Fumikomi Posture

by Rachel
(Irvine, California)


I have a problem with my fumikomi for a while now, and I can't find a solution to fix it. I noticed that when I fumikomi, my right foot goes first and then my body snap forward. It is not a very smooth action, and it often causes my head to bobble up and down.

When I fumikomi without my shinai, I can feel my whole body and hip moving forward, but whenever the shinai is involved, it feels like my body is moving too much.

What exercises/ practice can I do?

What should I do to ensure that my hip/body is moving with my legs?

Can you break down the fumikomi step by step, my senpai only point out my issues but they never tell me how I can fix it?

Thank you so much for this!

Answer: Thank you for your question. First off, I will give you some links to the pages that are dedicated to fumikomi. This is a very common issue so I made videos just for fumikomi.

Fumikomi: A Closer Look (video)

Fumikomi = Stomping? (Article)

Now remember, fumikomi is not very important. It is an important element of integration of your strike. The most important thing is you DELIVER your body forward. A successful strike is an integration of kiai, proper cut and “delivering” your body.

You cannot do a proper “fumikomi” when you have a shinai because you are thinking to HIT a target. Think to

Lift your hands up and Deliver your body forward

And when your hands are down, your aimed target will be there.

Don’t think to HIT a target. When you do, your sword will control you.

Hope this helps.

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