Lesson: Proper Kamae and Sae

I asked Yamaguchi Sensei what is the proper hand position in Kamae, and the following is what he said:

1.  In holding shinai in Kamae, the first joint bone of each thumb (that connects the thumb and the palm) must line up and make a straight line.  If this is done, the tip of the shinai would slightly point to the right.

2.  When you strike, the deep part between the thumb and the index finger of each hand must line up and make straight line.

3.  When striking, you're suppose to squeeze the last 3 fingers of each hand and not the whole hand.  Some people say that you must squeeze as if you're squeezing a wet towel, but this is a misconception (and not true).  Just squeeze the last 3 fingers of each hand.

Yamaguchi Sensei said that the squeezing itself is an art called "Sae" and told me to look it up.

So, I looked up the term in the Kendo dictionary:

"Sae (n.)

The skillfulness of a waza, or the sharpness of its function or feeling.  When striking, one moves the right and left hands cooperatively, and tightens the te-no-uchi (way of gripping the shinai) instantaneously.  This gives the striking sharpness known as sae in kendo."

I said that I never knew all these, and I've been practicing it all wrong for the past 15 years or so.  He said many people don't do it right.  I said I'll practice and ask further questions.