There are five basic
kamae, or
stances, in the
Japanese sport of
Kendo. These are, in
order of decreasing
utility,
chuudan-no-kamae, joudan-no-kamae, gedan-no-kamae,
hassou-no-kamae, and
waki-gamae. Collectively, they are known as
itsutsu-no-kamae, or
"the five postures."
Chuudan-no-kamae
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"The
center position." The most basic position of kendo, the one from which most
waza begin,
and the most commonly used in
shiai. In this position the
feet are about one fist's width
apart from one another, with the right foot advanced so that its heel is on a line with or just in front
of the toes of the left foot. The spine is held straight and vertical, but relaxed. The
shinai
is held with the left hand at the base of the hilt, with the fingers curling around the handle and away
from the body and the pinky almost falling off the end. The right hand is at the top of the hilt, with
the fingers in the same fashion as the left, and the index finger touching the back of the
tsuba.
With both hands the grip is firm in the pinky, ring finger, and the middle finger, and light in the
index finger and thumb. The
shinai is held straight in front of the center of the body, with the
left hand one fist's width from the lower abdomen and the right hand forward away from the body, in such
a manner that the tip of the sword would
threaten the throat of an
opponent. This position allows
swift and even movement, as well as easy performance of
men, kote, and
do strikes, without
leaving the user's own striking zones overly
vulnerable. It is the most
versatile of the five
postures. Standing and moving comfortably in this position is one of the
foundations of good
kendo.
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"The
upper position." A slightly higher-level position, an
aggressive stance aimed at targeting the
head, and the second most commonly used in
shiai. Joudan is similar to
chuudan, except
that the sword is raised over the head as if beginning a
men strike. The hands hold the
shinai in the usual manner, and the left hand is placed one fist's width above and in front of
the forehead, with the right hand placed in such a manner that the sword makes a 45-degree angle with
the body. The left hand may grip slightly tighter than usual. This position continues to allow swift
movement, if somewhat less swift than that afforded by
chuudan. The stance allows greater
striking
speed and reach than
chuudan does, and is focused on striking the opponent's
men before the opponent can initiate an offense against the user. It leaves the user's
kote and
do open to attack, but compensates for this with its strong offense and
intimidating appearance. As
kendoka approach their first black belt
(
shodan) they typically begin to learn this stance. It has three variations:
hidari-joudan, in which the left foot is put forward and the sword is tilted slightly to the
right;
hidari-katate-joudan, in which the left foot is forward and only the left hand holds the
shinai; and
migi-katate-joudan, in which the right foot is put forward and only the right
hand holds the
shinai. The first of these variations sacrifices striking speed for striking
range; it is even more aggressive than standard
joudan. The other two are used primarily in
two-sword techniques, which are not covered here.
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the hands, rarely used in
shiai. Gedan is identical to
chuudan, except that the right
hand is lowered until the tip of the sword is on a level with the knees. This position allows swift,
smooth movement, and puts the sword in a good position to intercept the opponent's attacks and perform
counterattacks, especially against the
kote and
tsuki.
Gedan appears to leave the
user's
men and
kote open to attack, but they are not so open as they appear. It encourages
rash attacks which can then be countered. Due to the likelihood of an opponent penetrating
its defenses and
scoring against the user,
gedan is rarely seen in competitive matches, and
then only for short periods of time.
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... . .
"The starting/
forward position." This position is similar to
hidari-jodan in that the left foot
is forward and the right is turned slightly outwards. The sword is held, without changing the grip, at
the right shoulder. The right hand is a fist's width to the right of the head, with its index finger at
the level of the corner of the mouth. The left hand is below the right and a little forward, in such a
place that the sword is held vertically, with a very slight tilt backwards over the shoulder. This
position exposes the user's head and left arm, and is rather awkward to begin
waza from. It is
used primarily as a "
fake" from
joudan. Due to its lack of advantages over other positions,
this stance is almost never used in
shiai. It appears in
kata number four.
Waki-gamae
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"The
side position." This position is similar to
hassou-no-kamae in that the left foot is
forward and the right is turned slightly outwards. The sword is held without changing the grip, with the
left hand at the right hip and the right hand slightly below and behind. The sword points backwards,
away from the opponent, and its edge faces the ground. The blade should be completely behind the user's
body. This stance is aimed at concealing the length of the user's sword from the opponent, and bringing
the sword around in a large arc to strike. Note that the sword in the picture above is
hidden from anyone standing in front of the user. Because of the long time it takes to
strike from this position, as well as the standardized length of modern
kendo swords it is
almost never used in
shiai.
Waki-gamae appears in
kata number four.
P.S.: If anyone can think of a prominent character from fiction who used gedan-no-kamae, please let me know.