Stopping after each strike

by Dmitriy
(Ukraine)

Hello, Hiro!

Recently I have met a problem, which is probably quite common for beginners. My teacher told me, that I stop too often after each strike. Especially during kakari-geiko, it's like I'm stuck after the moment my shinai reached opponent, no matter was it successful or not. Instead of "flowing" forward I just lose my accumulated energy and stop.

During regular drill all seems to be ok, but in jigeiko or kakarigeiko I cannot feel completely free. Are there any tips or techniques which can help me overcome this problem?

Thanks a lot.

Answer: Thanks for your question. First of all, you are “relieved” after striking. To many people, striking has become a goal but you need to take zanshin. It seems like the focus or aim is to strike. People forget about zanshin.

Make sure that you strike towards your opponent. And when you can pass through you should pass but if not, you should execute a taiatari and continue to strike.

One more thing, do not stop your kiai right after you strike. Many beginners stop not only motions but even kiai. When you stop kiai, you usually stop everything, i.e. your “flow” is dead there.

Hope this helps.

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