I'm new to kendo, help needed

[Kendo Student]

I am going to start kendo soon because my parent has called a dojo for adults and teens, but we're unsure of the price. Now, my questions are..
1.) I am 14 years old and i'm a little bit short for my age...will it make a difference? Will they put me with the younger students? (my height:around 4'8 or 4'9)
2.) Can I start with a bokken in kendo instead of a shinai?
3.) Can anyone give me some other locations for kendo classes in my area? I live in California, in Los Angeles.

Thx

[Xeraphim]

what group you are placed in depends on your dojo really, you always start with shinai, bokken are only used for kata wich is advanced and you prolly won't start on that untill 6 months to a year. Classes in LA I don't know about.

[#2 mouse]

Kendo Student,

Welcome to the wonderful world of kendo.

Don't worry about height. Average Japanese men are only 5ft 5in tall. That would only put you about 4 inches shorter than the average ADULT.

Differences in height are not a big issue in kendo. Often women and men practice together despite considerable differences in height.

As far as bokken versus shinai, you will probably train using both. Each has it's advantages in practicing different things. At my dojo we often do suburi (striking excercises) with bokken or shinai. Kata is done with bokken. Fencing is done with a shinai, for safety. You could actually kill someone with a wooden sword if you tried.

Check out some of the other posts about dojo in your area. You won't have a problem, there are loads in So Cal.

[joekc6nlx]

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! (If you say it three times, it's true!)

A couple of links for you, too.
www.kendo-america.org (http://www.kendo-america.org)

www.auskf.info (http://www.auskf.info)

These sites will give you some reference materials to look over. You can download the pages and print them, put them in a notebook and read them at your leisure.

When you get to your dojo, don't be shy. Often, after class, we get together in a big circle and introduce ourselves to each other. In my dojo, we believe that everyone has something to learn from everyone else. Even the advanced students learn something from the newer ones. It might not be evident, but there are little things that advanced students pick up that the newer students don't see.

Always, always, treat everyone with respect. Kendo is about spirit, respect, and humility, which is why you don't see kendo people wearing belts to denote their ranks. It's more of a self-improvement study than it is a competition with an opponent.

When you start class, the sensei will help you with the proper size shinai. Don't worry about getting a bokken for a while, since you will need to learn how to hold the shinai properly and to swing it correctly. The bokken has a slightly different feel, because the hilt is oval and is shorter than the hilt of a shinai.

Above all, be patient! You can't progress that quickly in kendo, because in order to move up, you must first master the basics. Once you do, then your path is clear for you. Michael Jordan couldn't do all the things he does with a basketball the first time he picked one up, he had to work at it. Same with kendo, working at it correctly will make it subconscious, and you can devote your conscious mind to more advanced study of kendo.

[Ralutin]

I am going to start kendo soon because my parent has called a dojo for adults and teens, but we're unsure of the price. Now, my questions are..
1.) I am 14 years old and i'm a little bit short for my age...will it make a difference? Will they put me with the younger students? (my height:around 4'8 or 4'9)
2.) Can I start with a bokken in kendo instead of a shinai?
3.) Can anyone give me some other locations for kendo classes in my area? I live in California, in Los Angeles.

Thx

Hi,

1) No and yes. People who are just starting kendo are usually grouped together and can range in age from 5 to 65. Height won't be a factor and you're still young and have much more to grow. Each dojo will teach their beginners differently. It's important that you and your parents visit multiple dojo and observe the beginners (people not wearing the armor) and how they're taught and ask questions when the oppotunity arises.

2) No, unless your instructor starts teaching you kendo kata (forms), which is normally taught after a few months to a year into your training. Again, different dojo and instructors will vary on this, but your initial training will be with a shinai.

3) Here's the website for the Southern California Kendo Federation (SCKF):

http://www.eanet.com/sckf

And the Southern California Kendo Organization (SCKO):

http://www.auskf.info/mainpages/Federation%20schools/scko.htm

Good luck!

[Kendo Student]

Ok, if u guys wanna know, the website for the dojo i'm going to is www.kennagayama.com (http://www.kennagayama.com The) the master instructor is Master Ken Nagayama. and there are other instructors too. And I'm going to the one in Granada Hills, CA.

[joekc6nlx]

Ok, if u guys wanna know, the website for the dojo i'm going to is www.kennagayama.com (http://www.kennagayama.com%20the/) the master instructor is Master Ken Nagayama. and there are other instructors too. And I'm going to the one in Granada Hills, CA.

Okay, I took a look at his site. I don't see a single reference to him teaching kendo, nor any kendo classes in his schedule.

All I see is Tae Kwon Do and Aikido, I don't see kendo as a class, I see where he sells kendo supplies.

[Kendo Student]

On both class schedules, it shows "Kendo." I know its there, I even checked it again. The site should have a story about him in the "About Us" section.

heres the url again, www.kennagayama.com (http://www.kennagayama.com)

[joekc6nlx]

Okay, you've asked for help. I do not see anywhere where Master Nagayama is a master of kendo. I don't see anything on their website that even states what his rank is in kendo. I see that it says he's studied kendo, but for how long, under whom, where?

I also see that he isn't listed on the AUSKF list of dojos. Just so you know, you cannot participate in AUSKF sanctioned events or go up for promotion unless the dojo is affiliated with the AUSKF. I checked the SCKF and the SCKO and that dojo isn't listed with either.

I'd take a long, hard look at your other options before I'd go to Master Nagayama's dojo. If you're looking for kendo, there are plenty of other dojos in Southern California that are affiliated with the SCKF or SCKO and the AUSKF.

[Kendo Student]

Well, yes, I've checked other locations(especially far ones) and we watched some kendo classes and they were pretty good, but the thing is, Master Ken Nagayama's dojo is the closest to us. As for the other ones, we had to go pretty far. We are now back to deciding where should I go..

Thanks for the info anyway! Really helped.

[joekc6nlx]

If I truly wanted to learn an art, I would go to the best place I could get to, rather than the closest one. Unless I lived in a colony of artists, (like in Taos, NM), the likelihood of the "best" place being the closest is pretty small. I drive 40 miles to my dojo, another of my dojo mates drives almost 100 miles, and many of the others drive in excess of 30 miles.

I know that you don't drive, and that's not a problem, but if you can find someone at whichever dojo you decide to attend who can give you a ride, perhaps you can help share gas/parking fees.

[nebosuke]

Anybody calling themselves "master" does not practice kendo, they may do kumdo though as Koreans use master. I know nothing of that Ken guy who's site you linked to, he may be perfectly capable at some of the things he teaches, but he is simply not a kendo instructor. Since he does not belong to the SCKF or SCKO and the AUSKF, any rank he would claim to gave you in kendo wouldn't be worth the paper it would be printed on. It would not be recognized anywhere outside of his doors.

They are in Granada Hills, about 10 minutes from there is the San Fernando Valley Kendo Dojo (http://www.sfvkendo.com) , with Miyahara sensei, hachidan hanshi as senior instrcutor. It just so happens that they only accept new students in January and July, so if you're interested your chance is now. They practice on Monday and Wednesday nights starting at 7:30pm. So if you want to do it, or even think you want to, be there Wednesday night at 7:00 ready for practice (since there is no practiceon July 4th holiday).

[joekc6nlx]

Nebosuke, thank you for that reference for Kendo_Student.

Kendo_Student, you have an excellent opportunity at the SFKD and if I were you, I'd jump at the chance.

[Kendo Student]

Thanks to you two! I'm going to stop by the SFKD this comming wednesday, and yes, I think it would be a better opportinity at that dojo.

Many thanks!

[piggy]

and another thing, this probably isnt true with most dojos but as beggining students, we started out with a bokken and practiced our strikes with that untill we recieved shinais 3 months later.

unless that is the case, have fun with your shinai

and on another note, welcome to kendo! hope you enjoy it.

[Kendo Student]

and another thing, this probably isnt true with most dojos but as beggining students, we started out with a bokken and practiced our strikes with that untill we recieved shinais 3 months later.

unless that is the case, have fun with your shinai

and on another note, welcome to kendo! hope you enjoy it.

Ok, thanks for the info!
I have already attended two classes, and my sensei said I will get to using my bokken soon.

Im really enjoying it!:smiley:

[piggy]

Ok, thanks for the info!
I have already attended two classes, and my sensei said I will get to using my bokken soon.

Im really enjoying it!:smiley:

thats awsome! even if you're having trouble in kendo, always stick with it. you'll overcome the problems eventually.

and thats my share of advice to you.

[Trey]

Hehe awesome Kendo_Student. I'll probably be gettin' into Kendo in about two weeks. Gunna go check out the club on wed. on invitation from Kobo *cheers for Kobo* lol. Hope I enjoy it, I'm sure I will though ^_^