Detailed Kendo Kata Notes
The following notes are selected transcriptions from the Nippon Kendo Kata Instruction Manual published by the All Japan Kendo Federation. Click on the numbered link for detailed notes from the AJKF instruction manual (or scroll down); click on "v" for a video clip of the kata (it is recommended to open the link in a separate window so you can switch back and forth between the notes and video).
  • tachi no kata
    • 1 v ippon me
    • 2 v nihon me
    • 3 v sanbon me
    • 4 v yonhon me
    • 5 v gohon me
    • 6 v roppon me
    • 7 v nanahon me
  • kodachi no kata
    • 8 v hachihon me (kodachi ippon me)
    • 9 v kyuhon me (kodachi nihon me)
    • 10 v juppon me (kodachi sanbon me)
  • misc notes
1 Ippon Me (video)
  1. (n) With the left foot forward in a hidari (left) shizentai (stable, natural posture), the left hand must be one fist away and above the left forehead. The kensen (point of the sword) should lie approximately 45 degrees above the head shifted toward the right. Uchidachi: two-handed hidari (left) jodan position
    (n) The left hand must be one fist away and above the forehead, the kensen straight above the center of the body. Shidachi: two-handed migi (right) jodan position.
  2. The Uchidachi begins on the left foot and the Shidachi on the right foot; both advance three big steps
  3. (n) The opportunity to strike refers to the chance coming from the shifts in the opponent's spirit, body, and technique. The Uchidachi should teach the Shidachi the proper striking opportunity, and therefore the Uchidachi should strike when the Shidachi is mentally prepared. Seeing a chance to act, the Uchidachi advances his right foot and
    (n) (a) To strike means to cut the opponent.
    (b) While the body must lean forward naturally, it must not lean so far forward as to force the neck to have to unnaturally raise.
    (c) Caution must be taken to avoid forgetting to bring forth the back foot.
    (d) Do not lose eye contact (metsuke).
    (e) It is important to mentally cut through the Shidachi's tsuba (sword guard), and the kensen of sword after the cut must be lower than that of the gedan position.
    delivers a cut to the shomen of the Shidachi.
  4. (n) In order to avoid lowering the kensen (approximately the same angle as jodan position), dodge with the left foot (followed by the right foot). Stepping slightly backward on the left foot, the Shidachi retracts his hands and evades the sword of the Uchidachi.
    (n) (a) Must strike with the mono-uchi (10 cm from the tip of the sword)
    (b) The dodge and strike must be made with ichi-byoshi (in a single breath)
    The Shidachi delivers a cut to the Shomen of the Uchidachi.
  5. (n) The Uchidachi will retreat when the Shidachi shows great confidence. Will retreat backwards two steps with okuri-ashi. The distance of each step should depend on the maai (distance between opponents). Lowering the tip of his sword to a gedan position, the Uchidachi takes one step backward on the left foot.
    (n) (a) Pointing refers to an imaginary line aimed at a specific point of the opponent.
    (b) The center of the face refers to the area between the eyes.
    The Shidachi takes one step forward on his left foot as he holds the point of his sword at the center of the face of the Uchidachi.
  6. (n) The Uchidachi retreats while maintaining a zen-kei (body leaning forward) posture. The Uchidachi takes one step to the rear.
    (n) (a) Must press the opponent as though thrusting at the center of the face, and then take the hidari jodan position.
    (b) Regardless of kamae (including jodan and waki-gamae position), one must confidently react to the opponent's attack with proper mi-gamae (posture) and kokoro-gamae (mental preparedness).
    Maintaining the spiritual and physical drive (zanshin) of his actions to the end, the Shidachi brings both hands to the hidari jodan position.
  7. (n) Raise the body back to an erect posture when taking the chudan position. The Uchidachi will slowly raise his kensen from the gedan position to the chudan position.
    At the same time the Shidachi will draw back his left foot and lower the hidari jodan position to assume the chudan position.
  8. Both break the chudan positions by lowering the tips of their swords, which are placed to point diagnonally leftward.
  9. (n) Referring to the tachiai no maai (nine paces apart). Beginning on the left foot, each takes five steps to the rear and assumes the chudan position.
2 Nihon Me (video)
  1. The Uchidachi and Shidachi assume chudan position.
  2. Remaining in the chudan position, both take three big steps forward, beginning on their right foot.
  3. (n) (a) The Uchidachi must be careful not to lower the kensen when swinging the sword over the head.
    (b) With a large swing, strike the area slightly below that of the Shidachi's kote.
    (c) To prevent an incorrect diagonal swing, the strike must be in ichi-byoshi (one breath).
    Seeing a chance to act, the Uchidachi delivers a cut to the right kote of the Shidachi.
  4. (n) The kensen is at the same height as that of the gedan position. The Shidachi lowers the tip of his sword and, beginning on the left foot, steps to the left diagonal rear. This step must be executed in a circular motion. The Shidachi evades the sword of the Uchidachi.
  5. (n) (a) When stepping forward with the right foot, also bring forth the left foot.
    (b) The swing should be kept to a degree visible to the Uchidachi, making sure the strike is not a naname-uchi (diagonal strike).
    Suddenly swinging his sword, the Shidachi advances on his right foot and delivers a cut to the right kote of the Uchidachi.
  6. (n) (a) This zanshin is unable to incorporate in the actual form, so it is important to hold great kigurai (pride and confidence).
    (b) The Uchidachi makes the first move (same as in kata 4 and 6).
    Both assume the chudan position, the Uchidachi from the left, the Shidachi from the right foot, confidently maintaining zanshin.
  7. Breaking their position, both beginning on their left foot take five small teps to the rear and once again assume the chudan position.
3 Sanbon Me (video)
  1. (n) The height of the kensen of gedan position is approximately 3-6 cm (1.2 - 2.5 inches) lower than that of the opponent's left kneecap. Both assume the gedan position (ai-gedan).
  2. Beginning on the right foot, both take three big steps forward.
  3. In a spirit of mutual combat (ki-arasoi), both move naturally from the ai-gedan to the ai-chudan position.
  4. (n) The "slightly" of kata 3, 4, and 7 are only discrepancies of diction and are identical in definition. Seeing a chance to act, with directing the tip of his sword slightly to the left of that of the Shidachi, the Uchidachi steps forward on his right foot as he delivers a two-handed horizontal thrust (tsuki) to the solar plexus
    (n) The suigetsu or mizu-ochi is the depressed area beneath the sternum. (suigetsu) of the Shidachi.
  5. In making this thrust, the Uchidachi slides the side (shinogi) of his sword blade along the shinogi of Shidachi's sword.
  6. (n) To pull back only with the hands but with nothing of the body will result in an incorrect maai when thrusting back, therefore much caution must be taken in reacting to the advances of the Uchidachi. The Shidachi, taking one big step to the rear on his left foot, lightly stops the Uchidachi's thrust with the shinogi of the monouchi part of the blade
  7. (n) (a) Ire-zuki is to parry the blade of the opponent by drawing back the arms, and without hesitation, thrusting back. Proper instruction must teach the ire-zuki with the technique of nayasu.
    (b) For the Shidachi to nayasu (weaken the tsuki by drawing it down diagonally to the left with ones own sword) is to shift the kensen of the Uchidachi outside the center of the body.
    (c) When performing the nayasu, the left fist should not shift outside the center of the body.
    (d) Upon nayasu and ire-zuki, the connection between the toshin (entire sword) of the thrust of the Uchidachi and the toshin of the thrust of the nayashi ire-zuki should not be disconnected.
    (e) The Shidachi thrusts stepping forward with the right foot (followed by the left foot).
    Turning the blade so that its cutting edge can do no harm, the Shidachi parries the Uchidachi's thrust and then thrusts back at the chest area of the Uchidachi (ire-zuki ni nayasu).
  8. (n) (a) Take caution in drawing back, making sure it is done properly.
    (b) The tip of the blade is faced down and angled to the right.
    (c) The left fist should not shift outside the center of the body.
    As he takes one step back on his right foot, the Uchidachi brings the tip of his sword under and around the tip of the sword of the Shidachi and returns the blade, extending both arms and standing in the hidari shizentai posture (where the left foot is placed slightly forward).
  9. (n) (a) Kurai-zume is to press an opponent with great confidence.
    (b) With the intention and feeling of thrusting, step forward with the left foot (do not thrust twice) and cut the distance beneath the opponent.
    The Shidachi then steps forward with the left foot with the feeling of thrusting, moving forward with kurai-zume (closing in on the opponent without a waza, but with spirit).
    (n) (a) The tip of the blade is angled down and to the left.
    (b) The kensen thrusts at the throat.
    (c) Retreat three steps in the order of left, right, left.
    Therefore the Uchidachi should, at the same time as drawing back with the left foot, go under the blade of the Shidachi and kaesu (change the direction to the opposite side) the blade and come into the migi (right) shizentai position and while attempting to hold down the blade with the monouchi of the shinogi, is overcome by the spirit of the Shidachi and lowers the kensen, retreating back beginning with the left foot.
  10. (n) Move forward three small, quick steps in order of right, left, right. The Shidachi without hesitation moves forward three quick small steps with kurai-zume, raising the kensen from the chest area to the center of the face. In doing this, he must not relax his mental drive (zanshin).
  11. As he takes three small steps backward, beginning with the left foot, the Uchidachi assumes the gedan position.
  12. The Uchidachi begins to raise the kensen after the Shidachi has shown complete zanshin. The Shidachi, dependent on the movement of the Uchidachi, lowers the kensen, and retreats beginning with the left and then right. Both the Uchidachi and Shidachi assume the issoku-itto interval and the chudan position. Shidachi retreats in the order left, right, left, and therefore the Uchidachi should move forward in the order of right, left, right, returning to the position where the blades meet, lowering the kensen, and returning to the original position.
4 Yonhon Me (video)
  1. (n) The size of the footsteps are small to ensure that both partners can shift from hasso and waki position to hidari-jodan position, and stepping with the right foot, with a large swing from to-ma (far distance), complete the ai-uchi. The Uchidashi assumes the hasso-no-kamae position. The Shidachi assumes the waki-gamae position. Each takes three small steps forward, beginning on their left foot.
  2. (n) (a) The swing when taking hidari-jodan position should be large enough as to be able to see the opponent through the arms.
    (b) When striking the opponent's men, both arms should be fully extended.
    (c) In order to avoid an angled swing, swing back and swing straight down. It is not to take jodan position and then strike, but rather the swing back and the strike is ichi-byoshi, or in a single breath.
    (d) The point where the blades meet is approximately the center of the men.
    Seeing a chance to strike, the Uchidachi swings his sword upward to a jodan position as if the deliver a cut to the shomen of the Shidachi. The Shidachi swings his sword up in a similar manner to a jodan position. Ai-uchi (simultaneous strike) results.
  3. (n) In the case that maai is too close, the Uchidachi should draw back to the proper maai. Both lower the blades of their swords with the feeling that the shinogi of the toshin shave each other, naturally returning to the ai-chudan position.
  4. (n) The Uchidachi's upper body should lean slightly forward. The height of the kensen at this time should be slightly lower than that of suihei (horizontal), with the point of the blade facing right. When he sees a chance to act, the Uchidachi turns the sword slightly to the left of the Shidachi. Stepping forward on his right foot (followed by the left), he delivers a two-handed thrust to the Shidachi's right lung.
  5. (n) Perform maki-kaesu waza: dodge the opponent's tsuki by simultaneously raising the left fist above the head and pointing the tip of the sword backwarda. Advancing the left foot to the diagonal left, followed by the right foot, the Shidachi raises his fist and blocks and parries the partner's sword to the right (makikaesu).
  6. (n) (a) To avoid a diagonal angled strike, swing back in a large, straight motion and then strike.
    (b) Do not raise the sword and then pause before striking, but maki-kaeshi and strike in ichi-byoshi, a single breath/motion.
    Drawing his right foot to a position behind his left foot, the Shidachi swings his sword to deliver a cut to the shomen of the Uchidachi.
  7. The Uchidachi begins on the left foot and the Shidachi on the right as both either advance or retreat and assume the chudan position.
  8. (n) Like kata 2, the zanshin cannot be incorporated into the actual performance, therefore, great confidence should be maintained. The Uchidachi begins on the left foot and the Shidachi on the right as both either advance or retreat and assume the chudan position.
  9. After breaking their position, both, beginning on the left foot, take five steps to the rear and once again assume the chudan position.


©2013-2014. Norwalk Kendo Dojo. Everything within these pages are property of Norwalk Kendo Dojo and may not be used without written permission.