{"id":39,"date":"2020-01-17T08:47:14","date_gmt":"2020-01-17T13:47:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/whitebeltmindset.com\/?p=39"},"modified":"2020-01-17T08:47:14","modified_gmt":"2020-01-17T13:47:14","slug":"men-kote-do-and-tsuki","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whitebeltmindset.com\/index.php\/2020\/01\/17\/men-kote-do-and-tsuki\/","title":{"rendered":"Men, Kote, Do, and Tsuki"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The first session, as I previously stated, was excellent. Several things made the experience positive such as, learning new skills, ability to recall the mental and physical components of performance as I was learning, being in the arena, conditioning, and executing aspects of what I wanted to be tested in all led to a great session. The cultural component also added to the training, which brought back many memories and raised my awareness of things I had forgotten or did not consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Men (head), Kote (wrists), Do (body), and Tsuki (throat) are areas where a Kendo practitioner strikes. My first session dealt with repeated practice of strikes corresponding with the movement of the feet to cover the distance. I enjoyed the warm-up, which involved these strikes with elements of cardio and squats. I really enjoyed working these strikes against an opponent, helping me to gauge distance, accuracy, and balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Target areas for Kendo strikes (Image downloaded from Melbourne University Kendo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Practicing against an opponent also revealed areas I will have to work on in the coming weeks. Gaps in the mental and physical components of my personal performance came to the surface. Those that know me well understand I don’t like to lose. My mind immediately went to a win-lose scenario versus a growth mindset. I was told many times not to hit so hard when I was striking my opponent. In other venues, hitting hard would be the goal or expectation. While I got a charge the first couple times I heard the sensei comment on my striking hard, I quickly understood why that was not the goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My balance was off when I struck hard, and I lacked finesse in the strikes. I was also compromising speed for power. While watching the other students do the same drill, the saying, “slow is smooth, smooth is fast,” came to mind. I also recognized I was trying to impress people rather than learn. These were critical points for me to realize as I continue my training. Watching the senior students, I recognized their finesse, accuracy, and strike power involved other body components, unlike the large muscle groups I was relying upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought about some fundamentals in other activities such as swinging a baseball bat or shooting a pistol. Too much grip in the shooting hand or muscling the bat through the swing has a negative impact on the desired outcome. Some things the sensei pointed out made immediate sense to me, such as my grip on the shinai (bamboo sword). I was gripping much harder than what was needed. Again, I referenced back to holding a baseball bat while also relaxing the fingers. Often, you can see batters wiggle their fingers while at bat and so I tried to do the same. In due time, I will find my sweet spot with the shinai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also enjoyed the formal aspect of putting the Bogu (Kendo armor) on and taking it off after the training. The sensei spoke of respecting and caring for your gear, and I appreciated that as it played an essential role in my previous profession and I could easily relate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Placing the Bogu prior to training. (photo downloaded from Pinterest)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The major element of the training I struggled with was being in the seiza (kneeling) position while we donned and removed the Bogu. We also received a talk from the head sensei while kneeling in this position at the conclusion of the training. I know it was very brief, but it felt like an eternity as my toes went numb. On the command to stand up, I wasn’t 100% certain my body was going to cooperate. It did and I could hear the sounds similar to the cracking of fireworks going off as my knees and ankles came back to life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Seiza or kneeling position. (Photo downloaded from Pinterest)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Positives from Session #1<\/p>\n\n\n\n