View Single Post
Old 01-01-2008, 05:59 PM   #9
Josh Reyer
 
Josh Reyer's Avatar
Location: Aichi-ken, Nagoya-shi
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 644
Japan
Offline
Re: Aikido training vs Kendo training

I think I would disagree with Emil's characterizations of kendo's stance and hanmi. Kendo's upright, legs close together stance comes from the development and changes in Edo period kenjutsu schools, as they a) moved from armored kenjutsu to unarmored kenjutsu, and b) became more and more specialized, focusing more on simply kenjutsu, rather than being sougou bujutsu that included jujutsu. The kendo stance is extremely mobile by design -- I daresay a kendoka in the kendo stance can move laterally much faster than someone in hanmi.

Hanmi, OTOH, sacrifices lateral speed in order to provide a smaller attack profile. I've never heard lateral speed being given as a benefit of hanmi, but in aikido, karate, and kenjutsu I've heard it recommended to provide a smaller target for the enemy. The wider stance in aikido (and jujutsu, karate and pre-Edo kenjutsu schools) provides a lower center of gravity, essential for arts that expect a lot of close physical contact.

Ellis Amdur's DVD "Ukemi From The Ground Up" provides an excellent example of the difficulty in lateral movement (particularly moving to the left in hidari-hanmi and moving right in migi-hanmi), and contrasts it with the freer movement of shizentai -- a natural, forward facing stance not unlike that of kendo.

Josh Reyer

The lyf so short, the crafte so longe to lerne,
Th'assay so harde, so sharpe the conquerynge...
- Chaucer
  Reply With Quote