team will win if that is the case.  If you think a player is time wasting do not be afraid to call a gogi.  Deliberate time wasting – hansoku; if there is no deliberate time wasting then wakare should be called.  Be clear that wakare should not be called when there is deliberate time wasting or one of the players is resting their shinai on the shoulder of another.  There is no set time for wakare, use your gut.

 If a shinai is moved to the ura side – do not call wakare as this can be part of a waza; but if a person is holding their opponent down then it could be a hansoku
If one referee scores a cut and two refs claim kiken, then the point is scored.

At the first and last match of the day ensure that shomen rei occurs. 

The push vs the step out – If the player uses his body in an excessive way to push the other player out then this is hansoku.  However, if this is a solid push as part of a technique where the other player could have avoided it with reasonable technique, then the hansoku is to the person pushed out.

If fukushin puts their flag up for any reason, they must call Yame loudly.  In principle the match ends on the whistle of the timekeeper, not the delayed yame of shushin.   This works for other things, eg Fukushin sees something like a himo undone during a match which is dangerous, then they call Yame as they put their flags up.  Another point – if jikan bell goes and shushin begins to raise their arms and a point is scored, it does not count as shusin was in the process of recognizing the end of the match.

When you train or do gi-geiko, in your head, or visibly NOTE when a good yukodatotsu is scored against you.  In this way you will remember what this good point is.  If it is not a good score, think ‘why did not not work for myself or my opponent’ and in this way you will learn. 

 
Day Three – Sunday

Kata
Big emphasis on getting the 9 paces before you start accurate.  Do it, make sure you are the correct distance from your aite.  Emphasis on ‘yokote’ the chudan yu achieve is with your yokote (the small triangle at end of bokuto). Gedan is the kamai of the Earth; Chudan is Water; Jodan Fire and Wake – gold (you hide your gold).  So there are five kamai in kata – never take your eye off your opponent except briefly in #7.
#4 – It is preferable that Uchi D does not have to move back for maai before the strike, but if this is needed, then do it.  The first strike stops a Men hight.  Keep the pressure on the bokuto as you come from the upward first strike down to chudankamai, you are almost grinding the swords together.  Maki kaeshi waza is the name of the deflection Uchi d does.

NOTE – all Kata came from the sword.  Kendo was first practiced with the sword, then the bokuto and finally the shinai, so in your kata we must remind ourselves of this history.  All kata has a reason.

#5 – Uchi D cuts down to the chin and therefore suriage is easier and appropriate.  After uchi d cuts men, the sword dies.  Make your hands slippery on the bokuto when doing suriage.  Shi d moves back to receive the cut and then forward with suriage and counter attack.  This is different in bogu kendo.

Kihon

When cutting men, make your cut stop not on the top of the fictitious head, but at the shoulders to show you have moved through.
Sato Sensei advice at end of Day 3 – Kiri Kaeshi is Very Very important.  It encompasses all there is to Kendo – maai, men, kiai, tsuba tsiriai, shikake, receiving and saiyu men.  You should try varying how you do it.  There are four ways to do KK.  BIG – and slow; Strong – and accurage; Fast and finally Supple and light.

Day Four – Monday
Kihon

Yamanaka S said that subuigeiko was his favourite practice in kendo.  Why?  Because he always wins!  However to watch this 60+ Sensei do his suburigeiko was to see a proper practice in motion.  He put his all into whatever he did and moved and struck as if he had an opponent with him.  So take this feeling into your suburi Kendo.  There was a great emphasis on RELAXING your shoulders and body before and after your cuts at this seminar.  Big strikes, do not tighten after cuts.  One example was when Yamanaka S softly let his hands off the shinai as he cut back for suburi Men.  He was emphasizing that your hands should be quite light yet in control as you practice.  In suriage men suburi for example emphasis was placed on your right foot moving out at you did the suriage as this is a part of the cut.

Kata
Do not lose your good posture in kata.  Your metsuke will also affect your posture.  Look at their eyes but see their whole body.

#6
Uchi d does not move chudan when shid goes to gedan.  After Uchi has withdrawn  to jodan and Shi moves strongly forward with kamae to the left first.  Then Uchi makes a small cut to K then Uchi suriage K.  Uch goes backwards and sword drops for zanshin.  Then return to chidan (go back naturally, no superfluous movement).  Make sure Uchi is doing a suriage (not a harai) in this movement, use your wrists for a very subtle but effective technique.  Two key points, Shid must use seme with body before uchid moves and Shid must move foot to the left as they execute suriage.

#7
Ki-atari – hit them with your ki. Uchid holds blade to the right slightly on the first attack and Shid to the left.  This thrust goes to should height only.  After the brief moment when Uchid takes eyes off Shid and then quickly looks back, then Shid goes into wakenokamae for zanshin.  Then Shid turns more directly and fixes the back foot as Uchid brings sword back.  Uchid pulls Shid and Shid pushes Uchi (lots of ki here).  Teaching point, watch out for students who cut the men on an angle it must be a straight cut.  Also make sure that the blade in the Shid do cut is in front of them for the cut, not behind them.  Nissoku itto – this is the term for Uchid taking two steps to cut the men in #7.

Breathing – this is to be noted for all kata.  Try and make your kata in one breath.  This is important and bear in mind ‘doo chu sei’ translated as quietness and serenity within your movementl – quietness within quietness

Shimpan
Note that the thickness of the sakigawa is proscribed – must not be too thin, check the handbook.  A huge emphasis placed on our training was for referees to ensure that Shinai were checked and marked.  For example, if it is discovered in the third round of a match that an opponent has an unchecked shinai, then they are disqualified from that round onwards.  If it is a dantaisen, then it is a 2 point loss regardless of whether you have scored a point of not.  Sensei gave examples of some matches in Japan where this disqualification has taken place.
Falling and blocking – If a person falls and when on the ground covers self up they can be fouled.  Even from the ground it is not impossible for the person on the ground to have a chance to score a point so it is cowardly for them to immediately cover up or hide part of their gear.  Similarly if a player drops the shinai and immediately grabs his opponent to stop a score, then this can be hansoku.  If a fukushin thinks a hansoku is required but does not get fukushin buy in, do not stop match, call a gogi.

Day Five – Tuesday

Grading training
Shodan – your spirit, maai and ki ken tai and basic cuts are on show.
Nidan – all of the above and nidan waza
Sandan – All of above and the ability to see a good striking opportunity and take advantage of it or to make an opportunity and make a strike.
Yondan – Above and ken tai ichi – attack and defense as one.  Respond appropriately to opponents movements.
Godan – gets more esoteric and abstract.  Grace, elegance and proof that you have done lots of training and hard intense training.
Rokudan - OHM

Some of the points that sensei made on watching our trial gradings at 4-6th dan

Relax after the cuts,  Think of your ‘sai’ crispness and accentuate that.  If you do ojiwaza make it alive, not on the spot but going forward.  Make fire inside your belly and show you control the distance.  Your strength should appear on your shinai.  Make an opportunity then harai or whatever, show you have made the3 opportunity.  It is v important not to show discomfort or hesitation in any way at what your opponent is doing.  Do not show weakness.  Have a conversation with your opponent and the chance will occur. 

Bakuhoso – a great word meaning EXPLODE into your waza.  Like blowing up a ball and then it explodes with your strike.  You must express your strength.  Make the condition to win before you strike.  You do not cut then win after. Take control of the pressure. Even if you do not get the correct place with your cut, if your form is good then it counts.

Kata

#1 Kodachi
Note placement of your kodachi from the beginning is not directly behind you. It is placed away from the shomen, five steps down from your position and note the ‘hiding of the knee that points to the shomen’.  Make sure blade is facing you.

Hanmi stance with kensen in middle of Uchid face.  Pull your left shoulder back.  After deflecting the cut try one step only to get back to centre.  Inimi is a word which translates as a feeling you have to go in to shidachi, Uchid senses the pressure and attacks.  Nagasu is the slide with left shinogi to deflect the cut.

#2 Kodachi
Shid lowers stance and kensen at height of chest.  Shid suppresses the blade of Uchid as it comes up so it is ok to turn the blade slightly with a strong feeling of seme.  Uchid takes wakenokame in a  straight line and small fashion (not big like #4).  Zanshin for this is the blade from the hip on an angle of 45 degrees down with kensen to throat.

#3 kodachi
Shid moves fist to gendanhanmi (Ya is on the men cut for uchid).  Shid applies suriotoshi (to catch Uchi cut); surinagashi (to push it down) and suri komi for the final catch onto the tsuba.  After toh kiai Uchid initiates the move back and waits for Shidachi to get odachi before bowing out.

Kihon

A good bogu kihon exercise if for motodachi to cut men to you 4 x and each time you do a different ojiwaza e.g. M debana K; M debana M, M suiage M and M kaeshi D.  Yamanaka Sensei showed us a rather exhausting but fun way of practicing suburi with a partner from a ‘horse stance’ or deep lunge position.  One player holds the shinai to the left.

Shimpan

Be aware that it is possible to miss the person who cuts first in what appears to be ai-uchi.  Who cut men first, was this a genuine ai-uchi or did white debana red?  Ask yourself these questions as points are often missed this way. Do not run away from making a decision. In Japan there are almost never ai-uchi – someone got there first.  Be alert.  Whose cut hit first with yuko datotsu?  Another time to miss a point is when our players stand up from sonkyo.  This is a popular time to score but often it is missed by referees, be aware of this.  Maybe this happens as you have not decided your yukodatsu criteria in your mind yet.

Watch out for when a player puts the point of their shinai on the other player who cuts them with no spirit or presence.  This should not stop you awarding the cut to the effective player.

It is ok to warn a player about their twisted tsuru but make it clear to the other refs what you are doing, and you do not warn them again.  This point highlights why kendo is NOT a sport.  It matters that we use the correct part of our blade to cut, in a sport this would not matter.  Hasugi is also v important in the culture of kendo.  

Be careful how you hold your finger when you point hansoku.  You are not admonishing the person so do not directly point at them.

They have a saying in Japan – one Yuko datotsu can change a whole career.  For example many players seek kendo scholarships which enable them to get into good universities.  These are often judged on the outcome of their matches.  The role of referee is a very important one.

Day Six – Wednesday

Shinsa
Fight with spirit, stretch out your cuts, fight so that shinsha can see you e.g. across the shiaijo.  Think ‘I can show you how good I am.’  In a shiai only one of you will get the point but in a grading it is possible for you both to succeed.  Throw yourself into the attack without regret.

Kata
Today the Sensei had us all practicing our kata with swords.  Kata swords are known as mogitoo.  When using mogotoo your left hand grip is raised slightly to allow a small protuberance at the end of the blade.  This allows your hand to comfortably fit around the mekubi.  Also before using a sword for safety check the mekubi is in place as it holds the sword together.  Although a mogitoo is blunt it can be dangerous and take out an eye so be careful.  You willnotice that you intensify your feelings doing kata with a real sword, so keep that feeling and transfer it into your bokuto kata.

You place the sayer into your hakama, make sure the kurigata is on the outside and hold the katana differently with your left hand.

Make sure when you are handing over a bokuto or a mogutoo to someone, have the blade side facing youself.

Sata S closing comments

You must try and be a shimpan as much as you can and continue in your study this way.  Kosaka S taught us some different techniques and we must use these techniques.  To master these you must try them out.  You will get hit so get used to that and wonder, why did it not work, or why did I get hit.  But keep trying.  The only way to learn the technique is to try it out.  You cannot learn it in your mind only, you must try it out.  You input the information to your brain, then output it in your gi-geiko.  If you are afraid of being hit you will not try out your new waza.  Good Sensei will know what you are trying and when you do it well they will let it through especially when you are on the verge of getting it right. So use it on them.  Tomorrows training starts now, so lets go out on a high note.

Day Seven - Thursday

Kihon – a way of practicing uchikomi geiko.  Leave very clear openings and remember your sonkyo distance 1-2 fists between shinai at sonkyo.  Motodachi makes it v easy for you to cut.  Kakari geiko when you must try for yuko datotsu each time with motodachi hitting or oji waza when they can.  You can buzz this up with a practice where aite goes for the cut and turns quickly and turns this into a hiki cut as they exit out.

A suggested waza practice
3x kirikaeshi
2xM
2xK
2xKM
3xKMD
3xKMM

Then ojiwaza practice e.e. 2xk suriage M etc

On ippongachi practice or kakari, make the person finish on a good men.  Make sure when you turn you are immediately in cutting distance.  Kakarigeiko is when motodachi is less clear on the openings and will strike as well.  Aikakari was demonstrated and with both cutting with vigour is very dynamic and aerobic – remember to relax and make your best cuts.

Injury - Sato S gave an example of how to avoid injury.  They say tree climbers suffer the most injuries near the bottom of their descent.  They climb up and down and are cautious.  It is when they are near the bottom and see the ground that they allow themselves to be lax – take their eyes off the ball so to speak, and maybe around roof height jump too soon.  Think about this in your kendo.

Children’s Training session

This was interesting. Saitama has constantly come top of their table in junior and middle high shiai.  Gedatsukai has the top team.  This was evident in the slick kendonoko (baby kendoka) that came en masse to strut their stuff today.  We got to see an average training session of the 50 or so mini-me’s.  They did have some variation in training that to me, lends itself to beginner training no matter what age.  They did a practice which went:

Men cut then straight into 3 x saiyu cuts then Men (in one breath) 2x each.
Then Men cuts backward in the same manner as above with a hiki men to finish (1 breath)
Then one set of ½ Kiri kaeshi each followed by a full Kiri kaeshi.
Then some ai-uchi waza followed by M kaeshi waza and m suriage.

They also had variations such as one child doing men on motodachi as they run backwards with moto being a hitting bag really; then changing this to Men cutting forwards with moto running backwards (in the west we would have to be very careful with falling and tripping injuries esp if we try this with older people who come to Kendo late and are a bit unfit).  They also did a kote men with moto running backwards for this.

Us gaijin then had the pleasure of refereeing the children’s shiai.  Not as easy as we may think.  Sensei comments on refereeing children – if you can shinpan kids well then you are a good shinpan.  They make small cuts and fast ones.  But look at the way kids fight.  They lose themselves into the cut, they sacrifice themselves while we worry about being cut and hesitate.  If you want to get better at Kendo you better not be afraid of being hit. Expression
Shoshin ni kaeru – go back to being a novice.