Tumbling Kendoka

kendolove:

 Sanbon-me (三本目): 

Kata No.3, shitachi doesn’t kill uchitachi or doesn’t hurt uchitachi at all. Uchitachi and shitachi live together without hurting each other. Shitachi doesn’t have the intention to kill or hurt uchitachi.

“No one gets struck or strikes. Even though there are obvious victory and loss, the winner doesn’t brag about his/her victory and both winner and loser take care of their lives and live together. This is kendo and the goal of training kendo. That is why kendo is different from sport” - Inoue sensei

(Text Source: kendo-guide.com)

(Source: youtube.com)

kendolove:

Nihon-me (二本目): 

Kata No.2, we chop off our opponent’s hand.

Shitachi takes the combat ability of the attacker but not the life of the attacker.

If killing others is a goal, we should cut our opponent’s men, but instead of killing, we keep uchitachi alive. Kata No. 2 embodies that by cutting kote.

(Text Source: kendo-guide.com)

(Source: youtube.com)

kendolove:

Ippon-me (一本目): 

In Kata No.1, uchitachi take a step forwards to cut down shitachi in half from the top of his/her head.

But shitachi avoids the cut by taking a step backwards onto the left foot and lifting both hands up, and cutting down uchitachi in half from the top of the head.

Uchitachi cuts in to cut shitachi in half. Uchitachi does this at the risk of his/her life.

Shitachi avoids this cut by moving slightly and end his/her life. There are only two cuts involved in this kata but this shows what exactly kendo is about.

(Text Source: kendo-guide.com)

(Source: youtube.com)