am i crazy

[wutian]

Hello all I am new to kendo and I have found I fit in to a category I have read about 3 times here. New people train every day take it to seriously and think there going to become samurai. Well I do train every day but there really isn’t a kendo goal in that. Sure it would be killer to become a fourth or fifth Dan some time but my rewards so far have come pretty quickly. I do what I do because it enriches my life the discipline the speed strength and mostly the focus. I think musashi was very right when he said that the way of strategy if studied and realized would become a very helpful tool in day to day life. I have thought for some time that people who try not to take things important to them to seriously do so so that failure wont hurt that much I believe I can not fail in the fight I wont give up. I believe i'm not alone in this the book of five rings changed my life along time before I thought about picking up a bokken or shinai. As it has many others I just choose the closest path I could find to the wording of that book I know I won’t ever be a samurai but I also know that the best of anything has something to offer everyone. And I will continue to train hard because at the end of the day I am a better person for it. But I am still new and open to anyone who has good reason to tell me i’m crazy.

[kendokamax]

you are not crazy

you are funny

are you a samurai by the way?

[wutian]

no i think im to laid back to kill anyone for bumping my sword. and my sarcastic attitude would have gotten me wacked quick fast and in a hurry

[Haowen]

Greetings honorable wutian,

> I fit in to a category I have read about 3 times here.

Which category would that be, sir?

> the book of five rings changed my life

How has your life been changed by that life-changing book of five rings?

> I believe I can not fail in the fight I wont give up.

What is this fight that you won't give up? It must be very important.

> a year ago i picked up a japanese sword and my life has not been the same

Sort of like Luke Skywalker picking up the lightsaber in Star Wars, huh? That's very cool. How is the spiritual side of your training going?

[wutian]

i am not entirely sure how to take that last post. Was i not clear, would you like elaboration, or were you pokeing fun

[wutian]

i will to the last part of your question respond though

Sort of like Luke Skywalker picking up the lightsaber in Star Wars, huh? That's very cool. How is the spiritual side of your training going
-Haowen
i am 25 years old alittle later in life to start training then most i know. for the last ten years i have been on s spiritual quest if there is a book on the sublect(of spirtuality ) ive read it well alot of them atleast and kendo has helped brauden my mind like no other practice ive found.

[kendokamax]

why?

what is so great about kendo and spirituality? compare to other stuff...

[wutian]

when we get in to abstract we lean twords a chaotic veiw of things and a disipline like kindo or even akido helps focus and see things more clearly and it gets me off of my butt a good change from sitting around reading.

[Confound]

After reading this thread, I feel depressed.

Wutian, you are not Saul on the road to Tarsus, kendou is not the great enlightenment, and we're not going to start calling you Paul. Kendou is not a panacea, and if you think it is, you shall be gravely disappointed, not to mention the fact that you'll find it frustrating in the long run.

c

[kendokamax]

ya but kendo is always fustrating!
..so is life

woah anyway looks like i'm depressed too


wutian you really drive 3 hour for kendo?! this is.....weird
why dont you just move to an other town, it will cost you less money in the long run..so less fustration .

[wutian]

in all things lie answers it is not in the reading but the interpertation and when one feels there is nothing to be gained by something why even practice it

[dragonsvirtue]

It seems to me that a number of you just practice Kendo because it is cool to swing a stick and workout, or perhaps it helps you score with the ladies. Weekend warriors. I am new to kendo and cannot make many statements on the subject with athority. What I know comes mostly from what I have read. I am not however new to martial arts. I have studied physical and mental diciplines for almost 10 years now. Developing the martial spirit is very important in any art. How can anyone expect to wield the sword with skill and not devote any time understanding the spirit of the sword? And more imoprtant than that you must understand your own spirit. You cannot play at something and expect to comprehend anything.
"If you hope to understand my strategy you must study as many of the martial arts as you can and never veer from your chosen course. Your everyday practice, as it accumulates, will eventually reveal true no-thing-ness to you as the "spirit of the thing itself". When you have truly understood the universe in relation to your art and your art in relation to the universe, you will come to understand no-thing-ness. This may apear to be a very difficult concept to understand, but it is quite simple. Do not take anything for granted and do not put emphasis on things of men. In this way understand my strategy.
No matter how hard you study, if you do not become one with the art you persue you can never truly become one with the universe and the "spirit of the thing itself" will always elude you. Things will never appear to be what they truly are. But if you look at things with no attachment to them you will come to understand your place. The work is more important than the worker. When you come to see things in a broader perspective, taking no-thing-ness to be the truth, you will see the truth as no-thing"
You would do well to follow Musashi Wutian, and not these fools

[kendokamax]

what the ......?

why do you try to make things so complicated..?..and then you talk about no-thing-ness.

[cklin]

HAHAHAHA! I'm getting a good kick out of this thread.

Look, people, kendo is kendo. It isn't some eastern mystic yin-yang meditate-under-a-waterfall Takuan-say bullshit.

Just frickin' go to practice.

You want spiritual, become a monk.
You want martial, join the Marines.

[kendokamax]

hey man....dont say such thing

i like to practice kendo under waterfalls.

[saki_wooah]

Hey, kendo is not a religion (u should look for that topic we argued a couple of weeks ago), so finding "Enlightement" about your life is not really what it is suppose to give you. And your sensei is not your spiritual teacher, he's teaching you a sport! And we aren't really fighting with samurai spirit; kendo has his roots from samurai, but today we do modern kendo (which is more of a normal sport than anything else).

[mingshi]

Mr. Dragonsvirtue,

Welcome to the Kendo World.
Please don't feel isolated because you are new to Kendo or the Forum. You haven't fill in your profile so we know nothing about you too.

Anyway, let me re-quote:-

I am not however new to martial arts. I have studied physical and mental diciplines for almost 10 years now. Developing the martial spirit is very important in any art.
May I ask, what are the other martial arts that you've been doing? And what is "martial spirit"?

How can anyone expect to wield the sword with skill and not devote any time understanding the spirit of the sword?
Er... We've to understand the spirit of the sword? Can you explain that? ...and aren't we all wielding Shinai here?

When you have truly understood the universe in relation to your art and your art in relation to the universe, you will come to understand no-thing-ness.
Ah? Kendo is related to the universe? Great concept. Wher did you get this one from?
Well, there is a term in Kendo concerning nothingness =Mushin

You would do well to follow Musashi Wutian, and not these fools
Yeah right. We are the fools. Enlighten us.:D

[munenmuso]

Wutian,

To answer your question, yes you are crazy and you know that you are. Your just waiting for some people to confirm what you strongly believe you are and I hope that makes you happy. There is nothing wrong with that. In this crazy world, the sane are the outcast. But if being crazy takes you to another heights then you should be proud of it. So welcome to the real world...:D

BTW, do you want a poll for that?

In the spirit of truth...............

munenmuso

[nodachi]

"...if you do not become one with the art you persue..."

I know everyone can interpret this differently, but can't this be something like dedication? Hence, for those who do enjoy Kendo as merely a sport, as long as they are dedicated to it, then they are finding what they want as the "spirit" of Kendo, whether it be the competition or just the fun of it or the discipline and ritual of it.

I do look forward to discovering more about ki and all the random comments people and my sensei have made about it, but you are definitely looking for something quite different than a lot of the people on this forum. Although you are taking to such a different extreme, that it is unfair to call the sports minded Kendo people fools.

[ben]

Hmmm... methinks Wutian and Dragonsvirtue are the same person, both of whom are too much concerned about what others think of them...

Apart from that, welcome to kendo and to KWF. Don't worry, everone cops a little shit here from time to time.
;)
b

(PS - There are really only two of us here. We just use a lot of different profiles ^_^ o_0 :D :P :) :( 3:= >_< :` )

[wutian]

Wow well I'm back well no dragons virtue and I are not the same person . I don’t need gratification from anyone my thoughts were on the idea of finding people like dv and I. people who see the world at more then face value and understand that in everything there is an infanite universe of possabilitys. Take a look at the greatest martial arts has to offer and you will find a spiritual connection from akidos O'sensei to the shaolin monks more then a handful of 8dans in kendo and ofcource ill bring him up again musashi. Kendo may be a sport but its one built in the tradition and practice of people who understood this link and I hope someday we will all find that. See I started to walk this path because of my quest for spirituality eastern thought offered me more than any western religion did and in everything I studied I found references to the martial arts. So maybe I’m a little zealous but I am so because of the path I walked to get here. If anyone doubts the connection I say pick up a book and read or find me one kendo practitioner that does not see any connection put him up against Yakushimaru Ryushin or Chuta Nakanishi or any of those credited with the creation of great ryus. After seeing complaints by kendo masters that kendo was becoming to "sporty" I was discouraged but I still believe that it’s in there for me. Some of you don’t see it that is unfortunate but the greats did and do and they my friends are the ones that have the most to offer in skill and growth.

[Confound]

'If you do not become one with the art you persue'

Perhaps you should try becoming one with your spelling skills first, Dragonsvirtue.

As per your comment that some people do kendou because they like to swing a sword around, it looks like you fall into the category of 'sword romaticisers' too. If you look for smoke and mirrors spiritualism in kendou, you'll find as much rubbish as you bring with you.

c

[wutian]

wow confound your soooo smart correcting spelling like that im really impressed why dou you even post on a concepts forum if your not capable of conceptualization

[Confound]

One more thing:

Wutian,

"Some of you don’t see it that is unfortunate but the greats did and do and they my friends are the ones that have the most to offer in skill and growth."

After such a breathless sentence, I would be surprised if you could see anything at all, Wutian. Who exactly are these 'greats' to which you refer? Wayne Gretzky perhaps? After three readings of this comma-less sentence, I find nothing in it worth reading, and have an overwhelming feeling of disappointment.

I am fairly certain that Musashi did not spend hours a day praising his own ability to see what others do not, or in self-satisfied contemplation of his own superiority. If he did, bully for him. However, it is hardly what is needed in modern kendou.

Perhaps it's time to stop looking for enlightenment. It's a sad and futile quest when you need to read so much meaning into kendou. Yes, there is a depth of tradition in kendou, which should be respected. However, the 'respect' you offer is more of a direspect than a valuable contribution.

One of the most valuable things in a dojo is silenceand reflection upon practice and what has been learned, or shall be learned. These feverish tributes and hyperbolic devotion to 'spiritualism' is not only unnecessary, it misses the point of kendou.

If you require the metaphore of the 'journey', kendou is a journey you take alone, silently. It isn't a long, dancing skip down a merry lane with shouting and singing, waving banners of Musashi Miyamoto and other dead men. Kendou isn't about other people, or the achievements of others. You should appreciate the achievements of others, but continually harping on them grows
tiresome.

c

ps - No, you aren't crazy. You're just an overeager puppy who pees everywhere.

[wutian]

If you require the metaphore of the 'journey', kendou is a journey you take alone, silently

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
with 373 posts you sir are one to talk about spouting off about our own superiority ive read a good 30 of them already and for the most part thats what they are

[munenmuso]

Originally posted by wutian
If you require the metaphore of the 'journey', kendou is a journey you take alone, silently

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
with 373 posts you sir are one to talk about spouting off about our own superiority ive read a good 30 of them already and for the most part thats what they are

Mom, can you give me my paracetamol. Im beginning to get dizzy again. These posts.

[wutian]

Why practice kendo?
You will encounter many people who ask you this question, but however simple it may seem it is often difficult to provide a short and definite answer. This is because all of us have different reasons for practicing. Many come for the physical aspect, others for the moral learning, and others for the spiritual aura attached to the martial art. However, it demonstrates knowledge and deep understanding to be aware of all these aspects, as they are indeed, all closely knitted together, and there cannot be advancement if all aspects are not considered and developed at the same time. It is this distinctive feature that makes kendo a particularly interesting art to practice.

[wutian]

Why practice kendo?
You will encounter many people who ask you this question, but however simple it may seem it is often difficult to provide a short and definite answer. This is because all of us have different reasons for practicing. Many come for the physical aspect, others for the moral learning, and others for the spiritual aura attached to the martial art. However, it demonstrates knowledge and deep understanding to be aware of all these aspects, as they are indeed, all closely knitted together, and there cannot be advancement if all aspects are not considered and developed at the same time. It is this distinctive feature that makes kendo a particularly interesting art to practice.

-Dr. Michael Steward Sr., Soke

PhD/Martial Arts Sciences/Philosophy
10th Dan : Soke-Head-founder Yama-Tani Ryu Ju-Jitsu
5th Dan : Shotokai Karate-Do
Master Instructor-Tai-Chi & Qigong
1st Dan Kodokan Judo
3rd Dan Kendo
3rd Dan Jukido Iaido Ryu
National Certified U.S.A. Coach
National & International Certified Referee (Karate & Ju-Jitsu)
One of the first 5 Americans certified as International Ju-Jitsu Referees with the International Ju-Jitsu Federation (Austria 1992)
Certified Executive Body Guard 1990
Certified Red Cross First Aid & Community CPR Trainer
Certified Red Cross First Response Trainer
Fight Choreographer For The Lebanon Theater Company, Inc.-2001
Inducted Into The World Martial Arts Hall of Fame 2000
Inducted Into The World Sports Medicine Hall of Fame 2000
Inducted Into The World Martial Arts Hall of Fame Sokeship Council 2000
Received Ph/D in Martial Arts Sciences/Philosophy 2000
Inducted Into The World Martial Arts Hall of Fame 2001
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
this guy is very much alive

this will be my last post on this concepts forum from now on i will stick to training where i will learn the most. there was never the need to resort to name calling. it disapoints me it went there. thank you all for chiming in but im done trying to explain myself in this matter. i look forward to learning about the art and hints tword sucsess from you all thank you

wutian

[mingshi]

Why practice kendo?
You will encounter many people who ask you this question....... It is this distinctive feature that makes kendo a particularly interesting art to practice.

-Dr. Michael Steward Sr., Soke
Wait a second. People from Hizen Dojo, London, does this look familiar to you too? Wutian, check out Hizen Dojo, London (http://www.hizen.org) and look at their text. Correct me if I am wrong, but I did find the EXACT wordings there.

Wutian, I found out your dojo by a google search:
Yamatani Dojo (http://www.yamatanidojo.com/kendopage.htm)
Seems like you're traing under this Dr. Steward SOKE, and a SENSEI PATRICK ALBRECHT - SHODAN????

10th Dan : Soke-Head-founder Yama-Tani Ryu Ju-Jitsu
Er, Wutian, do you know what Soke is?

3rd Dan Kendo, 3rd Dan Jukido Iaido Ryu
So he's actually a 3rd Dan.... But.... what is Jukido Iaido Ryu???

Inducted Into The World Martial Arts Hall of Fame Sokeship Council 2000
Sokeship Council....?

Wutian, you said you are 25 so make your own choice. However, I do not believe that worth a 3-hour drive. Plus, your Dojo is not under All Japan/American Kendo Fed... You'll not get an official Kendo blackbelt/1st Dan from that place, so don't even think about getting 8th Dan.

Well, welcome to the world of McDojo.

[Haowen]

I'm surprised that not all of you have heard about:

THE WORLD MARTIAL ARTS HALL OF FAME

http://www.photographer4you.com/mahome.htm

The studly man on the page is demonstrating Steven-Seagal-no-kamae, commonly used in the Legless Chicken waza in which shidachi cuts off his own leg in order to surprise uchidachi according to Sun Tzu's Precepts of War. It is also used in the Beheading The Trouser Snake waza of which the less is said the better, except for the fact that it is characterized by extremely high pitched kiai.

I can't wait till I get shodan and I can start my own Amazingly Cool Ryu and be an Ultimate Grandmaster Soke PhD Hall-of-Famer along with all the other studly chaps in there.

P.S. On a more serious note, wutian, you seem like a sincere person, do yourself a favour and get in touch with an All US Kendo Federation dojo :) The head senseis do respond to email and you can get their contact info off the website here (http://www.auskf.info/).

[KhawMengLee]

Er...dude..as a beginner I wouldn't be thinking so much about the spiritual side of kendo. While you are thinking about the "oneness" of your soul with the universe and your sword your opponent is gonna come in and lay a massive men cut on your head.

I'm not saying the spiritual side of kendo isn't important but at our level training our bodies is more important. It's no point training your mind up if your body is too slow to apply the thought.

BTW, does your Chief Instructor Dr. Michael Steward Sr sit opposite you at the beginning and end of practice?

If so then its pretty dodgy, as only godan(5 dan) above have that right. Same with the title of Sensei, only godan upwards have that right.

Don't be discouraged but also be wary of things, its good that you are keen but keep an open mind.

p.s. check your spelling and punctuation dude. Its really hard to understand what you mean to say sometimes.

PEACE
MENG

[Confound]

Meng and Haowen are right. It would seem that some of the things you say, Wutian, probably aren't your fault at all, they're just things that you hear all the time in this dojo, and they seem normal. The place looks dodgy.

Do your ambition a favour and find a dojo where you can train under the auspices of your country's kendou federation. Your heart may be in the right place, just make sure you're getting the best opportunities that you can.

c

[wutian]

Ok claifacation time this isnt my dojo. Mine is a registerd "rakning" member(our ranks count) with two sensies third and fith dans(both japanese). I used this guy because he said what I had read alot about kendo, that it is multy sided and there are diferent levels to it, and if you dont understand that you wont get far. B T W "the dumb and powerful" Steven Segal is a seventh dan in akido, and for that i try not to blame a good art to much. And the fact that I was unclear about this now amuses me. That you people, most of witch probabley go to hole in the wall kempo and tykwando dojos, that happen to teach kendo.and you would attack someones dojo. ive seen this a million times before. I dont know this guy but he seemed a compadent source, that in a very "manstream" way explained what I thoiught. you see I hate it when people take things for granted. Anyone who thinks there not more then sport to any martial art, should not be in it because he or she will never realise it to its fulness, and have degrated martial arts to much already. ok this was clarifacation that my lat post was a quote only

[wutian]

ps one more point this thought of mine. is taken in to the dojo only in spiret when im there it will always be to became better at kendo. that is my goal. the other is coming as that does.

[ben]

Love those stream of consciousness posts...
:)
b

[etherknot]

I can't wait till I get shodan and I can start my own Amazingly Cool Ryu and be an Ultimate Grandmaster Soke PhD Hall-of-Famer along with all the other studly chaps in there.

Cool! Now what you need to do after starting your own amazingly cool ryu is: iverse the rank system so we can all start out as "hachidan" and freak out others. :D

And for those seeking true "enlightenment" we could hand them a lightbulb. The rest is up to them.

[Ares2907]

wutian, apologies for not having weighed in on this earlier, I spent all weekend at a gathering of my country's hole-in-the-wall-TAE-KWAN-DO-dojos-that-happen-to-teach-kendo.
I have a feeling that you are either a) trolling - in which case I advise gettingabout ten years more experience on usenet, because your technique is inept,
b) in need of several chill-pills.
Just train hard and let the spriitual side of things take care of itself. I think it's presumptuous to spout off as though you are thoroughly versed in this sort of stuff and if anything shows your lack of understanding.
The people I consider to be best versed in this sort of thing rarely speak of it in favour of advocating physical training. I'm sure it's fine to have spiritual enlightenment as a goal in kendo, but I think that maybe I grasp enough of that stuff (read almost nothing) to know that it's not something that you discover in an epiphanous (sp?) vision after a couple of months of training.
Chill out, by all means have an opinion, but some humility wouldn't go astray either.

[James]

Originally posted by wutian
...But I am still new and open to anyone who has good reason to tell me i’m crazy.


Being as he's from Springfield and judging from the sentence structure I would say it's either Barney or Krusty.

[Haowen]

Dude, you're wrong, it's Bart pretending to be Barney or Krusty. :)

[Matthew Lagden]

you all seem to be missing the main point someone made here - don't know who, my eyes started to bleed somewhere on the second page - which is that i can use kendo to meet ladies.

if i'd known that i would have taken it way more seriously.

[GMason]

Hi everyone,

Seems to me that these to guys are just a bit (:D ) over zealous with their enthusiasum when it comes to Kendo. This is by no means a bad thing. It just seems like they have done Kendo for a few months read a few books and cottoned on to concepts that most people would not start to think about till probably 8th Dan if at all.

I've seen this alot with complete Beginners. I've seen people making noises like lightsabers when they swing a shinai. People who when at seminar's almost refuse to speak English (These are English Kendoka at seminar's in the UK whith 99.9% English speaking kendoka).

Surly these poeple should be encouraged a). To get a life (Sorry I tried all post to be nice :D )and b). shown that yes Kendo does go deeper than just swinging a shinai, but it is not going to instill in you some spirtiual understanding of Life, The universe and everything. It will how ever give you a insight into your own Character.

Just on another note. Which jumps back through the thread a bit. This one might get me flamed :confused:

With regards to the grades mentioned on the post. I am not disputing them I am just pointing out a few possible discrepance's.

I am a lurker on E-Budo and have heard of the Martial Arts hall of fame from there, and from what I am lead to believe it is just a society for self gratification, I've also been told you have to pay to be a inducted into it, which if true says it all as far as I'm concerned, with regards to the term Soke, this is also a term which is banded about alot. Mainly by westerens who have started their won McDojo and want to sound important. They also quite often call themselves masters or professors alot.

There are obviously legitimate Soke of legitimate Ryu who I would not dream of disrespecting, it is just the usual case of a few bad apples and all that.

I know that originator of the thread has said he will not post again but I though I would just add my two yen's worth

[Confound]

Mr. Mason,

Thank you for saying it so nicely. I'm afraid my irritation would have made the same thoughts come out much more nastily.

Wutian,
Honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about in that last post. Yes, I've read James Joyce's Ulysses, and large swathes of Finnegan's Wake, but you've out-Joyce'd Joyce in this 'stream-of-consciousness-no-spelling-barred' kind of posting. Everyone here is interested in what other people have to say, but we can't have a dialogue if we can't understand you. Try to at least use punctuation, and some spelling improvement might help.

Ares,

As for the epiphanous moment, I don't really think there is one. I whole heartedly agree with the part about spiritual aspects of kendou.

I'm not a spiritualist myself, but I do believe that kedou goes deeper than swinging around some pieces of bamboo help together with metal and leather. However, that part of kendou is something that you can only do alone, it's a solitary journey, not a group effort. Kendou supposedly refines the soul as well as the body, I would argue that it's far better with personality flaws, and the understanding of one's limits.


c

[taiwnezboi]

If you're into the "spiritual side" and becoming a "samurai" so much.. why not take kenjutsu instead of kendo? At least then you'll be using real swords?

[iwatekenshi]

"I forced myself to murmur, 'Oh, nonsense!' and stood over him as if transfixed.

"Anything approaching the change that came over his features I have never seen before, and hope never to see again. Oh, I wasn't touched. I was fascinated. It was as though a veil had been rent. I saw on that ivory face the expression of somber pride, of ruthless power, of craven terror -of an intense and hopeless despair. Did he live his life again in every detail of desire, temptation, and surrender during that supreme moment of complete knowledge? He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision -he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath: " 'The horror! The horror!'"

[tetsuoxb]

I know im late to the party, but I had to throw in a bit of ridicule to this thread.

While I don't doubt kendo, and its spiritual aspects have changed the lives of many people. I don't think it could be acquired in a year or two, or after reading one book. The concepts of the Book of the Five Rings, and Bushido, come from the Edo period construct of The Way of the Samurai. Basically, this enlighenment wutian is copying was actually a way to keep samurai from slicing each other in half because they had nothing better to do. The investigation of the classics was not nearly as important during senkoku/azuchi/momoyama jidai, when people were actually killing each other at regular intervals. Even if Hyaku had the Hosokawa family break out the oar bokken Musashi gave them and slap Wutian across the head with it, it would not futher enlightenment. It is the 8 fold path, not the 18 month pass if you know what im saying.

Futhermore, wutian, in the interests of readable posts, I suggest you work on your spelling instead of your spiritualism. As Chu Hsi said in his commentary on "The Greater Learning" (Neo-confucianism):

When things are investigated, knowledge is extended, when knowledge is extended, the will becomes sincere, when the will is sincere, the mind is rectified, when the mind is rectified, personal life is cultivated, when personal life is cultivated, the family will be regulated, when the family is regulared, the state will be in order, when the state is in order, there will be peace in the world.

Before you go jumping to peace in the world, drop back to investigating the joys of spell checkers.

[JSchmidt]

"Before you go jumping to peace in the world, drop back to investigating the joys of spell checkers."

Hmm how will the use of spell checkers lead to enlightenment?:)

Jakob

[mingshi]

Wutian,

KW Forum Enlish Guidelines:-

1) Captial for the first letter of the first word of a sentence.

WRONG: i am not entirely sure how to take that last post.
RIGHT: I am not entirely sure how to take that last post.

2) Add punctuation marks (, . ? ! etc) within and in between sentences.

WRONG: in all things lie answers it is not in the reading but the interpertation and when one feels there is nothing to be gained by something why even practice it
RIGHT: In all things lie answers. It is not in the reading, but the interpertation. And when one feels there is nothing to be gained by something... Why even practice it?

3) Think about why no one is reading and responding to your posts. Do you actually type in a way people can READ? Are you making any point with the "sentence" you are typing here?

"I get tired of people who cant find ways to attack my point so they attack my spelling. "
---please use either CANNOT or CAN'T, not CANT; CANT is another word.

4) KW Forum is not a chatroom, and everything you've typed in are staying much longer. So it's necessary to spell check and NOT use abbreviation. Can you imagine a newspaper or novel with wrong spelling and punctuations?

I don't care where you were born and all that. As long as you are typing things here, expect to see other people reading it. Typing in a forum improved my written English, but not a chatroom. And I've only been using spoken English daily for 3 years. If your English is worse than mine, SHAME ON YOU!

[JSchmidt]

Run Away!..The spelling police is here!

[Ian Russell]

The answer is 42.

[Ares2907]

Incidentally Mingshi, one tends not to start a sentence with 'And'. You would probably have been better pointing out that it was a run-on sentence and perhaps a method to alter it to be more aesthetically pleasing.
My grammar is far from perfect, I do my best not to correct others about theirs. Perhaps you could google a few webites on grammar and spelling for those interested instead of getting into yet another thread on it here.

[KATSUJIN]

oooohhhhh.....the forum has changed from kendo to grammar and spelling........

[etherknot]

Originally posted by KATSUJIN
oooohhhhh.....the forum has changed from kendo to grammar and spelling........

Spelling and grammar waza are just as important!

[James]

Originally posted by mingshi

RIGHT: In all things lie answers. It is not in the reading, but the interpertation. And when one feels there is nothing to be gained by something... Why even practice it?


Hey Jenny if this is 'RIGHT' what's an interpertation ?




I don't care where you were born and all that. As long as you are typing things here, expect to see other people reading it. Typing in a forum improved my written English, but not a chatroom. And I've only been using spoken English daily for 3 years. If your English is worse than mine, SHAME ON YOU!

Well you're not perfect and neither is he. I'll just say one word;
toLiRenCe

(And let's get back to attacking him for his opinions).

[Matthew Lagden]

yeah, we've tolerantly decided he's bang out of order and we're going to carry on tolerantly ripping him to shreds long after this thread should really have been allowed to die.

ooh shit <ducks for cover>

[mingshi]

Son, I'm sacrificing myself for your own good.

"also i have always had an issue with writtin mechanics if i am unclear just yell at me everyone else does"

He asked for it.

Ares####,
>>Perhaps you could google a few webites on grammar and spelling

I tried to put it in the "English Grammar in Use" format. You may not have heard about it but the EGU book is the official English textbook I used at school a few years ago. Nobody ever learnt English from it. Effective language-learning depends on interactive communication, not just by reading a book.

I'm "bastardizing" myself this time... I know you all have much better English, so you don't have to care about what you are reading. But when you are in the process of learning... It'll be bad to present yourself as "I know my English is bad so I just type my worse English so that everyone knows my English is bad". Those of you who met me before will know that, my spoken English sucks, although I expect native speakers to speak proper English.

A typo is another thing. If you mis-typed a Japanese term the meaning of the whole word changes. ...Strangely nobody correct my "KW Forum Enlish Guidelines" spelling??

Enough for now. Maybe I should start learning Japanese.

[Ares2907]

Yes. Learn Japanese.
Japanese is bery guddo.
That way we can all communicate in crap Japanese together until the Japanese spelling/grammar police discover our secret hideout.

[James]

Originally posted by mingshi
Those of you who met me before will know that, my spoken English sucks

I think it's pretty good!

[Confound]

Actually, Mingshi, I've never had a problem with your English. In real space, I'm a one man grammar gestapo squad. online, I frequently ignore capitalizing 'I' and the first word of sentences. This is because the shift key is inconveniently located, and i'm protesting. (actually, it has far more to do with laziness.)

That said, wutian is a threat to the English language. Go to town with him, Mingshi, take him to the cleaners. I'm going to go back to sleeping and taking my medicine.

c

ps - Wutian, at least punctuate.

[munenmuso]

Kendo and grammar is an oxymoron.

The reason why we hold a sword in kendo and not a pen is to avoid spelling corrections hence we only shout "men" kote" "do" instead of "Mississippi" or"She sells sea shells on the sea shore" just to prove our superiority in a language not native to some us.:D

[Confound]

Munenmuso, there is a large difference between the mistakes made by a person learning English and the flagrant disregard for others' attempts to read a post. The former are perfectly fine, if this forum were in French, Spanish or Japanese, or some other language, I'd be the laughing stock of the boards; however, the latter is plain ignorant behaviour toward fellow posters and readers. That kind of behaviour says, "I don't care enough about what you think or what you may want to say about my thoughts to even attemp to be intelligible. I don't care, I just want to type my little fingers off on a keyboard."

If you wish to be understood, do your best to be intelligible. Sometimes the worst perpetrators are those who supposedly 'speak' English.

c

[munenmuso]

About Wutian's posts, I recently realized that he is not well versed in the English language. I thought it was just a virus eating up his computer where he composes perfect English at first but when everytime he pushes the send button, that same virus garble up his messages. I also thought he was a hermit searching for true enlightenment in some remote forest.

I understand what he means to say but I never understand what he was trying to write about. Everytime I read his posts, I thought I was into drugs. But I always test negative. I'm not so good in English either and that's a problem too. I have to think first the right sentences to avoid the grammar police before I actually weave the right thoughts or the essence. Speaking English is different from writing English, as others would say here.

[scbang]

Kendo must be a truly great sport to have all kinds like you guys.

Nothingness is an interesting concept Dragonsvirtue. Because if you want to win it bad, it actually gets you away from winning. You need to know how to give it all up to gain..

Well, for me it's a great exercise. Fitness center running machine is too boring for me..

I do believe however, you can get close to religious spirituality from Kendo if you have will and patience to explore.

SC

[munenmuso]

Well some people are just so eccentric. Who thinks that the world revolves around the Ying and Yang and that the greatest man who walked on earth is an unorthodox samurai by the name of Musashi Miyamoto and the likes who perpetrate the rights of others. The guy must be turning from his grave.

Wake up Wutian.

[Jon Palombi]

Many of th opinions expressed on this thread reveal truths, from the vantage point of that individual's point of reference. To some practicing the tradition of the sword is a sport, to others it is a vehicle for attaining a deeper understanding of the Way. Not by definition transcedental, rather experiential. Practice makes perfect? When the greatest swordsmen of the past (here are four: Tsukahara Bokuden, Miamoto Musashi, Yangyu Munenori, Morihei Ueshiba) elluded to a state of No mind, this was the spontaneous result of continued silencing of the distractions of superficial thought patterns. In the clarity of this of awareness, there is niether action nor reaction. The obivious responce to any martial conflict flows instinctually from an innate sense of readiness. This alone does not assure victory. However, there are few who attain mastery in this art who have not come to this realization. To each thier own. I salute all who seek something deeper than a fleeting victory on the playing field. This is a lifelong journey, not just a fixation of youth. Just my vantage point, guys.

Yours in Martial Spirit, Jon Palombi

[Newbie]

Dude! You bumped a thread that died four years ago!!

[Anonymous]

necro post, lol

[Jon Palombi]

Oops, I guess I forgot to notice the date...No mind, no time? Anyway, Sir Newbie, thanks for the heads up. I better go and practice now.

[Newbie]

Sir...? Err.. dangerous assumption to make on the forums, buddy. But have fun at training :)

[Awooga Guy]

Nice one (http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0749851872.02._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg)






That is all.