Fumikomi Practice in Different Perspectives

I have been making a lot of articles and videos about fumikomi practice. And this issue is still around, and I am sure it will be around. Fumikomi is an endless theme to tackle and I will come up with as many fumikomi practice methods as I can.

Change Your Perspectives of Fumikomi Practice

When you move forward and if you don't have support what happens? When this support (the right leg) is gone, you go forward.

Fumikomi Practice: Let go Your Right Foot. Your Body Starts Going ForwardFigure 1: Let go Your Right Foot. Your Body Starts Going Forward

And then, your right foot lands again on the floor to support your body.

Figure 2: You Need to Have Your Right Foot Back to Support Your Body.Figure 2: You Need to Have Your Right Foot Back to Support Your Body

The idea of this is not “stomping”. Think it as that you are supporting your body back with your right foot. 

  1. You lose your support (the right foot).
  2. Your body start falling forward.
  3. You get your support back (the right foot).

This is about how effectively you use your body. You don't want to force your body to do a lot of things. When you force your body to do a lot of things, you get hurt.

Apply This Idea to Kendo

You take a chūdan. And start shifting your body forward. I am sure that you are feeling your weight on the right foot. What do you think will happen if you let go your right foot right now? Fall, right?

Figure 3 fumikomi practice: Letting Go Your Right Foot From ChudanFigure 3: Letting Go Your Right Foot From Chudan

Don’t focus on “stomping”.

  1. Focus on shifting your weight forward and 
  2. let go your right foot. 
  3. Your body starts falling forward so 
  4. you need to have your right foot back to prevent yourself from falling.

To Max Your Momentum

How much momentum you want is up to how well you can push yourself forward. And pull yourself with the front foot.

It's like going up the stairs. Just like as shown in the image below.

Figure 4 fumikomi practice: Just Like Going Up StairsFigure 4: Just Like Going Up Stairs

Then you pull yourself up with the front foot.

Figure 5 fumikomi practice: Just Like Pulling Yourself Up with the Front LegFigure 5: Just Like Pulling Yourself Up with the Front Leg

That's what you do when you walk the stairs. You take one step, then another. So, the same mechanism is involved. You have to pull yourself up. That's it- Pull yourself up. Since we still have the momentum going forward, we don't suddenly change the direction.  

Once you start going forward, the momentum is created. Your body keeps going forward. 

The idea is, you deliver your body forward with the kick. As soon as you kick the floor with the right foot, the other foot lands and the other pushes you up, right? 

Important: You don't separate your movement from your daily life. Your fumikomi motion is pretty much like going up the stairs. 

This video is made short for YouTube because this video has something unusual for most Kendo practitioners. This is different from normal training methods. So, I only put this video in an area that I can have control over, which is "Kendo For Adults" on the Patreon.

The video is called "Kendo For Adults: Don't Run after Strikes and Fumikomi" and available for only members at patreon.com/kendoforlife.

There are tons of videos for adults. Kendo For Adults. Thank you for reading and watching!

KENJoy!

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