Aug 24, 2025
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Diplomatic Ties part 494: Poszetka.
Suit from Isaia, Charvet shirt, tie from Poszetka, Borelli ps and shoes from Crockett & Jones. Scent: Bogue Maai.
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Food, in the end, in our own tradition, is something holy. It's not about nutrients and calories. It's about sharing. It's about honesty. It's about identity.
— Louise Fresco
Maai Maai, written as 間合, is a complex concept referring to the physical distance or space between an army or combatants, and the exact timing required to make an effective attack. 間 means a “period of time”, “interval” “space”, or “between”, while 合い means “come together”, or “to meet”. Therefore, maai could be explained as be the distance at which your mind must remain alert and focused on determining the exact striking timing and position, the right distance and moment to execute an effective move. Each army or combatant will have differing maai. Some will be faster, allowing for a greater distance, slower brigades or warriors may prefer shorter distances in which to make effective their attack, without allowing the opposition to strike first. The right positioning and distance that can also affect the oppositions' moves. Basically, you can upset them mentally by distancing yourself, or getting too close. In all, it could be described as the space and time between armies / combatants...that's my interpretation. The Japanese idiom「敵より遠く自分より近く」(Teki yori touku, jubun yori chikaku) literal translation, “Further than the enemy, closer than yourself” is often used in various martial forms, especially kendo, to explain this situation.
Samurai History & Culture Japan (Facebook page)
Maai is naturally a crucial concept in aikido, certainly one of those key things that can’t be really taught but only experienced.
Learning Maai - Single Step Men Strike
I wanted to share a lesson that I’ve developed that really helped my beginner class last night. Its taken me a while to break it down and sequence it correctly. It seemed to really come together, and I had to share.
We have a lot of new beginners and with that comes the need to clear instruction. But often what we take for “easy” is very difficult to someone who is still learning, or has just started Kendo.
Ive been trying to fix their strike, so from Kamae they strike in one step- to men. But it seems as much as I kept repeating it nothing was changing and footwork was not improving. People were jumping up...instead of forward.
So in contemplation I remembered hearing that if you “gameify” lessons, it challenges the person on smaller points, and they learn more effectively because they are “winning” small victories in their heads.
So I thought, why not, lets play a game.
Goals:
1. To help improve men strike 2. To improve the understanding of the individual’s confidence in their Maai and striking distance. 3. To improve Ki-Ken-Tai ichi 4. To improve footwork
STEPS
(Most Dojos have hardwood floors which make this easy, but it can work on nearly any floor surface. Also this can be done with Shinai Only - and later with Bogu sessions)
1. Have students assume Kamae without shinai in a single line, their front right big toe on a “base line” A stripe, or a noticeable board on the floor. 2. Practice a SINGLE step launching from back left foot. --Have student Note the Distance. Return to baseline and repeat 5-10 times. Challenge students to beat their own “distance”.
**NOTE keep posture and correct Kamae in motion. Do not allow poor posture to improve distance. Do not make this into a jumping contest. Personal Comfortable distance, avoid over extension. It should be an explosive, but natural step from Kamae. Make sure left foot snaps immediately into Kamae.
3. Have students hold Shinai and REPEAT with mock Men-strike to air, until they feel comfortable with their “best” distance.
4. Create Student pairs facing each other.
5. Student A - On baseline, takes their best step/men forward and STOPS exactly where they landed. Student B, Lines their Men up under the shinai ( correct distance for men strike.) Student B, assumes Kamae at this exact point...as Student A Returns to Baseline.
6. As student A returns to baseline and assumes Kamae - NOTE THE DISTANCE AT SHINAI. This demonstrates their “strike” distance. And where their kensen should be for their Maai against this specific opponent. (Yes, this will change overtime, but this is just a beginning)
**NOTE STEP 6: The beginning students will look at this distance and think “there is no possible way I can hit that men...” you must reinforce the lesson at this point. I had several people at Toma. Again NOTE POSTURE.
7. Student A at baseline, strikes Student B - FULL MEN in one step with zanshin.
8. Student B, Student A have now switched position on the floor. Repeat from Step 5. Student B is now striking Men.
9. Rotate and switch partners to allow students to work on same technique with different heights of opponents.
It is important in each rotation, that they “calibrate” the correct distance with the single step FIRST, then the target is placed at that exact point. Then full men practice on the target.
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If students are having trouble with Ki-Ken-Tai ichi
Repeat from Step 5, except have them assume MigiJodan. All they need to worry about it dropping the shinai down to time with fumikomi. Later they can learn to speed up their hands to accomplish KikenTai Ichi
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After spending 30 minutes on this Lesson, for the rest of class, all of my students were hitting a proper men! I commended them on it! Proper distance, Proper strikes. I can only hope this will continue.
After we use this technique for several weeks I will further engage them with Movement to Maai Strike Point..so they can learn the movement further extends their ability to reach.
I may try to record a video to upload. But I think most people in Kendo could understand these steps. It takes a complicated fast movement and builds up a small game....to aid in their success.
--Ill try to update the blog more frequently. Recovering from a year of injury really took a hard hit on the blog...
Something to get myself warmed up and motivated.
For @maaiwile and @zorofab
@maaiwile is an amazing artist and the bestest friend I could ask for, thanks again for this.