How to Practice Your Footwork in Kendo?

This video shows basic kendo footwork (ashi-sabaki). In this video, very basic ashi-sabaki are introduced such as suri-ashi (gliding/sliding) and okuri-ashi (very basic footwork). There are also some basic training methods of ashi-sabaki. For more info, visit http://www.kendo-guide.com .

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• kendo
• video
• samurai
• swordsmanship
• training
• footwork
• ashi
• sabaki

[tzyinccom]

May i ask what grade are you?

I'm only 7th kyuu but some of the things you are teaching in this video is different from what my sensei teach me. Like for example, you said that you're supposed to lift your back foot. I believe that you dont drag your left foot, but you're sliding on your left foot as well, so its not the same as lifting.

[dojo2go]

I am 5th dan, having been a student of kendo since 1980.

Listen to your teacher. I would teach in the same way as your teacher, if many people did not have the dragging problem. But I came to this conclusion that we could lift up our feet from the beginning because that is what we do anyway.

My goal of instructions is to make things easier to learn the movements so that people can get the basics right quickly.

[AwesomeFinder]

thanks i live in indiana they don't even teach sword fighting just tae know do

[samuraihei7]

is there a way to do fumikomi without hurting your feet? also is there any way to practice timing fumikomi and swinging the sword so the swing is timed just right?

[uttoushii]

@elesararwos The -last- people you'd find me being racist towards are the Nipponjin : ]

[elesararwos]

@uttoushii no problem

It's your opinion and you brought up a valid point; the swordmaster Miyamoto Musashi disagreed with dojo techniques

And you weren't being racist so there was no reason to be rude anyways

[uttoushii]

@elesararwos Haha, I wouldn't say that, but, yeah. Anyway, thanks for (politely) conversing so long with some jerk on the internet.

[elesararwos]

@uttoushii Then I think you've found your niche

[uttoushii]

@elesararwos Actually I love Iaido :D Ogawa-Ryu has some of the very best Iaido. Probably some of the best Battou-Jutsu as well. Some of it has suffered from some romanticism over the years (like almost every martial art), but in it's truest forms it is most certainly one of the "best" martial arts I've ever been exposed to, both for armed and unarmed combat.

[elesararwos]

@uttoushii Well I can't speak with confidence on this topic but perhaps you should look into Iaido?

[uttoushii]

@elesararwos I would. Especially considering that samurai, people with far more knowledge than me, did. In some instances, you're right. But there are far too many in which I would say not. Minor issues with footwork aside, in using a shinai, one isn't learning how to cut, not becoming familiar with the weight of an actual katana, and how that effects -everything- from grip, strength, even how the blade acts when it cuts. Techniques made for kendo that could not work with steel are also many.

[elesararwos]

@uttoushii I'm unsure if I would go that far though, considering that there are many techniques that work quite well

the problem is that it's engineered more towards a dojo than the outside, so perhaps a few minor tweaks and you've got a nice, practical sword art as well