Yodan

To handle an opponent.
To make an opponent move with Kyo.

In Kendo, there is an opponent, therefore to attack just as you want has no meaning. I realized this keenly when I was preparing for Yodan. At that time, I also started thinking about increasing my so-called "hitting rate", that is, decreasing any unnecessary movements. I remember that, while I was working on these things, I often ended up only being hit. However, it is very important to avoid moving the upper body to parry a stroke. In other words, if you are attacked, you are to be able to react in a proper way.

At the grading exam for Yodan, one of the Kendo players with whom I faced was a female player. They say that it is generally very hard to play against a female player, since female players tend to extend their arms or to raise their swords above the head when attacked. As a result, your stroke will just be blocked. Such a problem is inevitable as long as you try overwhelming the opponent by power only. In this case, you would therefore rather get into the Maai with Kyo.* By doing this, you will be able to make the opponent move first and, then, either go for Debana-waza or Ouji-waza. However, to handle an opponent with Kyo in this way is likely to result in what appears to be a cheap trickery. In order to do it successfully, it is necessary to work on it well during regular practice and also to do it with much of confidence. I personally would like to keep working on this as one of my subjects.

Tr. Note: Kyo is the antonym of Jitsu in Japanese and they make a pair of concepts. Kyo means the false or the empty, while Jitsu means the substantial. Such a dualism originally derives from Taoist view of the world. In Japanese martial arts, Kyo and Jitsu are used to describe the states of one's mind and body and it is believed that one's state is constantly shifting between Kyo and Jitsu during a battle. Therefore, it is considered very important to read the cycle of an opponent and to cancel it out by taking the opposite. As a result, to attain an ability to alternate one's state at will is demanded traditionally.

written by Ryoichi Shimano

translated by Hiroyuki Otaki (Shidokan Kendo Club)