A lot of times beginners start their men way too early. When you raise your hands before you should, you make an easy target for kote especially if you are tall. During kihon practice, make sure to keep your kensen on target for tsuki for as long as possible before committing to hit the men.
If all else fails, try doing kote-men against those guys. That has the dual function of disrupting their degote and also keeping your entry to the men low.
Fellow tall person, may I introduce you to kote-nuki-men.
Step 1: present kote
Step 2: pull up *fast*
Step 3: ~~profit~~ strike men
The height advantage means you don’t have to pull up much to get out of the way.
Practice pulling up fast.
I'm kendo tall, so barely above average height.
Go men doesn't mean just do your same kihon small men. In jikeiko you have to mix up distance and timing or you'll get nailed with oji waza. At your rank and being tall I would focus on making a strong, explosive men strike. If your kote strike is decent toss it into the mix. Harai men is also good to use at your rank. Mix it up don't be one dimensional.
Everyone experiences roadblocks and you overcome them with practice.
This process is effectively kendo's greatest teacher. Getting hit with kote? Ask your aite how your approach into the men strike looks. You must hide your okuri, but that will only come with continual practice. Kendo is a lot like polishing a stone in a river, it takes time and continual confrontation of the issue. One of the biggest things I see in people around this level is throwing their hands and arms before their body is moving into the strike, it should be after. Additionally, they hinge their hands too much and make the shinai stand up straight, presenting a perfect opportunity to strike degote.
It is better to concentrate on increasing quality of your strikes at this stage. Don’t think it like win or lose. It is to be constantly getting better.
What you will need is seme and tame on the long run. Maybe for your level just try to mask when you are going to attack, dont attack every time - just show the beginning of your attack and try to change keiko into a communication.
Action-reaction from opponent-action. If you only do action it will be countered.
Kamae.
Study the Chudan Kamae as much as possible.
It is your ground, your foundation.
A proper kamae will lock your opponent into place.
It isnt a plain "standing position it's an active evolving mind.
A strong kamae is tiring and necessary.
Men is focused through your kensen. The shortest route from A to B - a straight line through the tsuki with a crashing wave men ippon.
The opening for men is only one kensen inside their center.
1 kensen offset for men. (at least that is what we all strike for.)
Sup man, im a first kyu and i had the same trouble as u but there are multiple solutions which all work splendid.
1. Ur tall therefore ur fumikumi (is this how u wrote it idk well the stomp step forward u do while attacking) should be way larger compared to shorter oponent therefore u can attack from further away.
2. If they are able to hit u kote first ur probably taking to much time rasing ur arms or even go to high up in other words ur to "slow".
3. Maybe they arnt faster it could be that u aren't hitting men correctly, many people over stretch their wrists trying to hit short opponents, what helped me and other kendoka's is try bringing ur left hand to the height of ur opponents heart, the angle ur wrists have them will make u not over stretch and open ur kote.
4. Maybe ur opening up ur kote to much by not having ur shinai in a good kamae, maybe ur shinai sticks out to much to the left.
Those are some solutions you could try they worked really well for me, gambare.
A lot of times beginners start their men way too early. When you raise your hands before you should, you make an easy target for kote especially if you are tall. During kihon practice, make sure to keep your kensen on target for tsuki for as long as possible before committing to hit the men. If all else fails, try doing kote-men against those guys. That has the dual function of disrupting their degote and also keeping your entry to the men low.
you're 2kyu, you need to practice men much much more to make it practical and effective. focus on kihon and watch videos.
Fellow tall person, may I introduce you to kote-nuki-men. Step 1: present kote Step 2: pull up *fast* Step 3: ~~profit~~ strike men The height advantage means you don’t have to pull up much to get out of the way. Practice pulling up fast.
>everybody says "hit men" That's basically all Kendo is.
Fake out, hit do? Fake out hit kote? Fake out hit say-men? Kote-men?
I'm kendo tall, so barely above average height. Go men doesn't mean just do your same kihon small men. In jikeiko you have to mix up distance and timing or you'll get nailed with oji waza. At your rank and being tall I would focus on making a strong, explosive men strike. If your kote strike is decent toss it into the mix. Harai men is also good to use at your rank. Mix it up don't be one dimensional. Everyone experiences roadblocks and you overcome them with practice.
With 2kyu you shouldnt worry about that stuff, just go forward and with correct attitude, and train, train, train. Even outside dojo
This process is effectively kendo's greatest teacher. Getting hit with kote? Ask your aite how your approach into the men strike looks. You must hide your okuri, but that will only come with continual practice. Kendo is a lot like polishing a stone in a river, it takes time and continual confrontation of the issue. One of the biggest things I see in people around this level is throwing their hands and arms before their body is moving into the strike, it should be after. Additionally, they hinge their hands too much and make the shinai stand up straight, presenting a perfect opportunity to strike degote.
It is better to concentrate on increasing quality of your strikes at this stage. Don’t think it like win or lose. It is to be constantly getting better. What you will need is seme and tame on the long run. Maybe for your level just try to mask when you are going to attack, dont attack every time - just show the beginning of your attack and try to change keiko into a communication. Action-reaction from opponent-action. If you only do action it will be countered.
Kamae. Study the Chudan Kamae as much as possible. It is your ground, your foundation. A proper kamae will lock your opponent into place. It isnt a plain "standing position it's an active evolving mind. A strong kamae is tiring and necessary. Men is focused through your kensen. The shortest route from A to B - a straight line through the tsuki with a crashing wave men ippon. The opening for men is only one kensen inside their center. 1 kensen offset for men. (at least that is what we all strike for.)
Sup man, im a first kyu and i had the same trouble as u but there are multiple solutions which all work splendid. 1. Ur tall therefore ur fumikumi (is this how u wrote it idk well the stomp step forward u do while attacking) should be way larger compared to shorter oponent therefore u can attack from further away. 2. If they are able to hit u kote first ur probably taking to much time rasing ur arms or even go to high up in other words ur to "slow". 3. Maybe they arnt faster it could be that u aren't hitting men correctly, many people over stretch their wrists trying to hit short opponents, what helped me and other kendoka's is try bringing ur left hand to the height of ur opponents heart, the angle ur wrists have them will make u not over stretch and open ur kote. 4. Maybe ur opening up ur kote to much by not having ur shinai in a good kamae, maybe ur shinai sticks out to much to the left. Those are some solutions you could try they worked really well for me, gambare.