Paul Shin

Kendo and Iaido Concepts: Omote vs. Ura

1. Omote vs. Ura

2. Which side of the shinai you should use to execute the waze.

3. Your shinai and your opponent’s shinai are usually touching on the omote side.

4. When you look down your shinai, your left side is the omote side while the right side is the ura side.

5. Omote = outside while Ura = inner

6. The blade is facing up when you wear the katana.

7. The name is written in the omote side in the middle of the holding.

8. The disadvantage of displaying the katana in omote side is that you cannot use sword easily at the emergency condition.

9. Example of using short form in commander: kote suriage men on the omote side

   I use my omote side of the shinai to block his kote strike and hit his men.

Kendo Concepts: Hikitate Geiko