2024.8 KENDOJIDAI
Photography: Nishiguchi Kunihiko
Composition: Teraoka Tomoyuki
Translation: Pepijn Boomgaard
Hojo Masaomi was promoted to 8th Dan at the examinations held this May. He is a famous competitor who has been fighting at the highest level, not to mention his individual victory at the World Championships. We asked him about the change of his Kamae and Kensen.
Hojo Masaomi (Kyoshi 8th Dan)
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1974. Went to Yokohama High School and Nippon Sport Science University. After graduation, he joined the Kanagawa Prefectural Police. World Championship individual winner, All Japan Championship third place, National Police Team Championship winner, National Sports Festival (Kokutai) winner. Currently, Kendo instructor at the Kanagawa Prefectural Police. Promoted to 8th dan in August, 2024.
Kamae should always be natural
It is characterized by physique and style
I have been asked to talk about Kamae and Kensen, but to be honest, I have not made any major changes to these since I started Kendo. I feel as if I have made minor changes to my Kendo to suit my own goals as I went through childhood, high school, university, and entered the workforce. So, although I doubt that my ideas will be of much help to you, I would like to talk about this topic a little based on my experiences so far.
Looking back, I started Kendo at Shoueikan Isobe Dojo in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture. I think this is the same in every Dojo, but even if you tell them that “Kamae should be like this,” it is difficult for children who just started to understand. At my Dojo, we were taught how to take Kamae in a way that was easy for children to understand. For example, “Kamae should be straight” and “Point your Kensen at your opponent as if you are going to shoot a beam.”
I went to Yokohama High School and Nippon Sport Science University, but even there I don’t remember receiving any strong advice on Kamae. When I take Kamae, I think about how it should be natural. This is not only because of the shape of the Kamae, but also because having a natural Kamae allows me to perform techniques easier. If there is any unnecessary strain in the body, the striking motion will not be smooth. I didn’t think about this when doing Kendo in high school and university, but I feel that I naturally acquired this kind of movement from Kamae to striking through rigorous daily practice.
After joining the Kanagawa Prefectural Police, I began my days of trial and error, trying to win matches. The Kanagawa Tokuren respects each style and develops individuality. Now that I am in the position of instructor, I feel that if you focus too much on the shape, you may hinder the growth of the players. As can be seen from the fact that the Kamae of the players competing in the All Japan Championship vary from person to person, I believe that Kamae is naturally unique depending on physique and style. I aim my Shinai straight at the opponent’s centerline, with the line from my Kensen extending to my opponent’s throat. Nowadays, I often see Kamae where the left fist is slightly to the left and the Kensen is aimed at the opponent’s left eye, but I feel comfortable with my current Kamae.
If you are currently winning with a Kamae and Seme that you are confident in, then in a sense that is the correct thing to do. In fact, it would be a waste of time and energy if you lost your individuality and lost your ability to win matches because you were too concerned with correctness. As mentioned before, Kendo is a life-long pursuit, and there are different Kamae and methods of Seme for the different stages of this journey. When you move on to the next stage and set new goals, you should look at what you are doing now and make corrections. I feel that if we are too concerned about slight errors, we will lose sight of the essence of Kendo, which is to strike the opponent.
Putting power into the Kensen
Taking the initiative
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