KIYAMASA
20th May 2009, 07:23 PM
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man Kendo, and he’ll teach himself to fish.
But hate you for not teaching him to feed himself for life.
That quote was from the Shido Ryu philosophy.
Many of the truths of life are best delivered in humour.
I offer a type of apology, by explanation…
It may seem that alot of my writing is laborious and unnecessarily long. Especially, that would seem to be true for the people of the mobile phone culture, (and Internet chat rooms), who write abbreviated text messages. An important point they probably miss is, the astonishing fact that most of my writing is the process of introducing a ryu, a style of Kendo. Which can’t be done in the same ‘literary format’ as a text to Mavis in the local fish and chip shop. And therefore, my WKF writings contain syllogistic that should be of more interest to dojo leaders, than to their students. The incentive of writing for students is, for students to bring my writings to the attention of those who teach them.
Example: Let’s backtrack for a moment. “Coaching.” Just a good guy, getting on in years, puts on a funny hat and shiny tracksuit top and takes some kids to play football. It gets him out of the house for some exercise, and gives the children a united purpose in an organised regime of fitness. Substitute any sport for football and the same common benefit will apply. No problem. Any society should want people to take an interest like that.
Kendo coaching. For taikai, coaching can be a valid Kendo application. Even for an association, a ‘Kendo squad’ is a good, valid group exercise. Albeit, a Kendoka is only as good as the Kendo taught in the home dojo.
The ‘coaching’ problem I’ve been trying to explain could be viewed as a reverse problem. A lack of coaching. !?! The days of the good guy who just wants to organise some exercise for children (in the UK) have gone. Hence the big national scandal (including in the US) of pandemic obesity.
And politics in Kendo? Yeah! Great stuff! In the promotion of my dojo I’m a clever man. For alot of years Peter West represented me, politically in all matters relating to the BKA. He’s not only a highly educated man he’s also a political genius, which he should be as 7th dan. The dan grade system is what serves m/arts as a political system.
The real point, the real danger I’ve been trying to explain in the WKF is, a system of politics that has been applied, to Kendo and to every form of sport, that demands a prior political surrender. In other words, a political doctrine, totalitarian, that holds a policy of closing down the activities of any sport, or person, even Kendo, that does not surrender to that doctrine.
Let’s use another quote. I’m not sure of its origin. But, it’s good…
Those who can, do.
Those who can’t, teach.
Those who can’t teach, teach teachers to teach.
Those who can’t teach teachers to teach, administrate.
A variation on that theme…
Those who can teach Kendo, do.
Those who can’t teach Kendo, coach.
Those who can’t coach, teach Kendo teachers to coach.
Those who can’t coach coaches of Kendo teachers to coach…
Administrate by expelling Kendo teachers for not coaching.
The point being, a question: Where does a power of administration come from, as an authority that gives people in the world of Kendo the right to expel teachers of Kendo from their national associations, especially for not conforming to that authority of Kendo?
The obvious answer to that question is: The political authority of Kendo in Japan, which governs the dan grade system.
Japanese Kendo authority should not be able to be replaced by anyone, or group. Least of all by a system of people taking their authority to expel Kendoka and dojo from their national associations, from a power source of administration that has nothing to do with Kendo what-so-ever.
Or, put it another way…
Is there another dojo like mine in the UK? Would the Japanese Kendo authorities wish to expel my dojo? Or, even find some reason to do so? I’ve not got a free venue in a school. I’ve run a walk-in Kendo dojo ! in a publicly owned sports centre for nearly 30 years… Albeit, I have to hire. I’ve avoided dan grade politics, but I have represented Kendo politically during the twinning of my town, Gillingham, with two towns in Japan.
Before you comment (in the WKF) on this article/subject, ask yourself a question. Are you a teacher of Kendo, with a dojo? Or, are you a student of Kendo, attending a dojo? There is a big difference in the perspectives. If you’re a student in a dojo, you need only recognise your dojo as being your Kendo authority. But, if you have a dojo, you have no choice but to look outside your dojo for what you view to be your guiding authority of Kendo. Japanese Kendo authority is 100% potential. But, if you lose it…
Poor is the man, who sees himself as no more than the poverty of others.
Hatamoto dojo: UK. Phil Wright: Shido Ryu.
Teach a man Kendo, and he’ll teach himself to fish.
But hate you for not teaching him to feed himself for life.
That quote was from the Shido Ryu philosophy.
Many of the truths of life are best delivered in humour.
I offer a type of apology, by explanation…
It may seem that alot of my writing is laborious and unnecessarily long. Especially, that would seem to be true for the people of the mobile phone culture, (and Internet chat rooms), who write abbreviated text messages. An important point they probably miss is, the astonishing fact that most of my writing is the process of introducing a ryu, a style of Kendo. Which can’t be done in the same ‘literary format’ as a text to Mavis in the local fish and chip shop. And therefore, my WKF writings contain syllogistic that should be of more interest to dojo leaders, than to their students. The incentive of writing for students is, for students to bring my writings to the attention of those who teach them.
Example: Let’s backtrack for a moment. “Coaching.” Just a good guy, getting on in years, puts on a funny hat and shiny tracksuit top and takes some kids to play football. It gets him out of the house for some exercise, and gives the children a united purpose in an organised regime of fitness. Substitute any sport for football and the same common benefit will apply. No problem. Any society should want people to take an interest like that.
Kendo coaching. For taikai, coaching can be a valid Kendo application. Even for an association, a ‘Kendo squad’ is a good, valid group exercise. Albeit, a Kendoka is only as good as the Kendo taught in the home dojo.
The ‘coaching’ problem I’ve been trying to explain could be viewed as a reverse problem. A lack of coaching. !?! The days of the good guy who just wants to organise some exercise for children (in the UK) have gone. Hence the big national scandal (including in the US) of pandemic obesity.
And politics in Kendo? Yeah! Great stuff! In the promotion of my dojo I’m a clever man. For alot of years Peter West represented me, politically in all matters relating to the BKA. He’s not only a highly educated man he’s also a political genius, which he should be as 7th dan. The dan grade system is what serves m/arts as a political system.
The real point, the real danger I’ve been trying to explain in the WKF is, a system of politics that has been applied, to Kendo and to every form of sport, that demands a prior political surrender. In other words, a political doctrine, totalitarian, that holds a policy of closing down the activities of any sport, or person, even Kendo, that does not surrender to that doctrine.
Let’s use another quote. I’m not sure of its origin. But, it’s good…
Those who can, do.
Those who can’t, teach.
Those who can’t teach, teach teachers to teach.
Those who can’t teach teachers to teach, administrate.
A variation on that theme…
Those who can teach Kendo, do.
Those who can’t teach Kendo, coach.
Those who can’t coach, teach Kendo teachers to coach.
Those who can’t coach coaches of Kendo teachers to coach…
Administrate by expelling Kendo teachers for not coaching.
The point being, a question: Where does a power of administration come from, as an authority that gives people in the world of Kendo the right to expel teachers of Kendo from their national associations, especially for not conforming to that authority of Kendo?
The obvious answer to that question is: The political authority of Kendo in Japan, which governs the dan grade system.
Japanese Kendo authority should not be able to be replaced by anyone, or group. Least of all by a system of people taking their authority to expel Kendoka and dojo from their national associations, from a power source of administration that has nothing to do with Kendo what-so-ever.
Or, put it another way…
Is there another dojo like mine in the UK? Would the Japanese Kendo authorities wish to expel my dojo? Or, even find some reason to do so? I’ve not got a free venue in a school. I’ve run a walk-in Kendo dojo ! in a publicly owned sports centre for nearly 30 years… Albeit, I have to hire. I’ve avoided dan grade politics, but I have represented Kendo politically during the twinning of my town, Gillingham, with two towns in Japan.
Before you comment (in the WKF) on this article/subject, ask yourself a question. Are you a teacher of Kendo, with a dojo? Or, are you a student of Kendo, attending a dojo? There is a big difference in the perspectives. If you’re a student in a dojo, you need only recognise your dojo as being your Kendo authority. But, if you have a dojo, you have no choice but to look outside your dojo for what you view to be your guiding authority of Kendo. Japanese Kendo authority is 100% potential. But, if you lose it…
Poor is the man, who sees himself as no more than the poverty of others.
Hatamoto dojo: UK. Phil Wright: Shido Ryu.