Fumikomi Posture
by Rachel
(Irvine, California)
Hi!
I have a problem with my fumikomi for a while now, and I can't find a solution to fix it. I noticed that when I fumikomi, my right foot goes first and then my body snap forward. It is not a very smooth action, and it often causes my head to bobble up and down.
When I fumikomi without my shinai, I can feel my whole body and hip moving forward, but whenever the shinai is involved, it feels like my body is moving too much.
What exercises/ practice can I do?
What should I do to ensure that my hip/body is moving with my legs?
Can you break down the fumikomi step by step, my senpai only point out my issues but they never tell me how I can fix it?
Thank you so much for this!
Answer: Thank you for your question. First off, I will give you some links to the pages that are dedicated to fumikomi. This is a very common issue so I made videos just for fumikomi.
Fumikomi: A Closer Look (video)
Fumikomi = Stomping? (Article)
Now remember, fumikomi is not very important. It is an important element of integration of your strike. The most important thing is you DELIVER your body forward. A successful strike is an integration of kiai, proper cut and “delivering” your body.
You cannot do a proper “fumikomi” when you have a shinai because you are thinking to HIT a target. Think to
Lift your hands up and Deliver your body forward
And when your hands are down, your aimed target will be there.
Don’t think to HIT a target. When you do, your sword will control you.
Hope this helps.