Kodokan Fine Ladies Kendo Seminar with Kobayashi Setsuko sensei June 2012

by Matsuda Kazuyo

Fine Ladies Kendo Seminar, UK, 10th June 2012

Following the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee the Ladies Kendo Seminar lead by Kobayashi Setsuko sensei took place during the weekend 8/9/10 June 2012.

The week continued to be wet, following on from the pageant, where the previous weekend, the Queen had stood still during the whole length of the event on the River Thames. It was impressive to see a woman in her 80s even for the healthiest and the strongest; as it would have been hard to remain standing in the rain for over 2 hours, in the eyes of millions attending the event and those watching on screens around the globe.

Setsuko Kobayashi sensei arrived on the Wednesday evening, the following day after the Jubilee Concert in the Buckingham Palace, with assisting teachers Seiko Takahashi sensei 6th Dan and Remi Kono sensei 4th Dan, who speaks fluent English.

Shortly after their arrival at their B&B in Watford, we escorted them to our proud new dojo facility known as the ‘Kodokan New Dojo’ that had just been completed in April. The regular session was coming towards the end so the teachers were introduced to the Kodokan members and two guests: Terry Holt sensei from the Mumeishi Kendo Club and our old member Alice Graham, who joined a friendly welcome party after the session, at the dojo.

Prior to the seminar, the teachers were taken to London on Thursday and Waddesdon Manor in the countryside of Buckinghamshire on Friday for sightseeing. We again saw heavy rain and sunshine on both days with temperatures fairly constant around 17°C.

I allowed enough time for walking through the Green Park to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace however the Jubilee concert seating was being dismantled and the surrounding site was still boarded, so we had to walk around the site, resulting in us ‘just missing’ the guards changing. The rain was getting heavier so after a dim sum lunch in China Town we took a taxi ride around London to see other sightseeing spots, which proved to be the best option.

At Waddesdon Manor the weather was just as wet but we were quite happy and comfortable indoors until we found that their restaurant was not serving warm food for lunch as the stormy wind had damaged their gas supply.. Unbelievable but we are in the UK.. after hit and miss, we managed a late lunch in nearby Aylesbury and I hoped that the seminar would go more smoothly..

Friday 8 June - Seminar Day 1 – Evening session

About 6pm we saw people starting to arrive from different places and at 7:30pm we welcomed the teachers arriving into the venue all in the lining up position.

A short opening address was made by the organiser (myself) and the teachers were introduced, there were 34 women gathered from European countries including UK. The event had attracted a record number as the guest teacher was one of the pioneers in the history of female kendo. Also as the World Kendo Championships in Novara, Italy had been held during the previous weekend, some people had arranged their trip accordingly. National flags were displayed to represent the countries of the attendees including: Belgium, China, France, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Spain & UK - Scotland, England, and Wales.

A few male members from Kodokan and a member from Imperial College, making 38 in total also attended that evening.

At her opening speech, Kobayashi sensei humbly but with a determined voice said, ‘I would like to take you through exercises that we usually do at our dojo in Tokyo. I hope you all enjoy the seminar.’ So the seminar began and we all focused so intensely as we had longed for this moment for such a long time.

The seminar started smoothly with Kobayashi sensei’s warm-up. There we didn’t see the typical ‘ichi-ni-san-shi…’ calls that we usually experience, instead calm and relaxing stretch exercises starting with both arms stretching upwards, legs, knees, hips, shoulders then toes and neck to finish. Her smooth voice took us through without a break and from that moment onwards till the end of the seminar, we forgot the time as we came under the spell of ‘Kobayashi magic..’

The theme of the seminar was very obviously ‘female kendo’ and what she taught us can be summarised into two points:

1.     female kenshi don’t have muscular strength in the stomach

2.     female kenshi don’t have the same learning process as male kenshi

These two points are our weak points if you compare with male Kendo.

So we need to overcome them by two steps.

1.     we need to accept these differences

2.     we need to work harder especially by continuous mind training

The first thing we did was to try to move the arms in a very different way from what we are familiar with. I shall call this exercise ‘The Kobayashi Method’.

Kobayashi Method Large Men Strikes

The exercise involves arm-stretching movements firstly without shinai, with palms closed together, and by lifting the hands right the way back so that both hands reach the back of the neck. We were told to lower the elbow joints - we should not stretch the triceps by lifting the elbow joints right the way up as most of us automatically did in this position but we were told to relax the triceps by dropping down the elbow joints as far down as possible. This way the joints are free – although it feels quite uncomfortable in the first instance, it allows the shoulder joints to move freely. Then as we drop the elbow joints allow the hands naturally to come down at the same time, using the elbow joints as pivoting points. We did this exercise again and again throughout the seminar in various formats. The ultimate purpose is to utilise the shoulder joints fully. She explained that we should consider the length of the sword from the tip of the shiai to the left shoulder joint. We should not consider the sword ends only where we grip the shinai with the left hand, which most people wrongly understand.

She also emphasised that we need to lift the stomach maintaining it in one place while the arms are going up and down and the feet are moving forward and backwards. We need to keep the stomach in a fixed position so that the core of the body will not move up and down. This way our ‘weak’ stomach can be in tension and strengthened. And by doing this we can make a sharp kiai (the utterance of voice). Weak kiai comes from a loose stomach, she said. Kiai should be as if it is thrown at the opponent. It needs tension, sharpness and speed.

We were repeating the suburi in Kobayashi Method as she guided us and at the end we did about 100 suburi as she called 1 to 10, then 1 to 10 again and again and our kiai was getting collectively stronger. This not to emphasise the volume alone but also the quality – in Kobayashi sensei’s terminology, ‘it is important where it is coming from’, it should be coming from the lower belly and that’s why we should hold the stomach up in one place.

Swapping hands

It was not my first time to swap hands in suburi exercise but with her there was a very good reason for doing this exercise. One of the main purposes of the exercise is to free the left shoulder joint. A lot of us are right-handed. She explained that as soon as we grip a tool or utensil, the right hand automatically takes the lead on handling it. In kendo, this can be a disadvantage. By gripping the shinai with the left hand towards the tsuba and right hand towards the end of the tsuka, the left arm moves naturally, freed in ‘the Kobayashi Method’. Swapping again back to standard gripping, the left shoulder joint remains open from this routine and has proved to work for all of the attendees.

Flat foot suburi

A few exercises like this one, she introduced ‘as just a try’ and we had no problem accepting something new with her. But this is a taboo in kendo footwork – ‘flat-foot’ but now she encourages us to try it out and there seemed to be some improvement in the hikitsuke movement especially with the attendees whose left heel is raised excessively, which delays hikitsuke footwork and the strike from the kamae position. So just because it is taboo, not trying it is as bad as not knowing why it is taboo in the first place.

Turning either way (Omote and Ura Sabaki)

During the Men strike exercises, she often addressed that there should be as much to learn in the motodachi position as in the attacking position, kakarite.

Turning either way is one of the examples that motodachi should encourage to happen wherever possible. She also mentioned the level of strength in turning either clockwise or anti-clockwise. Turning from Ura (clockwise) makes your position stronger as the body’s natural system combines with kendo’s specific movements. So we need to be able to turn the other way as well as the Omote side (anti-clockwise), which everyone automatically turns to when receiving Men strikes.

She also pointed out motodachi’s job while receiving kakarite’s strikes including the sequence of movements such as strike, run through then turn around. Motodachi should never wait for this sequence of movements to be completed before she turns and steps in to receive the next strike. She should always do this and prepare for the next movement before kakarite prepares hers. This small habit counts very much when they are done repeatedly for so long, for example even after a year’s hard training if a kenshi doesn’t seem to have made improvements; then this tends to be due to her little attention and learning when assuming the motodachi position, as explained above. So we should always take kamae position before kakarite turns around for the next strike.

The 2 hour evening session passed so quickly full of so many new things.

Saturday 9 June Seminar Day 2 – All day

The opening of the second day of the seminar was smooth. It was a sunny day for a change. It was a nice 10am start.

This day we had no male present except for Dave Young, a Kodokan member who helped with the registration.

And a few more ladies joined the day 2 including kenshi from Scotland who had a transport problem and unfortunately hadn’t made the Friday evening session.

Starting with ‘the Kobayashi style’ warm up again followed by the Kobayashi Method large Men Striking suburi with hands touching the back of the neck, Kobayashi sensei showed us how the strike can be heard differently in two ways when using a Bokken – as she struck the bokken on the blade side of another bokken held horizontally, the two strikes were heard with obvious difference: one with sharp and high tone and the other dull and low tone. She said that the way that the bokken was struck depends on the use of the triceps – and this is also a female’s weak muscle. The strike with the high tone is better and the correct way. So we need to develop the triceps in order to make the correct strikes.

Our focus was again back in overcoming our weaknesses.

Ayumi-ashi exercise

In order to familiarise ourselves with which foot to move first, she demonstrated ayumi-ashi and counted odd numbers right, left, right, left, right for 5 and 7 and so on ending with the right foot. When going back, left, right, left, right, left, right, left and so on ending on the left foot. She took us through all of the movements with a smooth voice. Occasionally commenting on what we should be focusing on, it was a caring voice with warmth and politeness as well as the teacher’s sharp voice when she needed to.

As our movements had become quite smooth and familiar, at one point she said ‘stop’ and ‘look at your feet position’ and she told us that the stance that we use in our natural walking in ayumi-ashi footwork should be applied to our kendo kamae stance. No larger or smaller than that.

Receiving kirikaeshi

There were some lessons on motodachi again this time on how to receive kirikaeshi. The left hand should be kept at a fixed height even though the shinai moves to the right and left, so that when you go back to take chudan kamae in order to receive shomen, the left hand should not need to go down or up. It should just rotate so that the shinai goes back to horizontal from the vertical position. The height of motodachi’s left hand should always remain at the fixed position throughout the kirikaeshi.

Also when receiving from a junior or a beginner, we should pull in their strikes as if ‘welcoming’ their strikes. And never try to receive firmly or hit back with strength in the arms. On the other hand when receiving kirikaeshi from a person who has strength in their strikes, we should take the opportunity to learn our own ‘tenouchi’ by receiving it as if we momentarily strike back with strength. There are different ways to receive kirikaeshi and we always need to consider who we are receiving the strikes from. She demonstrated for us the way to receive both types.

9-kaeshi kirikaeshi

Kobayashi sensei’s favourite kirikaeshi was called 9 kaeshi (Kyu-hon Gaeshi) where kakarite strikes the initial Men, and does only one set of 9 strikes on the right and left Men, then 2 Men strikes one going through omote then second ura (omote and ura sabaki by motodachi). Her teaching extended in how we should use the space and helped by the size of the dojo, attendees were told not to lower the shinai when turning round as motodachi. We should keep them vertical so not striking anyone or bumping into obstacles when turning round.

Kobayashi Method Large Men Strikes on Kobayashi sensei’s Men

There was a good 20 minutes spent on this session – just before two teachers from the Hutt Kendo Club in New Zealand left the seminar at the end of the morning session. Against their wish to have jigeiko with Setsuko sensei, she instead gave them a good session on the ‘Kobayashi Method Large Men strikes’ receiving on her armour (Men), one at a time. They were told to wear kote but not the Men armour themselves. Other high grades joined and so four lucky attendees received Kobayashi sensei’s private session in front of other watching attendees.

It was amazing.. Setsuko sensei corrected all of them as she received uchikomi strikes saying ‘drop the elbow joints more, no striking... Don’t stretch the triceps... Use your arms as if using a hammer... Just drop them... don’t strike’, whilst occasionally touching their arms and correcting their arm positions.

She also corrected the stances and taught us what female kendoka should be aware of – for example the inner thigh muscles (she occasionally emphasised the importance of this muscle during the seminar) in that it should be used correctly and the legs should not be widely apart when in the standing position. (There was a rumour that she could see our legs through the thick cotton hakama!) She also mentioned the angle of the right ankle, which should be at 90 degrees when in the standing kamae position. This way we would keep the upper body slightly leaning forward. And in this way the stomach is kept in tension (overcoming our weakness!)

I am not too sure how much the rest of the attendees, who were watching the session given to the lucky four members including myself, saw improvements. But the message from Kobayashi sensei was clear – before the teachers go home, she wanted them to master the Kobayashi Method movements so that they can teach their students back home at their regular sessions.

After this the rest of the attendees tried out exactly the same exercises on the high grades and teachers. This was an intense learning experience and the highlight of the seminar as everyone tried absolutely their best to master this exercise, which seems to be for us the very key and for lifelong kendo. Touching grip, then swapping hands and standard grip and followed by kote, do, kote-men and kote-do strikes. Followed by continuous uchikomi geiko the morning session ended.

Kihon Keikoho

The afternoon started with Bokken exercise Kihon Waza Keikoho. Everyone made pairs and worked with the same partner. Almost all of the attendees were familiar with the exercises.

Setsuko sensei introduced a method so the pair needs to announce the name of the techniques before they start the 3-step approach at the beginning of each movement. This way confusion can be avoided and injuries would be minimised. Also we will need to remember the names of the techniques accurately. So we practised repeatedly after the teachers’ initial demonstration. In summary, the points that were made:

1.     Kihon 4 – motodachi should block the kakarite’s Men strike correctly

2.     Kihon 5 – kakarite’s toes as striking Do should not point to the opponent. They should point parallel to the opponent’s body so that even if she was to move further the pair would not collide.

3.     Kihon 6 – there is no zanshin movement in this form by kakarite. Kakarite and motodachi should draw back to the shokujin distance together, nicely.

4.     Kihon 7 – note on the toe position should be the same as Kihon 5

5.     Overall, each set of movements needs to be demonstrated and exercised correctly. Strike, zanshin and back to shokujin distance. Some forms require both sides to go back to shokujin together and some not. They need to be learned correctly without omitting any movements. Movements need to be in good harmony between kakarite and motodachi.

In the afternoon we had gokaku-geiko with 5 teachers plus 2 high grades. This was the first and the last jigeiko during the whole seminar. Setsuko sensei also told us about Akao and Sekine sensei, who were her key teachers after she resumed kendo and that they would practise at the level so that they match 0.5 Dan higher than each student.

After the gokaku-geiko with the teachers finished, 4th dan and 5th dan stood as motodachi and keiko continued. 3 Men strikes and 1 minute jigeiko. They stayed in their motodachi position for a while and continued this exercise followed by Setsuko sensei’s favourite 9-kaeshi and 3 times Men strikes. Motodachi had to sabaki alternate with omote and ura: right and left.

At the ending of the Day 2 Setsuko sensei took us through a stretching exercise as a cool down but this was also to remind ourselves to hold the shinai whilst sitting in the seiza position. The stomach position was naturally balanced and calm, with shoulders naturally relaxed. She repeated, ‘hold up the stomach and keep it there. Remember this feeling when you take kamae in the standing position’

The day 2 finished.

In the evening was the ‘sayonara party’ at a local Italian restaurant ‘L’Artista’.

During the evening there were about 5 birthday songs and the bang bang of the cymbal-type drum with round cakes delivered with candles lit on them. There was Football Euro Championship happening on the TV as well and coincidentally, Italy was playing that night. The group was just 30 ladies all relaxed and we chatted all night. No brave husbands or boyfriends joined us this night and it was great fun, a small hen night! The plates were quite large but the desert.... When it came to the desert we really needed to have a separate stomach. Kobayashi sensei, we might have weak stomachs but they can be very elastic.. Chatting continued until late into the night..

Sunday 10th June Seminar Day 3 – Morning session

Kihon Keikoho with shinai

We tried Kihon Keikoho movements with shinai, using fumikomiashi. The important points were:

1.     Kihon 2 – renzoku-waza such as kote-men should be done without rushing as when this happens the posture is compromised. In kihon exercise we should try correct strikes with correct posture always. Also motodachi should always open the targets correctly.

2.     Gripping of shinai and the use of the lower body should be improved in order to make good strikes with coordination. We exercised Tsuki thrust on the Do-mune (shokko) using only the left hand, without support from the right hand during the total of 5 thrusts. 5 times usually makes female kendoka tired. The exercise is also to remind us that we have less muscle than male, who would have no problem with this exercise.

Note: Setsuko sensei’s teacher Akao sensei was taught by Takano Sasaburo sensei who was in the Kendo Kata Committee. Akao sensei therefore taught Setsuko sensei the ‘Riai’ of the Kata that was taught to him first hand. Setsuko sensei said to us ‘Kendo Kata changes from time to time but I was taught to follow the changes as the very core of the riai remains unchanged. ‘

There was some explanation about female kendo again on this day and it was more about the strength of the triceps as lots of us could not hold the two arms in the right position coming down too low at the time of the strike. She told us that these muscles needed to take responsibility in holding the shinai in the position after striking, whatever happens. So she said the strength of the muscles underneath the arms is the most important and we should ‘hold on’ against any possible force coming from outside and hold the shinai with two arms, even swearing in Japanese - 'Nanikuso!' (‘Damn it!’) adding ‘pardon my language’ after this clear demonstration.

And in order to do that we need the strength in the stomach. Kobayashi sensei’s demonstration on this subject was very strong and convincing but also quite charming.

Kobayashi Method Large Men strikes, similarly kote-men and kote-do. During kote-men strike exercise one of the attendees broke a picture frame on the wall. The seminar was stopped for a while until it was safe enough to restart again. This was followed by uchikomi with motodachi and teachers.

When the teachers retired, new motodachi were selected. 4th Dan stood as motodachi and stayed for Ai-Men with the rest of the groups at Taiko drum beats made the timing, followed by 1 minute jigeiko. This went on for a while. The last part was with 9-kaeshi and 3 times Men. Motodachi received everyone’s kirikaeshi exercise.

This was it. As we lined up for the last time and took off Men she then took us through the cooling down exercise one last time, with a warm and smooth voice that was like wrapping us all in a big warm cave, so pleasant and comfortable.

Kobayashi sensei then said, ‘This is it. That’s the end of the seminar.’ All said quite openly ‘Oh no…’ in their own languages.

She then made a speech and thanked me for organising such a wonderful seminar for all the female kendoka as this would have been a very rare occasion to gather together such a big ladies-only group.

Then it was my turn to make a presentation to thank her for braving the trip abroad for the first time in her entire life. Thanks to other two accompanying teachers Takahashi Seiko sensei and Kōno Remi sensei were also made and thanks to Christiane David sensei, the highest graded European female kendoka. Her presence at the seminar also meant a lot to us.

All so emotional yet feeling so light and with much satisfaction the group disappeared so quickly after many thanks and good-byes and pictures. A few ladies stayed and helped clean up the dojo as it was covered in 'kendo-blue' everywhere!

We asked Kobayashi sensei if the Kobayashi Method was good for male kenshi as some of the attendees teach male kenshi as well as females. Kobayashi sensei confirmed that it is good for both male and female it’s only that male kenshi tends to learn the exercise quicker than female.

The last thing I asked her was what we should be focusing in practising until we see her next time. She said that it is important that we try to make sense and relate what she said during the seminar to what our regular teachers tell us. They may sound different but there must be a link and that’s what we need to try and make an effort towards. It is no good to say that ‘our teachers are wrong’ because what was taught by Kobayashi sensei was a bit different. ‘We are all aiming towards the same goal, it’s just that there can be different routes’, she said. I was left to dwell on this with satisfaction.

The total 38 attendees is a record largest crowd gathered at a Kodokan Ladies Seminar. Including teachers there were 41 practised at the event from kyusha to 7th dan and from the youngest 17 to the oldest 74 years old. All worked very hard but thanks to Kobayashi sensei, in a fantastic atmosphere.

Big thanks to Alice from New Zealand who drove the teachers around during their stay, Kodokan members Mitsuru, Durba and Hannah from Wales and Daisy of Imperial for looking after the teachers in the dojo, Kodokan members in addition to the above: Masami and Carmen helping cleaning every day and for looking after the kenshi from abroad, Kodokan male members including Peter and Dave also the injured Tomoko helping out with the registration in the mornings. Thanks also to Dee for help in obtaining the gifts from Stoke and Asun from Spain in looking after teachers at the restaurant and all others who helped in many ways to make it easier to run the seminar.

Big thanks to the sponsors BKA and especially Kodokan for making the event possible.

Last of all my sincere thanks to Paul Budden sensei, the founder and the head teacher of Kodokan, for his support and tremendous help preparing for the seminar.

Finally and most of all, my thoughts go to Hiroshi Ozawa sensei, who introduced Kobayashi sensei to us last year in July, during his kendo seminar in the UK. He was writing up his regular article on female kendo and its future for the Budo magazine. Without his encouragement and guidance, this seminar would not have been possible.

Additional note: Thanks to Paul Budden sensei, who drove us to Windsor Castle in time to see the 'Change of Guards' inside of the castle on Tuesday – actually the event was much more impressive and longer than that of at Buckingham Palace and as this was the day the teachers were to leave UK so it was a great relief then that the previous disappointments were fortunately wiped away.

I hope to be able to welcome Kobayashi sensei next year again and look forward to meeting lots more female kenshi.

Setsuko Kobayashi (Kendo 7th Dan Kyoshi)

Was born in 1938 as the first of four daughters of Yaginuma Tessui, a kendo teacher at Kodogikai in Setagaya, Tokyo.

Setsuko started kendo in 1943 at the age of five under her father’s teaching.

She performed the first Female Kendo Demonstration at the All Japan 7th dan and 8th dan Championships in 1960 in celebration of the Crown Prince Naruhito’s birth. In 1962 she won the first All Japan Ladies Kendo Championship and the following year she won it again. She stopped kendo in 1965 and restarted in 1975 under Akao Eizo's teaching (8th dan Hanshi) when she was 37 years old. After passing 6th dan in 1985 she started to practise at a female kendo class taught by Sekine Hiyoshi (8th dan Hanshi). She passed 7th dan in 1991 as the second female passing 7th dan in its history. She has taught kendo to female students and juniors in Akiruno City, Tokyo. She has been participating in Tokyo Kendo Festival and Kyoto Taikai for decades and still does at the age of 74. 'When what I teach and what I do in my own kendo becomes a mismatch, then it is time to retire' she says.

Articles about Setsuko sensei include:

Special – New Era of Female Kendo, Kendo Nippon, May 1998

Tips – Kendo Practice for Females, Kendo Nippon, May 2001

My Tenouchi, Kendo Nippon, June 2004

Joshikendo no Rekishi to Kadai (History and the Future Direction of Female Kendo) - part 3 & 4, Ozawa Hiroshi, Budo vol.535 June and 536 July 2011

Joshikendo no Rekishi to Kadai, Ozawa Hiroshi, 2016

TV programmes:

Shine Sports Women!, TV Tokyo 1998,

Japanese Strong Woman 24 hours, TV Tokyo 2011

*Archive data supplied by Kobayashi Masayoshi

**This article was originally written in 2012 and was edited to suit FLKW publication in 2025. The Japanese version was included in Joshikendo no Rekishi to Kadai, Ozawa Hiroshi, 2016.