● Treating the Shinai with respect

Zakku’s (Dojo) Shinai Study

○ Do not lean on the shinai. Don’t throw it around,
(Source: Boston Kendo Kyokai: Beginner's Guide to swing it around wildly or anything like that.
Kendo)
○ Every now and then, take apart the shinai and
rub the bamboo pieces either with ​mineral oil
or​ light vegetable oil​, don’t use anything
petroleum based. ​When you’re done taking
care of it, pour some hot water over the leather
to tighten it to your sword.

○ When not in use, hold the shinai with your​ left

hand down by your side. Your fingers should be
resting on the ​tsuru. ​Don’t let the tip touch the
ground.

○ When fighting, only hit your shinai between the

tip of the sword and the ​nakayui (leather strip).
This should be about the top ⅓ of the shinai.

● Posture

○ Your​ back​ should always be ​perpendicular​ to

the ground. Keep your weight on both of your
feet, and your body ​straight​.

○ Shoulders should be ​relaxed​ and level, while

slightly pulling your chin.
 ○ Your feet should be parallel with each other.
Your ​left foot​ should be ​slightly behind​ the right
foot, with the heel raised about an inch off the
ground.
● Holding the Shinai
○ Left hand- ​Your left hand should be at the
bottom of the shinai. Your pinky, ring, and
middle fingers should have the most grip on the
sword. Make sure that your pinky finger is
almost sliding off the end of the ​tsuka​ (leather
grip).
○ Right hand-​ The index finger on your right
hand should be touching the​ tsuba,​ or
tsubadome. ​Like the left hand, your pinky, ring,
and middle fingers should have the most grip
on the tsuka. However, hold it ​lightly​ with your
right hand. It should not have more grip than
your left hand.
○ Shinai posture- ​Your left hand should be one
fist’s length away from your abdomen. Use your
right hand to guide the shinai so that it’s pointed
at the opponent’s throat. Make sure that the
shinai is lined up with the center of your body,
and keep the arms low.
● Resting Pose
○ While you are waiting for your turn, you can
kneel patiently on the ground. Your knees
should be about two fists apart from each other.
You should be sitting on your heels in the
kneeling position. Keep your body straight, and
shinai on your left side. Rest your hands on
your lap and wait.
● Fighting
○ When facing your opponent, make sure to
follow these steps for the beginning and end of
the fight.
1. Bow to your opponent (holding the shinai on
your left side), then shout “Onegai Shimasu!”.
After which, you will raise the shinai to your
waist, placing your thumb on the tsuba,
simulating a sword in a scheathe.
2. Now take three steps toward each other, draw
the shinai, point it at the opponent’s throat, and
squat down on your heels (​sonkyo position​).
 3. The spectator/senpai will tell them when to start
the fight. After the word, the two opponents will
stand up in a defensive position and start.
4. Once the fight is over, the two people will go
back to their starting point and assume the
sonkyo position once more.
5. Sheath the shinai, and then stand up facing the
opponent. Take five small steps back, lower the
shinai, and shout, “Domo arigato gozaimashita!”

● Initiating fight
○ If you want to spar with someone, then take the
starting position in front of the opponent you want
to face. Make eye contact with them, then bow
while shouting “Onegai shimasu!”. That person is
now obligated to fight with you.

● Footwork
○ Your feet should basically rub against the floor as
you go.
○ Okuri-ashi​ is the most common form, where the
feet remain in the same relative position from the
start.
○ When done correctly, this can be used for quick
movements that allow you to stay balanced and
ready for the next attack.
■ Push your body forward with your left foot;
right foot sliding out to the front.
Immediately bring your left foot up to its
position relative to the right, that is, slightly
to the rear ready for another step if needed.
 ○ Ayumi-ashi​ is used when taking your steps before
and after the kendo match - similar to walking. It’s
also used in kiri kaeshi, the diagonal cutting drill by
the receiver.
○ “Hiraki ashi​ is characterized by a diagonal
movement that allows you to sidestep an onrushing
opponent to deliver a counter stroke”.
■ When stepping to the right the right foot is
moved first with the left coming around
behind the right. When stepping to the left
the left foot is moved first with the right foot
coming around behind the left.
● Kamae (guarding poses)
○ Tsugi ashi is rarely used in kendo (used to lose
long distances).
● Movements
○ Kote-uchi-​ is executed by raising the bokken over
one's head such that it is pointing upward and back
at a 45 degree angle and then swinging the bokken
outward and down toward the opponent’s right
wrist.
○ Tsuki ​is the only thrusting waza in kendo, and is
executed by thrusting the bokken forward toward
the opponent’s throat, keeping the blade
perpendicular to the floor while stepping forward
using ashi sabaki, again typically okuri-ashi.
Alternatively, the blade is twisted such that it is
parallel to the floor and thrust at the right side of the
opponent's chest just below the pectoral muscle as
if to slide between the ribs to pierce the heart and
lungs.
○ Do-uchi​ is executed by raising the bokken over
one's head such that it is pointing upward and back
at a 45 degree angle and then swinging the bokken
outward and down toward the right side of the
opponent’s trunk, the blade is turned diagonally 45
degrees, while stepping forward using ashi-sabaki.
○ Chudan no kamae-​ basic guarding posture,
allowing you to attack all four targets (​men, kote,
do​, and t​ suki). ​The sword is pointed at the
opponent’s throat, with the left hand a fist away
from the abdomen, at navel height.
○ Jodan no kamae- ​Has two varieties that sacrifice
defense for offense.
■ In ​hidari-jodan​ (left jodan), the bokken is
raised over your head and pointing upward
and back about 45 degrees. The left foot is
brought forward. The left hand should be
 about a fist distance from the left
forehead.The bokken is shifted slightly off
the center-line to the right, about 10
degrees.
■ In ​migi-jodan​ (right jodan), the bokken is
held at your center line and the upper torso
is turned about five degrees to the left. The
right foot is forward. In both forms the
elbows are opened just past the shoulders.

○ Gedan no kamae​- This low guarding posture rarely

is used in fencing as it leaves the kenshi wide open
to ​men​ and ​tsuki​ attacks. Only the very brave or
foolish would use it. It is achieved by lowering the
kensen to knee level from chudan no kamae. The
bokken is held in the center.

(There are other forms, but they are rarely used in

fencing so I am excluding them for now.)