Kote Men: How to Make Effective Nidan-waza | Kendo Lesson

In this episode of Kendo Lesson, we look at Kote Men as an applied Nidan Waza, rather than simply as a basic drill.

Kote Men is often practised very quickly, with the Kote strike becoming little more than a route to the Men. Technically, this can work in basic practice, but if we want to use Kote Men properly, both the Kote and the Men need to be treated as valid strikes.

In this lesson, we look at how to make the first Kote strike with real intention, how to follow correctly with Men, and how to practise Kote Men in a way that is more useful for Keiko, Shiai, and grading.

We also look at what happens when the first strike is blocked, and how to connect one technique to the next without giving up after the initial attack. This ability to continue naturally from one strike into the next is an important skill as your Kendo develops.