is it right to be in kendo and simultaneously being a gaijin?

[kageXkaze]

Erm... Im just wondering... Is it right for a gaijin to go into kendo... Does anyone in this forum get picked on because they are something other than japanese. My friend told me he was and now I'm reconsidering not joining kendo... Help?

[kageXkaze]

Hi... Im considering joining kendo but at the moment quite iffy about it... The reason is is because im not exactly japanese and my friend not exactly japanese either told me that they discriminate... I'm not passing any judgements or saying anything suggestive but I have been discriminzed once... do I really have anything to worry about??? =_=; Please be serious about answering...

[Shiro]

don't worry about discrimination, there are lots of gaijin practicing kendo.

[Musha]

Hi... Im considering joining kendo but at the moment quite iffy about it... The reason is is because im not exactly japanese and my friend not exactly japanese either told me that they discriminate... I'm not passing any judgements or saying anything suggestive but I have been discriminzed once... do I really have anything to worry about??? =_=; Please be serious about answering...

Hi Kage,

Well that is a strange question to ask when about 98% of people here are not Japanese :smiley:.
I just returned from a great time in Japan. Going to a Japanese Dojyo where the people were really kind to me and happy to explain in Japanese, any of the things I wanted to know.
The only thing that I am worried about is Japanese people learning kendo from the age of 5 or 7. I guess I will have a time trying to beat them but that is part of the fun :wink:.

One more point, I guess you are American, if you wanted to learn a sport other than say, base-ball, American football or other none American sport. Would you have any worry about doing that?
That is why they have the Olympics or world wide sports competitions including the Kendo world championships recently held in scotland. So people from other countries can compete with each other, how ever good at that sport that country is.

Finally recently one of the top Sumo rikishi Yokozuna wrestlers was retired. He was Hawaiian :cool:.

As I said in another post, if you take an interest in learning and it helps knowing a little Japanese. Technique names and I find knowing parts of the body useful too you will have more fun.

[mingshi]

Dude, Welcome to kendo world forums. Please stop cross-posting!!

All the dojo (9) I have practiced in has a 70-99% gaijin proportion. The dojo I m at now only got me looking asian!! Should I feel discriminated by that huh? (I think the answer is yes... people should stop having their pick-up lines in Japanese...ggrrrr)

Maybe if you are into learning Noh or becoming a Geisha than you should start worrying... :rolleyes:

[kendokamax]

there is surely some descrimination some times

But thats ok, I always try to break these prejudices/descriminations in a positive way. People are people.

[kageXkaze]

Sorry about my cross-post... Thank you I just needed some reassurance ( sorry again)

[Kaoru]

Hi... Im considering joining kendo but at the moment quite iffy about it... The reason is is because im not exactly japanese and my friend not exactly japanese either told me that they discriminate... I'm not passing any judgements or saying anything suggestive but I have been discriminzed once... do I really have anything to worry about??? =_=; Please be serious about answering...


Hi!

No, they don't discriminate. I've never heard of that in Kendo. Heck, you're also in the US, so you'll find Americans in whatever dojo you chose. I think your friend should not say things unless he has actually been to a practice and seen it for him/herself. I think people get too hung up on discrimination. It's like feeling sorry for onesself. Ugh. Just go for it and have fun, and I know you'll be welcomed no problem. :)

Kaoru

[Claidheamh]

I have corrected more than a few Japanese (politely and firmly) when I have been called Gaijin while in the U.S.
Im not a damn foreigner in the country I was born in.

[Yowai]

Arg.

kageXkaze: Japanese sensei will usually play favorites with Japanese beginners. This preference is mostly attributed to language barriers, but there might be some racial motivations. I woudn't go as far as calling this discrimination.

Claidheamh: May I suggest that you stop taking the term literally? A "gaijin" is a person that is not Japanese, and this understanding is homogeneous in any country. Don't be taking out your dictionary and arguing.

[Alicia]

Erm... Im just wondering... Is it right for a gaijin to go into kendo... Does anyone in this forum get picked on because they are something other than japanese. My friend told me he was and now I'm reconsidering not joining kendo... Help?
we only have one japanese guy in our club, everyone else is non japanese, including our sensei. needless to say no-one gets picked on because of their race. im unexperienced as to other clubs and places, does this sort of thing actually happen? what type of picking on?
id say go ahead and join kendo, its great, if someone tries to wreck it ignore them, its not worth missing out on kendo because of some stupid people

[Claidheamh]

Arg.

kageXkaze: Japanese sensei will usually play favorites with Japanese beginners. This preference is mostly attributed to language barriers, but there might be some racial motivations. I woudn't go as far as calling this discrimination.

Claidheamh: May I suggest that you stop taking the term literally? A "gaijin" is a person that is not Japanese, and this understanding is homogeneous in any country. Don't be taking out your dictionary and arguing.

Oh, I see your argument, If I take it as it is meant, and as the dictionary define it YOUR WRONG!
I may have to agree im a gaijin while im in Japan, but not the States, fool.
Im surprised that someone that is so much of a candy ass about people using Kanji and how inappropriate it is would be accepting of this term...
But then maybe your a JA who likes to waddle the line or straddle the fence, in Japanese Company, your Japanese and not considered a gaijin, but in the states you would be offended if a caucasion called you Japanese..."Oh how could they infer im not an American just because I look Asian"... cant have it both ways fool.

[Yowai]

You ran off to the dictionary even as I warned you not to do just that?

When interspersing a Japanese terms with English, the context of the Japanese term has to be considered instead of the using the most direct literal translation. A gaijin is a person that does not look Japanese or does not speak Japanese without an accent. If the definition "foreigner" is meant, "foreigner" is used. "Gaijin" is not identical to "foreigner" outside of Japan when used with English, with "gaijin" being polymorphic compared to "foreigner."

You, under a misconception that you have a better grasp of multi-linguistics, actually warned some Japanese people? You must be a pleasant person.

[hamish]

If anyone gets picked on, its got nothing to do with kendo per se, just plain old racism. Happily those kinds of people are few and far between in kendo circles.

If your friend got picked on in kendo class, that reflects very badly on the teacher, please don't think it extends to kendo in general.

Hamish

[Shazzanzzz]

oh my god. I can't believe i'm gonna say this, but i agree with Yowai on this one. Gaijin refers to people that's not Japanese, so, it can be used in any country.

Chinese has a similar term, which literally means outside country man, it doesn't mean man outside THIS country, it mean man outside MY country of origin.

It's just a generalized term anyway, Claidheamh, you shouldn't be offended by it.


As being non-Japanese doing kendo, most of the people i know that does kendo in the US isn't Japanese. I odnt know if your friend is really discriminated against. Maybe he just didn't understand the Japanese they were saying? or felt left out when the other memebers talked in Japanese?

[dorkusxmaximus]

You act like you're the first "foreigner" going to join kendo. Discrimination happens everywhere. That's life. You'll see the least of it in kendo. I don't think you should make a judgement about kendo based on hearsay from your friend. Try kendo out for yourself and see if you get discriminated. I probably once had the same silly fear as you about other things, but I was proved wrong. Exactly, in what way was he discriminated? Like someone said something to him, or was he just paranoid because he saw the teacher conversate with the Japanese students only?

[aikanaro]

I have found no discrimination in other dojos so far, japanese or "gaijin"... At our dojo there's only one japanese and one korean students... go on and give it a try, I don't think you'll have problems with that...

[Jagaimo]

[QUOTE=Shazzanzzz]oh my god. I can't believe i'm gonna say this, but i agree with Yowai on this one. Gaijin refers to people that's not Japanese, so, it can be used in any country.

Chinese has a similar term, which literally means outside country man, it doesn't mean man outside THIS country, it mean man outside MY country of origin.QUOTE]

Yeah, if you read all of his posts, he has his moments.