Kendo with Shoto only
by Christian
(Germany)
In my
dōjō, we had a discussion about fighting with
shōtō against
shinai (like in the
kata 8 - 10). I tried it out (it was not
nitō, only with the short sword) and for me it was a very amazing experience to see techniques (i.e.
suriage men), distance and footwork (i.e. very fast in and out) in another connexion.
What do you think about learning kendo (after the basics) related to the
Nihon Kendo Kata?
Answer:: I think it is a good idea. Practice
kata in
bōgu is also a method to understand what is going on in
kata too. It is harder than people think :)
I sometimes train with a
shōtō. I like it because it makes me think. Of course, it is not for a
shiai but if we really want to know how
shōtō works, we probably should try it in
jigeiko sometimes, especially, if you start learning
kata with
kodachi.
This is my personal opinion so if your
sensei don't agree with it, don't go against his/her teachings.
Hope this helps.