Kendo Techniques : Hikiwaza - The Kendo Show

In this episode of The Kendo Show, host Andy Fisher is joined by our new co-host - Max Davies. Watch as they take us through the basics of Tsubazeriai and Hikiwaza.
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[@mikeZL3XD7029]

Thanks Andy and Max, that was a great watch.

[@MorbusFreak2011]

I'm loving this show. I'm at the point in my kendo where I have begun to have s small group of students receiving instruction from myself, and others of my rank, whilst Sensei observes our ability to impart our knowledge. Seeing the way you break everything down, and so clearly deliver the content serves not only to help me recognise little mistakes I may make in my own training, but it gives me a good idea on how I want to teach my own group. Keep it up! Love it!

[@bubblegumnipples1639]

I knew if I just kept refreshing long enough a new video would eventually appear :)

[@Not-so-cool-name]

Watching again now after kendo rant - tnx heaps! Love kendo show

[@jileel]

Really nice dojo!

[@brankogredelj6153]

this is a great show

[@perialis2970]

This is very helpful thank you, Because usually before watching this video, i can land a hiki men most of the time, but i cant seem to make it an ippon. It was probably my datotsu or acceleration so, others remember to be faster.

[@patrickpazouki5953]

Is informative and the helpful thanks for posting

[@TheGunrebel]

great video as always, very insightful

[@jamesmiller8419]

Brilliant Andy!

[@lactoseintolerant]

Really thankful for this resource :)

[@GrizzlyHansen]

I love kendo, it's a bit too much of a sport, but it is awesome. Though I have a few classmates that think that it's wrong for me to try and practice it.

[@Cha4k]

The way I see it is; You can only simulate attempting to kill someone with a sword so far before you actually risk seriously injuring them. And none of us want to actually hurt each other and have to take time off training. And there is no reason in this day in age to need to know every technique required to actually kill someone with a sword. Not that its not fun to learn, But you're never going to be in that situation. Kendo, Hema, Kenjutsu etc. None of them are really optimal if you're goal is self defense in the 21st century. Learn Krav Maga if that's your goal. So personally I dont see Kendo as a sport, More a physical way of instilling a certain philosophy and outlook on life. And the philosophy that Kendo teaches by way of its combat and training (as limited as it might be in a real life sword fight) is very valuable in the age we live in, And greatly outweighs the redundant benefits of being able to survive a sword fight in 16th century Japan. But it all depends what you feel you're getting out of it, Dont worry about your classmates, Your goal should not be to impress other people but to improve yourself and have fun :)

[@dorthagrant8764]

Nice andthankful for this:)

[@socchikurokawa9640]

Perfect timing for this video Andy!I've been working on hikiwaza the last month or so and just can't seem to get it unless working on a dummy. As usual your simple explanations seem to be exactly what I've been needing. Could you give any more advice on the footwork for hikiwaza? I find myself tripping up on my left foot or not having the power to launch backwards (maybe over loading the left foot?), or failing to perform fumikomi when I do launch back.

[@atsushisaito1384]

1:20 4:51

[@KoRNeRd]

A very nice video! Reminds me of the old Furukawa-sensei instructional DVD which can be found floating on youtube. Now that I think of it, maybe it would have been nice to display the 4th form of the bokto kihon kata in a practical/fast way, where we have missed our chance to attack; missed the chance to do some Ojiwaza, but we have blocked and perform tsubazeri-hiki do as you showed. Question: why are the swords at the shomen displayed on the ura side, and not the omote? Is there some "ready for battle"-type reason?

[@YouMetatron]

A question: pushing on the neck with shinai will lead to hansoku. How about pushing with fists? I've seen lots of hiki ippons like that. A common case is turning to the right while delivering a strong push(actually, looks like punch) to the left, making the opponent's left open to you. If he raises shinai to block his men, then go for his do. Is this kind of tsuba tsuriai considered not proper? Thank you.

[@mikeZL3XD7029]

Is it actually Men if you hit someone on the shoulder?

[@thecomradered]

I don't do kendo but I am curious about it. I take it that it is alright to strike your opponent without the intent to score a point but merely to distract him so you can do a point-scoring strike? Like hitting him diagonally on the head for example which would not be a proper point strike.

[@aaron5379]

That specific strike wouldn't be very sportsmanlike depending on your level of skill. Thats called sayu-men, where you still hit the crown of the head but you cut down diagonally. There is a danger when you hit the side of the head that you miss and hit the ear. That is pretty painful to be on the receiving end of and is frowned upon

[@bubblegumnipples1639]

My understanding is that its ok to use strikes to break your opponents defensive stance (such as a thrust to the chestplate), And then follow up with strikes that do score. Just so long as you dont do it in such a way as to injure the other person, As aaron5379 pointed out. You can also feint attacks if you want, Its hard though.

[@kingviper5700]

Andy's kiai is scary as hell

[@SomeoneYouKnow2671]

I've just started out in kendo a few months ago, and this video might prove to be extremely helpful during the training matches next week. However, I was not able to find a video on KZbin about how to create such opportunities from the standard fighting stance. What exactly am I supposed to do? The only method I've learned so far, is to raise my shinai as if I would strike men, but to then go and strike do if my opponent raises their shinai (and most of them don't seem to fall for that). How can I create other openings?

[@SomeoneYouKnow2671]

Nevermind, I happened to overlook the video about seme on AJBTV, since I don't yet understand all of the vocabulary in kendo. Both these videos were really helpful, thank you very much!

[@blackheart-qf8cz]

I have a question morelike I'm confuse is pushing your opponent in kendo allowed like pushing by surprise and then attack or pushing the oppent out of the ring?

[@Corey91666]

You can push an opponent to Create a Chance to strike. If you want some out of the Ring you should use men or kote and perform a push after the attack. Thats called taiatari. However you cannot just push around people for the purpose of just moving them. Either you Create a Chance to strike or you strike and do the taiatari

[@penttikoivuniemi2146]

Here's a (probably) stupid question: Are you allowed to let go of the shinai with one hand and touch the opponent's hand, like pushing it to the side? I come from a HEMA-background where it's completely valid to do all kinds of grappling, and I'm right now applying for a student exchange to Japan at my university, and I kinda thought I'd do kendo while there to both keep in shape and to widen my horizons, so I'm looking into it now.

[@abc6568]

How'd that turn out for you?

[@penttikoivuniemi2146]

@@abc6568 Pretty good. The club at the university I went to didn't really train nearly hard enough for me to actually stay fit, but it was a good experience overall.

[@abc6568]

@@penttikoivuniemi2146 sounds good 👌

[@jwk8804]

hi andy

[@yewsoonfatt]

difficult

[@thecomradered]

Just an observer here. In these instructional videos, the fighters say the name of the target they are hitting but in all the competitive videos I watch, I only hear lots of YAARGHs and GAARHS

[@blowera1]

I have noticed this also

[@Corey91666]

the basic idea is to while you hit a certain target you scream MEN, KOTE or DO depending what strike you do ... however no rule in a competition states that you have to do it like that ... most of the time competitors will just do there own battle cry (kiai) however there are techniques that often times get called properly like DO strikes... for MEN (head) and KOTE (wrist) you will most of the time see unique shouts...

[@tausendwasser6701]

It's the way beginners are taught to do proper Kiai. Later, when you're more advanced, you just shout your own Kiai.