SUMI SENSEI

[misterkurukuru]

Sumi sensei just paid so cal a visit. I was just wondering who did keiko with him and what did you think of his kendo.

[M.K. Kawai]

I practiced with him on wednesday at Venice. Very solid and strong Kendo. His men was fast :eek: But, I had great time :happy: He was also really cool to talk to afterwards. Gave a lot of great advice on how to improve your Kendo.

MKK

[Tachi]

He was in Charleston, SC last weekend and led the AUSKF Summer Camp Seminar, and I thought he was AWESOME...and VERY nice also!

[KendoShiai]

I practiced with him at the Citidel as well and the thing I found the most refreshing, was to find such a high ranked Sensei that was as fluent as he is in English. I did not have to rely on a translator to paraphrase what he was saying.

Eddie Miller
Orlando Kendo Kai

[Tachi]

Just a note...The Citadel is a military college in Charleston, SC where the above mentioned Seminar took place. I hope the sticky floor didn't affect you too much Eddie! :eek:

[KendoShiai]

Actually it only made my feet a little sore. I have been at this many many years so I was a little more prepared than most. I did however see many students there that had the entire bottom of their feet covered in blisters. Pla Sensei from Maimi had a torn toenail and had to have it taped up really really good. The hardest part was actually during the testing when I was the only one on the floor and had to actually do perfect Kendo in front of the judges. By then my feet were all red and ready to become blisted. But I never did actually get blistered. It took me almost 2 days to be able to walk straight again though.

[Tachi]

I saw Pla Sensei's toe, pretty nasty. I know he really toughed it out in the testing on Sunday! You don't happen to know if Strawn Sensei from Charlotte(prosthetic leg) was promoted do you? I wasn't able to stick around for the whole thing.

[KendoShiai]

Unfortunitally, I say this with my head bowed, No he did not. Its a shame. Also neither did Meada Sensei Of Sweat Water. Arai Sensei did make it as did Mike Quin and Scott Brooks and myself.

Eddie Miller
Orlando Kendo Kai

[m_french]

I practiced with the Sumi-san on Wednesday as well. I thought that his emphasis on focusing the energy through the strike and forgeting about everything else probably helped me with the testing on Sunday.

Sumi Rocks! :beard:

[Neil Gendzwill]

Unfortunitally, I say this with my head bowed, No he did not. Its a shame. Also neither did Meada Sensei Of Sweat Water. Arai Sensei did make it as did Mike Quin and Scott Brooks and myself.


Congratulations, Eddie.

[KendoShiai]

Thanks Neil. I humble before all... but seriously, the seminar was great. His focus was on "CUTTING" Kendo not on point Kendo and that alone made the trip worth while. He made me think about a lot of other things. I now see things a little differently when I practice and I look weather or not the Ippon would actually cut. Also I now see where my own Kendo is now headed for the future. Sumi Sensei is a great man indeed and we were truly blessed to be with him. Also on a side note for anyone else that knows Ken Ogawa Sensei of San Francisco Kendo Dojo, I had him down to my place here last Wed. night. Also a very enlightened gentleman. We had a great workout for about 2.5 hours. We mainly worked on the new Kihon Waza that was taught at the seminar but it was still great none the lest.

Eddie Miller
Orlando Kendo Kai

[m_french]

Also on a side note for anyone else that knows Ken Ogawa Sensei of San Francisco Kendo Dojo, I had him down to my place here last Wed. night. Also a very enlightened gentleman. We had a great workout for about 2.5 hours. We mainly worked on the new Kihon Waza that was taught at the seminar but it was still great none the lest.

Eddie Miller
Orlando Kendo Kai
Ogawa sensei is a tough dude alright. I knew him when I practiced up north. His brother george was a member of the same dojo I was at (dude hit one hard men......ouch!). For the guy in the other thread who wanted to know if it was too late to start kendo @ 15, george ogawa started the same time as me and Hongsermeier.....he was 54.:beard:

[Hongsermeier]

Ogawa sensei is a tough dude alright. I knew him when I practiced up north. His brother george was a member of the same dojo I was at (dude hit one hard men......ouch!). For the guy in the other thread who wanted to know if it was too late to start kendo @ 15, george ogawa started the same time as me and Hongsermeier.....he was 54.:beard:


A little clarification. George was 54, not M_French and myself. We started practicing kendo at the same time. I'm old enough french, don't need any help getting older. :cross_eye

[Miyu]

Pla Sensei from Maimi had a torn toenail and had to have it taped up really really good.

Eddie,
Tell your Sensei congratulations for me. I was the other Kendoka with harboring the a hurt toe. I even bled on the court during my testing. Quite embarassing, but I passed so it's ok.

But back on subject, Sumi-Sensei is probably one of the best sensei's I've ever met. He's an excellent kendoist and knows how to explain things well so it's clear and concise. He's also really funny and friendly.

[KendoShiai]

Actually Pla Sensei is not my Sensei only a good and dear freind. As for the blistered feet, there were actually so many I could not tell who actually everyone was by their feet. I mean, I saw some Go Dans and such that had nice water blisters going on. Thats tough. But still they perservired and it all came clean after it was over. Sumi Sensei is a very funny person both on and off the floor. Any one who did not get to at least meet this great gentalman truly missed out on a lot of things and I don't meen just about Kendo.

Eddie Miller
Orlando Kendo Kai

[Kaoru]

Hi!

I was there at the seminar too. Sumi-sensei, I agree, is really friendly! I was the most junior Kenshi there, and he was still very nice to me. I didn't get to work with him because I am not in bogu yet, but I got to talk to him at the dinner party, when I was introduced to him. (There was no way I was going to approach him myself. I'm too junior. One sensei talked me into it.) He was really friendly, and even explained to me about Kensen, which I hadn't known about until he told me about it. I really liked him a lot. I can't comment on any sparring, because I am not in bogu, but, watching them do the kata was cool. They have such strong technique and zanshin! I thought Sumi-sensei really had some really interesting things to say and think about on learning kata.

Ogawa-sensei is cool. He came over and worked with me during Ji-keiko. He was very nice and I learned a lot from him, too.

The seminar was really worth going to, even though the seminar was only my second time doing Kendo, since I left my old dojo. I learned a lot there.

I wonder if I met any of you there. I was the short one with glasses, and no bogu.

Kaoru