Kendo Thoughts & Insight

The general definition of suki is an “opening” in the opponents attack or defense.  The dictionary defines suki as: “a weakness of the mind” or “a weakness in one’s actions or posture.”  In kendo we specifically try to cause or recognize these weaknesses in our opponent. Weakness in the opponents actions or posture is easily caused through constant repetitive training. Recognizing a “weakness of the mind” is very difficult to accurately see in the opponent and takes a constant, and conscious effort to develop. Only through keiko can seeing  the “weakness of the mind” in the opponent be developed and practiced, and then only by consciously working at understanding this notion. The four poisons of kendo: fear, doubt, surprise and confusion are the foundations of the weakness of the mind and directly related to the “weakness of one’s actions or posture.”