Here are some resources below on seme (攻め) in English listed by Books, Associations, Articles, Articles by Website, Videos, DVDs and Quotes on Seme. For those unfamiliar with the term:
-
Seme as defined in the dictionary is “an attack, the offensive, assault, or siege”. In Kendo, it can also be defined as pressure; that is, to pressure the opponent before the attack. – AUSKF
-
Put plainly, seme is the process of searching for a means to break the deadlock of kamae in order to put yourself in the advantageous situation where an opportunity to execute a valid strike presents itself. – Oya Minoru
I will likely update this page as I come across more resources. Some resources in Japanese are listed over here.
Updates: July 19, 2022 – Updated with Uga Sensei’s (Hykusyu-Budougu-Ten) three-part videos on seme. Aug 9, 2019 – Updated with instructional videos by Nabeyama Takahiro sensei.
Books
- Noma Hisashi (1910-1939), The Kendo Reader (PDF, 55 pages) (Section 22, p. 47 on Kikai and sections thereafter seem relevant to seme.)
- Miyamoto Musashi, A Book of Five Rings,(五輪書, Go Rin no Sho) HolyBooks.com, (PDF, 49 pages).
Associations
- AUSKF Promotional Exam Study Guide
- The section on seme is towards the bottom of the page
Articles
- Minoru Fujii Sensei, Fujii sensei lecture, Kenshikan Melbourne, June 4, 2006 (html)
- The section on seme is located about half way into the article.
- Oya Minoru, “The Act of Seme” (PDF, 1 page)
- Sotaro Honda Sensei, “Tactics in Kendo – Parts 1, 2 and 3” (html)
- Part 2 is intended for kyu and 1st to 2nd dan levels. Part 3 is intended for 3rd to 5th dan levels.
- Lorenzo Zago (Renshi 7th Dan), “About the meaning of Seme and Tame – Seme? Tame?,” (Translated by Emmanuele Levi).
- Tóth Balázs, “Thoughts about ‘seme’ – What makes someone’s seme strong and efficient?” Translated by: Lóránt Hatvani (5.dan – Szeged Kendo Association) kendo-kultura.hu.
- B. Sheppard, “Seme-Overview,” Shugo-Nanseikan, Dec. 2010.
- Kay Sakaue, “Seme and San Sappo – An older perspective,” Midlife Kendo, Aug 24, 2015.
- Tozando Editorial Staff, “Ashi de semeru – attack with your feet,” Tozando, Feb 21, 2019.
Articles by Website
From Kenshi247.net (By George McCall Sensei unless otherwise noted)
- The reality of seme, Feb 23, 2010.
- Seme #1: Furukawa Kazuo, Aug 11, 2008.
- Seme #2: Sakudo Masao, May 14, 2012.
- Seme #3 and 4: Nishikawa Kiyonori and Sueno Eiji, Oct 10, 2013.
- Seme #5: Arimitsu Masaaki, Oct 28, 2013.
- Joseph Pielech, “Secrets of Kuzushi (崩し大全), Aug 26, 2018. (kuzusu means to destroy, disturb, throw off balance or unnerve)
From Kendoinfo.net (Geoff Salmon Sensei)
- Full list of the Kendoinfo.net Seme-related articles
- Partial list:
From Kendo-Guide.com (Masahiro Imafuji Sensei)
- Kendo Terminology: Seme and San Sappo
- Win the Battle with Effective Seme
- Learn Seme by a Successful Nito Kendoist: Use Shoto as Jitsu and Daito as Kyo
From KendoNotes.com
- A Study of Hikidasu 引き出す- Drawing out the Opponent
- Nakamura sensei, Healing Kendo (癒しの剣道) – Part 3. This translation addresses seme and Nakamura sensei‘s approach to kendo with aging.
- Walking as if Kissing the Earth – for a Shinkansen-like Fumikomi and Seme
Videos
- Andy Fisher, “The Kendo Show – Basic and Advanced Methods of Seme,” (16:13 mins), May 21, 2018.
- A three-part series of colorful videos on seme by Uga Sensei which I highly recommend viewing and which can be auto-translated to most languages (a feature of YouTube):
- [Hyakusyu_Seme1] Just 11 minutes and 15 seconds of video will change your mindset for Kendo, Oct. 13, 2018, (11:14 mins)
- [Hyakusyu_Seme2] Kendo/剣道】＜攻めでお困りの方へ2/3＞ 相手を動かす攻めの足、手、剣先はコレ！How to Seme Vol.2, Oct 16, 2018, (19:26 mins)
- [Hyakusyu_Seme3]【剣道 Kendo】 ＜攻めでお困りの方へ3/3＞ 相手の引き出し方。 How to pull out the opponent 【百秀武道具店 Hyakusyu Kendo, Oct. 18, 2018 (13:23 mins)
- Nabeyama Takahiro, “Always be ready to strike / 鍋山隆弘先生 常に打てる体勢を作る,” Jan 17, 2019 – from Lesson 2 to Lesson 7 (Couldn’t find a Lesson 1).
- L2, How to strike without showing willingness to strike, 起こりを見せない打ち方, 8:53 mins.
- L3, How to be ready while going back – Men strike, 下がりながらも打てる体勢を作る – 面, 10:42 mins.
- L4, How to be ready while going back – kote strike / 下がりながらも打てる体勢を作る – 小手, 3:21 mins.
- L5 (Requires subscription)
- L6, 6:00 mins
- L7, How to hit Debana-kote / Kaeshi do L7 出小手の打ち方 / 返し胴, 8:29 mins.
DVD
- Episode 13 and 14 on seme (semekata-no-keikouhou) in Koda Kunihide (Kyoshi 8 dan), “Kendo Promotion Shinsa – Program” DVD (剣道昇段審査・対策プログラム【教士八段 香田郡秀監修】) (in Japanese with no subtitles)
Quotes on Seme
- The quotes can be found at Quotes on Seme.
KendoNotes 