Keep your head agile

I would not call it bad kendo since being able to evade men by the neck is an art itself. How much you use it becomes the main problem. Since we have the tendency to just bob our way out. Keep doing that people can read your move and like yama said sayu men becomes a valid technique. Heck, you can just keep doing straight men but fish him to move his head and then strikes straight where his head is. Oh, even Toyoda sensei bobs when he gets attack unexpectedly.

The correct evading technique is always by the feet, move your and feet learn to take the correct distance. it's actually hard to do this. i find it really painstaking trying to do this.

And though u need speed but speed isn't everything. What billy and yama said is true. If u look at him properly, it's easy to see thru his habit and use it to your advantage. Of course taht will take sometime to happen

yes yama2, St. John's.

yama2 wrote:Personally, I think it's bad form. If you dodge your head, I'll just hit the side of your men. Sayu-men is a legal hit, plus, if you dodge, you can't counter. I'll just keep attacking you.

The point here is, if he's fast, train yourself to be faster. He can move his head all he wants, he's not the one improving. You are. One day, you're going to hit him, then you see how fast you've become.

Actually, it's not about speed. Yes, speed helps but when you jigeiko with your sensei, do you ever wonder why they're able to hit you while you are in mid-stroke? You think it's speed? Why don't you observe Hakim when he spars with any sensei, then ask yourself if speed is still important.

You are soo right. That is what my Sensei told me too.

I assume you're practising at St. John's then?

haii. I will observe him. The thing is I've never seen him spar with a sensei. I've never sparred against a sensei as well. I've never even been to a Kendo session with a sensei to teach us, so I've still got lots to improve on

Personally, I think it's bad form. If you dodge your head, I'll just hit the side of your men. Sayu-men is a legal hit, plus, if you dodge, you can't counter. I'll just keep attacking you.

The point here is, if he's fast, train yourself to be faster. He can move his head all he wants, he's not the one improving. You are. One day, you're going to hit him, then you see how fast you've become.

Actually, it's not about speed. Yes, speed helps but when you jigeiko with your sensei, do you ever wonder why they're able to hit you while you are in mid-stroke? You think it's speed? Why don't you observe Hakim when he spars with any sensei, then ask yourself if speed is still important.

If you fight with some Kenshi training Jiken-ryu. One times you kenar Men, you will pass out right away.

Because Jiken-ryu train their hand a lot, very powerful. One times only you kenar byebye liao

that tech really annoys me. Esp when the fella head is like bob-head (you know, those giant heads u put in cars that bob up and don nonstop)

I seriously got shocked the first time

That is soo true

Actually Izzaz...I use that technique that Hakim is practising. We all got it from a previous sensei. We were all in shock the first time we saw his method of fighting. It's sneaky but for real Kendo, it's actually not good. You may think it's harmless but when it hits the neck, which I'd received countless times, it would hurt and if not careful, damage.

So I would not advise using it. Instead you should probably sharpen other skills like speed and accuracy. It would definitely be useful be it in training or shiai.

when the time i start jigeiko with my sensei, I fight's like Hakim and also how the kendonist fight in the championship, i use technic same like them. But... my sensei scold me . He say to me why i doing that, now i m keiko or in shiai he ask, because in shiai you fight but not beautiful never mind as long as you can win.

But for keiko is the other story, in keiko i have to attack properly, and also at the time i am going to gat hit, i need to accept it let him hit me do not bends my neck or doing some thing not waza.

At the last Sensei told me, I also agree with that. He say, when the time for me to training that means "training". Train my waza, why i every times say my waza can not hit it properly, too close or too fast...it is because i don't even use it on my training, i just concern about wining!!! that why i can't do it when it is competition.

Here's a hint I discovered while jigeiko-ing with Hakim.

Every time i try to strike his men, he simply moves his head aside. No fancy fancy moves, he just bends his neck aside and my shinai would harmlessly strike his neck. I find this to be very annoying.

Possible applications? For those of us who aren't fast eenough to block or parry, we can move our head aside. The opponent's failed attack will catch them by surprise, their resolve will falter, and will show more suki (openings to attack). From there, u are free to counter him with anything.