When you watch it, Can you see who is attacking first? Can you see who is moving in response to an attack? If the attack has started, and then the defensive motion begins, this is called Go no Sen.
Can you see when the attacker and defender are moving at the same time? If both bodies and Shinai are moving and blending together, this is called Sen no Sen.
Who is moving in response to an anticipated attack? A Shinai moves slightly, a minute change in the shoulders or the posture, a coiling preparation to strike...and suddenly the other Kendo player cuts through with Sen Sen no Sen.
Who is thinking about dodging, or trying not to get hit? Who is trying to be sneaky? Who looks startled? Who is moving decisively? And, how well is that working for them?
I think this is part of Morihei Ueshiba claiming to know where bullets and sword cuts were coming from - at least as well as I can process. It sounded like he claimed to be reading auras, or some flash of light would appear where the cut or shot was coming from.
I can't do that.
If the sword is the extension of my training partner, then I am not responding to the sword. I am responding to my partner. If I can read my attacker well, I should have some sense of what is coming next, and from what angle. Muscles clench, postures change, knees and hips shift and so on. I should know something of their state of mind by looking at them. After years of training with someone, I should have some sense of their psychology. Their timing and movement is the expression of their own internal process.
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