Starting Kendo In Japan!

[Yaggdrasil]

I am a 17 year old Canadian exchange student living in Japan for a year and am going to take up Kendo in my high school as a club activity. I have already done Karate for a number of years and have a blue belt. What advice can you Kendoists give me? I would like to know what i should focus on to maximize my learning and how/if i can accomodate my Karate backround into Kendo.

[berghaan]

Just pay attention to what the sensei explains and dont try to stand out in behaviour. Blend in with the group. Be observant to what the others do concerning etiquette and such. This is kinda what I would give as a tip to all kendo beginners no matter where they want to start.
I personally havent been to Japan so I am basing my tips on starting out kendo in general.

I hope they help though.

[Nanbanjin]

I am a 17 year old Canadian exchange student living in Japan for a year and am going to take up Kendo in my high school as a club activity. I have already done Karate for a number of years and have a blue belt. What advice can you Kendoists give me? I would like to know what i should focus on to maximize my learning and how/if i can accomodate my Karate backround into Kendo.
Where abouts in Japan are you?

I was a 17 year old Australian exchange student living in Japan for a year in 1990 and took up kendo in my high school as a club activity. I had already done karate for seven years and had a 2nd dan black belt.
My advice is - start kendo and you will never look back.
The karate I did was shotokan under the Japan Karate Association. The Japan Karate Association was founded by Masatoshi Nakayama, among others. Nakayama sensei was a kendo student until he reached university, where he started karate. There were many similarities in the way we trained and the way competitions ran. I believe that technically there were similarities as well, but unfortunately many of these had been lost in translation in the form I was taught in Australia. I would have to say that the skill level of my high school kendo friends was way above the skill level of any people who I had done karate with (and of me).

More importantly in your situation is that being part of a club (any club) will put you in a much better position to interact with Japanese culture. You will have a position in the club and people in the club will take care of you as such. Make sure you are an active participant in as many club activities (competitions, eating out with the kendo guys afterwards etc) as you can. People in the club will be happier to see you are sincere about being part of the group.

Anyway, enjoy your training! You are going to get flogged, but don't worry, the people flogging you will also help you. If you are anything like me you will get used to people telling you "chikara-wo-nuite" or "relax".

If you have any specific questions download my vCard (click on the picture of the goat, and then click on "download vCard". Advice is free!

[nodachi]

Pay attention to details. Regardless of your language ability, lots of your learning will come from watching and maybe being taught by them demonstrating something and not talking. An important part of practice is mittori keiko, learn by watching. If you pay close attention to demonstrations and other people practicing even at times like when you may be waiting in a line or if people are practicing before or after practice for extra training, work on absorbing as much information from watching as you can. You pick up lots of details and good habits that weren't taught to you directly. It is a good feeling when someone compliments you on a good habit and they'll ask you where did you learn that. You can surprize a lot of people with this too because you will pick up small details in ettiquette that they may assume foreigners don't care about so it will surprize them when they see it.

[Yaggdrasil]

Thanks everyBody that really helps. I am living in Ishikari. Ishikari is in Hokkaido near Sapporo. I was doing Wado Ryu Karate. I will try to learn as much as i can by observations as well as participation. Thanks alot!　

[kendokamax]

go beat up eiga! he shouldnt be too far from you

[YAMAFELL]

I am just finishing my year study abroad program in japan, and it sucks that I have to leave my kendo friends and my club here. You will learn that the kids in your kendo club will become some of your best friends, and they will aways be there if you need help. The people will be great for advice, in kendo, and just in daily life.

My advice for just being in the dojo is show how eager you are to learn kendo. If you really want to learn, no matter how many mistakes you make, they will be happy to teach you. Always be polite but don't worry about doing something slightly agressive. You are and excange student, and you only have a year to do everything you want to in Japan. Take advantage of every chance and oppertunity you have.

I myself decided to stay in Japan as long as I could, pushing my time here so I could go to summer kendo training as my last Kendo/Japan memory. Sure that is pushing me with my money and with my time at home with family before I go back to my college in Wisconsin, but that is how much kendo means to me.

Also be willing to try the hard stuff, even if you get your butt kicked all over the place, it is more respectful to ask everyonce and a while to get the full treatment. For example I was given an oppertunity to play in an official Shiai for my University team. I lost, because of panic and only having 8 months of training under my belt, but when I played I showed what I knew how to do. Even though I was upset and crying afterwards, my team respected me even more and said that I had good skills and it was really brave of me to try and do my best.

Just relalize that maybe the focus will be on you being the new kid in the school that doesn't fit in, but soon you will be noticed in the Kendo Club as just the other person. (sometimes they will pull you aside to give you special training or something... ) But in kendo is where i felt most like everyone else. Nothing more, nothing less. And that is what I liked most about it.

I wish you the best of luck with your experience with kendo, and being in Japan. I know this year has been the best of my life, and I know the situation is a bit different, seeing I am a university student... but anywhoo... Have fun, make mistakes, and don't regret anything. Even negative situations are good learning expieriences.. so don't worry about them. take care and good luck!

ah also, you might just want to start up a kendo journal.. just for kendo, and the club: training, skills, practice partners, funny moments, friends, teachers speeches... It will be a good chance to look back at what you have learned and at what time. You learn kendo a lot faster in Japan that what you do in other parts of the world. (From what I have noticed myself) So you might want to write down everything so you can look back and see just how quickly you improved. When you first started hitting men, first time you put on your bogu.. when you got hit really hard and it hurt like hell.. All of those are good memories that you will want to have. I regret that I didn't start mine sooner.. but, i am still playing so there are many memories to still write down.

[Yaggdrasil]

Who is Eiga? Well i hope that i will be able to be friends with all the teens in the Kendo club. A Kendo Journal..... that is really a great idea. I will definetily do that. I will try not to get down on myself, keep trying and do the hard stuff too. Now i am realllllyyyy looking forward to starting KENDO!

[Nanbanjin]

Who is Eiga? Well i hope that i will be able to be friends with all the teens in the Kendo club. A Kendo Journal..... that is really a great idea. I will definetily do that. I will try not to get down on myself, keep trying and do the hard stuff too. Now i am realllllyyyy looking forward to starting KENDO!
Ask who Eiga is at your new kendo club.
Eat heaps of ishikari-nabe!

[reg]

Thanks everyBody that really helps. I am living in Ishikari. Ishikari is in Hokkaido near Sapporo. I was doing Wado Ryu Karate. I will try to learn as much as i can by observations as well as participation. Thanks alot!　
lucky! sapporo is quite a strong area. lots of good schools around. what is the school's name? eitherway, you'll have lots of fun i'm sure. and you'll get the opportunity to perhaps train with others from surrounding area, then you can ask about this Eiga fella.. i heard he can play a bit.

[nodachi]

"Just relalize that maybe the focus will be on you being the new kid in the school that doesn't fit in, but soon you will be noticed in the Kendo Club as just the other person. (sometimes they will pull you aside to give you special training or something... ) But in kendo is where i felt most like everyone else. Nothing more, nothing less. And that is what I liked most about it."

I had a similar sort of feeling in this regard. I understood I was the gaijin. My neighborhood got used to me, but it gets kinda annoying when you are else where and, just one example, kids take pictures of you on the train because you are "special" or "different" or other just odd situations because you are the foreigner. My best memories, friends, and feeling like I could fit in (if even just for a short while) came from my Kendo club.

[Wark 1978]

i started kendo in june 2003 at a junior high school in tokyo where i work as an englsh teacher. working in a school is a great opportunity to start kendo as most schools in japan have a kendo club and being a student in one will be even better.

the good thing about starting in a school club is that you will probably have practice most days after school. my school club has 4 a week and sometimes on saturday morningsas well. i can only make it to 2 of these though. with all the practices available to you, you should find your level increasing fairly quickly but you still have to put the effort though.

another good thing about starting in a school is that it will be free. this means that you can give it a go and see how you like it without having to spend any money. the school will probably have old bogu that you could borrow too so you can try kendo with it. kendo with bogu is a lot different than without.

the most difficult thing will be the language barrier. i had only been in japan for 3 months when i started kendo so my japanese level was very low. "mittori keiko" (which nodachi mentioned) was very important to me then and still is now as my japanese still isn't very good. my senseis know that my japanese isn't very good so they tend to explain things to me through demonstration and body language more than by speaking.

the most important things though are to be polite, try to observe the ettiquette of the dojo (it may take a bit of time to work out) and above all, put the effort in.

i don't know what your after school schedule will be like but as you are in japan, there are bound to be other kendo clubs that you can go to. after a few weeks of practicing at the school club, i got gi and hakama and was lent a set of bogu. i knew by then that i would stick with kendo so i found a private club near to wear i live. my girlfriend (who is japanese) phoned the club secretary and asked for my permission to go to the club, as i didn't speak japanese, to see what it was like. they said yes and when i went to my first practice the secretary, the senior member and an english speaking sensei were all waiting for me. they all made me feel welcome straight away and told me to get changed straight away. after going to this club for a while i then got invited to another dojo by one of the senseis. then at a wedding i went to i met a sensei who goes to another dojo and got an invitation to his club, went along to it and was introduced to the dojo members.

so, if you want to go to a private club, my advice is to try and get an introduction to one as it will make things easier for you. also, you would be training with adults and people who are of a much higher grade than your fellow students.

you've got a great opportunity to learn kendo and learn about japan while you're here and i hope that you enjoy it as much as i do.

[Yaggdrasil]

Wow, sounds like a plan. I hope that i will be able to practice everday. I will look into doing a private club also. How is being an english teacher working out? I was also considering that job! Eiga is a person right? I will ask for him, hopefully i will be able to find him. JAPAN RULES!

[kendokamax]

Ya, well eiga is a former all japan champion, he is a very famous kendoka in japan. He is a policeman by profession, like many strong kendo people.

He was also in a TV docummentary broadcast on NHK about kendo, so he is even knowed to some people who dont know anything about kendo.

Anyway, right now since you didn't even started yet, there isnt really any point about trying to meet him to do keiko. But later on when you get more experienced, you might want to ask around. The cool thing in Japan is that even super hi-level kendoka are easely accessable and you can practice with them on few ocasions. Even if you dont play against him, just seeing such strong kendoka is by itself an inspiration.

[Wark 1978]

How is being an english teacher working out? I was also considering that job!
if you want to get a teaching job, try to get one working in an elementary/junior high/high school rather than a conversation school. this is because you will have more time to do kendo. i know a few people who work in conversation schools and they often work till 9 or 10pm. if you did this it wouldn't leave you with much time for kendo. plus working in a proper school you will have weekends off, all national holidays plus summer and new year vacations. plus, conversation schools don't have kendo clubs. you will need a university degree though to get into teaching. i quite enjoy it and it's a good way to experience japan.

[Yaggdrasil]

Sounds good. Mabye i will wait a little to try and meet this eiga. Teaching sounds intersting and being able to do Kendo at the school you teach at would be cool. It`s only a couple of days until i start school and find out when Kendo club starts. I am so excited Kendo is going to be a blast!

[Gohan-kun]

I'm in Yamanashi, and I'm an English teacher too! Are you on the JET programme, or some other thing?

Where I am in Yamanashi is only 2 hours or so from Shinjuku; where in Tokyo are you? And how has kendo been for you so far?

I'm really interested in talking to other people who have started kendo here in Japan.

[tapioka]

note: if you learn to love kendo, some other really strong areas throughout Japan include Kanagawa-ken and, also, Kyuushyuu. I know for a fact that Kanagawa has some AMAZING players, and I was priviliged to have the opportunity to have some people from there come to our dojo. :)

[Gohan-kun]

And so is his grandfather who, while visiting our dojo and his son, was the one who told me to "ganbaro naa" and gave me the shinai bag I have now.

I heard that Kyushu high school kendo is ranked in the top 5 in all of Japan; is this correct? My sensei and his father are from Saga-ken, west of Shizuoka-ken, in a lil place called Kitachigeyasu-cho...

Tapioka: do you know anything else about the kendo down there?

[Gohan-kun]

he didn't literally say "ganbaro naa", cuz he speaks whatever ben they use in Saga (I think it's the same or close to Fukuoka-ben).... but that's how my other teacher 'translated' it.

Kyushu dialects sound weird.... I have a hard enough time trying to wrap my head around regular Japanese...

[Wark 1978]

I'm in Yamanashi, and I'm an English teacher too! Are you on the JET programme, or some other thing?

Where I am in Yamanashi is only 2 hours or so from Shinjuku; where in Tokyo are you? And how has kendo been for you so far?

I'm really interested in talking to other people who have started kendo here in Japan.
i'm not on the jet programme but do the same job for less money and lots more holiday with a company called interac. their bad reputation seems to preceed them.

as for the kendo, it's going well. i started at one of the schools and now have joined a privated club. i'm really enjoying it and it's also a good opportunity to practice my japanese.

[SNishko]

I am an exchange student in Japan, too. (Sasebo, Nagasaki Pref.) I am going to start with Kendo practice next week, I am also member of the brass band of our school and I had to learn the pieces for our sports festival this sunday. So I am not able to go to the Kendo Club every day but I hope I can join the Budo lessons of other classes during the lessons I do not understand like rikan etc. Luckily my hostfather did Kendo in his youth so he bought me a Shinai and a Bokken so I am already practicing men cuts like hell　(if I do not suffer from blisters on my left thumb :P). Of course I will try to follow the advice you gave us "newbies" here, maybe someone has some tips for my area?


PS: Japan rocks, but the language is really difficult

[senki-kendo-jos]

Hey, any of the exchange students on the YFU scheme? I did it last year and started kendo at my high school in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka pref. It was excellent! Don't worry that the language is hard, I stayed for 10 months and I do ok now.

I managed to compete in the Gyokuryuki (ask your high school sensei kids!) and did really well in that, I also passed my ikkyu out there... was the only one who wasn't a chu gaku sei boy!!

Anyways, ganbatte kudasai ryu gakusei tachi!!

L

[reg]

Hey, any of the exchange students on the YFU scheme? I did it last year and started kendo at my high school in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka pref. It was excellent! Don't worry that the language is hard, I stayed for 10 months and I do ok now.

I managed to compete in the Gyokuryuki (ask your high school sensei kids!) and did really well in that, I also passed my ikkyu out there... was the only one who wasn't a chu gaku sei boy!!

Anyways, ganbatte kudasai ryu gakusei tachi!!

L
wow. must've been a great experience. which school did you play for by any chance? there are so many schools from fukuoka attending, since gyokuryuuki's based in fukuoka and all..

[senki-kendo-jos]

I was competing for Wakamatsu High School's girls team... we won our first match too! Going to Japan was the best thing I ever did. If I hadn't i'd a never of gotten into this kendo lark!!

[reg]

I was competing for Wakamatsu High School's girls team... we won our first match too! Going to Japan was the best thing I ever did. If I hadn't i'd a never of gotten into this kendo lark!!
that sounds awesome! there are so many matches, but it's great that you won. great experience i'd imagine.

by the way, is there a place called wakamatsu in fukuoka? because as far as i can remember, wakamatsu is in fukushima.. nice place too, especially in winter. but anyway.. a bit confused now ^^;;

[senki-kendo-jos]

hmm... nope, the wakamatsu i'm on about is a ward of kitakyushu city in fukuoka prefecture... 'twas where I lived!! Have heard about the one in fukushima. never been though!

Rather happy as got a letter from my sensei giving me loadsa advice for shodan. Luvvley jubbley!!!:smiley: