police dojo(plural) ;]

[Mr_R_Soul]

hi i'm new here,

i have heard of the tokyo police force and there kendo training i would enjoy reading any stories y'all have to share

[rainmaker]

I think they do open to public for an hour but you cannot practice with them unless you are invited. Read this article..

http://www.mushinkankendo.com/uch_bio.html



hi i'm new here,

i have heard of the tokyo police force and there kendo training i would enjoy reading any stories y'all have to share

[ShinKenshi]

Yeah, the Japanese police are required to take kendo and judo. Every year they have a tournament for the police in kendo and at the national tournaments in Japan, the police force competes against the construction workers team, business teams, etc. I used to have a P.E. teacher who practiced judo with the local police dept. and he gained the respect of a large number of officers.

[KhawMengLee]

...at the national tournaments in Japan, the police force competes against the construction workers team...

aka...police vs. yakuza...oh, boy fun... :wink:

[ernie]

last year at our national camp we were lucky enough to have two sensei come from japan to teach us. They were both members of the police riot squad, and we were extremely lucky to be allowed to watch a demonstration of kata that that are a part of their training, and these were absolutely amazing, very hard to describe, but they were a lot more dynamic and intense than our normal kendo kata. has anyone else seen these that could describe them? i think someone from my club took a video of them and i will try and find it to upload it. but it was definitely a sight that i will never forget in kendo.

[KenShi_JoB]

last year at our national camp we were lucky enough to have two sensei come from japan to teach us. They were both members of the police riot squad, and we were extremely lucky to be allowed to watch a demonstration of kata that that are a part of their training, and these were absolutely amazing, very hard to describe, but they were a lot more dynamic and intense than our normal kendo kata. has anyone else seen these that could describe them? i think someone from my club took a video of them and i will try and find it to upload it. but it was definitely a sight that i will never forget in kendo.

May be that is Keishicho-ryu kata? Or do you mean they do normal kendo kata with great intensity?

[mimijaja]

aka...police vs. yakuza...oh, boy fun... :wink:
ah-uh, watch your mouth. not every constraction worker is Yakuza :)
but.....lol

[KhawMengLee]

ah-uh, watch your mouth. not every constraction worker is Yakuza :)
but.....lol

Yeah...in the west there are no mobsters in construction either, just the Teamsters Union..hahaha

[Musashi898]

I heard the Japanese Police Force, train also in Aikido, they gain their 1st Dan in a year!

[ShinKenshi]

I heard the Japanese Police Force, train also in Aikido, they gain their 1st Dan in a year! I don't know about that but kendo and judo are definitely mandatory. I wouldn't be surprised if some stations required aikido as well.

[Musashi898]

it was on one of the documentaries about the police riot force doing aikido

[Banza Joe]

I read that the japanese police kendo can differ from what we would calltraditional kendo? They use foot sweeps and the like don't they? That would be excellent to learn.

[KenShi_JoB]

I read that the japanese police kendo can differ from what we would calltraditional kendo? They use foot sweeps and the like don't they? That would be excellent to learn.

Conventional, may be, but traditional, no. I think the leg-sweep kendo is more traditional historically.

[The great I AM]

I think ashibarai was a part of kendo until the war, but I'm not 100% sure on that. And regarding the police "practises" there are a lot of Urban Myths surrounding them. Some may be true some may not, but I'm going to reserve judgement until I hear some first hand accounts for myself.

[JSchmidt]

I've seen recent ('90s?) videos of police-taikai where they used legsweeps.
Best was when one guy swept Miyazaki's feet, which caused him to go into ninja-mode and annihilate the guy.

Jakob

[KenShi_JoB]

I've seen recent ('90s?) videos of police-taikai where they used legsweeps.
Best was when one guy swept Miyazaki's feet, which caused him to go into ninja-mode and annihilate the guy.

Jakob

Wow! I hope I could see that too!

[Paikea]

I read that the japanese police kendo can differ from what we would calltraditional kendo? They use foot sweeps and the like don't they? That would be excellent to learn.I believe Curtis Marsten-sensei practiced with the Osaka Police (and that Ishida-sensei) for some months, perhaps he could share a tale or two?

[Hisham]

I've seen recent ('90s?) videos of police-taikai where they used legsweeps.
Best was when one guy swept Miyazaki's feet, which caused him to go into ninja-mode and annihilate the guy.


that would be a pretty interesting sight indeed.

[ShinKenshi]

Hmm, I wonder about that. My sensei lived in Japan for a couple years and he and his wife went to several taikai for kendo and other martial arts and they did see the police at a kendo tournament and I'm pretty sure he said he didn't see any legsweeps. I'll double check with him and get back to you guys on that.

[KenShi_JoB]

Hmm, I wonder about that. My sensei lived in Japan for a couple years and he and his wife went to several taikai for kendo and other martial arts and they did see the police at a kendo tournament and I'm pretty sure he said he didn't see any legsweeps. I'll double check with him and get back to you guys on that.

The police kendoka won't legsweep people in normal taikai.

[KevinF]

I used to practice once a week at the police dojo in Kuki City in Saitama (Soufukai), Japan. The instructor was a police officer and several police men (and women) practiced there as well. The instructor focused on ZNKR kendo and there were no legs sweeps or anything else "unusual." Most of the kenshi who do kendo at places like this will have to test in ZNKR environment anyway and go to ZNKR taikais, so inclusion of legs sweeps and such would enforce mostly unusable techniques in most modern kendo situations.

Actually, I never saw a legsweep in kendo (and certainly not in Japan) until I saw Kato-sensei of the Shidogakuin dojos do it once at a seminar as a demonstration of how it used to be long ago....

[Kenshi]

Ive been practising at a police dojo about 3 times a week for 20 months now. Its the head police station in the 3rd largest city in the prefecture. My last practise is tonight, actually.

Anyway.

The dojo is open, and I practise with police, Japanese SDF force members, and other general members of the public. [the SDF base has its own private keiko which I am not invited too]. During this time Ive never seen any unorthodox kendo of any kind, and it was just as KevinF said.

Despite what you imagine - in this dojo - things are very relaxed. Everyone is treated as an adult. I am sure there are other places you go that are more severe in their training however [including that SDF keiko I never managed to get too].

>>kendo and judo are definitely mandatory<<

I dont think that this is the case at all. Maybe when they are training to be officers, but not when they get into the police proper. I suspect if might give your job a boost though.

There are proper police stations (not koban) without dojos as well.

Sounds like another "kendo romance story" to me!!!

[ShinKenshi]

Maybe when they are training to be officers, but not when they get into the police proper. Definitely both are required when they're an actual officer. Like I said, one of my old P.E. teachers went to judo practice with the local police and he said all of them were required to do kendo as part of their job.

[Kenshi]

Definitely both are required when they're an actual officer. Like I said, one of my old P.E. teachers went to judo practice with the local police and he said all of them were required to do kendo as part of their job.

did you read my post?! im talking first hand info here my boy! in my last 2 years of training in japan at a police dojo i have seen nothing that backs up your "Definitely both are required" statement!

another myth that thy must giveth-up im afraid.

i remind you of gibbos quote -


And regarding the police "practises" there are a lot of Urban Myths surrounding them. Some may be true some may not, but I'm going to reserve judgement until I hear some first hand accounts for myself.

[kendokamax]

did you read my post?! im talking first hand info here my boy! in my last 2 years of training in japan at a police dojo i have seen nothing that backs up your "Definitely both are required" statement!

another myth that thy must giveth-up im afraid.

i remind you of gibbos quote -

ya..not both!
policemen in Japan must be at least 1st dan in either judo OR kendo.
I think mingshi showed the requierements not too long ago..

Only a few in tokyo police and I think oosaka police only do kendo as a job, but if they don't keep it up they can become normal officer again!

(.....but i'm really not 100% sure how it really works ! If someone knows ! please tell us! )

Having participating in national tournaments and being very competitive when you were in High school or University is a requierement for becoming chosen
for becoming a policemen because of your kendo skills.

But then again you must pass the exam...and even if you are good at kendo you might fail it!

I know one guy who got 2nd place in Kantou university tournament...his dream was to become policeman , so he tried for kanagawa prefecture...but he couldnt make it! (maybe he failed the exam i don't know!)

An other friend tried for becoming a fireman and he failed... however...he made it to police in Chiba Prefecture. Talk about irony ! I wonder if he practices with the special kendo force however... probably pachinko special force!!

[Kenshi]

...also [my last post wasnt clear] i dont think it is mandatory to *continue* practising kendo/judo (past your shodan i guess). plenty of police officers in japan practise neither kendo nor judo. i am sure - however - that they will have their shodan though!!!

probably like getting your MCP or MCSD or whatever... its a right pain to do and its just a piece of paper at the end of the day. pretty worthless when it comes to being able to do your job or not.

im talking about normal police persons, like the ones you see in kobans and stuff. other specialised ninja-attack-forces and the like i have no idea.

[ShinKenshi]

ya..not both!
policemen in Japan must be at least 1st dan in either judo OR kendo.
I think mingshi showed the requierements not too long ago..

Only a few in tokyo police and I think oosaka police only do kendo as a job, but if they don't keep it up they can become normal officer again!

(.....but i'm really not 100% sure how it really works ! If someone knows ! please tell us! ) Oops, my mistake. Thanks for clearing that up!

[Curtis]

I believe Curtis Marsten-sensei practiced with the Osaka Police (and that Ishida-sensei) for some months, perhaps he could share a tale or two?

Well I guess I have no secrets left. Yes I did train there in the 80's. I have been back a couple times since for just a day or two. I was there this last November and had the pleasure of being taiatari'd by Ishizuka Sensei. At least I did not get knocked into the wall or out the door like the other two I was watching.

During 1983-84 while I was there I was foot sweeped, tsuki'd, taiatari'd, you name it, they did it. All part of the fun. I was a nidan at the time and became sandan while there. When I first went there I was told to go work on my own on my footwork. Most did not want to bother practicing with me because I simply was not strong enough. After a while most came around and were really helpful. To even benefit from such a practice you need to be about sandan minimum.

I spent a lot of time doing drills and standing in line to do keiko. This gave me lots of time for mitorigeiko. Invaluable training.

Grivas Sensei, two time U.S. Champion trained there under the watchful eye of Arima Sensei. Yes I did get to train with Ishida Sensei. One of the nicest people you will ever meet. Unfortunately he had just ruptured his achilles tendon when I was there last year.

[Paikea]

Well I guess I have no secrets left.It's published on one of your dojo sites, I believe? Besides, we have to have something to talk about at the 2nd dojo as things like basketball and baseball have little meaning here in Portland these days.

It turns out that we're getting a visitor from the Tokyo PD in about three weeks who wants to retire in Portland. This may be a case of "be careful what you wish for - you might get it".

[filter]

Hi George,
When you say the dojo was open, does that mean any kendoka can join in?
Would you need to give much notice?
I visit Osaka on a semi regular basis, but I plan to return to live in Kansai in a couple of years. By that time I hope to be at a level I can not be too shy about, and could get great value from that kind of practice.

Is this kind of openess common in dojos?

[Kenshi]

Hi George,
When you say the dojo was open, does that mean any kendoka can join in?
Would you need to give much notice?
I visit Osaka on a semi regular basis, but I plan to return to live in Kansai in a couple of years. By that time I hope to be at a level I can not be too shy about, and could get great value from that kind of practice.

Is this kind of openess common in dojos?

hi filter... i was in hiroshima when i was practising in a police dojo, at the moment i have just moved to the osaka area (and osaka proper on monday). in hiroshima i basically met this person i didnt know at a local open-keiko, did keiko with them, found out there were the secretary of the police HQ dojo for the area, and then (before I knew it) I was invited. that was 1.5 years of keiko sorted there and then.

in my experience, kendo in japan is very open. yeah, you probably need an intro, but once you are in, you are in. when i had no intro (in hiroshima) i went to the local sports center and said "kendo?" ....... and the manager of the sports center introduced me to a dojo.. no problem. these days, try email.

next time you are in osaka, please send me an email and i can probably sort you out..... with keiko and beer.

[cant comment on iai keiko, as ive sort of stopped that at the moment.]

[filter]

Yoroshiku!
Thanks a lot for that George, I look forward to it!