Before people get carried away with what they *think* I’ve said - listen carefully to what I’m saying - and understand I’m not saying that you should block ALL THE TIME, treat every Kendo interaction like Shiai, or anything like that - as I said in the video - blocking, dodging, defence etc are an integral part of Kendo, they shouldn’t be demonised, but should be used accordingly in the appropriate context.

I think you found the source of the argument right around 15:30. I think this pattern of thinking comes from people early on in their kendo careers who often get told by sensei (The senior ones like you mention, not old, just high rank) not to block and to not be afraid. Some people take a small kernel of advice and really run with it and think it applies to every situation. This is one of those things, at least I've always thought. Anyone who watches any taikai matches can obviously see how many times a valid ippon's zanshin contains cautionary measures. Thanks sensei!

"how is it fair to your opponent to let them hit you when you could have blocked them". Damn. This statement makes it much more clear to me. I always found it confusing to hear people say "do not block" but then seeing people block and win. It also makes the concept of blocking fit in the "martial arts" and "kendo as self improvement" mindset. I guess it's like... Do not block as a strategy, in place of an attack. But if your opponents attack can be blocked, and you are good enough to block it, then they don't deserve to get the hit. Don't give it to them.

It's kind of reassuring to know that other arts (I teach hema but love kendo) have similar issues with this. People can take some specific piece of instruction or advice out of context so quickly, I think this is a large part of why the zen methodology was adopted into teaching fencing. Sometimes more words only lead to more confusion. Committing to a strike, and defending yourself is the goal, everything else is a means to achieve that goal, not the end in itself. Great video.

The initial discussion about blocking/dodging is really interesting, thank you for speaking on this! A part of me suspects (shodan opinion incoming lol) that this debate is kind of intrinsic to kendo as a whole. I think you've talked about it before in your videos, how there's a bit of a paradoxical element to kendo because you're training using the "principles of the sword" - a tool that is likely to kill or maim if it strikes you - but you're physically using a shinai - a tool that is comparatively much cheaper, lighter and less deadly (which is obviously beneficial because it means you can be struck and still be alive to learn from the experience!). So psychologically you can attack with sutemi (which is easier because you don't have to literally fear death in the counterattack) but, as you say, you still have to act on SOME level as if the thing in the opponent's hands is a sword, is dangerous, must not be allowed to touch you. I think your point that makes the most sense to me at my level is that there's not a ton of constructive value to keiko if you just allow your opponent to freely hit you. I feel like neither person learns from that!

YES! I mostly agree with you, that "never block" stuff is absolutely a wrong conclusion taken by people who misunderstood some sensei teachings or stuff taken out of context. I remember many years ago ( I was shodan or nidan I dont remember) I was talking about shiai with a somewhat known japanese sensei and he literally told me this: "in shiai your objective is to win" it took me a couple of years to understand what he meant but its exactly what you said, and I cant tell you how many people that Ive told "in a shiai your objective is to win" for some reason they understand "in a shiai your objective is to win a medal" and thats absolutely NOT the meaning of the phrase. the same goes for dodging and blocking, Ive heard hachidan sensei tell people not to block and I also teach my students not to block or dodge BUT people take it out of context, when I tell students "dont block, focus in your attacks rather than your blocks" for some reason they hear "blocking is a sin against kendo" and thats absolutely not what Im saying. I remember the teachings from another 7th dan sensei and he was pretty much obsessed with correct posture, correct kamae, correct ashi sabaki... he was like a robot and his kendo was absolutely elegant to watch, I remember he was like 65 years old and defeated in shiai a 40 years old 6th dan with a shikake men so perfect and effortless hat looked like it was just practice. and that sensei that was absolutely obsessed with perfect body posture and never to bend your back and all that. He thought me that every time I face a stronger opponent I should move away from his centerline in order to DODGE my opponents attack and create my own centerline!!! he even tought me (or tried to, haha sorry sensei) how he did this and keeping a straight posture and not bending my back and all that. Ive also had HACHIDAN sensei told me literally and I quote "its STUPID to do shiai the same way you would do shinsa" yes! he used the word STUPID, this is absolutely true! Ive also heard another hachidan say "shiai kendo, shinsa kendo, or keiko practice should be the same" and people hear those two things and think they are contradictory but they are NOT, only contradictory in the minds if westerners. anyway I undestand why people have this confusion. Im also a math teacher and Ive studied education, and to my observations as an educator, I think that in general people get confused because in general terms, japanese senseis tend to talk about what you should do but (because of language gap or not having enough time or whatever reason) tend not to explain in detail the context or the reasons why things are like that and people tend to fill that "context void" or gap with stuff that makes sense to THEM even if they are wrong, I mean, it took me a couple of years to understand why "my objective in shiai is to win" its impossible for a sensei to use one hour of a 3 hour long seminar to explain everything they say, they just assume either you get it now or maybe you will get it later or even you wont get it at all. and I do the same, when I say to my students that they shouldnt block I cant use an hour to explain something that I know they wont understand, I just tell them "trust me, for now just dont do it" and explain the why when I know that explanation would make sense to them, or when we have more time to talk about it but If I do it during kendo practice we could be talking about it the whole class and not practice at all. just like there is no use to explain abstract algebra to a student thats learning the basic operations, just learn how to add and multiply numbers and worry about algebraic structures later. most sensei teach kendo mostly the way they were told and maybe thats not always the best way to explain things but is the way they know and we should try to understand that too. dodging and blocking depend on the situation and that might be difficult to explain on its own right, more so for someone who doesnt speak your language or simply dont have enough time explain.

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I really appreciate the Murakami/Ando Zanshin response. I didn't think about what I might have been equating it to. I've been trying to understand Zanshin in a wholistic form so that I can get a much better feel. I realize there probably aren't any perfect "do this" or "don't do that" rules for it, but with all the answers I get around it I wanted to use the premium example of a AJKC match so I might understand what Zanshin looks like at a high level and why. Really appreciate what you do for all of us kendoka outside of Japan. Thanks!

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One year late. But this is a very interesting topic. I agree of with the point made and I experience it all the time. 高段者(Koudansha) higher grade practitioners do dodge, and block and this idea of th rowing yourself forward without and approaching everything as kakarigeiko. Beginner practitioners are taught to attack and then sensei do what they need to show holes and shortcomings in the student’s kendo, but this sort of keiko has a time and place and as you progress through your journey, this type of practice becomes one of many you will need to practice.

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The dodging/blocking thing is something that's bothered me for a while, because I see it all the time in shiai. Yet, everyone over the internet seems to treat it like the devil. I'm currently mudansha, and I'm still learning new techniques and mindsets. I don't want to unlearn any bad habits, because that takes forever. Great topic for today's kendo rant, I learned quite a lot.

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Hi Andy! Hope you're doing well. I have a question about measuring for kendogi: I'm 180cm tall, but when I measure the A, B and C parts shown on the kendo star website they equal to a size 3, but my height equals do a size 4. Am I measuring something wrong? Should I follow the A,B and C measurements or my height when buying a new kendogi? Thanks for the show and the great products

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Good evening Fisher Sensei. Not to stir the pot any further on the dodge/block matter, but I have a question in that regard. From my lower-rank point of view, and from others in my dojo including kids, there is a perception that there are two “styles” of kendo: kihon kendo (casually called “proper” kendo) and shiai kendo (by comparison “not so proper”). This is a bit confusing as it almost looks like we must practice “proper” kendo during training, but at shiai times there’s a bit of leeway that allows us to do “weird” stuff to attempt scoring ippon. I’d appreciate your opinion in order to understand this matter and being able to explain it to other dojo members if they ask. Many thanks!

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Again you make a very important points about “dodging” ….but you have been and studied and practiced in Japan ….truly different world in the understanding of many concepts…. The West in general do have a few, indeed more than a few, weird ideas of concepts! I’ll say as I did in the vid you posted the other day ( who taught me) don’t block and dodge “death wish” …you have that go stand in middle of the road!

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Non-Japanese kendoka often behave like neophytes and want to be "holier than the pope".

Thank you for the rant. I found it very helpful. Do you know the rule from DnD (i think its a legal principle as well, lol): "the specific overrides the general". It seems to me like this is what you are explaining a bit with regards to blocking and running away/breaking contact with your opponent. Like, 'in general', you should attack (and not defend/block) and you should not break eye contact with opponent, but in specific instances (depending on skill level, opponent, awareness, other higher kendo principles i.e. the more rigid 'commandments' of kendo, as you said) blocking or breaking eye contact may be warranted. So its like... don't block unless that specific instance warrants it. And don't break contact with your opponent unless that specific instance warrants it. and then... learning what those 'specific instances' are and how to know when you are in them is the rest of what kendo is.

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The video was filmed three weeks before the Japanese Nationals. Murakami steps forward, loses an opponent and gets hit kzfaq.info/get/bejne/aJOCecl93r6cj4E.html

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Hi, sensei! I sometimes train with a person below me in rank, who constantly dodges the "man" blow with his head in jigeiko. And he does it very cleverly. Should I tell him not to dodge, or should I work better on my kendo to finally hit a good "man"? For example, during the seme, I omit the kensen to hide the beginning of the attack.

thank you Andy sensei for very well explaining about Blocking concept there is a video from Eiga sensei in which he blocked but he still kept the pressure and kept attacking after that kzfaq.info/get/bejne/aqyGqsKmyam8hGg.html

People with such concepts about shiai have never won a kendo tournament.

Another video from Eiga sensei in which he blocked and dogged kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eaqGZ8d1y9S2ko0.html

What you are missing in this conversation is the spiritual development in Kendo. Kendo is not just wazas, shiai, physical conditioning etc. Yes, all those are important, absolutely. But at a higher level, and especially as you get older it really becomes about developing an immovable mind, fudoshin, or heijoshin as some senseis used to explain. Jumping for a block or breaking kamae when feeling pressure is an indication of your broken inner self. As some older senseis would say at this point you should think that you've already lost, even if you didn't get hit. Yes, even some hachidans block or break kamae some times (and they learn to quickly recover from that position). But ask those same sensei privately and they ll acknowledge they still have ways to go in their shugyou. It seems in Japan you've focused solely on shiai but didn't grasp the deeper aspects behind kendo, that's why you're struggling to come in terms with this. I'll be curious how your position will be like 20-30 years from now.

Me here just waiting for them to strike, dodging back and hitting their forearm.

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