Kendo in College

[Will]

Hey, I'm about to apply to some colleges and I needed to know where there are Kendo clubs near good colleges (preferrable North America). So if you go to a Kendo club within reasonable distance of a good college, please let me know. I probably won't have time to do Kendo in college, but hey, I need to know my choices.

[AlexM]

There are two English language Universities in Montréal (McGill and Concordia) there are about three "good" dojos in the city (one of them at McGill). But kendo here isn't as good as elsewhere in Canada (we still compete though). Of course I'm assuming you want to make your decision based on academics rather than sword-play.
What are you applying in anyway?

[Haowen]

Hi Will,

I think there are enough kendo enthusiasts in the USA that you can usually find enough kenshi for a regular keiko in just about any university / city. It's just statistics working in our favour, universities have large populations, and for some reason I've found that there's a strong correlation between academic types (e.g. students, researchers, technical people, profs) and kendo enthusiasts I've known.

For specifics, the SF Bay area is simply dotted with excellent kendo dojo, you will never need to drive more than 15 minutes to a good dojo if you study there:
AUSKF Kendo Dojo List (California) (http://www-kendo-usa.org/statedojolist.htm#CA)

I'm currently studying in Pittsburgh. Initially I couldn't find any contacts for kendo here but I emailed Inoshita-sensei of the GNUSKF (Greater NE US Kendo Federation, part of AUSKF) directly, and he graciously put me in contact with some local kenshi. Eventually I learned of a class for beginners here as well as a group of more advanced kenshi who meet together for practice twice a week right on campus.

So don't worry if there's no dojo listed in the AUSKF listing for a city you're interested in, there should be no shortage of kendo people within driving distance.

Also, unless you're participating in a varsity sport, there's no reason why you should have no time for kendo in college... don't know why you say that. College is a great time for kendo!

Hope you find this helpful :)

[Jerry Wellbrock]

Will....when you are checking out different colleges that you may like to attend.....go to their website and look under sports and most will list sport clubs....if they have a kendo club is will usually be listed.....

[lewis]

Will,

Most larger US universities (especially on the east or west coast)will have kendo classes as club sports and any larger city on either coast will have one or more dojos nearby. When you get away from the coasts it gets a little leaner. Count yourself lucky if you find a dojo with an instructor higher than shodan within a two hours drive.

I agree with Haowen about available time. You'll have more time to practice (and go to tournaments) while in college than you ever will working. So don't hold back.

[Will]

Oh yeah, I think I should I add that I plan to study medicine and become a doctor, so uh, do you think that'll affect the time thing?

[chidokan]

Only problem with university kendo in the West is that the student turnover is horrendous and the term time is too short! the local kendo clubs tried to run one at the local uni for several years, but as a teacher there it is very frustrating, exams come first before practise, some students only do kendo during their term time etc..
You might be better off trying to find a good club near the uni of your choice and just go there. Or should it be find a good club and then find the uni.....:D

Tim Hamilton

[nodachi]

Big schools help, but being in big cities help too. There are a couple Kendo clubs in the Boston area that I know of. Harvard has one, MIT has one. They practice throughout the year too (at least I think so). I have seen a few MIT Kendo practices throughout the summer so hopefully it is a more dedicated group and not just a random gym class with constant turnover of students. Aim for a big college city like Boston. If your college doesn't have a club, maybe you can bounce into another colleges club or find a dojo somewhere in town.

Also studying medicine shouldn't affect your practice time too much. I have known some med students who set aside some time each week to run, or be in some other club.

Don't forget, MENTAL HEALTH BREAKS ARE YOUR FRIEND!!! Don't burn out on studying. People who don't have even a small time allotted for an outlet for their stress become grumpy students. I hated my last year of college because I didn't give myself that break time that I really needed.

GOOD LUCK!!! You have chosen quite a challenging path. Props to Will!

[Will]

Hey, thanks for the support nodachisama.

But just to let you know, I make sure I never study too much... HAhaha...

[cklin]

Hi Will,

I help out with the coaching at the Harvard club and, in the past, at the MIT club. You should expect that college clubs tend to have high turn-over rates. Still, most schools that send teams to the Shoryuhai Tournament (shameless plug: http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~kendo/shoryuhai), have a core of dedicated members who keep the clubs going year after year.

Cornell has a good kendo program. They also host an annual tournament.

If you're considering schools in Canada, McGill, U of Waterloo and U Toronto have strong clubs.


You can find a list of college dojos at:
http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~kendo/details.php?id=clubs

Good luck in your search!

[nodachi]

Hey cklin,

I am not sure how long I will be in Japan, but eventually I will be returning to the States to teach in a high school somewhere near Boston. If I acquire enough knowledge and skill to do it right, I think it would be cool to start a Kendo club at the school I teach at. What are the chances of getting a high graded Harvard or MIT coach or senior member of the club to visit a local high school club occassionally to make sure that I would be guiding the club in the right direction and just make sure I am teaching them well. It is always nice to have someone of greater experience share their knowledge and provide some guidance. Whether it be volunteer or paid for their trouble, is this at all possible?

Thanks and sorry for the off topic post.

[Hongsermeier]

Will,
Don't forget to look at schools down here in Southern Cal. Great kendo in the LA area ,Sho Tokyo, Torrance, Chuo and others. Would also be nice to get in a few shots at you myself.

[kendokamax]

ya come join us at mcgill!

thanks for the compliment cklin!

[Will]

hey Brad, ofcourse I'm applying down south. UCLA and UC San Diego. :)

Just for you though

[AlexM]

Will,

McGill is known for its medical school (among other things)....at least that's where I think they funnel all the money from the Arts depart.

As for not having enough time for kendo in school. Make time for some kind of physical activity. Take it from from someone who did not excercise during three years as an undergrad (ughh..): Physical exercise is necessary or you'll get winded trying to catch a bus.

As for student turnover rates. It ain't so bad (despite the loss of friends), we get more than just University students at our dojo. So, while some leave others stay on for longer. No one stays in the same place forever.

[Will]

ooooh yeah, i already do kendo btw, incase there was some misconception