Finally In Japan (aka Asobi Keiko)

[tetsuoxb]

Hello all,

I am finally settled into Japan, have practiced with my university's club at Kansai Gaikokugo Daigaku, and tomorrow am headed to Kyoto again to meet a member of the Kyoto Daigaku Kendo Club.

Funny thing is, I saw a type of keiko I haven't ever seen before. Asobi keiko.... the kendoka put fusen on their men,kote,tsuki,do,and mune and did shiai attacking those specific targets until the balloon ripped.

Pictures are here: www.technolustomega.net/KansaiGaidai/ (view Day 6)

I was wondering if your club has done asobi keiko, and if so, what did you do?

[stinkyKote]

I've seen it at a gashuku around here once -- oh, incidentally, that car in your album isn't an evo ... it's an impreza ... ;)
<--- (car nerd)

[tetsuoxb]

You are righ.

Incidentally, There is an R33 GTR outside my door, and I got a great shot of a VspecII R34 GTR in Kyoto today, and a Supra by the kyoto university kendo club's dojo....

Also stopped by a naginata tournament at the kyoto budokan.

[Kendo15]

hey JP,

you finally made it to japan, kool. My question is what is a fusen??

[lewis]

We have done asobi keiko several times at our university club. Usually, we divide the class in half and pit each half against the other in a mass keiko. Group on group is much different than one-on-one. The students seem to really like it.

[Confound]

asobi keiko? playing keiko? Relaxing keiko? What an interesting name. I'm not quite able to picture it though. Actually tying balloons onto your gear? That's interesting, if not altogether disturbing. I have an image of a group of kendouka festooned with balloons, looking as though they're all decked out for a children's birthday party...

w

[Tato]

Hi Confound

Altough I never practiced this kind of Keiko, I don't see why it can't be fun and at the same time a valuable lesson.

Many of the most interesting and serious things of life can be also played on a more relaxed tone without loosing their trascendece, and obtaning new insights due to the new prespective in the process.

So, yes, it still looks as Kendo, even if, from time to time, is more a play than anything esle.

I found a good exemple of this in the pages of the Calgary Kendo Club. :p

http://www.calgarykendo.ca/pic-balloonwars.asp

Rei

[Ares2907]

Looks like it's fantastic for those wanting to learn jodan no kamae :-) Otherwise it's a block-fest. Looks like fun tho.

[chidokan]

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The pen is mightier than the sword
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"Your pen, my sword, outside now..." Ancient County Durham saying:D

Tim Hamilton

[Chook]

Our club does this on the last training of every year. Basically everybody picks an area of the dojo, and from then on you can challenge anyone, every man (or woman) for themselves. 2-on-1's common :P

Once, the head of our dojo challenged anyone to take his balloon. It was like, a 6-on-1 until I got a nuki-men on him :)

Unfortunately there weren't prizes like the year previous :(

[Karaken]

We do this on a new year's ( First training day after new year's day ) training. We split dojo into two teams and each team gets Ballon on their men. No rules - the team with more baloons ramaining win. Yes you can have a block fest but then there are assasins from behind and from the side where you can't see. :-)

Center

[wally]

Sorry to revive a very old post on the forums, but I'm very interested in this balloon game you do at your trainings.

I was considering it as an end of year 'farewell' activity for my club too. And also to have a bit of fun, after a very topsy-turvy year! Can you explain to me the details of the activity?
ie. Rules to the game?
Potential benefits (apart from fun)?
Where the balloon is tied?
Little things like that helps!

Thanks!

[chidokan]

tie balloon to very top section of the face guard.
rule 1. burst the balloon
rule 2. no pins stuck in shinai.
rule 3. no more rules its XMAS!!!
oh yes, I forgot, theres one more, go and get extremely drunk. :ko:

[natehill13]

I would like to extend as much as a welcome to Japan as can be done from Okinawa, and from one foreigner to another. If you get a chance to get down here for a vacation or something let me know we can go out and get a beer or several. Also if I get the chance to get up there we can do the same.

Nate