Your objective(s) in kendo?

[kendokamax]

What are your objectives in kendo???

My short short term objective is to enjoy every keiko I have, by doing crazy kendo (without much seme). Just jump around, reach and hit targets without the best of the form etc.. I want to enjoy my youth days of kendo!

My short-middle-long term objective is to make team canada in a few years :)
It's going to be hard(almost impossible) but I will give everything I have to attein such level......that is, if I don't give up kendo before (everything is possible in life).

My long objective is to have "proper" kendo.

[cklin]

My long term goal is to be able to hit men like Fukumoto-sensei. :)

More practically, my goal is to continue to train so that I can better help those that come to my dojo after me.

--------------
Kendokamax: It's great to hear you're aspiring to the canadian team! I think if you keep practicing fumikomi while you're walking down the street you've got the right attitude that'll take you far.

If you were at the 11th WKC or are going to the 12th, you should take a look at the Hawaiian team. Last year, they put all new guys on the team -- very young -- so that they could get experience. It was great watching them hanging tough amidst some stiff competition.

[alexpollijr]

Again the same question.

I have no objective other than practice itself. Often, I set up pseudo-objective to each renshu, things like "Today the aim is to strike a longer-reaching shomen" or "today Id be happy if I can make a perfect debana kote or yoko men".

I pretty much you will reach your long term objective by doing sloppy kendo. The correct way is to first learn the rules, then you bend them. Fortunately when I was a beginner sensei would not let me do sloppy kendo without whacking me throughly - and still from time to time I get a good beating because of head bobbing and overall dodgyness.

I suggest you rethink the way you are approaching your noble objective, so that they maybe will come a little closer. ANd maybe you'll avoid irritating yer mates and end up in the receiving end of repeated tsuki strikes.


Sorry if sounded like ye olde teacher from your early school days :)

[kendokamax]

:)

I still have a looooong way before i can participate in world champ:P (first must get 2dan, but before that must get 1stdan! )

I would really like to go watch thought!
world championship in 2006 will be held where?? in asia?

[kendokamax]

hmmm when I say I want to do sloppy kendo right now, the reason is: later on I will not have the physical ability to do so. It's not really sloppy but just stupid kendo. Here in north america people only have 1 or 2 step in their kendo life. They start old so they will never try to do stupid techniques and will go straight in doing straight and "pure" kendo. I think when you are young it is a waste of time to do this kind of pure kendo! When you look at the evolution of kendo from someone from japan, these guys have the chance to make more steps in their personal evolution. In high school they jump like crazy (almost no seme at all) it's just about hiting and speed, in university it gets a bit more straight etc.....


The only thing i want is to have fun using crazy techniques (useless movements) for the time i still can do them. That way later on I will be able to know more of what bad habbits i have to throw off of my kendo and the ones that I must carry on (which i will later on also throw off). For me It's like a try and error thing...


I have a lot of time ahead.

[deanoclark]

there is a proverb of some sort that sums up my goal, both long and short term in kendo

'to be better than the day before'

[cklin]

kendokamax: i kind of agree w/ alex actually... if you take all the energy you're putting into doing "stupid kendo" and channel it into doing "pure kendo" your kendo will improve much faster, no?

i guess trial and error is a good way to learn something if you don't know what it is you're supposed to be learning. but if you have a mental picture of what "pure kendo" is, then why not just try to learn that?

[kendokamax]

Yes I agree, I'm pretty sure it would improve faster if I would put my energy into doing "pure kendo". But to tell you the truth I find it personaly boring to do that kind of kendo right now. I really want to make different steps in my kendo "career".

I think my kendo will eventualy mature when I will see by myself by experimenting that I'm doing the wrong things.

However, I just want to point out, even if I'm saying I want to use crazy techniques , i am a strong believer that having a good foward men uchi helps a lot in kendo. Since most of the other techniques use the same motion (of going foward lool).

...

hm also not too long ago I was actually doing a more straight kind of kendo. It was more clear and of less useless movements, more slow paced. I was winning most of my matches and shiai. But the problem is that I became lazy and wasn't attacking as much anymore. I was also getting scared of getting ippon from someone and was caring too much about ippon during jikeiko. I felt I couldn't improve by being that way and holding back and not attacking during jikeiko (I was pissed at myself!). That's why now i'm saying I want to do a more active and agressive kendo, a kendo without as much preparation (seme) but just keep hiting the targets when they are slighty open. A little like kakari keiko. So one of the reason why I don't want to do "pure kendo" yet, is because when I do it I care too much about ippon. When you go fast and do techniques that are not always ippon "giver" you don't have time to care as much about scoring or geting 1 ippon against you.

That's the way I see that I can improve my kendo for now.

Still straight and pure kendo will always be 100% more efficient in shiai.

Maybe I'm doing it all wrong lol

[Kuri]

kendokamax: Experimentation is good, but you are only doing yourself a dis-service. Along the way, you're going to pick up a lot of bad habits that are going to be difficult to overcome in the future. IMHO you're taking a step backwards rather than forward in developing your kendo.

[Matthew Lagden]

Surely the aim should be to do the best, purest kendo you can. Otherwise you are just hitting people with a stick, which anyone could do.

[JSchmidt]

Why, to rule the world of course!

[Matthew Lagden]

I see. The Dojo is a secret training organization for James Bond style super villain henchmen is it? Cool - where do I sign?

I can just see our Sensei stroking a white cat as he drops people in a shark tank....

[David J]

I've tried to be definite here, to challenge myself.

1. To get to Kendo every week, regardless of work (difficult)
2. To be an asset to my club
3. To always improve (even if only a tiny bit)
4. To be honest about my shortcomings
5. To help and inspire others in their Kendo
6. To gain focus and mushin

And longer term

7. To make it to "an experienced grade"
8. To land a cut on my sensei without him letting me :D

<rei>

Dave

[Ares2907]

Kendokamax:
I think Kuri and the others have made some salient points in response to your posts. It's certainly food for thought, so I have some questions for you.

When doing 'crazy kendo', how often do you throw yourself onto your opponent's shinai because you had no seme and he held centre?

How often when you are jumping around does someone hit you with a debana technique, or some other effective shikake waza?

How do you see the overall quality of your kendo compared with when you were practising straight cuts and economy of movement?

Are you not concerned that the bad habits you are getting into now will detract from your kendo, rather than add to it?


When I see someone doing this sort of kendo, I am filled with an overwhelming urge to take them apart piece by piece to show them just how ineffective it really is. I don't always do it - but if I feel they might learn something, they get a smackdown.

Hey, where did this soapbox come from?

Anyway, erm. . .my goals in kendo:
Short term:
*Make the Australian team headed for Glasgow next year
*Earn my 4Dan

I have goals that I try and achieve at every training, sometimes I do, sometimes not. IMNSHO - the most important thing about goals is a) to make sure they are clear and specific, b) to make sure that they are beneficial to what you are trying to achieve overal.

Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

[ben]

Good points Ares.

One thought though. Maybe Kendokamax is trying to put more sutemi into his kendo. It is possible to do this and not lose all "purity". I sense that may be why he became unsatisfied at his complacency. This is always a danger when you train with people equal or lower than you in skill/experiecne, or become overly familiar with a small number of people's keiko (a problem most of us gaijin-kendoka face). His way of expressing it in words is maybe what made it sound like a backwards step.

BTWIMHO there's no such thing as perfection through practice. There's just practice.

^_^

b

[KhawMengLee]

hmmnnn...

short term goals:

Pass my grading this weekend.
Fix up my footwork which lags half way into training.

Long term goals:

To represent Malaysia in the WKT.

To get hachidan.(yes, everyone says it is nearly impossible for a non-japanese to get it but...)

Fidel Castro implemented some policies to strengthen Cuba. The most interesting two was to have 100% literacy and medical aid per person. Now these were impossible goals but in striving for it they reached levels that far surpassed their previous levels.

Cuba has more medical aid(doctors, dentists,etc) available per person than the USA. And their literary rate increased more than 300%.

heh, I may not reach hachidan but hopefully I will improve further striving for it:D

MENG

[kendokamax]

sorry but what does sutemi mean?

ben you are right, it is true, most of the people I train with that we are all at the same level. I feel that if sometimes I don't train in this kind of crazy way I lose something important. We don't have that many high grading people in our kendo comunity here so I try to do different things, and not just do it the japanese way of learning(which is learning by mimicing everyone else in your dojo). We just can't do that so we have to think more about the way we do our personal training.

What i'm doing actually is a bit like kakari keiko. I want to learn how to hit without thinking! (becoming a machine) if I try to hit like crazy using useless techniques I will learn how to hit targets in different positions at the right moment. It will become like a second nature to me. Before when I was trying to do "pure" kendo I was thinking way too much of what I would go for. It wasn't natural enough. I want to learn to hit without hesitation, always attacking trying to get ippon every 2-3 seconds. This kind of practice works well against people with less experience, and it makes me develops some aspect in my kendo. I can't do it agaisnt people that are way better than me because they don't move and keep the center. In these case I change my kendo and go back to a more traditional kendo.

It is actually really hard to put in words what i'm trying to do !
---

Yes I received sometimes tsuki when I was jumping without thinking too much. It was a bit dangerous, but helped me being less afraid. Debana techniques? I don't mind being hit by debana techniques when i'm doing keiko! I don't mind IPPON ( I do, but try not tooo much)!

During shiai of course i'm doing more carefull, I had my lesson 2 tournaments ago, when I was doing men uchi without thinking. The guy had then no problem adjusting himself to my timing and hit debana kote on me. I did adjust my shiai kendo for that.

There is a difference between shiai kendo and jikeiko kendo is there not?

[ben]

Sutemi means 'to go for broke' or 'to risk everything', in the sense of not holding anything back. It can also mean suicidal, but with a purpose. 'Crash-or-crash-through', maybe. And in a sense I suppose it can imply throwing away what you've learned (in a positive sense), which seems to be what you're doing...

b

[kendokamax]

ah ok I see

Yes that's right I tried to hold back the less often..2-3 weeks ago I always holded back too much my attacks...

Actually, it's been only 2-3 practices i'm back to this suicidal kendo and I enjoy it a lot for the moment. I had such a fun fight today against my sensei.

happy kendo!

[Ares2907]

Originally posted by ben
Good points Ares.

One thought though. Maybe Kendokamax is trying to put more sutemi into his kendo. [snippage] This is always a danger when you train with people equal or lower than you in skill/experiecne, or become overly familiar with a small number of people's keiko (a problem most of us gaijin-kendoka face).


re sutemi, Very possibly. I wondered about that myself. The small dojo numbers thing can potentially really stifle your progression, especially at the earlier stages, so in that sense, mixing it up is good.
In Japan, most sho/chu gakkou kendo students training seems to consist of about 90% uchikomi/kakari geiko, which doesn't call for the degree of seme that keiko can do, so perhaps in a sense, perhaps kendokamax is trying to get that sort of feel from his training, my concern was more about the formation of bad habits that may accompany this sort of training. I wouldn't wish ingrained kendo bad habits on anyone. . .well not too many people anyway.




BTWIMHO there's no such thing as perfection through practice. There's just practice.
^_^

b

I was talking more about goals n stuff :p
There's the unending pursuit of perfection, not necessarily the attainment of it. The day I do the perfect men cut is the day I stop doing kendo.

[Ares2907]

Oops, posted before I read the second page of the thread - makes my last post kinda redundant.
-Ares2907

[Jerry Wellbrock]

There is an expression that deals with progression in Japanese martial arts in general......Shu-Ha-ri....

Shu....means to obey or to protect....it is means that the beginning student obeys or accepts instruction and correction from his sensei without question....it's emphasis is on the developement of the basics for a solid foundation to build on....

Ha.....generally refers to the newer yudansha ranks and means to break free or to ask why.....it is in this stage that the student with a solid foundation begins to question their sensei about everything....it is very difficult for the sensei but a growing period for the student...in this stage the student also has begun to take part in the instruction of younger/newer students

Ri....occurs when the advanced yudansha has learned practically all they can from their sensei and are ready to break free....to experiement and develope on their own.....

This process of Shu Ha Ri is not necessarily in a linear fashion but is more like circles that overlap each other in each of the stages....

I once hear a story about a kendo student who engage is a match with his old sensei....every time the student would try to strike his sensei he would be dealt a blow before every landing a technique......afterwards the student questioned his sensei....."Sensei am I not younger than you"...Yes was the reply....."Sensei am I not stronger than you"....Yes was the reply...."Sensei am I not a lot faster than you".....Again Yes was the reply......"Sensei then why is it that every time I try to strike you I feel your strike before I ever touch you'......the old sensei looked at his young student and said...."It is really very simple....every time you move you take two steps and I only take one"......:confused:

[kendo_chick]

My goal as a new kendo player and a female, is to one day be on the women's Team Canada, and maybe someday, do Nito Ryu as one of the the only woman in the world to do it.

[Ares2907]

Originally posted by kendokamax

[snippage
Yes I received sometimes tsuki when I was jumping without thinking too much. It was a bit dangerous, but helped me being less afraid. Debana techniques? I don't mind being hit by debana techniques when i'm doing keiko! I don't mind IPPON ( I do, but try not tooo much)!

[more snippage]

There is a difference between shiai kendo and jikeiko kendo is there not?


Being hit is fine during keiko, however I feel that if you don't contemplate the reasons behind why you were hit, you waste a valueable opportunity to improve your kendo. You may be working on something completely different, and yet paying attention to the reasons why you are hit can help with increasing your effectiveness immensely. This was sort of where I was leading with my original post.
-Ares2907

[ben]

My medium term goal is to get back to Japan sometime in the next 2-3 years and make my first (hopefully successful) attempt at 5 dan. It's a bit of a daunting step because I would be by far the least experienced (in terms of years of training) 5 dan in the country. So in doing so I would have to face a lot of personal demons about feeling worthy of the grade. But then, I've got my goal, the rest, I suppose, is part of the journey.

b

[Confound]

Kendomax...
it onlyt hakes 2nd dan for that? I'm surprised the qualifications are so LOW. please tell me it's only that way in canada.. surely other countries must have mkore stringent rules? (i'm canadian if it matters, this is why the info concerns me..)

c

[kendokamax]

yes guys must at least be second dan and 19 years old to try out for team canada.

and women has to be at least first dan and 18 years old.

I think the qualification are low because there isn't that many young people with high grades in canada. So they give the chances to more people to participate in the selections. But even if the qualification is low, not everyone with second dan and up tries out.

[Confound]

ouch. that's pathetic. i'm ashamed on behalf of team canada. i'm going to crawl into a hole and bury my face in the dirt now. really, I'm not Canadian, people! i'm, uh, uhm, Swedish. yeah, that's it.

c

[alexpollijr]

You shouldn't. Team Canada is very strong, placed third in the last WKC.

[kendokamax]

argh.

Confound what are you talking about....

[cklin]

Yeah, Canada's teams (both men's AND women's) kick some serious @ss.

Well, I kinda wished that Matthew Raymond would play itto kendo though... I'm guessing his itto kendo is a lot more graceful... But I suppose you don't get good at nito by not playing it! :)

[Confound]

Kendoukamax,

I've been away from the forums for a while, and I didn't see your post until today... but my face blanched when I read it. "Boring"? Good kendou is "boring"? If you have that attitude you'll be a long time in getting your sho-dan. Good luck with hopping around like a bird with an arrow in its heart, and randomly striking things in your test. I'll tell you right now that it will get you flunked.

If you want to pass your exams, enjoy the 'crazy kendou' as you describe it in breathless terms, but at the same time, cultivate the more technical aspects. As many senseis have said to me, if the problems with basic fundamental aspects of kendou are not corrected in the beginning, they get harder and harder to correct. It's the same for anything. As you make a practice of this 'crazy kendou' it will grow on you, like a wart. When the time come sthat you want to do 'boring' 'pure kendou' as you like to call it, you will find that the things you embraced as 'fun' will now hamper your progress.

There is a place for fun in kendou, but we must respect the history and levity of the budo. If i decided one day that I wanted to do all my kendou like some idiot in a manga I saw, then that would be just great, but it wouldn't be kendou. It would be me hopping around looking like an idiot and my senseis relegating me to the ranks of 'useless space wasters'. Maybe your teachers are more open minded, but it took me a whole year to get the respect of a group of old, nana dan senseis, and I wouldn't trade that for any amount of 'crazy kendou' of my 'youthful years'.

That said, I'm sure that your dojo associates particularly enjoy the openings and weaknesses created by this 'crazy kendou'. perhaps you make an excellent swatting dummy, and that's why no one has advised you to fix up your waza.

k

(equal opportunity week strikes again.)

[Ares2907]

maybe chanbara might be more his thing.

[AlexM]

Confound,
Your last post was hilarious. I'll let Max respond to this but I know our entire dojo is going to get a kick out of this. You simply have no idea what you're talking about. I'll go into detail if Max lets me because I really want to say something but can't just now.
I'm still laughing.

[KhawMengLee]

So begins this Clone/Flame War, hmmnn.

*sits back, popcorn ready, watches events unfold*

[Confound]

I know exactly what I'm talking about. Unstructured kendou is not worth the time, and those who prefer to throw waza and correctness to the wind will reap the rewards on their exams.

c

[Kuri]

Originally posted by Confound
I know exactly what I'm talking about. Unstructured kendou is not worth the time, and those who prefer to throw waza and correctness to the wind will reap the rewards on their exams.
c

So, you are saying that practically all junior and senior high school students in Japan are lost causes???

Your black and white view of the world may be impairing your ability to openly accept (and analyse of course) information from all aspects. There is no one and absolute correct way to do something. There are always variations on the theme and sometimes, there's even conflict between the teachings of different sensei :eek:

We have many tools at our disposal that can be utilised in training. Just because it doesn't conform to ones notion of "correct" does not mean that it's useless or even worse, an impedence to progress.

Kuri

[AlexM]

Oh man, oh man, oh man this is killing me....I want to sink my teeth into your post Confound and show how you got it all, and I do mean ALL, wrong but I can't do it just yet or maybe ever. I say this without malice by the way, you just really got it wrong about Max's kendo. Sorry if there are no fireworks KhawMengLee ... may I call you Khaw, or Meng, or Lee, or anything easier to type... without being disrespectfull).
I want to flamme but cannot. This is tough. Must...find..inner...discipline.

[KhawMengLee]

heh, just call me Meng.

:D :D :D

[kendokamax]

heloo
ah I don't have a computer anymore now so I have been away for a while now....anyway

Counfound

Why do you practice kendo? Why couldn't I enjoy training the way I feel is the best way for me to do so. Why do I have to mimic old nanadan sensei and become like them when i'm only 21 years old!! It's nothing wrong to try to do a kendo like a nanadan but I don't want to do that, i'm not 60 years old yet! I have still 40 years to go into improving/changing my kendo. That kendo comes with experience and with wisdom that I don't have and don't believe I can or want to have just yet!

I think it's totaly wrong to supress too much the youth in our kendo. As Kuri was saying do you think there is only one way to do kendo? sigh...

Not even I elvolve as a person/kendoka but even kendo does!
Did you know that kendo has elvolved a lot since 40-50 years?
You know masahiro miyazaki champion of zennihon for a couple of time? well his kendo is a bit different from the classical kendo.
He uses his right hand to get a little bit more range and get over the men and shinai of his opponent (just to hit with the tips of the shinai). This week our sensei introduced/explained us to the way that miyazaki does his men-uchi. I was very impress to see that our sensei could accept that new way of doing men uchi. What I mean is if you are too close minded to see that there is more than 1 good way to do and enjoy kendo... well go back to playing ping pong.


As for saying that I will never get pass shodan...

I'm aware that in grade exams you have to show and big waza with strong seme. So i'm going to do that and I'm not going to do my crazy kendo at the exam. That "crazy" kendo, I do it only in my dojo with my friends. Also as I said before it's a way for me to improve myself and enjoy my kendo. In life there is time to be serious and time to be stupid, same goes for me in kendo.




maybe chanbara might be more his thing.
This piss me off, what do you know? Kendo is, trust me.

[kendokamax]

oh i see a contradiction in my post



It's nothing wrong to try to do a kendo like a nanadan but I don't want to do that, i'm not 60 years old yet!



I think it's totaly wrong to supress too much the youth in our kendo. As Kuri was saying do you think there is only one way to do kendo? sigh...

It is actually a personal choise. But I believe young people should act young in kendo, and not being to sever.

oh and I like ping-pong actually.

[alexpollijr]

< zipping flame-retardant suit >

I disagree. If the old 7th dan man's kendo is the ideal of kendo, why would you search for something different? Kendo practice aims to refine the skill, and he is the very pinnacle of refinement, therefore his path is probably the best one available to follow.

Of course, this is not to say that you should mimic very old sensei who only fight with ohji waza because of the toll time has imposed to them. But you should mimic their mindset, their posture, their kigurai.

Personally, i would never adopt this approach of reckless kendo. I'm just two years older than you, but I think I'm old to do this stuff. Neither you nor me are kids anymore, so cando should not be a game of sticks. It's a serious thing. I'm amazed your sensei allows you to fight him in such a reckless manner. Maybe because you're a beginner. Anyway, this is a typical beginner mindset, and hopefully it'll change with practice time (not age).

Anyway, 'tis just my two cents. Don't mean to preach or anything like that.

[AlexM]

Funny, so bloody funny. (Meng get ready to enjoy this).

Not only does our sensei like doing keiko with Max, and anybody else for that matter, but he encourages us to be inventive and have fun with technique from time to time. In fact he'll often instigate a sort of light-hearted keiko or kihon excersize to get his students to relax.

For instance, he'll do tsuki from sankyo (I got knocked back on my ass when he did this to me), he'll throw you around if he wants to and I mean this literally (there is a pile of "aerobic balloons" in one corner of our dojo that make the landing less painfull than it sounds), he'll do katate tsuki and "accidentally" miss only to hit you in the foot. And the list goes on (you should see him fight his kids). All kinds of stuff. If you try something unusual (like say a flying katate men or some odd feint that would never work in tournament or an exam) you can see him smiling behind the mengane (right before he blocks the pathetic move and does something like gyaku-do with such ease that you wonder why you even bother to try in the first place).

This being said, serious keiko (and kihon) is also done by one and all despite the familiar atmosphere at our dojo. You just have to choose you're moments and decide when to goof around and when to really try to improve something about your kendo. I've done both (badly) during the same keiko (but then again I suck).

What is so funny about all this is people making negative assumptions about what's going on here and really getting it completely and totally WRONG (in fact describing the complete opposite).

Suffice it to say that despite your flame-retardant suit I FLAME THEE SIR AND ALL THINE PROGENY (assuming you have any). I pour molten lava down your pants! How do like them apples (or rocks rather)?
Man this is more fun than keiko (almost). Happy kendo!

[alexpollijr]

I'll decline to take this matter further on.

[kendokamax]

To tell you the truth.

I don't know any nanadan or great kendo master. I never had the chance to meet these kind of people. So for the time being I cannot but do kendo the way I feel is the best by looking at the kendo of the people that I practice with around me. When I go to tournaments I learn by watching these people. I choose what I want to improve by watching other people's kendo.

When I will have the chance to be teach by some old japanese sensei . By A grant master of kendo, then a lot of things will change for me, i'm sure of that. I could not fool around these kind of people! But I cannot possibily do or try something I didn't have the chance to see. I see a lot of people here that think they are doing a classical kendo and they think they are doing fine. Actually they are not. They just stand there and they don,t do anything. They never tried to do kendo in a natural way.. never had the chance to express themselves with kendo.

I mean that sort of thing that Alex was talking about. we only do that when we fight eachothers. I go to an other dojo I will not do that..! This is just a way to express and enjoy our kendo. This is a part of the philosophy in our dojo.

Some guy (2nd dan)from BC came to practice with us for 1 month. He was saying that it was refreshing to see that kind of attitude/kendo. He usualy practices in a very japanese like dojo where you can't really do these things. He was very happy to practice with us for the time he came and really enjoyed it.

...

I don't like to use these kind of arguments but I will do it..

Would you think our kendo is bad because we practice that way? I don't know about that, but usualy we always do pretty well in tournaments. It is a small sign that we don't do only bad stuff..

Alright let me tell you that our team was lucky enough to finish third in the canadian championship. There was only 14 teams but still!
Our team was made up of 2 1stkyu, 2 shodan, and 1 nidan.

...

What I want to express here is...I think people should be more open minded. Like Kuri was saying there is not only 1 way to do kendo. I think as long as you don't have false devotion towards it, it is fine.

[Confound]

I said what I had to say.

I'd like to point out that Junior and Senior high students that I've trained with are also committed to doing this apparently boring kind of 'pure kendou'. I'm not going to pass judgement on anyone's sensei, that's not my job. I'm only saying that for your exam, it would be useful to you to shape up. Unless you want to pay money to flunk. Ikkyu won't matter, but shodan will.

c

[saki_wooah]

max, it is a lil true that you jump a bit too much. In other words: "Tu trembles comme un malade qui a bu trop de caféine (même si t'aimes pas le café) ou on dirait que t'as le Parkinson..." Okay, I'm a little too cruel there... Your style is pretty funny. I like the kind of kendo you are doing, but I don't want to do any really crazy kendo. Everyone is different, and it's good to experience a little bit of every kind of kendo in our life. It is nice too to remember the roots of kendo and control ourselve a bit from absolutely untraditional crazy kendo (which wouldn't be called kendo anymore). I think there is 2 general ways to do kendo: the ancient kendo and the modern kendo.

And after trying different styles of kendo, you can choose what you like the most. Every kendoka have a different way of thinking and that's what the world is made of : differences. The style you choose is chosen with also your personality. If you like to be funny, try some new kind of kendo that you like. If you are serious, hardworking, you'd prefer the pure kendo. You're kind of everthing? Add every kind of waza in your strategy. And etc...

It's true that if you do some crazy kendo at your shodan grading, you'll have less chances to be graduated... I agree in both confound and max. They both have true facts. Well, the important thing to remember is Live like you Want!

ps: max, vas te trouver un pc vite et viens sur msn, les journées deviennent plates quand t'es pas là :)

[jocoyote]

Originally posted by saki_wooah
max, it is a lil true that you jump a bit too much. In other words: "Tu trembles comme un malade qui a bu trop de caféine (même si t'aimes pas le café) ou on dirait que t'as le Parkinson..." Okay, I'm a little too cruel there...


Oui. Also, that is in poor taste, Saki.


jo coyote

[saki_wooah]

I juste like to tease him ^-^

[Confound]

i thought it was quite funny. albeit, i don't know any of you personally, and have no way of knowing if it is true or not.

c

[saki_wooah]

Pure Kendo is actually really good. Its very impressive.

[Kendoboy]

I think that this whole thing is hilarious!

Notice the title of this thread is YOUR objectives in kendo. That's your PERSONAL objectives. Maybe Max knows that "pure kendo" as you call it will come in time. Focus and spiritual kendo and seme come over time as you loose physical ability (hence the 60 yr old nanadans). It just happens that way. Also, I've always heard that it is a lot harder to hit a moving target......

[Tato]

Ok, my little contribution.

Life is way too short, the only way to expand is by having an intense one. Intensity in living will depend on the person, for me is learning and being more aware of life itself.

Kendo is one of the many things that I chossed to fill my life with, something that will allow me to expand my experience. There're others.

This is a little selfish, I know, but life is a personnal experience for every one.

By the way, j'aime bien le café moi aussi, mais j'essaille de ne pas en prendre avant le Keiko, ça me rend malade et ça n'ameliore pas mon kendo.

Un saludo a todos.
Rei

[Kendoboy]

My personal objectives are to better myself physically and mentally, but more mentally. I like the focus that kendo will help me to develop. I love the speed and timing that goes into kendo.

When you watch an experienced kendoka totally kick someones ass and barely have to move....

When you hear people say things like "I saw them coming towards me, and I just knew that I'd already lost....

Really smooth footwork, like they're sailing towards you like a tsunami.....

I think that people under-estimate the mental ability that goes into good kendo, and in fact all sports. There was a documentary on yesterday that said %50 of an athletes ability is mental. So, to get to the point, (my objectives) mostly mental focus, and all the good stuff you see in really good kendo.

[Confound]

French is cool and everything, but let's not use elitist games. For heaven's sake, Hyaku and Hamish and I could all jabber along in Japanese, and leave most of you out in the cold, but we don't. We try to be mutually comprehensible.

If you'd like to take your joyous discussion of the effects of coffee on your keiko (or how it makes other people shake) to private messages, i'm sure you'll avoid the filthy masses like me being able to read it. Yes, I'm a dirty Canadian Anglophone, but I read French.

I've said my piece.

c

[James]

Hab SoSlI' Quch!

(your mother has a smooth forehead - Klingon)

http://www.kli.org/tlh/sounds/HabQuch.au

[Tato]

:p

[Nishi]

My objectives are to settle my mind and body until i can respond to my opponent with my presence of spirit.
------------------------------
first you win, then you cut.

[kendokev]

i'm not trying to flame anyone here, just trying to be a bit of a smart arse though. it's good that your trying to do sloppy kendo... then there's more opportunity for people to practice pure kendo.... :-) peace.

oh, developing my mental aspect is definitely something i get from kendo. in fact, it's sort of helping me in uni. it gives me a reason to study in uni, since i joined kendo when i got into uni. and now to stay in kendo, i've got to stay in uni :) double edged shinai.... cheers.

[KATSUJIN]

for no...my objective is to do a men cut which can't avoided, blocked or countered........still got a very long way to go though....

[jfluh9]

As a beginner I have many goals that I plan to accomplishing.

On a short term note:
1. learn all that I can.
2. Ikkyu in less than a year.
3. work as hard as I can.
4. Give it my all.
5. improve myself as a person.
6. give back to others what has been given to me.

On a long term not:
1. reach a high Dan level.
2. teach others what i have learned.
3. give something back to the Kendo community on a large scale.
4. represent the U.S. in tournaments.
5. get better and better until i can am no longer able to pick up a shinai.

Those are the major goals.

[kendokamax]

As a beginner I have many goals that I plan to accomplishing.

On a short term note:
1. learn all that I can.
2. Ikkyu in less than a year.
3. work as hard as I can.
4. Give it my all.
5. improve myself as a person.
6. give back to others what has been given to me.

On a long term not:
1. reach a high Dan level.
2. teach others what i have learned.
3. give something back to the Kendo community on a large scale.
4. represent the U.S. in tournaments.
5. get better and better until i can am no longer able to pick up a shinai.

Those are the major goals.


GANBARE!!!

IM GANBATTEIMASU NOW,

[xvikingx]

Id like to know enough to be able to teach someone someday. I dont dream of being Sensei, maybe someones Senpai.

[Lill Murveln]

My shortterm objective is:
A better men

And my longterm one is:
A better men

[samurai999]

I have so many objectives it is ridiculous to point out all of them..

But with the few that I have, I try to shoot for outlandish (almost the impossible) things so that I can keep improving.

Some of my more ridiculous objectives:

1.) Beat one of the NCKF "Big Four" in any tournament. For people in the NCKF, u kno who i mean.

2.) Get nanadan..

Sounding crazy so far?

3.) Play in the World Kendo Championships as member of team USA. (Ya right!!!)


Here are some things more down to Earth if school isn't too crazy.

1.) Pass 2Dan test in November.

2.) Return from injury and play in NCKF Champs. (doctor gave me an OK!!)

3.) Get back on the NCKF team and play in US Champs again.

Tim

[KATSUJIN]

hmmm....everyone has pretty good objectives...

as for me...

for the short term:
make my men cut stronger

for the long term:
enjoy kendo for wat it is

in the end....i would rather do the long term goal.....:D

[oldenhaller]

The only thing i want is to have fun using crazy techniques (useless movements) for the time i still can do them. That way later on I will be able to know more of what bad habbits i have to throw off of my kendo and the ones that I must carry on (which i will later on also throw off).

That sounds really, useless.

[kendokamax]

That sounds really, useless.

Of course they are useless movements!
But its a matter of polishing my kendo on the long run.

[KeijockMuniz]

Well...

Short term: pratice kendo every day or at least 4 days a week... right now I can pratice only 2 days in a week...

Long term: build a Dojo... but that´s a long, long term...


:old_man:

[Jagaimo]

What are your objectives in kendo???

My short short term objective is to enjoy every keiko I have, by doing crazy kendo (without much seme). Just jump around, reach and hit targets without the best of the form etc.. I want to enjoy my youth days of kendo!

My short-middle-long term objective is to make team canada in a few years :)
It's going to be hard(almost impossible) but I will give everything I have to attein such level......that is, if I don't give up kendo before (everything is possible in life).

My long objective is to have "proper" kendo.

Like everything else, my goal is to become better than everything else and prove that I AM god.... :normal:

just kidding....for now.

But until then, it's all in good fun.

[Bane]

there is a proverb of some sort that sums up my goal, both long and short term in kendo

'to be better than the day before'

I like that, I haven't started Kendo yet but am going to a local dojo today to try it out, I really want to do it and am looking forward to it, any suggestions for a beginner, what sahould I wear for the first class? I haven't got any of the equipment yet but have been practicing chudan-no-kamae at home and how to hold the katana. I'm just a little worried because I am not very well both physically which has destroyed by confidence so I was also wondering what is the atmosphere like in a dojo? Thanks for your time : )

[eKenshi]

Well as a rookie i taught of many things..


1.i am going to make my country qualify for the WKC(well this is quite ridiculous isnt it?)
2.hit the nuisance at my dojo
3.use my kendo skill for "practical" purposes..
the list goes on......yadaydayadablahblkha :cheerful:

[Dino_k]

10 years to learn to play forward
10 years to learn to play backward
10 years to learn to play like someone who has done kendo for 20 years

That is my 30-year objective.

k

[kendokamax]

3 months to learn perfect fumikomi, and footwork
3 months to become the best in Japan!!

That is my 6 months objective!!!

[xvikingx]

3 months to learn perfect fumikomi, and footwork
3 months to become the best in Japan!!

That is my 6 months objective!!!

My, aren't we ambitious :p

[kendokamax]

My, aren't we ambitious :p

damn !! only 3 months left !!

[Jin-e]

*I want to make the belgian team (maybe if I train a lot,,, someday,,,)
*I want my dojo and sensei to be proud of me.
*...

[samurai999]

An update to my objectives.

1 and 2 complete of the ones that are "down to earth".

#3? Thats gonna be a BIT tougher.. LOL :D

Tim

[-Miburo-]

To enjoy every kendo lesson,
Strive to improve in every lesson
Be a good kenshi?

[souljah]

To enjoy myself.
To practice everyday, whether at the dojo or at home.
To eventually be in a position to give back to the kendo community.
To get a reasonable dan rank before I die.

Oh and, to eventually become the embodiment of perfection. [/borg] :D

[lwegerich]

What are your objectives in kendo???


Short term:

Having fun and get move my ass

Mid-term
Learning proper form and reach Dan-level (I started a year ago being 39)

Long-Term
Do Kendo as a lifetime sport

Right from the beginning: Love the mixture of weird guys, leather, sweat and screaming.... hehehehehe ;)

[moocow65]

1. Make it on Team USA again for 2006
2. In individuals-To become the world champion
3. In team-To 2-0 everyone I go against. Oh yeah, and maybe win the team tournament.

[KhawMengLee]

Current:

1) Get my Shodan(this month :D), then Nidan by 2006.

2) Get my nito up to scratch for the ASEAN competition in Sept.

3)Win the ASEAN individuals with either nito or itto.

By 2006:

1) Make the Malaysian Team for WKC.

2) Be one of three possible nito fighters on the team.

3) Fight Eiga Sensei in either the individuals or teams and last more than 3mins(anything else is a bonus).

4)Fight Moocow65 nito vs nito and not come out looking like a twat(aka.loosing in the first 10secs) or Tenken...hehe

5) Last but not least; Get Miwa Onaka's:) handphone number and invited to Brazil to train at her dojo.

[moocow65]

Don't you at least have her e-mail address?? I know I got it somewhere along with everyone elses who went to the first world college kendo gathering thingy in 2002.

[KhawMengLee]

Don't you at least have her e-mail address?? I know I got it somewhere along with everyone elses who went to the first world college kendo gathering thingy in 2002.


AAARRRGGGH!!! I tried dude! But she only speaks portuguese and japanese...and my nihongo is not really up to scratch...

Heheh...she's so cute and pretty...not to say least a damned good kendoka;)


On the subject of nito:

At the moment I am having real problems trying to supress my opponent's shinai with the shoto. My best attacks now are mainly kote strikes and nuki men...mainly where I feint attacks using the shoto so my opponent''s break their kamae and react. Against not so experienced ppl its fine but it really doesn't work against the higher ranking dudes...especially those who trained in japan.

sigh...still its all good fun.

ps. I tried that funny waza you were describing where you wrap your arm and shoto around the dou as if to draw it iaido style...haha, its great...my opponent had no idea what was going on and didn't realize I was within striking distance...heheh

Nito, Jodan and Chudan....must learn them all!!!

[milouse84]

hello people I haven't started kendo yet but I will as soon as the kendo club will open(they're on holliday)

my objective are :


-To mold the mind and body,
-To cultivate a vigorous spirit,
-And through correct and rigid training,
-To strive for improvement in the art of Kendo,
-To hold in esteem human courtesy and honor,
-To associate with others with sincerity,
-And to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself.


and why not create a new caledonian team


-=Keep The Faith=-

[kuwaiti-kendoka]

i'm really confused, but i think first objective is to learn kendo the right way.

then try to find other kendokas in kuwait. trying intering some competions . hmmmmmmm what else oh

bring kendo to kuwait. be a better person.

[samurai999]

Got all of my "more realistic" objectives done! I even tried out for team USA and got my ass handed to me. LOL

My new goals for new year.

1.) Learn to not hyperventilate during practice.

2.) Win Goodwill at US champs. (damn thats a stretch especially since Moocows in(??))

3.) Get my local dojo team a 1st place at Salinas taikai. (We've gotten 2nd 3 years in a row and its pissin' me off a bit)

4.) Get at least 3rd place in all taikais in 1-3dan class.

Of course these are just goals. Nothing else. Just something to shoot for. I always thought if you aim for an A+ and you miss you can always end up with an A, A-, or B+.

Tim

[Anime12478]

I put this in another thread, but I want to add it here now that someone pointed it out to me. Mostly as a consolidation thing.

I have started a Kendo journal (a written one) and I decided to write down what my future goals are. Then I can look back at it some time down the road and see if I made it there or what changes I made to them.

Here are some goals for me (as cosmetic as some may be)
- Get better quality equipment
- Build some sort of dojo-addition to my future home for practice when I can't make it to a dojo.
- Get to teaching rank so I can pass on kendo knowledge to help spread the wealth.
- Get better at Kendo by attending more tournaments, seminars, and participating more within the Kendo community
- Upon retirement, make a dojo (AUSKF affiliated) or teaching at a current one.

I might have more goals, but this is all I have from the top of my head.

[samurai999]

Got all of my "more realistic" objectives done! I even tried out for team USA and got my ass handed to me. LOL

My new goals for new year.

1.) Learn to not hyperventilate during practice.

2.) Win Goodwill at US champs. (damn thats a stretch especially since Moocows in(??))

3.) Get my local dojo team a 1st place at Salinas taikai. (We've gotten 2nd 3 years in a row and its pissin' me off a bit)

4.) Get at least 3rd place in all taikais in 1-3dan class.

Of course these are just goals. Nothing else. Just something to shoot for. I always thought if you aim for an A+ and you miss you can always end up with an A, A-, or B+.

Tim

Goal updates.. I guess I got a B- instead of an A+. I have learned (kind of) to not hyperventilate during class, but am getting the feeling like I'm slacking from the sensei. I got to 2nd round of US Championships where I was dispatched by Tenkens bro. I wasn't even put on my dojo team for salinas taikai... :cry: But I got a 3rd place in 1-3dan in San Jose Taikai even with me running out of breath in my final match... I really don't like doing indies..

Tim

[ahmed61086]

If god wills it, i will become a world Kendo champion. And help my country win the team tourney at the WKC.

This is not an outlandish goal for me. Or atleast i dont believe it is.

[Commander]

My goal is to have my own county dojo, and be a member of the UK team :D

[LarsCW]

Just become the best that I can be, still trying to figure out what that will be:)

[piggy]

to learn kendo to help me take over the world!! bwuahaha!!
no, just kidding...or am i?

but seriously, i'd have to say to become more skilled than i was the day before. short goals to achieve the long term goal.

[samurai999]

My new goals..

1.) Get 3dan. (my kata needs a LOT of work)

2.) Help my dojo team get the NCKF Championship (if i get put on it)

3.) Get 3rd or up in NCKF Championship indies. (This is a bit of a stretch.. i still hate playing indies...)

4.) Have fun practicing kendo in Southern California after NCKF membership runs out. (I don't want to be stuck in a dojo where I'm just not enjoying kendo)

Tim

[kuzu70]

To try to enjoy kendo and not get too wrapped up in tyring to win this or that or try to make this team or whatever. Otherwise I get too obsessed and lose focus of my priorities.

[Mugu]

My short term goals are:

1. Get stronger and get better at kendo
2. Work harder so I can start to wear bogu
3. Then get Rokkyu soon

My long term goals would be..

1. Continous self improvement
2. Hope to represent for the Midwest region in tournament
3. Join the federation staff to spread the goods of Kendo
4. My longest term goal is to be on the team USA and I hope to see you there Commander :)

[Naginatagirl]

My goals:

To become a challenge.
To push harder.
To not give in.
The rest is life; it happens on its own.

[Yiu Fai]

* To do the best I can.
* To give back to Kendo for what it has given me.
* To have a RBSO Bogu, Shinai, Gi, Hakama etc.
* To have a not-so RBSO as above for practise and on the days I need to be "low-key"
* To train in Japan (After reading Gonzo's surviving Katsuura thread, I'd like to go to IBU but I'm too old for that kinda caper!)
* To shiai and have fun whilst doing so.
* To keiko with some of the personalities we have on this board!

[samurai999]

** To have a not-so RBSO as above for practise and on the days I need to be "low-key"
* To keiko with some of the personalities we have on this board!

I want to be far from RBSO. I will wear Blue Gi and polyester hakama and be a "sleeper". Stop by Socal whenever you come to the states and you'll get to keiko with misterkurukuru, inouye2, honda, Mfrench, me, tlee, hongsermeier, moocow, and tenken.

Tim

[ninjamster15]

i practice kendo to become strong. I want to be strong enough to protect both myself and those who are important to me. I guess the reason why has to do with my past. When i was little, i used to be the kid everyone beat on. I kind of gave up on life until i met some people who changed my life. I guess thats why i value my friends so highly now....

[lost_kendoka]

i practice kendo to become strong. I want to be strong enough to protect both myself and those who are important to me. I guess the reason why has to do with my past. When i was little, i used to be the kid everyone beat on. I kind of gave up on life until i met some people who changed my life. I guess thats why i value my friends so highly now....
BWAHAHA, no offence but you sound just like Naruto, off the Naruto cartoon! Anyway, how are you supposed to protect yourself and those who are important to you with kendo? Are you one of those ninja wannabes who carry around a cheap shinai still with the red packaging strings on?? Sorry but you just sound like one...

[ninjamster15]

BWAHAHA, no offence but you sound just like Naruto, off the Naruto cartoon! Anyway, how are you supposed to protect yourself and those who are important to you with kendo? Are you one of those ninja wannabes who carry around a cheap shinai still with the red packaging strings on?? Sorry but you just sound like one...
its ok. i get a lot of that. actually, your right: kendo alone won't help (i've never heard of naruto before, whats that? a movie?). . I practice kendo in addition to a variety of other martial arts and weapon arts. No, i'm not a ninja wannable.....and i don't carry a cheap shinai around with me everywhere i go(laugh). let me clarify one thing too: despite my user name, i'm not a ninja master. More like a very slow-learning student...but i'm no wannabe, either.