Is this disrespectfull

[meh]

In school I have to do something for like a talent show something like that and I ask If I should do like a paired "kata" with a bojutsu guy So I dont know I it will be disrespectfull to Kendo and my bokuto. I will take lots of care of it in school and I wont do like flashy sword moves. So do you think its ok? and please dont tell me to ask my sensei because its embarrasing and I dont want to disturb him on this.

[Owen]

i doubt theyll even let you on school property with your bokuto

[meh]

they will my teacher already asked me because some people told her I practiced it.

[Ignatz]

. . .and please dont tell me to ask my sensei because its embarrasing . . ..

Pretty much answered your own question, didn't you?

[Kaoru]

In school I have to do something for like a talent show something like that and I ask If I should do like a paired "kata" with a bojutsu guy So I dont know I it will be disrespectfull to Kendo and my bokuto. I will take lots of care of it in school and I wont do like flashy sword moves. So do you think its ok? and please dont tell me to ask my sensei because its embarrasing and I dont want to disturb him on this.

You should ask your sensei first, and forget being embarrassed. He won't bite! :) And, you do not want to make up stuff with a guy who doesn't even do kendo. It will be disrespectful to the art you practice if you do that.

Get someone from your dojo to demostrate some kendo or kendo kata(If you know any well enough). But, ask your sensei before asking others to help demonstrate. If you ask your sensei and tell him it's for a school talent show, I'm sure he will help you out. Being embarrassed won't help you out. Just ask! You should stick to what you know and do it correctly or don't do a demo at all, if you ask me. Spreading information and doing a demonstration in a talent show about kendo is ok if it's done right and with permission. I know my sensei would not be pleased if I didn't tell him what I was up to, and ask if someone could demo with me if I was in your situation. He'd want to know about it. Remember that you and your partner will be representing your dojo if you do this. So, do NOT use the bojutsu guy! Use a real kendoka instead as your partner and do real kendo techniques. No fake stuff!

As for the bokuto and bringing it to school. You'll need to clear it with the Principal of your school since a bokuto is considered a weapon. Have your teacher accompany you to his/her office and help you explain the demo you wish to do, so you won't get in trouble for bringing it to school. Be sure to bring kendo information and pics and video if you have any, with you to further explain.

Hope this helps! Good luck! :)

Kaoru

[LarsCW]

In school I have to do something for like a talent show something like that and I ask If I should do like a paired "kata" with a bojutsu guy So I dont know I it will be disrespectfull to Kendo and my bokuto. I will take lots of care of it in school and I wont do like flashy sword moves. So do you think its ok? and please dont tell me to ask my sensei because its embarrasing and I dont want to disturb him on this.

Unless you're skilled enough to combine both martial arts in a paired kata, in which your sensei maybe could help you.

Many people would even think you would have to keep this in the dojo and if you would do it outside then treat the area in which you perform this as such.

You'll have to talk to your sensei nomatter what.

[Kenzan]

Do you really want to do Kendo no Kata (Or a made up version thereof) on the same stage as someone playing the national anthem with a Kazoo up their nose?

[MAZ77]

Do you really want to do Kendo no Kata (Or a made up version thereof) on the same stage as someone playing the national anthem with a Kazoo up their nose?

Its just a talent show. Its like saying you cant wear your hakama and keiko gi on halloween.

[lucy]

Its just a talent show. Its like saying you cant wear your hakama and keiko gi on halloween.

There are lots of people who think so. I never would wear them, at least not those I use for Kendo and Iai practise.

[h2o]

Am I the only that thinks people might be a bit too uptight about this?

If someone who practices kendo want to do a show including swords, then I see no problem with it. It's a hell of a lot better than when the ones who have no experience what so ever does it. Youtube is my proof :)

[sminch]

personally, i wouldn't be at all worried about it being disrespectful - my bokuto is a piece of wood, just a tool as far as i'm concerned. i take my kendo reasonably seriously but my take on this is that it's a piece of wood we're talking about, a tool, no more than a baseball bat or a golf club. i wouldn't abuse it, in the same way that i wouldn't hit gravel around with a golf club, but i don't look at it as having any particular intangible value either.

i'd be more concerned that kata probably won't look that impressive at a talent show as the stuff that matters is very subtle. sort of like singing scales at a talent show - it's difficult to do very well, and people who are knowledgeable will be impressed if you do it well, but your average person will think you look silly.

my 2c, anyway.

sminch

[MAZ77]

There are lots of people who think so. I never would wear them, at least not those I use for Kendo and Iai practise.

Naturally, I wouldnt want to get my good stuff dirty. Ill use my backup stuff for halloween. Besides, I cant think of an easier, cheaper, and more comfortable halloween costume where it doesnt matter when i spill my libations all over my inebriated self...AND i can go to sleep comfortably in it when i pass out.

[Makigai]

Its just a talent show. Its like saying you cant wear your hakama and keiko gi on halloween.

Its not a costume. Do what ever you want but if you consider you hakama and gi a halloween costume there are other issues. The other end of the problem would be wearing a Darth Vader costume to practice. While cool, its probably not a good idea.

[Kenzan]

Am I the only that thinks people might be a bit too uptight about this?


I suppose it depends largely on each person's values.

[enkorat]

This issue has come up a few times in a few different iterations in my personal experience.

I think in the end, I have come to a personal decision this way.

Wearing a keikogi and hakama is for kendo. If I am representing kendo at an event, or showing kendo at an event, I should wear the hakama and keikogi. And by "kendo" i mean this in the broadest of all terms, everything from "my senseis", "the dojo/club" or "the art".

If I am not representing kendo, like in a skit or at a costume party, I should not wear the hakama and keikogi. Yes, you could consider it from the sacred angle or the "upholding" angle, but I also look at it from a practical perspective.

If I am wearing a kendo uniform, I'm not *really* just "me". What I do reflects what kendo "is", and my actions reflect my club and my senseis, and I represent my art and my training. If I'm doing sake bomb shots at a costume party with my keikogi and hakama on, at some level the "public" associates that with kendo, and I don't think that is a good idea.

Also, a friend of mine (not related to kendo) told me that "a costume is supposed to be about something you're normally *not*" after I got lazy and wore some stuff in my closet to a costume party. Hopefully, kendo and its uniform is very much I hope a part of what I want to be, so it sort of goes against the premise of a costume.

[Paikea]

As for the bokuto and bringing it to school. You'll need to clear it with the Principal of your school since a bokuto is considered a weapon. Have your teacher accompany you to his/her office and help you explain the demo you wish to do, so you won't get in trouble for bringing it to school. Be sure to bring kendo information and pics and video if you have any, with you to further explain.Remember, different countries may have different ways...

[Paikea]

Its like saying you cant wear your hakama and keiko gi on halloween.You can't, and that's it for me in the annual Haloween hakama debate.

(actually, you can, but it's wrong)

[MAZ77]

You can't, and that's it for me in the annual Haloween hakama debate.

(actually, you can, but it's wrong)

What about white hakama after labor day?

[Paikea]

What about white hakama after labor day?Only with heels. No flats.

[Kenzan]

'tards.
(http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://harkless.org/dan/art/costumes/Halloween_2001_C/Halloween2001c-13.jpg&imgrefurl=http://harkless.org/dan/art/costumes/Halloween_2001_C/&h=640&w=480&sz=88&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=Sp-u9ABHvMtb5M:&tbnh=137&tbnw=103&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsamurai%2Bhalloween%26svnum%3D10%26um %3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN)
..

[satsumaruma]

Am I the only that thinks people might be a bit too uptight about this?

If someone who practices kendo want to do a show including swords, then I see no problem with it. It's a hell of a lot better than when the ones who have no experience what so ever does it. Youtube is my proof :)

Agreed. If you want to do it, do it. Thing is you might feel a bit of a prat doing it because no one else will 'get it'. To many people martial arts just means being able to beat someone else up - if you can't do that, you ain't doing what they think martial arts is all about. "what's the point of that?" is their clarion call.


Remember, different countries may have different ways...

Also agreed. In fact in the UKofGB&NI this can also apply to different towns.:)


Only with heels. No flats.

And they must be sling backs with at least a 4" heel - not cuban.


'tards.
(http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://harkless.org/dan/art/costumes/Halloween_2001_C/Halloween2001c-13.jpg&imgrefurl=http://harkless.org/dan/art/costumes/Halloween_2001_C/&h=640&w=480&sz=88&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=Sp-u9ABHvMtb5M:&tbnh=137&tbnw=103&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsamurai%2Bhalloween%26svnum%3D10%26um %3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN)
..

Awww he soo coo-well.

[Kaoru]

Remember, different countries may have different ways...

Yeah, that's true. :) But, I thought maybe just in case, it might be a good idea to remind about it. You never know. Here, they'd be on him like fleas take to a dog if he forgot to ask permission to bring it and explain about kendo to the Principal first, and just showed up just because a teacher said it was ok. Man, I can just see the whole fiasco now... :eek: Not only would the poor kid(Who isn't a problem kid.) be in real trouble, but the teacher would be, too.

Kaoru

[Big One]

Yes, If he bring bokken into the school without authorization, he may get arrested. Well I thought just in case he got arrest, it might be a good idea to remind him that we will find a lawyer online for him. Otherwise, man I can see the whole fiasco now, getting arrest, stay in junvenile detention until 18, transfer to real jail, get out, become a bump, doing another stupid thing, get arrest, stay in the house of the rising sun for life, never know or experience girl, love, romance, warm family. I feel sorry for the poor kid.


Oh wait a minute




I forgot he got his own parents.

Whew, I am OK now.

[Kaoru]

Yes, If he bring bokken into the school without authorization, he may get arrested. Well I thought just in case he got arrest, it might be a good idea to remind him that we will find a lawyer online for him. Otherwise, man I can see the whole fiasco now, getting arrest, stay in junvenile detention until 18, transfer to real jail, get out, become a bump, doing another stupid thing, get arrest, stay in the house of the rising sun for life, never know or experience girl, love, romance, warm family. I feel sorry for the poor kid.


Oh wait a minute




I forgot he got his own parents.

Whew, I am OK now.

You forget. Half the parents these days have no idea what their kids are even up to. They think the schools will do all the parenting...

Also, just to make a point, why do you think some kids play with wallhangers? Because the parents were stupid enough to buy them the sword and then be stupid enough to either not pay any attention to what the kid is doing with said sword, or, they actually know about it and allow it!

So, yeah, a kid may have parents but are they real parents that have half a brain to keep them out of trouble??

Meh-san, the above is not directed at you and your parents, to be very clear.

My intention is to make sure you don't inadvertently get in serious trouble. :) School officials here love to jump all over anyone they think is bad, especially if the kid isn't a troublemaker and a problem. Honestly, here, just recently, a FIVE year old got in trouble for sexual harrassment just because he ran up to his teacher and gave her a hug. The idiot teacher was nasty and mean enough to complain. She's too stupid to be allowed to teach, if you ask me! The kid ended up not being punished in the end after a huge mess. I felt sorry for the kid. What does he know about sexual harrassment?? He's only FIVE!!

Anyway...

Meh-san may or may not think or know that he should get it cleared with his parents or school officials first. It's a kinder thing to point this stuff out than let him get roasted if you ask me. School officials can be nasty people.

Kaoru

[Big One]

So his school official is nasty and because of he want to demonstrate Kendo Kata with bokken, some five year old kid get sexual harrashment now? I think? you may never know, just in case.

Since he said his teacher asked him to do it and if he got into trouble, then his teacher and his school are bad people. Do you think he should quit school? Since you have met his teacher, I guess, would you tell me is his teacher that bad?

Back to the topic,

I believe if his teacher is OK, his Sensei is OK, then it should be OK. Hey it is even a chance to promote Kendo.

[Masahiro]

you can pray to your choice of higher power (God, Allah, Buddha, etc) with possible signs of disrespect in your attutide, words, and physical actions. So it's not the action that matters, it's how you treat the event. make sense?

you got the o.k from your teacher, if your sensei "o.k" it, you are fine.

just don't do it in such a way that would make peopole group you in the same catagory as some "circus" or "traveling variety show" . ..So in other wods, do whatever it is that you decide to do with explanation and Dignity.

savvy?

[Kaoru]

So his school official is nasty and because of he want to demonstrate Kendo Kata with bokken, some five year old kid get sexual harrashment now? I think? you may never know, just in case.


Oh my goodness... :eek: You have so twisted what I wrote! I never said his school officials are nasty! I said school officials CAN be nasty. And just how did you manage to tie the kendo demo in with the harrassment thing?? The harrassment thing is meant to show how touchy school officials can be. You know that a kendo demo at school can't cause a 5 year old to be accused of sexual harrassment. *sigh*


Since he said his teacher asked him to do it and if he got into trouble, then his teacher and his school are bad people. Do you think he should quit school? Since you have met his teacher, I guess, would you tell me is his teacher that bad?Did I say his teacher was bad? No. I never even said that. Please go read my post carefully and slowly again and read for content.

And yes, school officials can be over zealous. I'm not saying his will be, but you never know. Better to do things right than not! :)

If he got into trouble, that doesn't make his teacher bad or the cause of it. The only way the teacher could end up being bad, is if the teacher complained about him bringing his bokuto to school after asking him to. But, since the teacher asked him, I think he/she wouldn't do that. Most teachers are decent, nice people. So, it makes no sense to think they would do something like that unless they actually do do a mean thing like that. Can't go assuming stuff.

Really though, you have to go through the proper protocols these days in school when you want to bring a weapon in for a demo.

Quitting school has absolutely nothing to do with this. Why did you even come up with that?

I never met his teacher and I never said the teacher was bad.



Back to the topic,

I believe if his teacher is OK, his Sensei is OK, then it should be OK. Hey it is even a chance to promote Kendo.I agree, as I also said all this above, but his Principal should also ok it too. You can't just skip the most important person at the school who will happen to be at the talent show, I am sure. School rules are school rules, and they should be followed properly. He needs to find out what they are at his school. Just because the teacher said it's ok doesn't mean the school would allow it. The teacher doesn't run the school. If the teacher doesn't clear it, he needs to. Simple.

Please don't blow what I said out of porportion. :)

Anyway, this is a silly discussion, don't you think? There is nothing wrong with steering him in the right direction in terms of letting the proper people know at his school what he wants to bring and do. :)

Kaoru

[h2o]

Jeesh, your schools have some seriously strange rules. A bokuto is a piece of sports equipment. It's killing capabilities are only slightly better than that of a floorball stick (or whatever it is called) or tennis racket. And I bet the schools have nothing against bringing that. I would not blink twice to carry my shinai, bokuto or even iaito to university or even high school (which was a while ago). Or, I would probably lock it up if I had to part with it, but I am sure the school administration wouldn't mind.

[lucy]

Jeesh, your schools have some seriously strange rules. A bokuto is a piece of sports equipment. It's killing capabilities are only slightly better than that of a floorball stick (or whatever it is called) or tennis racket. And I bet the schools have nothing against bringing that. I would not blink twice to carry my shinai, bokuto or even iaito to university or even high school (which was a while ago). Or, I would probably lock it up if I had to part with it, but I am sure the school administration wouldn't mind.

Yep, I have to take my shinai, bokken and bogu to uni because I have lectures right before practise, and the most that's happened until now were people asking what it is, in a very interested way.

I'm so glad to be in Europe... :wink:

[Sparv]

Yep, I have to take my shinai, bokken and bogu to uni because I have lectures right before practise, and the most that's happened until now were people asking what it is, in a very interested way.

I'm so glad to be in Europe... :wink:

I did the same, until I decided not to go to the lecture to have ten minutes mre of practice (but my lectures are after practice, so I was missing the ten last minutes).

After tasting the (un)usefulness of the lectures, I reorganized my priorities.

[meh]

thanks for your opinions. I convinced my teacher to let me do the Bokuto Ni Yoru Kendo Kihon waza Keiko ho with a freind(practices kendo) from another class. No kata with the Bo guy.

[satsumaruma]

Jeesh, your schools have some seriously strange rules. A bokuto is a piece of sports equipment. It's killing capabilities are only slightly better than that of a floorball stick (or whatever it is called) or tennis racket. And I bet the schools have nothing against bringing that. I would not blink twice to carry my shinai, bokuto or even iaito to university or even high school (which was a while ago). Or, I would probably lock it up if I had to part with it, but I am sure the school administration wouldn't mind.


Yep, I have to take my shinai, bokken and bogu to uni because I have lectures right before practise, and the most that's happened until now were people asking what it is, in a very interested way.

I'm so glad to be in Europe... :wink:

So, let me get this straight. In American schools you can wield a baseball bat; you can throw a javelin; possibly throw the hammer; I guess discus throwing is also fine, perhaps wear ice skates which can slice off fingers; possibly hit an ice hockey puck at a gazillion miles per hour before engaging in the true meaning of that sport which is the fighting; you can charge into each other whilst wearing helmets....

and it would not be okay to gracefully, purposefully, safely use a bokuto for the purposes of a demonstration?


How very bizarre.


And the worrying thing is - eventually Europe tends to follow Americas lead.

[Owen]

americas just stupid.

[Kagerou]

The only problem I would have with wearing my keikogi and hakama to a school demo would be the umm...odor. Eau de Kendo. It's all the rage this year.

As for halloween that's up to each person to decide where they stand.

[Manuka]

America is a big place, and organized as 50 little countries (States rights) each with their own peculiarities, organized under one large federal Govt.
The Federal laws are (supposed) to deal with functions that are common to all states, interstate transportation, Immigration, Defence, but there are lots of overlaps where it gets a little foggy, both Federal and State laws on the same subject.

Sort of how Europe has now attempted to emulate with the European Union.

The State I reside in has among the most restrictive firearms laws in the US, but the local high schools have both archery and fencing (Foil, Epee, Sabre) programs. I have participated in kendo and Iaido demonstrations and classes in area universities. So we certainly do take both bokuto and Iaito onto campuses.

Other States may not allow this.

[Gessho]

Its just a talent show. Its like saying you cant wear your hakama and keiko gi on halloween.

I don't think you should be using your hakama and keiko gi as a costume. It denigrates the art of kendo.

You're better off punching holes in a sheet and going as a ghost.