Your movement is just Kyu and Kyo

“At the very least I want to see you relaxing, but also the correct tachi-suji, not like bo-furi.”

Keiko isn’t about using strength or unnecessary power, especially within your arms. Keiko is about relaxing and allowing your intentions to push themselves onto your opponent and transmit, or present an opening to motivate your opponent to come in and cut you.

Kan, Kyu, Kyo ,Jyaku (soft, hard, fast, slow) …I’m watching you and your movement is just “Kyu” and “Kyo” it’s just fast and strong. There is no soft and slow and this means there is no kakehiki being incorporated in your movement, in your attacks, in your keiko. Keiko that incorporates this unnecessary strength is very much like a cock-fight. Two just birds going at it, no technique!

“If you learn and program your body correctly. If you have the kata, the waza in your muscle memory, you won’t get tired. After that, it’s the correct ma-ai. But in order to learn this, you will train and practice kata and then you’ll practice randori. You must really understand these principles.”
Unsui Sensei, Jinenkan Honbu Dojo, July 2010

(This translation and article was approved by Unsui Sensei. Adam.)