Being over six feet tall, I get to fight a lot of people who are shorter than I am.  I’ve noticed that with some people (especially where the height difference is significant) I have an easier time hitting men than I do with others.  In fact, I am able to hit men almost at will with these people.  At keiko this week I was able to identify what makes this possible.  It may seem obvious, but I had not thought to take notice and observe this phenomenon in the past (I was just happy to be hitting men).

The difference is in the position of the opponent’s shinai tip relative to the top of their head.  It’s something I can see from my point of view, but I’m not sure that those who are shorter than me are aware of it.  If, from my point of view, the opponent’s shinai tip is below the plane of their head, I can get my left hand past or above their shinai tip fast enough that they cannot mount an effective defense against men.

On the other hand, those kenshi that keep their shinai tip above their head relative to my plane of vision were able to defend against my katate men strike far more often.  This, however, leaves their kote vulnerable.

This led to more observations… I started looking at the shinai position relative to the men on taller opponents as well.  Sure enough, the same rule applies.  If you can see their men as being above the shinai tip, then men is a high percentage target.  If their men appears below their shinai tip, the percentage drops sharply.

So, how do you take advantage of this?  First, observe it for yourself.  See if my observations are consistent with your experiences in fighting a variety of opponents.  Next, get your opponent’s shinai tip lower.

One way to accomplish this might be to lower your own kamae slightly.  Bring it down a little and see if their tip follows to cover your kote.  If it does, watch for opening and hit men quickly.

Another way is to work on the kote.  If you strike at the kote several times, they may forget about defending the men, and bring their tip down to defend the kote.  Watch for the opportunity!

Be cautious with those kenshi who play with their tip up or down, but keep moving it.  They may be craftier than you think.  They could be playing with timing or maai.  If they catch you in their timing, they might be able hit you while you are adjusting, or use nuki waza against you.

So, what does this mean for you chudan players?  Be aware of your shinai tip.  Keep it low and hold very still.  There’s nothing jodan players like better than an open target.