You can watch it on YouTube and subscribe to their channel there, or you can "like" them on Facebook and get updates from them on your page!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Tai Chi Sword
I came across a really cool little website recently. If you get a chance, check out Best Tai Chi Videos Online. They have a lot of historical videos and photos of different styles of Tai Chi. Below is one that they posted of Yang Style Sword.
You can watch it on YouTube and subscribe to their channel there, or you can "like" them on Facebook and get updates from them on your page!
You can watch it on YouTube and subscribe to their channel there, or you can "like" them on Facebook and get updates from them on your page!
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Mugamoodi
I can find some really interesting things to watch at times on Netflix. The other night I sat down and watched a film called Mugamoodi. Yeah. Weird name. I know.
The film stars a young man who goes by the name Bruce Lee. (After all, since Bruce Lee is his idol, why not have people call him by that name? Who knows, there might be some kid out there who insists on people calling him LeBron James!) Bruce (played by Jiiva) is a student at a local martial arts school and, after studying for many years, has become quite good. That's the upside to the start of this story. It goes downhill from there for this poor boy. The first time he meets a girl who really catches his eye, she sprays pepper spray in his face and gets him arrested. It doesn't help his case when her father is the local Deputy Police Commissioner (played by Nassar). To make matters even worse, Bruce's father thinks he is an absolute loser and his teacher forbids him and the other students to used the martial arts that they have learned!
So what's a boy to do? In order to get the girl of his dreams, Shakthi (played by Pooja Hegde), he decides to dress up as a generic superhero and try to woo her. (Yeah. That's the first idea I can think of doing to get a girl!) However, when he tries to do this, he lands right in the middle of a police investigation of a group of murdering bandits who have been targeting wealthier and wealthier victims. Despite his teacher's wishes, he is forced to rely more and more on his martial abilities to get him out of trouble.
Despite the long runtime of the film (It clocks it at a whopping 150 minutes.), I never really got bored watching it. As a matter of fact, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the film. The martial arts was choreographed by none other than Hong Kong director Tony Leung (Who directed Ip Man with Donnie Yen). I actually got excited when I saw his name in the opening credits! That being said, the fight scenes did not disappoint. Every scene was well shot and well executed. All of Bruce Lee's moves seemed to be based primarily on Wing Chun, which made the infighting particularly fun to watch.
Oh yeah, there are ninjas! I forgot to mention the ninjas! You'll get it when you see the movie. This is where I stop, in order to keep from leaking spoilers. I hate people who do that.
There were only a few things that I thought were kind of weird. One had to do with smoking. At the beginning of the film there was the equivalent of a surgeon general's warning that smoking is bad for your health. But, for whatever reason, every time someone lit up a cigarette in the film, another warning came up along the bottom of the screen. Odd, right? The other thing I have to mention is the fact that this movie comes from India. (This is a Tamil film to be exact.) That means that you have to have music in darn near every film. Mugamoodi has no less than three music video moments in it! It's also kind of strange that nearly every actor/actress wants to be known by a single name! Despite these oddities (to us in the West, at least) this turned out to be a really good film. I hoping to see more like it pop up here in the U.S. sooner rather than later.
The film stars a young man who goes by the name Bruce Lee. (After all, since Bruce Lee is his idol, why not have people call him by that name? Who knows, there might be some kid out there who insists on people calling him LeBron James!) Bruce (played by Jiiva) is a student at a local martial arts school and, after studying for many years, has become quite good. That's the upside to the start of this story. It goes downhill from there for this poor boy. The first time he meets a girl who really catches his eye, she sprays pepper spray in his face and gets him arrested. It doesn't help his case when her father is the local Deputy Police Commissioner (played by Nassar). To make matters even worse, Bruce's father thinks he is an absolute loser and his teacher forbids him and the other students to used the martial arts that they have learned!So what's a boy to do? In order to get the girl of his dreams, Shakthi (played by Pooja Hegde), he decides to dress up as a generic superhero and try to woo her. (Yeah. That's the first idea I can think of doing to get a girl!) However, when he tries to do this, he lands right in the middle of a police investigation of a group of murdering bandits who have been targeting wealthier and wealthier victims. Despite his teacher's wishes, he is forced to rely more and more on his martial abilities to get him out of trouble.
Despite the long runtime of the film (It clocks it at a whopping 150 minutes.), I never really got bored watching it. As a matter of fact, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the film. The martial arts was choreographed by none other than Hong Kong director Tony Leung (Who directed Ip Man with Donnie Yen). I actually got excited when I saw his name in the opening credits! That being said, the fight scenes did not disappoint. Every scene was well shot and well executed. All of Bruce Lee's moves seemed to be based primarily on Wing Chun, which made the infighting particularly fun to watch.
Oh yeah, there are ninjas! I forgot to mention the ninjas! You'll get it when you see the movie. This is where I stop, in order to keep from leaking spoilers. I hate people who do that.
There were only a few things that I thought were kind of weird. One had to do with smoking. At the beginning of the film there was the equivalent of a surgeon general's warning that smoking is bad for your health. But, for whatever reason, every time someone lit up a cigarette in the film, another warning came up along the bottom of the screen. Odd, right? The other thing I have to mention is the fact that this movie comes from India. (This is a Tamil film to be exact.) That means that you have to have music in darn near every film. Mugamoodi has no less than three music video moments in it! It's also kind of strange that nearly every actor/actress wants to be known by a single name! Despite these oddities (to us in the West, at least) this turned out to be a really good film. I hoping to see more like it pop up here in the U.S. sooner rather than later.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Katori Shinto Ryu with Risuke Otake
I think I might have posted something like this before, but if you haven't seen this series of videos, then you really need to have a seat and do so. A must see for fans of the sword arts!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
The Raid: Redemption
Now that the Olympics are over, it's time to get back to action in the movies. It wasn't too long ago that I first heard about the The Raid: Redemption, but the more I learned about it, the more I wanted to see it. This little gem comes from Indonesia and is brought to us by the same folks that made Merantau. Now if you didn't see Merantau, then you missed an incredible martial arts movie.
Now both films are a bit on the dark side when it comes to thematic tone and subject matter. I must also say that they are two of the most violent movies that I have seen in recent memory. So violent in fact, that I am not sure how they filmed some of the scenes without actually killing some of their stunt crew!
The Raid starts off with a SWAT team attacking a 30 story apartment building that is owned by a local crime lord in Jakarta. The problem is that this particular crime lord gives refuge to anyone who needs to lay low and avoid the police. Thus he has a small army of people willing to defend this hide-away. There are a few people who have nothing to do with the drug dealers, manufacturers, and weapons dealers that live there, presumably because they lived there before all this and couldn't afford to leave.
It doesn't take long for the action to heat up once they get inside the building. The tension gets high as they start to meet various thugs in the halls. Alas, this is where it is best to say you need to see what happens for yourself. There are certain dynamics that occur between the characters that, if I were to go on, would give away certain plot points to the movie. And yes, it does have a story.
While they may not find that they have to fight through all 30 levels, they do have to fight through a lot. I will say that I enjoyed both the tactical thinking of the group and their use of weapons, as well as the hand-to-hand combat sequences, but in the end it's those martial arts sequences that steal the show every time. You couldn't ask for a better movie night than this!
Now both films are a bit on the dark side when it comes to thematic tone and subject matter. I must also say that they are two of the most violent movies that I have seen in recent memory. So violent in fact, that I am not sure how they filmed some of the scenes without actually killing some of their stunt crew!
The Raid starts off with a SWAT team attacking a 30 story apartment building that is owned by a local crime lord in Jakarta. The problem is that this particular crime lord gives refuge to anyone who needs to lay low and avoid the police. Thus he has a small army of people willing to defend this hide-away. There are a few people who have nothing to do with the drug dealers, manufacturers, and weapons dealers that live there, presumably because they lived there before all this and couldn't afford to leave.
It doesn't take long for the action to heat up once they get inside the building. The tension gets high as they start to meet various thugs in the halls. Alas, this is where it is best to say you need to see what happens for yourself. There are certain dynamics that occur between the characters that, if I were to go on, would give away certain plot points to the movie. And yes, it does have a story.
While they may not find that they have to fight through all 30 levels, they do have to fight through a lot. I will say that I enjoyed both the tactical thinking of the group and their use of weapons, as well as the hand-to-hand combat sequences, but in the end it's those martial arts sequences that steal the show every time. You couldn't ask for a better movie night than this!
Monday, May 28, 2012
15WKC Final competition Japan 高鍋 vs Korea Kim
Found this on YouTube. The competition was just held in Italy this past week.
Thoughts for Practice
The following came from kenshi247.net. It was so good that I wanted to post here too!
1. By the time you are in sonkyo you should already have your strategy in place:
‘As soon as you stand up, 1 – seme, 2 – seme, 3 – seme… pressure, pressure, pressure.’
‘If you want to strike me men go ahead, do it! When you attempt to I will strike your dou.’
‘Just as your partner attempts to strike have the feeling of thrusting his left eye, this will cause a disturbance in his heart/will.’
‘Pressure the omote and strike the ura.’
etc etc. Whichever strategy you have decided on stand up silently from sonkyo and with full vigor face your opponent – if you do this and manage to take an ippon within 20 seconds it will be a mark that your kendo is improving.
Its very common for teachers to say ‘do shiai with mushin’ but this advice is for experts who have already forged their technique. If inexperienced people whose technique is far from polished try to do this they will simply be struck.
In order to stand up and take an ippon in under 20 seconds you have to concentrate on taking the ippon at shotachi (the initial strike). Shinken-shobu is often called ‘the fight for shotachi.’
2. While pressuring your opponent, or when their body-shape is in disarray after execution of an attack – when their heart/will is in a state of confusion – you should immediately attack without giving them time to breathe. If you are too late in taking the chance it will not come again.
Your mental state should be the same as an athlete who is waiting at the starting block of a 100m race: ‘ready, set, go!’ If the strike isn’t an ippon you must cultivate the practise of striking multiple times in one breath (until you hit a good strike). If you don’t do this in your daily keiko then your body won’t be able to keep up (during shiai or against other opponents).
This isn’t about striking with your head. Your legs should move of their own volition. Only when you have reached this state can it be said that you have mastered technique.
About the author
SAKUMA SABURO sensei was born in 1912 in Fukushima prefecture. He started kendo at around 10/11 years old in Fukushima Butokuden. After graduating from what is now Fukushima University he started teaching kendo at various high schools. In 1939 he began to work in Mitsubushi’s mining operation and taught kendo throughout the country whilst visiting various mines. After the war, he became a student of Mochida Seiji hanshi and – while running his own kendo club – began working as a director in the Tokyo Kendo Renmei amongst other things. He died at 84 in 1997. He was hanshi hachidan.
Source 平成・剣道 地木水火風空 読本（下）。佐久間三郎。平成9年発行。
1. By the time you are in sonkyo you should already have your strategy in place:
‘As soon as you stand up, 1 – seme, 2 – seme, 3 – seme… pressure, pressure, pressure.’
‘If you want to strike me men go ahead, do it! When you attempt to I will strike your dou.’
‘Just as your partner attempts to strike have the feeling of thrusting his left eye, this will cause a disturbance in his heart/will.’
‘Pressure the omote and strike the ura.’
etc etc. Whichever strategy you have decided on stand up silently from sonkyo and with full vigor face your opponent – if you do this and manage to take an ippon within 20 seconds it will be a mark that your kendo is improving.
Its very common for teachers to say ‘do shiai with mushin’ but this advice is for experts who have already forged their technique. If inexperienced people whose technique is far from polished try to do this they will simply be struck.
In order to stand up and take an ippon in under 20 seconds you have to concentrate on taking the ippon at shotachi (the initial strike). Shinken-shobu is often called ‘the fight for shotachi.’
2. While pressuring your opponent, or when their body-shape is in disarray after execution of an attack – when their heart/will is in a state of confusion – you should immediately attack without giving them time to breathe. If you are too late in taking the chance it will not come again.
Your mental state should be the same as an athlete who is waiting at the starting block of a 100m race: ‘ready, set, go!’ If the strike isn’t an ippon you must cultivate the practise of striking multiple times in one breath (until you hit a good strike). If you don’t do this in your daily keiko then your body won’t be able to keep up (during shiai or against other opponents).
This isn’t about striking with your head. Your legs should move of their own volition. Only when you have reached this state can it be said that you have mastered technique.
About the author
SAKUMA SABURO sensei was born in 1912 in Fukushima prefecture. He started kendo at around 10/11 years old in Fukushima Butokuden. After graduating from what is now Fukushima University he started teaching kendo at various high schools. In 1939 he began to work in Mitsubushi’s mining operation and taught kendo throughout the country whilst visiting various mines. After the war, he became a student of Mochida Seiji hanshi and – while running his own kendo club – began working as a director in the Tokyo Kendo Renmei amongst other things. He died at 84 in 1997. He was hanshi hachidan.
Source 平成・剣道 地木水火風空 読本（下）。佐久間三郎。平成9年発行。
Monday, May 14, 2012
The Warring States
I happened to be scrolling through Netflix some time ago and came across a movie titled The Warring States. I put it in my instant que and just left it there for a long time - a couple of months, maybe. Well, I finally decided to watch it the other night and was surprised and honestly, a a little disturbed by what I saw.
From the title and the oh-so-brief description that I read, I thought it was another retelling, or at least another story from, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms - the classic Chinese story of their warring states period. Well, not quite. Turns out it was more of a story about the classic-era military strategist Sun Bin, who did serve in the Qi court during the Three Kingdoms period. It's a bit of a tragic story, but I do recommend giving it a watch. He wasn't much in the way of a martial artist but he was a brilliant military strategist. That's kind of odd isn't it? Someone who knows all about strategy and troop movements but not a thing about how to fight!
Anyway, it turns out he was not only a real historical figure, but his treatise on the Art of War, long thought lost, had recently been rediscovered! Found in 1972, the long lost bamboo scrolls were found in the Shandong Province in China. An overview can be found on Wikipedia. Don't confuse this, or him though, with Sun Tzu. Even though it is thought that he was a descendant of the most famous military strategist.
From the title and the oh-so-brief description that I read, I thought it was another retelling, or at least another story from, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms - the classic Chinese story of their warring states period. Well, not quite. Turns out it was more of a story about the classic-era military strategist Sun Bin, who did serve in the Qi court during the Three Kingdoms period. It's a bit of a tragic story, but I do recommend giving it a watch. He wasn't much in the way of a martial artist but he was a brilliant military strategist. That's kind of odd isn't it? Someone who knows all about strategy and troop movements but not a thing about how to fight!
Anyway, it turns out he was not only a real historical figure, but his treatise on the Art of War, long thought lost, had recently been rediscovered! Found in 1972, the long lost bamboo scrolls were found in the Shandong Province in China. An overview can be found on Wikipedia. Don't confuse this, or him though, with Sun Tzu. Even though it is thought that he was a descendant of the most famous military strategist.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics are coming up, and I for one can't wait. If I can't be there in person, then you can sure bet that I'll either be watching it or recording it to watch later! That being said, here are some links to official pages of some of the American teams. It's easy to see the martial origins in some of the sports!
For the latest news on Team USA go to: http://www.teamusa.org/
For information on the Fencing team (The event I'll be watching the closest!), go to: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Fencing.aspx
For Archery go to: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Archery.aspx
For Boxing go to: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Boxing.aspx
For Judo go to: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Judo.aspx
For some reason the Karate folks are in a different place: http://www.usankf.org/
And then back to teamusa.org for Tae Kwon Do: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Taekwondo.aspx
Finally we have our Greco-Roman Wrestlers at: http://themat.com/
Like I said above, I'll be watching the fencing team closely this time since, in my personal opinion, the western fencers were all screwed to the wall with changes in the rules which clearly favored the east.
If you don't remember, the big change was in the fact that they could only score while moving forward in an apparent attack. This kind of scoring is common in the east, so that is the way they practice. Meanwhile, here in the west, we tend to see the value in feigning an attack or stepping back to create an opening. (I have to note here that this is a common, acceptable strategy/tactic that can be found in any strategy book, east or west!) As I remember, there were several champion fencers who, again in my own opinion, were robbed of titles due to rule changes. As a result there were a number of Chinese and Korean fencers (in particular) that took home medals over their western opponents.
Now let me make one thing clear: It's not that I mind people from eastern countries are winning, it's the fact that the rules looked to be changed to give them a deliberate advantage over western countries. I feel like it was an insult to both us and them. We'll have to wait and see how things go for us this year.
For the latest news on Team USA go to: http://www.teamusa.org/
For information on the Fencing team (The event I'll be watching the closest!), go to: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Fencing.aspx
For Archery go to: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Archery.aspx
For Boxing go to: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Boxing.aspx
For Judo go to: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Judo.aspx
For some reason the Karate folks are in a different place: http://www.usankf.org/
And then back to teamusa.org for Tae Kwon Do: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Taekwondo.aspx
Finally we have our Greco-Roman Wrestlers at: http://themat.com/
Like I said above, I'll be watching the fencing team closely this time since, in my personal opinion, the western fencers were all screwed to the wall with changes in the rules which clearly favored the east.
If you don't remember, the big change was in the fact that they could only score while moving forward in an apparent attack. This kind of scoring is common in the east, so that is the way they practice. Meanwhile, here in the west, we tend to see the value in feigning an attack or stepping back to create an opening. (I have to note here that this is a common, acceptable strategy/tactic that can be found in any strategy book, east or west!) As I remember, there were several champion fencers who, again in my own opinion, were robbed of titles due to rule changes. As a result there were a number of Chinese and Korean fencers (in particular) that took home medals over their western opponents.
Now let me make one thing clear: It's not that I mind people from eastern countries are winning, it's the fact that the rules looked to be changed to give them a deliberate advantage over western countries. I feel like it was an insult to both us and them. We'll have to wait and see how things go for us this year.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Man in the Arena
The following is by Theodore Roosevelt and it pretty much sums up my feelings on critics - any critics. Whether they are movie critics, book critics, or flower critics, it doesn't really matter. As long as someone is out there trying their best there will be critics, and the sound of their noise should be ignored.
Man
in the Arena
"It
is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how
the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have
done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the
arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives
valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there
is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great
enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy
cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high
achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails
while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those
cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
Theodore
Roosevelt
"Citizenship
in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
Monday, March 19, 2012
True Legend
I was very pleasantly surprised when True Legend showed up on my Netflix account. After watching it I think I'll have to go out at some point to buy it on Blu-Ray, because it is a definite must-have for those who enjoy the fantasy swordplay genre.
Let me first say that this is not a kung fu/wu xia film for everyone. First, it is a bit of a downer. The movie tells the story of the famous Su Can (or Su Qi-Er) who was later known for developing Drunken Boxing and is best known as Beggar Su. As his nickname implies, he was a beggar, but he wasn't always so. As the movie starts off, we find Su Can (played by Man Cheuk Chiu), as a great general of a Chinese army. I won't go in to the politics and social circumstances that surround that time period because they matter little to the character. What you do need to know is that there is a lot plotting and personal revenge going on and as a result, Su Can finds that he loses everything dear to him.
This is where the other side of the movie, that many may not like or get, takes place. He becomes mentally unstable and begins to drink. As he does so, he finds himself wandering off deep into the forest until he reaches a great cliff. That is where he meets The God of Wu Shu (played by Jay Chou) and an Old Sage. The director never tells us whether he just mad or he actually communing with gods but leaves it up to us, the viewers to decide. Personally I like things this way. Anyhow, he finds that after each day of "training" he return to the home of a local herbalist (Yu played by Michelle Yeoh) who befriends him and helps to heal him.
There are a lot of almost cliched images here, but I didn't seem to mind. To me, it was all really well done and really well polished. Watch for the reappearance of Jay Chou as the God of Wu Shu later in the film, as he is dressed as a foreign soldier, but showing him the final steps of Drunken Boxing during a fight! And finally, watch for one the last performances by the late, great David Carradine as a fight promoter.
Well, yes. I don't tell you everything. That would kill the movie! Watch it and love it for what it is!
Let me first say that this is not a kung fu/wu xia film for everyone. First, it is a bit of a downer. The movie tells the story of the famous Su Can (or Su Qi-Er) who was later known for developing Drunken Boxing and is best known as Beggar Su. As his nickname implies, he was a beggar, but he wasn't always so. As the movie starts off, we find Su Can (played by Man Cheuk Chiu), as a great general of a Chinese army. I won't go in to the politics and social circumstances that surround that time period because they matter little to the character. What you do need to know is that there is a lot plotting and personal revenge going on and as a result, Su Can finds that he loses everything dear to him.
This is where the other side of the movie, that many may not like or get, takes place. He becomes mentally unstable and begins to drink. As he does so, he finds himself wandering off deep into the forest until he reaches a great cliff. That is where he meets The God of Wu Shu (played by Jay Chou) and an Old Sage. The director never tells us whether he just mad or he actually communing with gods but leaves it up to us, the viewers to decide. Personally I like things this way. Anyhow, he finds that after each day of "training" he return to the home of a local herbalist (Yu played by Michelle Yeoh) who befriends him and helps to heal him.
There are a lot of almost cliched images here, but I didn't seem to mind. To me, it was all really well done and really well polished. Watch for the reappearance of Jay Chou as the God of Wu Shu later in the film, as he is dressed as a foreign soldier, but showing him the final steps of Drunken Boxing during a fight! And finally, watch for one the last performances by the late, great David Carradine as a fight promoter.
Well, yes. I don't tell you everything. That would kill the movie! Watch it and love it for what it is!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
John Carter
So, after a little bit of "research", I've come to find out that the new movie John Carter is actually based off of a series of books by Edger Rice Burroughs. Yes, that's right. The same man who wrote the Tarzan series also wrote a series of science fiction/ fantasy books.
The character of John Carter appears in the Barsoom series by Burroughs. Barsoom is the name of the planet that John Carter finds himself on, only to find it is the planet we call Mars. You have to remember that this was written in the very early 20th century.
Before you ask yourself, "Why is he a Civil War soldier?", you need to understand a little about his life. Edgar Rice Borroughs was born to Civil War veteran Major G.T. Borroughs. It stands to reason that a lot of the men in his life growing up were also veterans and he looked to them for his ideals of heroism and as inspiration. After all, John Carter was known to be a great leader, horseman, and swordsman.
Here's hoping for a good movie. After all, with a whole series to draw on, there is the potential for a whole lot of sequels!
Follow the links above to see the Wikipedia articles. Below is the official trailer and the first ten minutes. Enjoy!
The character of John Carter appears in the Barsoom series by Burroughs. Barsoom is the name of the planet that John Carter finds himself on, only to find it is the planet we call Mars. You have to remember that this was written in the very early 20th century.
Before you ask yourself, "Why is he a Civil War soldier?", you need to understand a little about his life. Edgar Rice Borroughs was born to Civil War veteran Major G.T. Borroughs. It stands to reason that a lot of the men in his life growing up were also veterans and he looked to them for his ideals of heroism and as inspiration. After all, John Carter was known to be a great leader, horseman, and swordsman.
Here's hoping for a good movie. After all, with a whole series to draw on, there is the potential for a whole lot of sequels!
Follow the links above to see the Wikipedia articles. Below is the official trailer and the first ten minutes. Enjoy!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Kuroda Tetsuzan 黒田鉄山 Kenjutsu Bujutsū
I came across this guy the other day and I finally decided to post this video. I have to admit, this is pretty unique style. The fact that he commonly starts off with the kissaki (the tip of the sword) away from his opponent is unusual in itself, but the speed with which he attacks is also unique. Together they balance each other quite well.
You'll notice also in the video that he has introduces his students to counters to attacks, both armed and unarmed. Particularly interesting is if someone tries to stop your attack by grabbing the wrist. It's very aikido-like.
The only analogy to this in modern kendo is waki-no-kamae. That is where the sword is placed almost behind your body in order to "mask" your distance and hide the length of your sword.
You'll notice also in the video that he has introduces his students to counters to attacks, both armed and unarmed. Particularly interesting is if someone tries to stop your attack by grabbing the wrist. It's very aikido-like.
The only analogy to this in modern kendo is waki-no-kamae. That is where the sword is placed almost behind your body in order to "mask" your distance and hide the length of your sword.
(No, I don't know who he is. I just found a photo of someone demonstrating waki-no-kamae.)
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