With vaccinations rolling out in various parts of the world (not here in Japan though…) and rumour about kendo resuming in some places soon, I think it’s worth looking back and thinking how our non-dojo time was spent during the pandemic. Perhaps you did a lot of suburi? Maybe you took notes? Watched videos? No matter what you did (and I am sure it was frustrating at times), this hitorigeiko will almost certainly be good for your kendo going forward.
Here is a mini (and quite freely done!) translation by Inoue Masataka on the topic.
Hitorigeiko is also sometimes called “kage-uchi keiko” (shadow-striking keiko). It is a kind of training whereby you imagine an opponent in front of you and concentrate on (think about) things like techniques and body movement.
Nowadays (the book was published in 1986) nobody really bothers with it, but in the past it was often through self-practice where deep understanding of kendo was acquired. In the past shugyo-sha would sleep in the fields, walk in the mountains, stand under waterfalls, etc, as a way to forge their minds and bodies. Some even retired to caves and prayed to the gods, undergoing rigorous acetic discipline.
The dojo is the place where you take the things you worked on and thought about while practicing by yourself and apply them in a real manner (that is, against an opponent). That “keiko” is something that happens – and finishes – in the dojo is a common misunderstanding of modern practitioners. Dojo keiko is only a part of your kendo shugyo. You should be self-practicing before and after your in-dojo time, for example through mental rehearsal or image training.
The cycle of preparation (by oneself) -> dojo keiko -> review (by oneself) increases effectiveness. In particular, it is during the introspective stage where you can see whether or not your hard work and patience (shugyo) has payed off.
Sources
剣道はこう学べ・その理論と実際。玉川大学出版部。井上正孝。1986発行。
剣道必勝講座・新剣道上達講座。伊保清次。1982・1987発行。
3 replies on “Hitorigeiko”
Indeed and spot on. People lamenting not being able to go to the dojo is a “false flag” (if I can use that word) of sorts. People do focus too much on dojo time rather than the holistic process that kendo entails and needs.
Well, I’d be lamenting a lot if I couldn’t go to the dojo for a year !!!!!!
Hi George,
I am an aikidō practitioner and my knowledge of kendō or other budō is limited, so please excuse any inaccuracies. While researching hitorigeiko and, in particular, what I consider one of its modalities, kage-uchi keiko, I came across the following passage: “Hitorigeiko is also sometimes called “kage-uchi keiko” (shadow-striking keiko)…”
I would like to share a reflection with you. In my view, hitorigeiko and kage-uchi keiko are related but distinct concepts. Kage-uchi keiko would be a type of hitorigeiko, although not all hitorigeiko is kage-uchi keiko.
Hitorigeiko (一人稽古) can be understood as individual practice, which includes exercises such as ken no suburi or tai sabaki undō that, at least in aikidō, do not necessarily involve visualizing an uke.
Kage-uchi keiko (影打ち稽古) does involve imagining an opponent and working on the technical response to that imagined attack.
For this reason, when hitorigeiko is described as training that consists of imagining an opponent, I believe the definition corresponds specifically to kage-uchi keiko, not to hitorigeiko in general.
A more precise definition of hitorigeiko could be: Individual training without a partner in which one studies postures, footwork, body principles, and basic techniques in order to refine body organization, breathing, and coordination. It may include visualizing an opponent, but not necessarily, and its main purpose is to strengthen technical foundations and the practitioner’s sensitivity.
I would be happy to hear your thoughts.
Best regards,