With swordsmanship I believe that you shouldn't think about the blade to much, the mechanics should be drilled in and distance where you don't think about it. Once you master the mechanics focus on jittered footwork at changing paces and how to start or respond blade interactions as well as compound attacks(attacking one are but you go for another) in distance. Basically learn how to do things like cutting and distance then really work on confusion. Works in fencing just fine and I think in kendo it might be a good training philosophy but your coach knows best tbh he knows what you need to work on either physical or specific areas. With kids my fencing club teaches kids to enjoy the sort and teaches single aspect at a time with out upsetting the kid usually footwork is an issue though I have seen prodigies many people in my club are international calibre and potential Olympic prospects. Kids are very fragile so my training philosophy for how everyone should learn including kids is let them experiment and punish them in ways like an opening or telling them quickly having fun and letting them get a hit if they do something nice.

Thanks for answering my question at the end there. I suspected as much but wanted to see if there's anything else I may not have known about when helping our guys try to prepare for Shiai. We don't have regular access to squad members and high grades but through mitori geiko on KZfaq etc of various countries squad sessions or university level squad practices I think I have a grasp on oikomi and different methods of kakari geiko and kirikaeshi variations as well as constructed seme Keiko waza practice to make effective changes to the menu depending if it's shiai prep or shinsa prep or just everyday progression. I try to pick appropriate content depending on people's goals in the dojo at various points in the year. We do visit Dublin and get to train with their squad members from time to time and try to visit mainland UK for seminars and Taikai where we have good friends on squad or ex squad and high grades in the North. These visits have been crucial to building our young dojo. It sounds like so far we're not too far off the mark which is good. Ps. You know the guys in the North well ;) one of them has a stellar sense of humour and plays Jodan... He and Tom gave me place on their team at the northern open for my first go at shiai in the UK. Which was generous as they really had their work cut out to nurse maid me and carry the team through the matches lol Top blokes !

- Yes, Germany is an exception. And Hungary to my knowledge. :) - Waza is like pasta: The most difficult is maybe the one with only a few ingredients. Spaghetti Aglio Olio, for example. Try to do a ookii men. Simple yet so hard to do...