The document provides guidance for developing individual and group kendo skills. It outlines key concepts such as setting long, intermediate, and short term goals. It recommends developing training plans that include non-kendo activities to enhance kendo skills as well as kendo-specific activities like video review. Six attributes of excellence are identified: knowing the mission/goals, work ethic, self-investment, preparation, love of challenge, and teamwork. Metrics for measuring development include footwork, patience, strategy, opportunity management, conditioning, focus, seme, maai, and more. Overall the document provides a comprehensive framework for structured kendo training and improvement.

1. BHS Development Class
January 7, 2015

2. Goal
 To provide a fundamental guideline for individual and
group development of their kendo.
 Definition of key concepts, metrics and strategies to
improve an individual’s or a group’s kendo

3. Overall Development
Non-Kendo Activities Kendo Activities
 Layout long term goals
 Layout intermediate goals
 Layout short term goals
 Identify problem areas
 Develop an action plan
 Develop training plan of non-
kendo activities that will
enhance kendo
 Record your metrics in a
personal notebook – update
on a master chart
 Video tape practice and then
review–strengths and
weakness
 Form groups based on
weakness to work on them
exclusively
 Turn weakness into strength

4. 6 ATTRIBUTES THAT LEAD TO ACHIEVING
EXCELLENCE FOR INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM
1. Knowing the mission and goal and being engaged to
achieve it.
2. Individual and group work ethic – whatever it takes –
doing the extra outside work.
3. Invest in yourself and the team – your development,
physical condition, overall health.
4. Be prepared- focused under pressure.
5. Love the challenge – dare to be great and look forward
to achieving success.
6. Be a team player – work together to create synergy.

5. MISSION
PRODUCE EXCELLENT KENDO
PROCESS FLOW ANALYSIS
NON-COMPLIANCE
CHARACTERISTICS
FUNCTION
PRODUCT
TASKS
COLLECT AND ANALYZE DATA
ANALYZE PROBLEM CAUSES
IDENTIFY AND DOCUMENT
THE PROBLEM
GENERATE SOLUTIONS
IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS EVALUATE AND CONTROL

6. Physical capabilities
Mental capabilities
Mental state
Emotional capabilities
Emotional state
Emotional fitness
Mental fitness
Physical fitness
Total fitness Performance
Physical state
Total Fitness Model

7. Non - Kendo Training
Physical Fitness – weight training, speed
training, water training
Mental Fitness – confidence = ki because you
have done the preparation, visualization
Emotional Fitness – no choking, high level of
intensity
Continuing Development Concepts

8. Building a Training Plan
1. Loosely plan your training
2. Keep it flexible
3. Get adequate rest and recovery
4. Set conservative and realistic goals
5. Match your performance goals to your
ability to commit
6. Consider your motivation
7. Remind yourself – post your plan

9. DATE
Weight
tar/actual tar/actual tar/actual tar/actual tar/actual tar/actual tar/actual
biking laps
swimminglaps
20-15-10leg extension 70#
Balance pad 60
one leg Balance pad 30/30
plyometrics squat 60
rht deltoid fore 60
rht deltoid back 60
lft deltoid fore 60
left deltoid back 60
rowing 60
punch 60
inversion table
dumb bellhorse 20
side 20/20
planking seconds 60 70 80 90 90 90 90
side plank L-R 30/30
Core Strengthleg lift right 20
Sample Training Log

10.  Holding a Single Grip Medicine Ball or a dumbbell in
each hand, lunge forward so your back knee is almost
touching the ground. Use your arms and shoulders to
lift the weights straight up and over your head. Bring
your arms back down to chest level as you step for
your next lunge.
The Power Lunge –
the King of First Step Quickness:

11. KIHON
Enhancing performance
KEIKO
KIHAKU

12. Key Concepts
REALIZATION / INTUITION / RESPONSE
THINKING / WAITING / REACTION
TECHNICAL VS. SPIRITUAL
BREATHING & KI, TANREN & KOSHI
PHYSICAL VS MENTAL (FUDOSHIN)

13. Stages of Development
1st Stage (Kohai) - learning the basics, total focus is
on developing correct footwork, swing and strike. Just
go hit, uchikomi keiko and kakari keiko combined with
kihon drills.
2nd Stage (Sempai) – polishing and fully developing
your basics and understanding when to attack. This is
learned thru trial and error.
3rd Stage (Sensei) – Obtaining a kodansha rank. Pull
up your kohai and develop your kendo by being a
superior motodachi

14. There are 3 keys to acquire skills:
Kihon-basics, the fundamental skills required by the
activity.
Kihaku –spirit, the strength of spirit to face any
situation. Also referred to as kigai, a strong mind
capable of responding to a pressing matter or an
attacking opponent.
Interactive skills with the opponent, these are
acquired through practicing against many opponents
thousands of times.
Continuing Development Concepts

15. Continuing Development Concepts
Proper Drills
Role of aite
Real time
Speed
Rhythm
Sae
Fumikomi
Teko

16. Breathing and theory of ki and kiai:
• Put your breath in you left leg
• Tanren
• Tone of kiai-never drops
• Multiple hits require one breath
• Proper posture at seiza and breathing
• Shizen tai
• Yoga and stretching
Continuing Development Concepts

17. 4 Mental Reminders to improve your practice and performance
Practice in conditions that mimic competition. One approach is to practice in
a way that simulates the real competition.
Perform as if you do not care. Sometimes athletes handcuff themselves by
caring too much about their performance, In practice, most people don’t
have any cares or worries about performance, they don’t feel judged, and are
able to play free without anxiety.
Have a plan. Most sports require you have a game plan or strategy for how to
approach the competition.
you too should have a strategy for how to approach each match.
Throw away the self-label as “choker.”. You must start thinking like a
champion how would you approach the game if you were to think like a
champion?
When does this matter?
Keiko – Shinsa - Shiai

18. Triangles of Kendo
 The Feet
Ball of left foot
Ball of right foot
Heal of right foot

19. Triangle of
Feet
Vector of
body when
feet are
straight
Opponent

20. Incorrect Stance
 Vector of
body when
left foot is
turned out
OPPONENT

21. POINT OF SPIRITUAL FOCUS -
tanren
POINT OF MENTAL FOCUS –
sunren
kensen
Left hand?

22. FOCUS OF KEN SEN
Head and Shoulders

23. Basic posture forming cone of defense
by rotating left fist outward
Shift triangle forward slightly

24. Basic triangle formed by
shoulders and ken sen
Deflecting opponents ken sen
By taking a firm center

26. 4 Types of Suburi Tested:
•Swing up to 225 degree angle
•Swing up to 270 degree angle
•Swing up to 180 degree angle
•Swing up to 135 degree angle

27. Results of measuring tip speed
#3 produced the highest speed
provided the left hand ended up
at about the solar plexus level

28. Quality
 What is Quality?
 You know it when you see it.
 What is good, what is mediocre?
 Definition of Quality = A degree or grade of
excellence. An inherent or distinguishing
attribute or property. High social standing. A
product that has high value built in because it
is constructed with a high degree of
excellence.

29. CONTROLING ANXIETY in Shinsa and Shiai
 One of the positive aspects of anxiety about competition is that it may cause an
increased effort in training and preparation. However too much has the
opposite affect and causes muscle tension, inefficient activity and difficulty
making decisions. This ultimately affects self confidence and enjoyment. Too
little and the team or individual slacks off to the point of failure. Anxiety causes
several detrimental effects to performance and these can be seen in kendo as
short choppy swing, wide stance, poor kiai and being in a reaction mode. All
this stress induced manifestations are the result of anxiety over being
preparedness, confidence in ability and under training.
 The physical results of high stress are shortness of breath, tight muscles, poor
sleep and a whole laundry list of other symptoms. There are also emotional
and behavioral manifestations of anxiety and stress. All of this will affect
performance and must be dealt with. The persons mind set has to change so
they are confidant and in control of their performance. In kendo it is perceiving
the opponent as better than they actually are or that they are better than you.

30. CONTROLING ANXIETY in Shinsa and Shiai cont.
 KI equals CONFIDENCE.
 Methods of dealing with stress and performance anxiety: physical stress-
recovery methodology, mental stress-mental visualization techniques and
reviewing past performance that brought success.. Gaining an understanding
that stress and anxiety can be your friend and understanding that they are a
normal part of competition.

31. MEASURING POINTS
FOOTWORK
PATIENCE
STRATEGY
OPPORTUNITY
TIME
CONDITIONING
LEADERSHIP
FOCUS/INTENSITY

32. CONFIDENCE
SEME
POOR HITTING
MAAI
FINISH
ZANSHIN
RENZOKU
WAZA

33. STRATEGIES
 Go to practice everyday
for 2 weeks
 Create a critical mass
 Bring/invite College
students from Japan
 Road trips –US/Japan
 Visual training – daily
watching of high level
kendo videos
 Record your metrics in a
personal notebook – update
on a master chart
 Video tape practice and then
review with the group –
strengths and weakness
 Form groups based on
weakness to work on them
exclusively
 Turn weakness into strength

34. Source Material/References:
Jump USA.com
SportSpecific.com /Kettleballs
Suburi Swing Speed Study by Ueda Fumio & Yoshida Yasumasa – Keio University
Pilates on the Ball – Collen Craig
SyberVision – S. DeVore, G. DeVore, M. Michaleson
Sports Speed – Dintiman & Ward
Don’t Shoot the Dog- Karen Pryor
Power Training for Sport T. O. Bompa
Sports Coaching and Teaching T. Gummerson
High Powered Plyometrics – J. Radcliffe & R. Farentinos
Positive Coaching – Jim Thompson
Speed Agility and Quickness.
Various Blogs by George McCall – Kenshi.247
Training Classes for Quality Improvement, Teaching, Management – Lockheed & Boeing

35. Author: Jeff Marsten, 7dan, Kyoshi
www.americankendo.com