Perfecting Your Fumikomi Technique in Kendo

[@harrynewsome6755]

I think a video focusing on the back leg and driving forward with the hips would be great!

[@Kendotips]

Thank you I’m working on it!

[@dfs32]

Welcome back :) I'd love to see a video about how to attack straight on and what to do with your hands and footwork if the opponent doesn't move or you collide with them. Thanks!

[@Kendotips]

Thank you for your patience, and of course the suggestion. This is a very good topic that for sure I will make a video about. If you have any specific questions let me know!

[@siothrun8435]

Thanks for this! It gives me a better idea of how to practice. I would definitely be interested in a video on the back leg, too!

[@Kendotips]

I'm glad it helped, I'm working on the next video already

[@siothrun8435]

@@Kendotips Looking forward to it!

[@SirConto]

Awesome video, I've been having trouble with this since I started kendo, always ending up slowing myself down with fumikomi instead of speeding myself up. With these tips, I think I finally understand. Will need a some more practice to really make this a habit, but at least I know what and how to work on. But I have a question: I still can't quite figure out how to use fumikomi to propell myself backwards for hikiwaza; trying to hit the ground directly under me the same way still seems to just drop the weight downwards and stall me. Got any tips for that too?

[@Kendotips]

Thank you for your comment, I’m sorry I didn’t reply earlier. I am working on a video on Hiki waza, but if you want you can join the kendo tips discord server and message me there and maybe I can give you specific tips for what you are struggling with. discord.gg/yzbehG4RcH

[@donordonut007]

Great insight on Fumikomi, i will try and implement it in practice today :D

[@Kendotips]

Thank you for your comments, let me know what you find out!

[@louislamonte334]

Thanks so much for this, Jose! You're always an inspiration to me, my friend! Again, I hope we'll practice together one day!

[@Kendotips]

For sure! Thank you again for watching and your constant support!

[@efebayndr888]

Hip extension is key also lunge archtype

[@Kendotips]

Thank you!

[@ElrondTeo-ln2xk]

THANK YOU! Ill try to practice this cos my Fumikomi sucks!

[@Kendotips]

Thank you for watching, I'm glad this can help.

[@matthiasweil594]

i think tateuchikomi is also good for short fumikomi, but it’s quite hard to do

[@MarinoFrana]

How did you know I was just thinking about this before practice? 😄

[@Kendotips]

I hope this helped, let me know if you have any questions!

[@luisabreu4396]

👍👍!!

[@Kendotips]

Thank you

[@aminaaitahmed6597]

What's the fun in practicing Kendo? There are no different fighting techniques, just hitting and screaming! Where's the fun in learning a new martial art? And how will I get fit with a sport that is all about hitting and screaming? I ask these questions because...

[@Kendotips]

Thank you for this question l, I think is a great topic to discuss. I think maybe your comment didn’t come out completely though, but I’ll try answering the best I can to what I got. Kendo is not just Hitting and screaming, is a martial art that looks to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the katana. I know it may look like just hitting randomly specially on specific drills like kakarigeiko, but we do have several fighting techniques, and we study not only the technique of the swords but also what we do to create an opening and controlling the opponent. That been said what I find fun may be different than what you find fun, but maybe this is a good topic for me to explore in a video. Let me know your thoughts and maybe send the rest of the message you tried to send! Thank you again for the question.

[@aminaaitahmed6597]

@@Kendotips Thank you very much for the answer, my comment is not complete I don't know why! What I want to say at the end of the comment is that my questions are not out of criticism but in order to know more about kendo

[@aminaaitahmed6597]

@@Kendotips The story is that I saw young men in sportswear that looked like Aikido, so I went straight to ask them where they trained because I really loved learning this sporting art, but circumstances did not allow me to do so. When I asked them, they told me that we train in Kendo!!!

[@aminaaitahmed6597]

@@Kendotips So I decided to try a sports session with them. The team was disciplined. I loved their respect and love for kendo, but I wanted to be convinced that it is really an art. So I went online and found you talking about kendo.

[@aminaaitahmed6597]

@@Kendotips i don t know to express well in english ....sorry for m'y Bad english 😬

[@Corey91666]

I mostly agree about the things you touched but there are a few things i see a bit differently. 1. Fumikomi progression I actually think its better to focus on correct landing first. You emphasize moving forward and not focus on landing "down". If you dont "fall" into your fumikomi with a bit of weight you kind of defeat the purpose of doing it. Its about adding body weight to your strikes and sharpen the strikes and body movement through fumikomi. Secondly there are a lot of drills revolving around pushing yourself out of the fumikomi to accelerate and to move forward. That of course doesnt mean you should land in a way were you can only further move with big strength Investment but the fact your center of gravity is also (next to moving forward) also coming down is crucial to develop very strong fumikomi. 2. Dont land fumikomi ahead of yourself but under your body. I fully disagree with this description. The example you showed was a close range men. Not really too common for lower level kendoka. You can and should put something ahead but its not directly the foot as it leads to heel injury (which sucks i know that). Its your right knee. This means in an attempt to launch yourself its important to bring the right knee forward as it directly contributes in moving your hips forward. The right foot should stay under the knee in a relaxed manner. Thats what is better in my opinion. With closer distance you simply end up not moving your hips (and therefore your right knee) forward which results in using fumikomi on the spot. One very big mistake beginners do is not making any distance and end up hitting the fumikomi close to the initial right foot position. Its not good to promote that with saying "do it under your body". But of course in the end you could argue that you meant exactly what i said and not launch the foot forward. Problem is the way you expressed it in the vid. Especially with that short clip.

[@Kendotips]

First let me say thank you for watching and taking the time for the detailed comment, I appreciate this very much and the fact that we can share our different opinions respectfully! When it comes to point 1: Maybe I should have mention the point about body weight for strikes but since I wanted to keep the video short and focus on the action of the foot it self I kept it out ( also I mentioned that in a previous video as well) but you are write I should at least should have put a note. My goal here was to avoid the bad habit of cutting the fluidity of the movement by "landing down" but you are right the strike gets strength through the movement of the body and I failed to mention that! Point 2 I think here we are having a bit of miscommunication. When moving forward for long and short range we lead forward with the knee, and you can see this very clearly specially on long distances right? but what I meant is that when the foot lands on the floor should be under you rather than ahead of you (and I understand is not exactly right under you it may be slightly ahead of your center line) because it would be unnatural to advance without this, but mainly also to avoid cutting the momentum, and this concept I believe it true weather it is for long or short distances. Overall I was trying to focus on the landing of the fumikomi and not make the video too long, which comes with pros and cons. I know there are many bad habits we can develop due to misunderstandings and wordings, so I try to be careful and not create further confusion. That been said I think that would have also been a good place to make a note, I just didn't think about it because again I was focusing on the foot and the landing not too much on moving forward since I am also making a video on that. I hope this clarifies some things not only between us but for further people watching, and let me know your thoughts! Thank you again.

[@fynnkinschewski8582]

👍🏻

[@Kendotips]

Thank you!