Kendo Exchange

[igarashi]

Over the summer vacation we would like to do an exchange program doing kendo in America. I see some kendo attitudes are not very pleasing for student exchange. We wanted to go California, but many of the California forum members are seem very rude. :confused:

We want to go east instead, does anybody have any information?

Thank you.

[M.K. Kawai]

Igarashi,

I am sorry that you feel the way you do about the West Coast based on the posts that you read. It is unfortunate that you have made up your mind and passed judgement by merely reading the posts here. The posters here, including myself, represent a small minority in the SCKF.

There are many people here who would enjoy having an exchange and would extend a friendly hand to you and your fellow Kenshi. I hope you will keep this in mind while you make your travel plans.

As for the information you want, just go to the Links button and scroll down to the AUSKF link and click on it. It should give you the information that you need.

Peace...

MKK

[igarashi]

Thank you for your concern and information but we have not made a decision yet. It is unfortunate that a small group of people can ruin the larger picture.

[Inouye02]

igarashi
Junior Member

Registered: Apr 2003
Location: Kagoshima
Posts: 5
I guess all these Americans on this board don't know anything.


__________________
Igarashi

sorry kawai sensei, but i feel he's being a lil rude here ..

[megumisita]

Igarashi, could you tell us a little more about your style of kendo and dojo? What school do you belong to? It sounds like an interesting and good way to foster knowledge.

[nodachi]

There are many college clubs. Just email them and I am sure they would love to do some sort of exchange. In Massachusetts I know Harvard, MIT, and UMASS Amherst have clubs. That's just a few. Look at colleges and you should find tons of clubs.

[sminki]

igarashi,

you can go to practically anywhere in the US for kendo. while california possibly has the strongest presence of kendo in the US due to the number of japanese immigrants who have been able to establish kendo there early, there are very strong dojos all over the country including (but not limited to) chicago, new york, texas, boston, DC, etc. so it might even be possible for you to move about the US visiting different places. while i agree that there are certain people on this forum who rubs people the wrong way, i don't think they necessarily represent the dojo/region from which they write.

[Jon Seay]

igarashi,
if you get a chance check this dojo web site http://www.hisamurai.com/ it is for Rocky Mountain Budokan in Englewood Colorado, our instructor is Iwakabe Sensei. We are a very traditional school and often have guests from Japan. You can find his e-mail address on the web page if you care to correspond with him. There is no question exceptional Kendo on the west coast, however I feel very fortunate to be able to learn from Iwakabe Sensei

[megumisita]

Sminki is absolutely correct. Kendo dojos can be found anywhere in the states. Information about my dojo can be found in the Types of Schools thread I started in the general kendo section. I think its about halfway down the page from this thread.

[nodachi]

I simply recommended looking at colleges because it would probably be the easiest way to find dojos that are not of the McDojo variety.

However, if we all really wanted to make this board broaden the Kendo community and increase communication from places all around the world outside of just this nice little internet space, then I recommend the people on this forum to PM their dojo to any interested and that will increase the LIVE communication in our Kendo community and will help dojos benefit from more visiting sensei and students who may (or may not) have more skill and knowledge than their current sensei.

I would PM my dojo, but I am currently in limbo until the summer at which point I will let you know where I train. I would love to learn from wandering sensei and students alike.

So when that point comes, please visit, and help teach me and my future dojo buddies... isn't that part of what this forum is about?

[megumisita]

I dug up another link from my dojo's now defunct website.

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/6305/shinsengumi

http://www.service.ohio-state.edu/students/osukic/

Like I mentioned earlier, the other links with info are on my aforementioned thread. Good luck on your search.

[kendomushi]

Igarashi,

If you want a small taste of kendo with foriegn inputs and are ever in the tokyo area, just contact me through this forum and you, or anyone else reading this for that matter, are more than welcome to join us for keiko on the US Air Force Base Yokota here in Tokyo.
The base does prohibit certain national from entering the base I'm sad to say (i.e. Iranian, Afghani, Chinese, etc) and that is a matter beyond our control. But we will do our best to welcome any and all who might like to join us.

[dorkusxmaximus]

how about practicing at a dojo in Seattle, WA?

[igarashi]

Thank you very much for the advice. We will make our contacts as soon as the holidays are over.

[Hyaku]

Igarashi

How long have you been doing your job. Have we met at the Gakko Kendo Renmei Taikai between Kagoshima, Saga and Nagasaki held after the New Year?

I have not attended for a few years now. Last one I came to was down in Kagoshima and did a sword demo beforehand.

My regards to all

Hyaku (Hyakutake)

[Hongsermeier]

Igarashi...If you decide to come to the west coast, We have a small group of people from Kagoshima at our dojo. One of which is our Sensei. I was just in Kagoshima last week visiting family. Would love to move there. My wife is from there and played Kendo on the Kagoshima Highschool team.

[TheBraveFencer]

Igarashi

Not to be "rude" or anything, but you might want to reconsider not coming to California, because some of the strongest kenshi are from here. Many members of the US WKC team are from California. While some of us may be a little rude on the boards, we take our kendo seriously and welcome any visitors...so don't rule out California just because we're a little loud on the forum...

[monkeydo]

igarashi
come to san jose, ca. I practice there and the people are great...
here is the webpage you can take a look at.
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/sjkendo/

[aru-ma]

monkeydo, I went to the link you put up, is that how you write San Jose in in katakana? reads more like san noze(ƒTƒ“ƒmƒ[) instead of san hoze (ƒTƒ“ƒzƒ[).

[monkeydo]

hehe yeah that's what i thought too...
i'm not sure why they wrote it like that...

[Hongsermeier]

San Jose....such a small dojo...I do like the floor.

[samurai999]

SJ? That's Matsuda Sensei's domain as well as Charles Tanaka sensei the current US renmei prez. I was practicing there every week until I got injured. They have some really good players there and great sensei. The Nichiren Temple has a REALLY NICE FLOOR. Firm, but forgiving and always clean. The one in downtown SJ is bigger (a big basketball auditorium).

Sannoze... Thats how my mom pronounces it. I guess it sorta caught on that way.

I go to Palo Alto dojo mainly. Sensei are cool, floor is nice, but you'll have to find the sweet spots. The players there are good overall and we usually separate the higher levels from the lower levels by groups. We usually have like 3 or 4. Our dojo held like 50-60 people once during a practice. I'm at the lower end of the dan pool, unfortunately. :D You'll have fun here as well as SJ.

Tim