Kendo part 四: エ〜ッ!

[gwalla]

Practice proceeds apace. I learned my first kata last Thursday, a dodge and counterattack against a strike to the wrist. And yesterday I was taught two of the other basic strikes besides men (a strike to the head): kote (to the wrist/gauntlet) and dō (to the torso/breastplate). This leaves, I think, the two sayū-men strikes (left/right men, to the temples) of the basic bread-and-butter attacks. I still get corrected frequently, but my men strikes seem to be getting better. I feel like I'm making serious progress. I'll probably be buying a keikogi and hakama soon.

Now if only I could get my kiai to sound more like a battle cry and less like an imitation of The Fonz...

Comments

[danihana.livejournal.com]

There is nothing wrong with The Fonz. Just think of it all if they did Happy Days in Japan, and The Fonz was a ronin, (not as in failed student, but as in kickass samurai with only the winds as his guide).

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

*snort* Fonz dialogue in katakana looks oddly enthusiastic.

I love watching the evolution of the kihap/kiai/yell as people progress. New belts always get enthusiastic and make it two clearly defined syllables with, like, consonants and shit: "HI-YA!" Then it gradually degenerates till you're a black belt just sort of bellowing, "AIHH!"