Takahashi Kentaro Style: Building a Body for Kendo

Following on from last time, we will once again be learning about the training required for kendo from Kentaro Takahashi, a training coach for the Japanese national kendo team. This is the fifth installment, and he will be teaching us about training methods for strengthening the lower body.

Lower body strengthening

Takahashi: " Now, let's do lunges. Place your hands around your neck and then lower your hips straight forward. Then raise them up and do it again. Okay."

Takahashi: " Let's start from this end. Lower yourself down. Then do a lunge. This is also a core workout. The rest is a core workout plus your lower extremities, buttocks and thighs."

Takahashi: " Okay, let's go back. We'll go facing the other way."

Takahashi: Yes, that's OK. I think it would be good if you could do this about two to three times over a distance of about 10 meters.

Takahashi: " Now that you've moved forward, you'll move backwards in the same way. The most important thing to remember is not to lean forward. Keep your upper body straight and lower your center of gravity so you don't fall over. OK."

Takahashi: " Okay, let's do it the other way around. Here we go. Bend your hips firmly, and you're good to go."

──Do you lower your knees as far as possible?

Takahashi: " As far as I can go. I want it to drop quite a bit. I'm happy to drop it this much."

Takahashi: Next, this is a standard squat. In kendo, you sometimes squat and then stand up, but this is a half squat.

Takahashi: " First, spread your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands behind your head. Then, push your hips back so that your knees don't extend beyond your toes, and bend your knees to 90 degrees. Can you do this? Sideways is better. Okay, keep that position, that's it."

Takahashi: " Stop once, then go 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3. Repeat this. Do that 10 times. 1, drop down, 2, bend your knees up to 90 degrees, 3... 10, finish. That's it."

Takahashi: " This is a standard squat. The important thing to remember is to make sure your knees don't go forward, and that your hips stick out firmly, so that your knees don't go further than your toes, but your hips do. Also, make sure your waist is straight and not bent."

Next time, train your shoulders

This time, we will be explaining how to train your lower body.

Click here for the explanatory video → Japan National Team Coach Talks About the Training Necessary for Kendo [Kentaro Takahashi] #05 Lower Body

I actually tried this lunge training during practice and found it very effective. However, facing backwards was surprisingly difficult.

If you do squats without thinking carefully, you won't get the results you really want, so it's important to make sure you do it properly here.

In the next episode, I will be teaching you how to train your shoulders. Please look forward to it!

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