Maai (間合;Distance)

Recently, I have been working on getting the correct distance, or the maai. Maai is the distance between the two opponents, and it is basically like the "shooting range" for guns.

However, not only the distance is important, the kamae also determines whether one is ready to jump forward or not, and whether one can jump far or close.

For example, if one were to strike debana-men, he must not jump too far because it would be slow, and also it is unnecessary since the opponent moves also forward. So, doing a successful debana-men should be aiming at "touching down" quickly with the right foot, in order to be faster than the opponent's men attack.

The separation between the two feet is also crucially important. At to-maai (far distance) and issoku-ittono-maai, the separation must be close to each other. To seme from to-maai, the left foot must draw towards the right foot quickly as the body advances forwards. However, to seme from issoku-ittono-maai ("one-cut-one-step" distance), the left foot should stay put, getting ready to strike at any moment.

It varies with the ability and the height of the person, of course. Generally speaking, when the opponent comes into the "shooting range", the left foot should not move, so that one can strike immediately when there is a chance.

Doing kendo like drumming

Today I made it to the final 30 minutes of the training. My focus was still to make good men strikes, and, in addition, to explore the timing and moments for Oji-waza. In the past year, it became to me more and more obvious, and hence easier to recognise, my opponent's response to my seme. It therefore became easier to execute oji-waza.

One other thing I have focused on to improve is the footwork for Zanshin after men-strike. I realised today that it is much easier if I imagine in my head the tempo of my steps. If I imagine it being fast paced, and make my feet "on beat", my footwork is naturally agile and swift. This is just like for kote-men, which I always consider like drumming. By following the quick beats with my right foot stomping and the shinai-tip hitting, I can strike fast. If one wants to increase the striking speed, then simply tune the clock faster in the mind. 

Clumsy legs

Yesterday I lead the training. It's a routine training with 4 x kirikeishi, 2 x dou-kirikeishi, men and kote-men uchi, oji-waza against men, uchigomi-geiko and finally jigeiko, ending with kirikeishi.

• My legs were still clumsy sometimes especially when I got tired. This prevented me from doing good zanshin. I need to improve that..
  

Take life as it is

How come while the others are enjoying the summer vacation, I'm working until after dinner time? Last weeks I trained on average once a week due to parents' and friends' visits, plus more research papers that I'm writing - great for work, but on the expense on my hobby.

Life is not as simple as the student life before the graduate school, when everything I had to worry about was the present. Now I have to worry about the future and work for it. Is it distraction? Or maybe the opposite - my hobby is the distraction?

Neither, I say. I just take my life when it comes and how it comes.

* * *

Last Friday in the training I explored different types of footworks for seme. Sometimes my opponents got distracted while I move sideways, which became a good moment for attacking.

Footwork of Hiki-waza

Today a couple of people came back from summer vacation, which was very nice. I was genuinely happy to see them.

This evening I had a very valueable training. Stephan gave me a lot of valueable feedbacks, including some things I was never sure about.

• The footwork of Hiki-waza: (1) left leg back (2) raise the shinai and use the right foot to push the body backwards in order to gain distance (3) stomp the right foot and strike, at the same time the left foot can go a small step back if it helps to balance (4) maintain the posture (body up straight, shinai above the forehead) while going backwards.
• Zanshin of debana should be so that the oppenent is within my sight, never face the back completely to the opponent.

At the end of the jigeiko I had a ippon-shobu with Stephan. The others had all finished, so everyone else was looking at us, who were applying seme onto each other.

And the moment came -- he attempted men while I raised my shinai with my mind set for a kaeshi-do.

Bang! Bang!

He got me. My block wasn't effective. Perhaps due to a combination of the slowness and the incorrect angle of the shinai.

Moreover, I wasn't active. I didn't force him to strike men, but just waiting for it.
--------------------------------------

My footwork after striking is improving. Found out that the trick is to take small and quick steps forward.

This Friday I might have to train alone with Anna again, like last Friday, since most people won't come after the kendo league which will run from 5pm-8pm that day. But there are so many things one can practise to fill one hour with drills, etc. And sometimes it is good to go back to the very basics, so I'm rather looking forward to it.