http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php This is a discussion forum about the martial art of kendo, or Japanese fencing. For more information, visit www.kendo-world.com en Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:10:27 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=101 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 07:43:14 GMT Whats your idea of the ideal summer vacation? Six days and five nights on the beach, sipping on a frosty beer whilst relaxing in one of those net hammock thingys? That would certainly make my top 5 list. But alas, in this month of August, the hottest period of Japan’s oppressive summer season, I have had to settle for a number further down my list of idyllic summer gettaways – the Taidai Summer Camp.

As I write this (somewhat overdue) blog on the trip home, I am riding up front in one of the two overnight buses that took the entire Taidai Kendo Club to and from Kumatori, Osaka, all the way to Hōfu, Yamaguchi.

A seven hour trip one way, the students who have not been selected to tour Hiroshima in a series of away games and friendly-practice shiai following the camp, lie in their cramped seats with limbs in all directions – completely buggered from the week long camp in a ridiculously hot and muggy setting. Meanwhile, I try to remain focused on my computer-screen as our bus driver – good mates with Evil Knievel – “death-defying-ly” weaves through traffic, cuts other motorists off, and insists on tail-gating people at…lets see…100km/h.

But I digress…

The Taidai Summer Camp is designed with a similar purpose in mind to that of Kangeiko – the Winter Camp. That is, to provide an extraordinarily testing training menu whilst making use of the elements. The mindset is such that with the big student competitions on the horizon (the Kansai champs, and the All Japans), the students will benefit from being “shocked” in to the next gear by practicing waza (techniques) and shiai (matches) in temperatures sitting around the mid-30s, with humidity in the late 80s to early 90s…in other words, if they can function effectively in the hottest/coldest time of year, they will be firing in the mild months.

Mornings began with breakfast at 7am sharp, promptly followed by a trip back to the land of nod before departing for the Hōfu City Budokan at 8:10am. Warm-up and bow-in commenced from 9am and, to my surprise, the sensei would tell us what we were to expect for the day’s training menu. (I don’t know about you, but back home we were seldom privy to that information prior to a training camp!)

Interestingly, despite accounts of traditional approaches to Japanese kendo summer camps by graduates of the school, and veterans of other camps, great importance was placed on hydration and recovery... trainings were broken into sections of 40 minutes and allowed for a 10 minute break to grab a drink and cool down a bit before continuing on.

“How is this news-worthy?” you may ask. “Shouldn’t hydration be a fundamental part of any training regime?” Yes. Of course! I know that, you know that. But it is only after certain unfortunate circumstances over the years (particularly in the high school kendo scene), in the face of traditional ideas and methods regarding the forging of mentally tougher kendo-ists, that kids are encouraged more to hydrate and rest injuries – rather than practice the noble quality of gaman (perseverance, patients).
Mind you, this issue runs a lot deeper than I make out, so it is better left for a another blog or Masters thesis…suffice it to say for now though, the powers that be of Taidai are certainly doing their part to put the wheels in motion and change some of the thinking in a sport that can be said to be *occasionally* overly-traditional/outdated regarding instructional mindsets when it comes to safety. Well at least that’s what I gather from it.

Following a morning of kihon (basics), waza, and jigeiko (sparring), we were fed and rested in preparation for an afternoon of shiai. The sensei encouraged me to be a part of both the matches and the judging during this part of the day. And as each activity requires a very different type of effort, this seemingly “cruisey” afternoon schedule proved exhausting.
My match results were nothing to write home about…so I won’t. But I can confidently say that I have been provided with an awful lot to ponder over the coming weeks both in and out of the shiai-jō.
In typical training camp fashion, the days training would finish with a 40 minute bash with the sensei etc., and the mandatory kakarigeiko (hell on earth) and ai-kakarigeiko (mutual hell on earth), spanning roughly 15 minutes in duration.
The buses would then take us all back to the hotels, boys and girls separated, where dinner was served and beers were opened! … boy oh boy, can the old boys drink! …

The following day would follow a strikingly similar pattern, and without a doubt, the evening would once again require a lot of sitting up straight, serving the sensei drinks, and for me, nursing my beer so I didn’t have to drink that awful bloody shochu…all part of the kendo training camp package! That said however, the conversations between H8 dans is certainly worth the sore head and red-eye in the morning…if only I could remember what he said about the secret to getting 8th dan…

All said and done, we get tomorrow off and then its back into it full swing…only six months to go until kangeiko!


Right then, nap time.

Zzzz....

KB ]]> kendo-bum http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=101 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=100 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 02:23:57 GMT

Recently, a new book regarding the history of kendo was released by the publishers of Kendo Nippon Magazine. The book, A Bilingual Guide to the History of Kendo, is, as its title suggests, a bilingual guide to the history of kendo. The author is Sakai Toshinobu, expert in sword history and professor at the University of Tsukuba. The English translation was done by me.

The book is comprised of a number of essays outlining the earliest sword ideals from the continent and how they were introduced and developed in Japan, right through the international situation of the art in the 21st century. They were originally published every month for two years in Kendo Nippon (2007–2009) with the accompanying English translations always done at the last possible moment by me. A significant amount of work went into re-jigging the English translations and the Japanese content ready for the publication of the book, but I think the finished product is a beauty.

As the book is bilingual with Japanese text on the left-hand pages, and the English translation on the right, the content provides important reading for kendo enthusiasts who want to know more about the history of the art, and also for people who are engaged in promoting kendo outside of Japan. I also think it may be of particular interest to people who are studying Japanese!

If I had been the author, I possibly would have spent more time looking at kendo in the modern era. However, being an expert in ancient sword ideals, Sakai sensei placed a fair bit of emphasis on introducing the meaning of swords portrayed in Japan’s myths, and also the religious significance of swordsmanship to the old kengo such as Tsukahara Bokuden and Miyamoto Musashi. It was a great privilege to be allowed to translate Sakai Sensei’s work, and I believe that this particular volume will certainly help fill the knowledge gap in the international kendo community. The following is from the TOC. You can purchase the book here!

15 Prologue

Section 1 Kendo Tradition
29 1 Kendo as a Martial Way
43 2 The Beginnings of Kendo History
57 3 The Evolution of the Japanese Sword (Nihon-tō)
71 4 From Bows and Arrows to Swords Giving up the Gun
83 5 The Age of the Sword Masters – Tsukahara Bokuden
97 6 The Age of the Sword Masters – Miyamoto Musashi
109 7 The Creation of Martial Art Schools
121 8 The Three Great Kenjutsu Ryūha and their Offshoots
135 9 The Formulation of Kenjutsu Theory
149 10 The Origins of Fencing with Shinai
151 11 The Rise of New Schools and the “Three Great Dōjō of Edo”
175 12 Kenjutsu in the Nineteenth Century
189 13 The Modern Period
203 14 The Development of Modern Kendo
217 15 Kendo in the Shōwa Period (1926‒1989)
229 16 The Current Situation and Globalization of Kendo

Section 2 Kendo Culture
241 1 Sword Ideologies Part 1: The Origins
253 2 Sword Ideologies Part 2: Sacred Swords in Mythology
267 3 Sword Ideologies Part 3: “Kusnanagi-no-Tsurugi” and the Imperial Regalia
279 4 Sword Ideologies Part 4: “Cutting the Self and Others”
291 5 Ascetic Training of the Masters‒The Sanrō Kaigan Legends
303 6 Kenjutsu and Religion
315 7 Lifelong Kendo

Epilogue ]]> Alex http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=100 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=99 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:26:25 GMT Une nouvelle traduction tirée de la série "Paroles de Hanshi".

http://www.kendo-world.com/basecamp/...s_Trois_Ki.pdf

A bientôt ]]> snooz2k2 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=99 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=98 Tue, 25 May 2010 04:57:57 GMT Almost a year to the day, I was once again subjected to long waits, sharp needles and difficult decisions…nope, I was not on the set of the latest “Saw” horror flick, it was in fact, the annual taidai student health check.
After last year’s debacle of wondering aimlessly around the school campus looking for the next place to be poked, prodded and measured, I had convinced myself this year that I would play silly buggers with some of my tests…in an attempt to resolve the issue of spending half of my day waiting in a long line for a prick in the arm.

I understand this is an important part of life that shouldn’t be taken lightly, after all, when was the last time I voluntarily sat a physical in NZ?!
Perhaps it was the fact that I never really pulled any pranks in my student days back home, or maybe its that I really don’t like the idea of the school knowing too much about what’s what with me (total conspiracy theorist!)…or maybe, just maybe, it was the fact that last year I was labeled “overweight" as a result of the school’s insistence to compare me with the Japanese BMI scale. Whatever the case, a flood of mischievous ideas filled my mind over the year, as I toyed with the idea of putting rocks in my pocket, hitting the turps hard the night before and even replacing the “sample” with a popular lemon fizzy drink.

Alas, faced with these decisions and weighing the (admittedly few) pros against the cons (such as angry kendo teachers), I backed down and joined the back of the line to wait my turn. Sorry team.

As it happens though, despite following orders and spelling my name right, my results still managed to turn some heads when compared to last year’s outcomes…as I had not only lost 7kg, it appears that I have also grown 3cm in height! Go figure! Surely being hit on the head as much as I do on a daily basis at trainings would put a damper on any last ditched attempt at a growth spurt (not to mention I am 27…!). Could it be bruising on my skull!? Or maybe a buildup of calloused feet?! It’s unclear. But the even better news is the fact that I just scraped through on the trusty ol’ BMI scale by a hair…I am not longer “overweight” now.

Right then, on with the blog.

My classmate, roommate and kendō compadre teaches a PE class once a week at a high school in Osaka, and last week asked if I would like to tag along for a nosey. I was very keen to see what kendō in the general education system looked like in recent times, as it had been a while since I have had the chance to venture out of the university kendō scene.
As could be imagined of a group of 14-15 year old boys (from a particularly wealthy part of town), the fact that they had to participate in the sweaty, smelly and noisy environment that is a kendō training, meant that motivation levels were less than optimal. That said however, there were in attendance a handful of students who either had experienced kendō at a younger age in a local dōjō, or who were simply willing to give it a go, making the overall experience pretty enjoyable for all concerned…and with a foreigner present in class, most were surprised that the well kept secret of kendō existed outside the walls of Japan!

Of the 30 or more students in each class (4 kendō classes over the space of a day), there were also one or two students dealing with physical disabilities. Although able, in theory, to participate in training to a certain extent, these kendō classes were already clearly heavy in numbers with regards to available instruction. And unfortunately, despite what I could see to be a genuine desire to participate, the cruelty of some able bodied children in the form of bullying and general torments, quickly turned the recipient’s mood upside down – consequently resulting in some students asking to sit the class out due to a “sudden injury”.
I consider my off-sider to be a top notch kendō player and a very good instructor. But, despite his best efforts and experience teaching at this level, keeping an eye on 30 or more little rat-bags belting each other with sticks, is not an easy task. And, as it happens, the bully armed with a bamboo stick and a sharp tongue will get away with a lot more than anyone will let on, before he is caught red-handed.

Fairly typical of many classrooms in many countries, I do not want to get into a discussion on the troubles most teachers face on a daily basis – trying to balance equal attention to all that need it, while covering the required syllabus. However, this is an ideal way to raise some of the issues that, I consider, Japanese school students and PE teachers alike will face with the introduction of budō as a compulsory subject in Japanese junior high schools in 2012.

A good idea in principle, the Ministry of Education have decided to add the instruction of martial arts to the curriculum for youth aged 13-15 for many reasons. Obviously, we all know and appreciate the benefits to be had in the pursuit of kendō. As a physical activity in itself, regular exercise and a release of tension are commonly heard as reasons for participation in our chosen pastime, and there is little doubt many Japanese children could benefit in a similar way. In fact, if we put our minds together, I’m sure we could fill pages with good reasons for introducing kendō (or budō in general) into the school syllabus.
However, a resounding concern that has been on minds of many in the upper echelons of kendō-dom, is the issue of ‘quality instruction’. This is not to say that the PE teachers of Japan’s junior high schools cannot teach PE…it is whether they can teach kendō (or whatever the budō may be) that needs to be considered.

(At this point, as far as I am aware, a crash course of 13 hours instruction in kendō will be mandatory for PE teachers to get them…up to scratch? Is that enough time for mastering the intricacies of anything, or even the basics for that matter? )

For those of you who are familiar with this topic of conversation, I’m certain there are many other factors I am missing in this (very) short overview of a (extremely) big matter.
It is not my intention to write an indepth article on the issue that is already saturated with discussions and texts by far more qualified kendō-ists and scholars than I. The point I wanted to raise refers to the passage above regarding the issue of overcrowded PE lessons. In most cases, where students are led by an underequipped teacher (in terms of kendō knowledge) will in effect, be a case of the blind leading the blind.
And, when one considers that even an experienced kendō instructor of this age group encounters the issues of dealing with bullies, as well as motivating and protecting the bullied, how on earth is a basketball teacher expected to teach ki-ken-tai-itchi to the same group?

Awaiting the response of the AJKF or MOE on this one any day now...!

KB ]]> kendo-bum http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=98 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=96 Sat, 17 Apr 2010 22:45:07 GMT And So It Begins After living in Dallas for about three years I was getting bored and I had been out of shape since moving to Virginia. My wife reminded me about the Kendo class I went to years earlier. I looked it up and decided to go. It was the first class time of January 2007 and in a... And So It Begins

After living in Dallas for about three years I was getting bored and I had been out of shape since moving to Virginia. My wife reminded me about the Kendo class I went to years earlier. I looked it up and decided to go. It was the first class time of January 2007 and in a different building but it was the same class and I recognized some of the same people.

That day they were having a board meeting. I decided to stay and just listen. How many years to get to this point? What's another week? ]]> Attica http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=96 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=95 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:29:39 GMT Kendo, Kendo Everywhere Yet. . . Years later after growing up and getting married but before I had kids, I was in my mid to late 20s and doing all the things I ever wanted to do. I was riding motorcycles, doing water sports several times a week and, yes, martial arts. I lived in a small... Kendo, Kendo Everywhere Yet. . .

Years later after growing up and getting married but before I had kids, I was in my mid to late 20s and doing all the things I ever wanted to do. I was riding motorcycles, doing water sports several times a week and, yes, martial arts.

I lived in a small Texas town three hours from Dallas so my choice of martial arts were slim. Mostly, two Tae Kwon Do schools, a Karate school and some other commercially federated Korean art. I chose one of the Tae Kwon Do schools based on the guy who ran it. He was a great guy who came over from Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge era. It was good but I was looking for something more so I started going to the other school that was a commercially federated Korean martial art. It had more too it than Tae Kwon Do, a "universal system" but I doubted some of it's authenticity. In the back of my mind I knew there was something specific at one time in my life I wanted to look into but I couldn't put my finger on it.

Have you ever tried to remember a single word you uttered once in your childhood over 20 years later? I couldn't do it either. Luckily for me the web was around by this time and it was no trouble finding the name: Kendo. The next step was to look for a school and there was one in Dallas. Unfortunately Dallas was three hours away.

Sometime after this my wife had to travel to Dallas every weekend for a month for a CPA class. She was in class all day and if I went with her I could run around Dallas and do whatever I wanted. For this month I specifically set aside Sunday mornings to visit the Kendo class. I even participated in a couple of classes. I wanted to make the three hour drive once a week to attend but my primary vehicle was a motorcycle and I just couldn't make it work.

Interestingly enough around this time I traveled to downtown San Francisco once a year for a conference. Being curious I looked up whether there was a class nearby. There was and within walking distance of the hotel. I went and watched classes one or two years I was there for the conference and it was always an interesting experience. I felt very out of place there. Whenever I walked in they would stare at me. I'm sure they were nice; I was just really out of place. I would politely sit in the bleachers and watch and leave after it was over. Maybe I should have called ahead. I only knew I was watching Kendo. I didn't know anything about the quality or anything more about it. I always enjoyed it and was impressed, though.

Not long after that my company moved me to Virginia. After getting settled in I looked for a Kendo group. I found one meeting at Virginia Tech.

Travel in that part of the country is very deceptive, especially when compared to western states. You look at a location 30 miles away and think "hey...that's only 30 minutes away." In Texas, it is. In Texas, there are tons of roads to get there. In the D.C. area there is probably one road route and one toll route to get there and your looking at an hour minimum.

I did visit the Virginia Tech club but was very uncomfortable there. Besides the travel time taking too long the practice was in a racket ball court. I took a racket ball class in college. It was too loud for my comfort just playing racket ball. The noise level for me during Kendo was unbearable. I decided against attending.

This was o.k. though. Because after two years my wife and I decided to leave Virginia. We decided to move back to Texas and we chose Dallas. ]]> Attica http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=95 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=97 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:54:00 GMT Article paru dans le KW 4.4. Matsumoto Akimasa sensei nous livre quelques reflections sur Shu-ha-ri. http://www.kendo-world.com/basecamp/122091/foreignlanguagenonenglisharticles/Paroles%20de%20Hanshi%20-%20Shu%20Ha%20Ri-1.pdf Bonne lecture Article paru dans le KW 4.4.

Matsumoto Akimasa sensei nous livre quelques reflections sur Shu-ha-ri.

http://www.kendo-world.com/basecamp/...0Ha%20Ri-1.pdf

Bonne lecture ]]> snooz2k2 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=97 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=94 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 03:25:29 GMT At First Glance

I can't remember exactly when, but when I was young, I remember seeing a television news segment about something I had never seen before. It was some sort of sport or game where players wore something that looked like a baseball catcher's mask and what looked like some sort of stick that emulated a sword. Better yet they actually hit each other with them. I found it fascinating because I liked playing catcher in baseball and I distinctly remember the way the players stood was very close to what I had seen in the movie "Empire Strikes Back". I made a mental note of what it was called because if I ever saw it nearby I was definitely going to ask if I could do it: Kendo.

This was significant for me. You see, due to a mis-understanding I had, I didn't think I was allowed to do martial arts.

At the time, on Sunday afternoons, some cable channel showed B grade Kung Fu movies. My dad saw me watching it one day and told me I couldn't watch those movies. Because of that, I thought I couldn't participate in martial arts. What I learned years later was that it had nothing to do with martial arts. You see, one reason was the violence but even more than that was the low quality of the stories. I should have known. You see there was a PBS kids show I couldn't watch but he had no problem with me watching Battle of the Planets. I guess he saw some redeeming value in the stories of it.

Suffice it to say, I never saw Kendo again growing up. ]]> Attica http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=94 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=93 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:02:39 GMT Bonjour,

Voici la transcription d'une interview de Kobayashi Eiji, 8e dans hanshi de jukendo & tankendo.
Nous vous souhaitons une bonne lecture.

Du jukenjutsu au jukendo. ]]> snooz2k2 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=93 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=92 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:25:30 GMT Having finished up with kangeiko in mid-February, the powers-that-be made sure that any cobwebs accumulated during the brief time off were well and truly blown out with the spring training camp. Truth be told, from a technical point of view, it makes a lot of sense to pack two gasshuku together in... Having finished up with kangeiko in mid-February, the powers-that-be made sure that any cobwebs accumulated during the brief time off were well and truly blown out with the spring training camp. Truth be told, from a technical point of view, it makes a lot of sense to pack two gasshuku together in this way, considering the nature/menu of each event.
For example, kangeiko is aimed at wrecking you with ridiculously early starts and an awful lot of hard yakka. The spring gasshuku on the other hand, is aimed at capitalizing on aforementioned yakka, and perfecting the footwork, body movements and shinai control in order to fine tune techniques – all while the body is (theoretically) in top condition after kangeiko.

Each of the 5 days started at the reasonable hour of 9am, and went through ‘til 5:30pm. Mornings were dedicated to suburi, some kihon (basics) and a great deal waza (techniques). The afternoon in contrast was shiai (competitions) and jigeiko (sparring)….oh, and similar to the evenings during kangeiko, there were drinks and shabu-shabu to attend every night! Are we making kendo bums here, or alcoholics?! I don’t recall…*slurs speech*

Without going in to too much detail, I must say I found myself struggling to successfully pick up a lot of the waza. At the end of the day, and after losing a lot of shiai and pride, I have started to realize that over thinking waza can really slow the learning process down. I think there is a lot to be said for letting the body to sort it out…without becoming bogged down with thought around timing, footwork and all the rest of it…

Moving on.

I went to a kendo grading a short time ago in Osaka, to watch and support a fellow university club-mate sit his 4th dan. The grading was set up to accommodate 1st dan through to 5th dan, and although the day started with a few hundred people, the gym was significantly fewer in people by 5pm. You see, gradings in Japan are structured in such a way that the jigeiko part is conducted first. Looking at technique with the shinai, zanshin, kikentai-itchi, and points scored, the sporty side of kendo is considered by most (it seems) as the most important part of the day.
This outlandish statement that “jigeiko is the most important part of the grading” is plain to see when you consider remarks such as “if you pass the jigeiko, you’ve pretty much sealed the deal/passed your grading”. But I will go into more detail on this a little later…If your number is not written up on the whiteboard post-fight, your 1 week of kata (set forms) cramming was wasted and you can go home to watch Sunday arvo TV.

The kata portion of the grading follows after a lunch break, and assuming you pass this you will sit the written exam.

Gob smacked, it was watching the kata segment that I found myself considering the effects of the current content order in kendo gradings to the future of kendo. That is to say, I see a real need to swap the jigeiko around with the kata. Hear me out…

We are regularly reminded by visiting sensei that kata are a tremendously important part of our kendo training. Agreed. After all, the 10 Nihon Kendo Kata are a culmination of styles and techniques from various ryuha (old sword schools), and serve the purpose of developing our “sword handling skills”. Also, from my experience as an instructor back home, kata provides a vehicle for some to learn the correct movements of kendo when the fast-paced training with shinai isn’t working out. And finally, it is the kata in kendo that helps to distinguish kendo, even slightly, from sport…another conversation for another blog, but when you consider all the competitions we do, competitive kendo is very much a sport and consideration to the origins of kata as a “sword art” help to give balance to that potentially heated discussion.
Although I am not qualified to talk about the in-depth benefits of kata in the kendo journey, I can say with confidence that inclusion of kata in gradings is a tribute to the fact that it is an important aspect of our overall practice.

But the reality is that kendo-ists seldom practice it. Especially young Japanese kendo-ists. This was clearly evident when witnessing the…err…disastrous displays of 4th and 5th dan applicants confusing their roles in the 4th kata, and dropping there kodachi (short sword) mid swing. Is one week of prep really enough?! Obviously not.

But who can blame them? After all, and I have to be careful here, watching the general demeanor of the judges during the kata segment of the grading, I was hardly convinced that even they really deemed it to be a significant part of the day. Slumped back in their chairs, they were certainly not in a good position to notice the pair at the far end of the group muddle their way through the 1st kata. Thus, how can we expect the up-and-coming of world-class kendo (competition or otherwise) to regard kata highly, when even the judges don’t afford it much gravity. As very few people seemed to fail the kata (despite the obvious lack in knowledge or commitment to it’s practice), I am lead to believe, as the rest of them, that kata is a seen as a second class citizen to the shinai training that culls the majority of unprepared graders.

My suggestion is therefore as such: change the order around.

If we are to practice what we preach as instructors, kata and shinai techniques should be equally considered. Reordering the two segments in a grading situation will require each applicant to spend an increased amount of time practicing kata in preparation – as the possibility of failing at the start of the day is increased even more due to one’s overall lack of kata proficiency. And as each person pays their grading fee whether they pass or fail, there is no income to be lost either!

There is certainly an expected level of proficiency for the sparring segment. 1st dan = can do this and that, 2nd dan = capable of these things, 3rd dan….etc etc., however the expected level for kata at each grade appears cloudy at best.

Indeed, we could expect a firmer stance to be taken on kata whilst maintaining the current order – failing more people to get some kind of message across. But if attitudes of young kendoka are to really change, I believe kata should be positioned first in gradings, with judges moving around the floor to really take note of each person’s technical skills, posture and attitude in kata. That is of course if kata really is as important as we are lead to believe…

In sum, this change about will serve to shift the focus of the important aspects in kendo back in line with what we are taught by our sensei. For those who consider kendo to be something other than a sport, and/or for those who understand the important role of kata in kendo technique, surely the current attitude towards grading of “if I just get past the jigeiko in the first round” and “crap! I have to learn the last 2 kata before my 4th dan next week” just doesn’t sit right.

If kata is as important as we are taught and teach on, why do we accept the relaxed attitude towards kata in gradings? Increasing the possibility of unsuccessful gradings can not only be achieved by the judges saying “study kata properly”. A real change needs to take place whereby the consequences of luck-luster kata training are nipped in the bud from the start and the important balance of shinai keiko and kata is established.

That’s my two yen, but I would love to open the floor up one this one…


K-B ]]> kendo-bum http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=92 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=91 Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:37:07 GMT is: What value is a "true lineage" to martial arts practice.

There is much concern these days on the net about proper lineage, about who has the papers and who has broken away. What is the value of a true lineage to the actual practice of the martial arts? ]]> Kim Taylor http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=91 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=90 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:38:00 GMT is: Why am I worried about remembering koryu sets?

A couple of days ago I began making plans to get the partner into the gym and practice up a couple of new koryu sets that I still don't have worked into my bones. I don't have a lot of time for this and it suddenly occurred to me that I don't really have dozens of students waiting anxiously for this material. ]]> Kim Taylor http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=90 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=89 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:04:47 GMT A thought that's currently knocking around my head goes as follows.

In order to cut, we must extend our arms. What is the timing of this extension.

It strike me there are four possibilities;

1. The arms should be extending through the cut.
2. The arms should hit maximum extension at the instant of contact.
3. The arms should already be extended as the cut lands.
4. It doesn't matter/You can mix it up.

Let start with option 1.

The arms should be extending through the cut.

I dislike this because it seems like a too simplistic approach to getting forward motion into the cut. A kind of obvious "pushing" that feels to me like it's weak.

We'll skip over option 2 for a moment and go to option 3.

The arms should already be extended as the cut lands.

It seems to me that this timing produces very a flat/dead feeling cut that lacks much of the dynamism evident in high level cutting.

Option 4.

It doesn't matter/You can mix it up.

As I discounted the points 1 and 3 I've effectively discounted this as well.

Which leaves me with the second option.

The arms should hit maximum extension at the instant of contact.

I like this. It seems to me that to have the arms hit maximum extension as an instant in time with the foot hitting to floor, wrists extending, etc.. would be the best way to have a powerful but dynamic cut.

Furthermore, while trying this out I've found it encourages me to do seme with my body, with little or no arm extension until I start my furikaburi. This feels more powerful than simply sticking my kensen out at my opponent face (as I'm otherwise apt to do).

Need to put lots of thought and sweat into this. ]]> shred_lord http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=89 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=88 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:42:59 GMT I have been posed a question that I thought some others might be interested in..

What makes a hachidan hanshi/ 'top instructor' be so far above his students that they all look up to him with the feeling of 'no hope of catching him'???

I have some of the answers, but not all.... perfect technique and timing are part of these, as is posture and projection, but what is the thing that makes the 'wow' factor? How do you get that 'presence on the mat'??? ]]> chidokan http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=88 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=87 Sat, 13 Feb 2010 02:12:12 GMT Its over. Its finally bloody over! By far the longest 15 days of my life and without a doubt, the hardest physical training I have ever been a part of, kangeiko (winter training) is over! Characterized by rituals of colored men himo (helmet strings) depending on age, and tsubushi or 3 on 1... Its over. Its finally bloody over!
By far the longest 15 days of my life and without a doubt, the hardest physical training I have ever been a part of, kangeiko (winter training) is over!

Characterized by rituals of colored men himo (helmet strings) depending on age, and tsubushi or 3 on 1 beatings, the training menu went as follows:

Morning training
5:15am Running & warm up
5:35am Kirikaeshi (repeated striking drills) for 40 minutes
6:15am Kakarigeiko (attacking practice at 100%) for 40 minutes
6:45am Jigeiko (sparring practice) for 40 minutes

Afternoon training
2:00pm Warm up & stretching
2:15pm Zazen (seated meditation) for 30 minutes
2:45pm Jigeiko (sparring practice) for 45 minutes

Evening training
6:00pm Drinking & serving drinks to the sensei
9:30pm Drunk speeches & translating drunk speeches

Below is a day by day chronicle of the Osaka Taiiku Daigaku kangeiko as I experienced it.

The day before kick-off –
Out with guests for 4 hours, drinking and translating. Did my best to hide the fact that I wasn’t drinking much at all. Making this fact known could land me in hot water, as “it is all part of the hard yards”. A bit tired and cranky that I could not get to bed early before the big day.

Day 1 –
Morning:
Nervous as hell. Not being sure of the system or how to move around the dojo in between fatal beatings proved to be super draining. Had my butt kicked by M sensei…possibly as a “welcome to hell” initiation?! Not entirely sure, but I just hope there is no repeat any time soon!
Hurting under the left foot – actually, I’m hurting places that have never bothered me before!

Afternoon:
No zazen today so I had time for a 2 and a half hour nap this morning…felt even sorer when I woke up! Felt great at training though… so very thirsty.

Day 2 –
Morning:
Not as nervous today, and had no trouble waking up at 4am (I am petrified that I will sleep in for training and pay the price upon a tardy arrival!)

Fought all the sensei again today for kirikaeshi and kakarigeiko…apparently most people avoid doing this everyday due to the pain they can inflict!
I saw some nasty stuff from the OB’s (old boys) today…just so very nasty. Talking to the lads afterwards though, it seems there are some tricks to the trade of shortening the beating. For example, the first taiatari (body collision) has to be bone shaking to show that you’re up for anything…and DEPENDING on the receiver, your ordeal may be slightly shorter. I guess this depends on whether the receiver is wrecked too…
I am compulsively watching the clock during trainings…but this only makes the time go slower.
I was happily surprised when the sensei stopped kirikaeshi after 30 min…but devastated to find out that 30 minutes of kirikaeshi = 50 minutes of kakarigeiko! Sore right ankle today and oh so thirsty.

Afternoon:
Had me a 30 minute nap this morning and felt great for the arvo training. I think I may have worked out the trick…short refreshing naps rather than long (well deserved) siestas!
Past the point of pins and needles, zazen did strange things to my feet today. It felt like when I stood up from the 30 minutes of crossed leg meditation, my right foot was a couple of meters in front of the rest of my body with every step.
I noticed that there is yellow electrical tape on the tare of the injured students… but talking with the some of them, it seems there are far more injuries out there than people are letting on…yet they are still training.

Day 3 –
Morning:
Its like a war zone out here. Its like there is a motodachi clan (the sensei/OBs/OGs) and the kakarite clan (the rest of us), and the harder the kakarite clan fights, the harder the motodachi fight back. There are usually 3 or more people on the floor at any given time and as every part of the shinai is used to inflict pain, there is no escaping this basketball gym battle field.
I have no more pain in my body anymore, I’m too wrecked to feel anything other than fear.

Afternoon:
I couldn’t move my foot for 5 minutes after zazen today. Felt great in training though. Did well against the stronger students...

Day 4 –
Morning:
Hard fought bash with my older brother this morning – was pumped with adrenaline afterwards.
This place is madness. While the students are running about chasing their air bound shinai and helmets, the OBs are swapping opponents in mid fight! While one kid is a crumpled heap on the floor and the other is about to hurl, an exchange of glance between the OBs signals an opportunity to trade ragdolls and continue collecting different blood types…

Afternoon:
Zazen – again found it hard to move feet, this is a weird feeling!
*Accidentally* slept for 2 hours instead of the self-recommended 30 minutes, so felt slow and sluggish at training.
Not so flash in keiko today, and was burnt out at the end of the day.
Sore left knee today.

Day 5 –
Morning:
Sluggish this morning. Its so cold I can’t sweat! Ravaged by K sensei with an extra long kakarigeiko. My big lesson here; stay off the wall – a certain recipe to be tsuki’d in the throat/shoulders/ribs etc. My knee is a little sorer today from a bad landing at one point with K sensei, although I did manage to pull off a cool dive roll on the next landing!
While I was lining up today, I saw one sensei’s shinai get stuck in somebody’s gear strings. And rather than trying to pull it out, the sensei snatched the opponents shinai and continued to belt the guy around while he tried to free the snagged shinai from his gear!

It was cold enough to see when the opponent was breathing in jigeiko this morning. And, it seems one kid has done a runner. Nothing new I’m told.

Afternoon:
No zazen today. Body felt good in keiko.
I have noticed that I have a blood blister fossilized in a caulis on me toe. Weird.

Night:
Spent 1 hour translating from English to Japanese and back. Managed to get away without having to drink too much. I think that keiko might be the easy part of kangeiko.

Day 6 –
Morning:
Getting harder to get up out of bed.
Short practice today…hallelujah! Did kirikaeshi and kakarigeiko with the sensei who I got drunk with last night.
Learned some good stuff in jigeiko this morning that I am looking forwards to trying out.
I have started a routine after every morning training of a long shower and stretches, followed by omuraisu (rice omelet). I look forward to this so much, that it is sometimes the only thing that gets me through the middle of training!

Afternoon:
No training!

Day 7 –
Morning:
Caught a damn cold. Just can’t find my mojo today. Very lethargic and simply couldn’t do my best…

Afternoon:
Not my best performance. Was beaten by high school student! Arghhh! Need to get over this hump and find a motivation to keep going hard.

Night:
Drinking party at dormitory.
I sat with M sensei and learned heaps of great stuff thanks to his nice, easy explanations…and wouldn’t you know it… I just happened to have note paper and a working pen on me too!

Day 8 –
Morning:
Fought all the sensei, especially M sensei re all the help he gave me the night before. The mood in the dojo has changed overnight as we are over the halfway point. Each year group selects one representative to do a quick (10 second) improv skit. The idea is to get everyone’s mood elevated and whether the sketch is funny or not, we have no problem laughing at you!
So very very cold.

Afternoon:
Working on seme so much that I am getting hit a lot. Just need to swallow pride and keep at it. Why can old sensei read everything so well!?

Day 9 –
Morning:
So cold I still can’t sweat.
I’ve noticed that whilst lining up to do kakarigeiko, watching the guy/girl in front of you getting his/her butt kicked can be very bitter sweet…you want it to keep going so you can recover from your last bash, but the longer they go, the more likely it is that you will be made to go for a long time. This whole thing just messes with your mind!

Afternoon:
Still working hard on seme. Didn’t get hit much today…well, not as much as yesterday anyways…but am learning that I need to move so not to get tsuki’d so much!

Day 10 –
Morning:
These mornings are so cold that the feet initially go numb…but because of all the movement it is enough to warm them up enough to start feeling the pain of the cold!

Afternoon:
Zazen today, and an average performance in training. My older brother once again reminding me that the difference between our grades of one dan level, is like “the difference between one million dollars and two million dollars!”
I’ll get ‘cha one day bro…!

Evening:
OB drinks tonight…I went along but within 1 hour of being there I got the tummy bug that everyone else has. Tonight was a loooong night!

Day 11 –
Morning:
Very crook. Was up all night. Still went to training, did the warm up and nearly fell over, so I watched and did mitori geiko. Most kids were sent home to lie down, but I was stubborn and sat on the floor watching. I noticed that the swimming pool next to the dojo was frozen over.

Afternoon:
Called off due to some big meeting. Yay for sleep!

Day 12 –
Morning:
Feeling better, but still not 100%. Exhausted after 5 seconds of kakarigeiko, but have to keep going. My mind is writing cheques that my body can’t cash at the moment. I still have a wee diesel engine running in my guts, making some weird noises and all the other things diesel engines are renowned for! Gross.

Afternoon:
Not working well. Still feeling very run down. So close, just gotta keep going…

Day 13 –
Morning:
Still going. Will this ever end?!

Afternoon:
Couldn’t make training today as I had a scholarship interview in the city…just as scary as the training I missed out on!

Day 14 –
Morning:
Even though there is only 2 days to go I still don’t feel like there is an end in sight. This thing plays serious tricks on your mind.

I have begun to notice one aspect of kakarigeiko that, being on the receiving end, can be very draining… it is not hooking the shinai around your neck, or hitting you in the back off the head (although these things are particularly draining), its when the motodachi gives you a little push to the side of your shoulder as you run through. Not only does it put you slightly off balance as you struggle to stay stable on your jelly legs (don’t get caught on the floor! It is the same as being caught against the wall!), but it indicates the start of some horrible kakarigeiko ass wooping…but just how long and how horrible you don’t know!

Afternoon:
Off due to prep for the party tonight. Nearly there!

Evening:
Debauchery.
As this hell on earth comes to an end, it marks an important mile stone for many of the students. For the 4th years, it is their graduation – all they have known, their dearest friends, and all the memories from the last 4 years of “all you can kendo” is coming to an end. They are no longer students here anymore, and have realized that there stint as big fish in a small pond is all but over. And for the 1st years, it is the end of the initiation process. They are becoming bigger fishy’s, meaning that the constant late nights of cleaning and cooking for their sempai is no longer their responsibility.
Drinking, crying and the stench of vomit.

Final Day 15 –
Morning:
its all over! My body is really starting to hurt now that my mind will let it. I could sleep for another 15 days. But alas, I have a pile of paper work to get through! Hello real world, I’m back!

Reading back over this diary is scary. I am glad that I kept a log on a daily basis as the only thing I really remember about any particular day is that 2 hours of hard yakka training from 5am is a long time! Every training runs into the other, and I would be struggling to tell you what I did in between trainings on any given day.
The effects of this training camp are felt by every participant and are similar to the things I have documented above – that of fear, de-motivation, illness and pain coupled with good days, good fights, and now that its all over, some good memories.

The point of all this? At the coldest time of year and then again in the summer season, training camps of the hardest kind are held for one important reason; to develop the right attitude for the “easy seasons” of spring and autumn. When trainings begin again in March and the weather warms, the environment for training can easily be considered pleasant in comparison. This, we are told, is a crucial turning point in our kendo training – as participating in kangeiko is a way to build confidence in one’s ability and staying power that will see us through the “easy” trainings in the warmer months.

And this is the best time of all…the longest time before more kangeiko!

I saw some pretty horrendous things out on that cold polyurethane floor over the past fortnight, but also some pretty amazing responses. This is certainly the school of hard knocks, where limits are pushed, smacked, tripped, kicked, punched and tsuki’d but spirits are seldom broken. Good effort Taidai!

Right then, back to bed.

zzzzz…

KB ]]> kendo-bum http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php?b=87