Episode 5: Attitude to Seme and Tame

Excerpts from the text "Semé and Tamé: Kendo and Growth" offer an in-depth reflection on continuous personal improvement, emphasizing the need to understand the intrinsic value of every action in order to evolve. The main focus revolves around a seminar led by Takuya Murata, who explored two fundamental kendo concepts: semé and tamé. Semé is defined as a combination of pressing, penetrating, and provoking the opponent with the goal of forcing them to act first, an act considered a losing move in kendo. Tamé, on the other hand, is described as a dynamic accumulation of energy and sensitivity, not a static resistance, which allows the practitioner to manage stalemates and act at the appropriate time. The text concludes by emphasizing that, in addition to intellectual understanding, these concepts must be practiced and incorporated into daily experience to overcome one's ego and achieve complete growth.