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Kendo World Forums - Blogs 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 Sun, 19 May 2013 22:45:49 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/images/misc/rss.jpg Kendo World Forums - Blogs http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/blog.php Grateful http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/136-Grateful Sun, 10 Mar 2013 19:22:42 GMT Until recently I found the end-of-class ritual in kendo of lining up in seiza and bowing to the sensei(s) to be a polite formality. When we bow (head down to just above hands placed palm-down on the floor) we all say, “Thank you very much” (どうもありがとうございました).

Now when I do this, I feel a sense of true gratitude and it has been making me look forward to practice because I know that I will end with a sense of accomplishment.
This change happened because of my focus on executing good techniques as an end to themselves instead of just as a tactic to strike someone. As a result, I feel more free and relaxed and I feel too that I am just starting to improve on a basic level as well.
This reminds me that a dojo, no matter where or what the physical location actually is (in our case, it’s a basketball court at a community center) transforms into a place and time where like-minded people come together to learn from each other, testing their limits and improving themselves. I polish my soul and I feel grateful to my teachers and fellow students.

[reposted from my blog at nwmondo.com] ]]> Gessho http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/136-Grateful Nidan http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/135-Nidan Sun, 10 Mar 2013 18:47:00 GMT I passed my nidan (2nd-dan) exam on March 2nd. I’d been training for this since August and I went in with a feeling of comfortable accomplishment. Whether or I would pass or not, my sense was that I was in a comfortable nexus point, between wanting to pass and also seeing this as a single... I passed my nidan (2nd-dan) exam on March 2nd. I’d been training for this since August and I went in with a feeling of comfortable accomplishment. Whether or I would pass or not, my sense was that I was in a comfortable nexus point, between wanting to pass and also seeing this as a single way-point on a longer journey.

My preparation for the exam was a return to the basics of kendo. An emphasis on posture, introspection, and commitment to every strike (well, mostly…that last point is a work in progress but I feel that I am adequate to my level for now). I also did gym training to support my kendo efforts.

Things that I did well at my exam:

1. Strong kiai

2. Good breath control

3. Basic, strong strikes, pushing from my hips

4. Not backing away from my opponents

5. Strong and comfortable sonkyo.

There is a lot more that I need to work on but, at this way-point, I will rest on my laurels knowing that the next two years before I test again must be filled with even harder work.

[reposted from my blog www.nwmondo.com] ]]> Gessho http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/135-Nidan Examiner’s Report on Alexander C. Bennett’s Ph.D. thesis: http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/130-Examiner’s-Report-on-Alexander-C-Bennett’s-Ph-D-thesis Thu, 05 Jul 2012 16:26:26 GMT Examiner’s Report on Alexander C. Bennett’s Ph.D. thesis: “The Cultural Politics of Proprietorship: The Socio-historical Evolution of Japanese Swordsmanship and its Correlation with Cultural Nationalism” This is an excellent thesis, well-written, well-argued and well-structured, and it... Examiner’s Report on Alexander C. Bennett’s Ph.D. thesis:

“The Cultural Politics of Proprietorship: The Socio-historical Evolution of Japanese Swordsmanship and its Correlation with Cultural Nationalism”

This is an excellent thesis, well-written, well-argued and well-structured, and it makes an important new contribution to scholarly knowledge about its subject. The author, Alexander Bennett's, mastery of the subject is obvious on every page — clearly he has studied it and thought about it over many years, far more so than the average PhD candidate. It is also important to note that the author proves his ability to read the Japanese language at an advanced educated level and to conduct research in Japanese scholarly sources. This is an essential skill for a PhD in any area of Japanese studies. Thus he is able to demonstrate a thorough grasp of the relevant scholarship available on his subject both in Japanese and in English.

More specifically, the author is fully justified in his claim that his thesis is "the first in-depth historical analysis in English of the development of the culture of Japanese swordsmanship from medieval times to the present day." (19) There has indeed been a dearth of scholarship in this area, surprisingly in view of its key importance for an understanding of Japanese cultural history. Thus the author’s thesis will fill a significant gap in the Western understanding of Japan, especially once it is published as a scholarly monograph, as it deserves to be.

In terms of methodological approach, the thesis applies the latest historical and cultural theory to demonstrate that both "traditional swordsmanship" and "modern kendo" were "invented traditions" that were made to serve the changing ideological purposes of the regimes of the day: from the aristocratic-aesthetic pretensions of the Muromachi samurai shogunate, to the "pacification" imperative and bushi elitism of the Edo regime, to the nation—building "nostalgic nationalism" of the new Meiji state, to the violent militarist ethos of the fascist regime of the 1930s and ‘40s, to the postwar "liberal-democratic" government’s need for a "gentle cultural nationalism" that would restore the pride and international prestige of a defeated country. The author successfully demonstrates throughout that "nationalism has been a major factor in the way in which kendo has been developed” and that kendo "represents a ‘cultural ethos’ considered to be a manifestation of ‘Japaneseness,’ especially over the last century."

To take a closer look at each of the thesis’ six chapters: In Chapter l, Bennett outlines the history of the rise of the warrior class and of the "cult of the sword" in the Japanese Middle Ages. More specifically, he demonstrates how and why a professional warrior class emerged in early medieval Japan, and investigates the realities of Japanese medieval warfare. In particular, he shows that, against conventional or stereotypical expectations, the honourable customs of samurai warfare as claimed by the myth of bushido were far from the reality of the "victory at all costs" ethos of actual medieval warfare. Most surprisingly perhaps, he points out that the famous samurai swords were only used as auxiliary weapons, the main weapons being bow and arrow and pike. What Bennett calls the "sword fetish" arose only in the late Middle Ages, after the samurai assumed power in Kyoto and came under the influence of the aestheticism of the court aristocracy. He argues convincingly that it is to this period that we can trace the origins of the martial art schools of swordsmanship. Bennett develops his argument further in Chapter 2, giving an in—depth analysis of what he calls the "civilizing process" of the art of sword fighting and of the samurai class as a whole. In the early l7th century this became a priority of the new Tokugawa regime which had a high stake in the "pacification" of the warrior class — to forestall disorder or rebellion.

Through this process sword fighting, as Bennett aptly puts it, "was essentially tamed, and crystallized into a sophisticated pseudo-religious cultural pursuit for developing mind and body." (285) As Bennett explains in Chapter 3, after the abolition of the samurai class in the late l9th century, the art of sword fighting had to be "reinvented" as a new and more democratically based sport. Fortunately for its survival, it was adopted by the Japanese police force as part of their training regimen, and it was also introduced into the school curriculum as a way of character—building for young men who might be conscripted into the new national citizen's army. The founding of the Dai—Nippon Butokukai or Greater Japan Society of Martial Virtue, a private society dedicated to preserving Japan’s martial arts, further consolidated the position of sword fighting as a national sport and, as Bennett writes, "its reinvention into modern kendo."

Ultimately modern kendo, as Bennett points out further, "served to reinforce sentiments of Japaneseness, and provided Japanese with a direct link to a common cultural heritage as state and popular nationalism started to materialize in various forms." (285)

One of the most important and original contributions of this thesis comes in Chapter 4 when Bennett gives an in-depth explication of the ways in which the modernized sport of kendo was turned into a fascist and militarist training or indoctrination device in the 1930s and 40s. Basically this involved turning it back into a form of aggressive combat rather than merely a competitive sport. As Bennett also points out, because of this association with fascism and militarism, there was a reaction against kendo in the immediate postwar period and, for instance, it was eliminated from the school curriculum.

In Chapter 5, however, Bennett demonstrates how kendo was rehabilitated and "re-civilized" as a "modern democratic sport" suitable for the newly pacified Japan of the postwar era. As he shows, however, this too was not without controversy, as kendo traditionalists believed that to turn kendo into an ordinary sport was to betray its traditional martial spirit. A counter—reaction came with a reassertion of kendo as a "spiritual way" of Japanese tradition - "a kind of physical Nihonjinron," as Bennett aptly puts it, contextualizing kendo in the mainstream Nihonjinron movement of the 1960s and 70s — again, an important and original insight.

In his very interesting final chapter, Bennett explores the issues involved in the “internationalization" or globalization of kendo, with its spread abroad to Korea, the Americas, and Europe. On the one hand, Japanese cultural nationalists were proud that foreigners would show interest in and be influenced by such a very "Japanese" element of their culture; on the other hand, they worried that they would lose their "ownership" of kendo and that its "true spirit" would be lost through its internationalization and alienation from Japan. Bennett argues importantly that "the internationalization of kendo has actually fueled its nationalization in Japan." (287) This controversy has important implications not only for the world of kendo but for Japan as a whole, which finds that many of the major markers of its national identity seem to be under threat at present from the forces of cultural globalization.

Thus Bennett’s thesis possesses a significance and originality beyond its immediate topic of kendo, fascinating though that topic is. It will make an important contribution to current ongoing scholarly debates about the present condition and future fate of Japanese culture in the 2lst century. Once published in book form, this work will also become a standard and definite study of the cultural history and politics of kendo, which is regarded by the Japanese themselves, as Bennett points out, as the most "Japanese" of their martial arts, mainly because it is seen as the one that most faithfully embodies the culture of the samurai. Bennett is certainly correct to argue that kendo has been undeservedly “discounted as a serious field of academic inquiry.” (287) This thesis goes a long way towards correcting that oversight. ]]> Alex http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/130-Examiner’s-Report-on-Alexander-C-Bennett’s-Ph-D-thesis Second PhD thesis done and dusted http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/127-Second-PhD-thesis-done-and-dusted Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:04:09 GMT Blooming heck. Six years it took, but I finally finished my second PhD thesis, and submitted it yesterday to the University of Canterbury. The title: "The Cultural Politics of Proprietorship: The Socio-historical Evolution of Japanese Swordsmanship and its Correlation with Cultural Nationalism". I finished my first one at Kyoto University about "bushido" in 2001 which can be bought here if you can read Japanese. The one I just finished is all in English (much easier to write) and is a detailed socio-historic analysis of kendo. The TOC is as follows. Hopefully I can find a publisher for it... Actually, before that, I hope it passes!!!

Contents
Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………………….…v
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………………………vii
Contents…………………………………………………………………………………………………………ix
List of Illustrations and Tables.……………………………………………………………………xiv
Conventions…………………………………………………………………………………………………..xv
Abbreviations………………………….…………………………………………………………………...xvi
List of Author’s Publications………………………………………………………………………..xvii

Introduction
1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………...…1
2. What is Kendō? ………………………………………………………………………………...….….1
3. Kendō’s Technical Framework………………….………………………………………………6
4. The “Spirit” and “Philosophy” of Modern Kendō……………………………….….…9
5. Questions Addressed in this Thesis……………….………………………………………..11
6. Methodology………………………………………………………………………………………..…..19

Chapter 1
A Reassessment of Schools of Swordsmanship in Medieval Japan

1. Introduction………………………………..……………………………………………………...……23
2. Early Bushi Culture………………………………..………………………………………….….….25
2a. Emergence Theories for Professional Warriors in Japan….……………………………...25
2b. Consolidating Occupational Functions…………………………….………………………...….30
3. The Customs of Medieval Japanese Warfare…………....…………………..………..33
3a. Illusions of Medieval Warfare and Beautified Perceptions of Warrior Behaviour…34
3b. Shifting Trends in Weaponry and Strategy…………………………………………..……….38
3c. The Development of Swords in Japan………………………………..……..............………41
3d. The Predominance of Swords ‒ Fact or Fiction? ………………………………..........….44
3e. The Sword Fetish and the Symbolic Value of ‘Meitō’ …………………………........…...46
4. Aspirations for ‘Bun’ and the Aestheticisation of ‘Bu’ ………………………......48
4a. ‘Buke Kojitsu’ and ‘Kakun’ in Muromachi Warrior Culture…………………........……..48
4b. The ‘Aestheticisation’ of Swordsmanship………………………………..………...............52
5. The Genesis of Martial Arts Schools………………………………..…......……………..54
5a. Pre-Ryūha Martial Procedures………………………………..…………………................... 54
5b. The Criteria for Establishing Martial Art Schools……………………………............……56
5c. Ryūha Training Methodology – ‘Aesthetic Asceticism’ …………………………............57
5d. The First Traceable Schools of Swordsmanship………………..………….……........…..61
6. The Age of the Sword Masters………………………………..……………...….…..........66
6a. The Kage-ryū Line………………………………..………………………….....................… .…66
6b. The Tenshinshō-den Katori Shintō-ryū Line…………………………………...............…70
6c. The Nen-ryū Line………………………………..…………………………...................... .……72
7. Conclusion………………………………..…………………………………....................... ...…73

Chapter 2
The ‘Civilising Process’ of Kenjutsu

1. Introduction…………………………………………………………...…………..................... 7
2. The Solidification of Class Boundaries and a New Function for Martial Art Schools.79
2a. Establishing Samurai Responsibilities……………………..……………..………...........79
2b. Bakufu Policies Dictating Warrior Behaviour……………………..…………….........…80
3. The Intellectualisation of Kenjutsu……………………………..………………….....82
3a. The Yagyū Shinkage-ryū and the “Heihō-kadensho” …………………………......…83
3b. Miyamoto Musashi and “Gorin-no-sho”……………………………..……….............…87
4. Spiritualisation and Pacification…………………………..………………………....…88
4a. Seeking Higher Principles and Holistic Penchants………………….…………….......88
4b. Anti-violent Violence……………………………..…………………………................... .…93
5. Commercialisation……………………………..……………………………….…...........…95
5a. Ryūha Proliferation and Meeting Market Demand……………………….......….……95
5b. ‘Flowery’ Kenjutsu……………………………..…………………………….................. ...…97
6. Sportification……………………………..……………………………………..…................99
6a. The Expansion of Full-contact Fencing……………………………..……..…..........…100
6b. The Latter-Tokugawa Fencing Renaissance……………………….……….….......…103
6c. Non-Bushi Participation in Fencing…………………………………............……..……105
6d. The Creation of New Rules for Engagement………………………………........……106
7. Conclusion……………………………..………………………………………….................108

Chapter 3
The Demise and Rise of Samurai Culture, and the Nationalisation of Kenjutsu

1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………...................111
2. Dismantling the Centuries-old Warrior Hegemony…………………………….115
2a. Breaking Up the Old Order...……………………………………………………................115
2b. Rethinking the Question of Japan’s Military Preparedness………………………....117
2c. The Abolition of Class Distinctions and the Promotion of “Functional Equality”..120
3. The Reinvention of Kenjutsu……………………………………………………….........122
3a. Sakakibara Kenkichi and the Gekken-Kōgyō……………………………………...........123
3b. The Adoption of Kenjutsu by the Police………………….……….…………...............127
3c. Kenjutsu and Commoners………………………………………………….……................130
3d. Introducing Kenjutsu into the School Curriculum……………………………….........133
4. The Dai-Nippon Butokukai ‒ Self-Appointed Gatekeeper of Bujutsu…142
4a. Foundation of the Dai-Nippon Butokukai……………………………………….............142
4b. The Butokukai’s Main Objectives and the Enlistment of Political Authority….…145
4c. The Invention of Conventions for a Nationalised Style of Kenjutsu….……..……147
5. Conclusion………………………………………………………...................………………….15 1

Chapter 4
Kendō’s Fascistisation in the Taishō and Early Shōwa Periods–
De-civilising Kendō Culture

1. Introduction………………….................………………………………………………...……153
2. Nurturing the Agents for Kendō’s National Dissemination……………...…157
2a. The Dai-Nippon Butokukai’s School…………………………………………...............….157
2b. The Tokyo Higher Normal School……………………………………………..................159
3. Kendō’s Fascistisation and Promotion to Compulsory Education……….161
3a. Taishō Democracy and “Dissident Philosophy” …………………………….........……161
3b. Taishō Hedonism versus Traditional Asceticism……………………………….........…162
4. The Reversion from Competition to Combat Kendō……………………………163
4a. Kendō’s ‘Decolourisation’ and Reification of the Shinai as a Symbol of Patriotism.164
4b. The Dawn of Proactive State Engagement in Kendō Education………………..…167
4c. Kendō’s Induction into State Cultural Policy……………………………………...........170
5. From Ideals of Self-perfection to the Reality of Self-sacrifice……………175
5a. Cultivating the Attacking Spirit…………………………………………...............……….175
5b. Budō Education’s Admittance into Primary Schools as a “Regular Course” of Study

…………………………………………………………………………...................... ...........177

5c. The “National Peoples’ School Order” …………………………………………..............178
5d. Augmentation of Budō at all Levels and the Budō Promotion Committee………180
5e. Deficient in the Skill to Kill……………………………………………………....................181
6. Sengika (Militarisation) and Total State Control of Kendō…………………183
6a. Organisational Consolidation…………………………………………………................…1 84
6b. The Mombushō’s Efforts to Militarise Budō……………………………………............186
6c. The Kōseishō’s Initiatives to Militarise Budō…………………………………..........….189
7. The Immediate Post-war Aftermath……………………………………………….....191
7a. The Butokukai Purge…………………………………………..................………………….192
7b. The Eradication of Kendō in Schools…………………………………….............………197
8. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………...................199

Chapter 5
Kendō and Sports ‒ Path of Reason or Cultural Treason?
Refocusing the ‘Spirit of Kendō’ and Guarding ‘Japaneseness’

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………..................……....203
2. Post-war Reinstatement…………………………………………………………......…..205
2a. Re-evaluating Kendō’s Suitability in Post-war Society…………………………...…205
2b. Shinai-kyōgi and Re-civilising Kendō Culture…………………………………..........208
3. The AJKF ‒ The New Gatekeeper of Kendō……………………………………....213
3a. National Amalgamation………………………………………………………................… 213
3b. The AJKF’s Stated Objectives and the Continuing Civilising Process……………215
4. Penance Complete ‒ Kendō’s Reintroduction into the Education System……217
4a. Evolving Educational Objectives as a Backdrop to Kendō’s Educational Role…218
4b. First Steps Back into the Mainstream ‒ Redefining Kendō as Sport……………..219
4c. Measured Elevation to a Special Position in Japanese Education…………….……225
4d. Compulsory Budō Education Once More………………………………………..............230
5. The Menace of Sportification and the Quest to Return to Traditional Values……...233
5a. Conceptual Consolidation………………………………………………………................ ...233
5b. Sports, the Olympic Spector, and Protecting Cultural Values…………………....…243
6. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………....................25 0

Chapter 6
The International Diffusion of Kendō Culture

1. Introduction………………………………………………................………………………...253
2. Kendō Migration to the East and West……………………..………………………..255
2a. The Spread of Kendō in Pre-war Europe…………………………..........………………255
2b. Pre-war Kendō in the Americas………………………………………………..............….259
2c. Kumdo and Korean Revisionism……………………………………………….................262
3. The Complexities of Kendō’s International Consolidation…………………266
3a. Formation of an International Body……………………………………………..............267
3b. The Mission ‒ Conveying Japanese Kendō to the World……………………….......268
3c. The Burden of the World Kendō Championships………………………………..........274
3d. Proprietorship and the Ambiguity of ‘Correct’ Culture…………………………........277
4. Conclusion……………………………………………………..................…………………….282

Conclusion…………...................………………………………………………………………….. 285

Appendix…......................……………………………………………………………………. ……291
Glossary of Terms……………………………………………………...............………………..293
Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………....................30 7 ]]> Alex http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/127-Second-PhD-thesis-done-and-dusted The Newest Dojo in the World http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/124-The-Newest-Dojo-in-the-World Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:37:34 GMT *The Chuseikan Dojo in Christchurch, New Zealand* See Chuseikan Video Here!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcpxW7GJ4dY)The earth didn’t rock, it exploded under our feet. That was the February 22 earthquake in Christchurch ... The Chuseikan Dojo in Christchurch, New Zealand

See Chuseikan Video Here!!

The earth didn’t rock, it exploded under our feet. That was the February 22 earthquake in Christchurch last year. Not long after that, when I had arrived back in Japan, the March 11 Great Tohoku Earthquake happened, followed by a massive tsunami and the unnerving nuclear disaster. In terms of scale, the Japanese earthquake was far bigger, and the casualties inconceivable. How do you come to terms with entire villages being swept away, thousands of casualties, and then the on-going menace of radiation? Well, you can’t really, but life goes on for the living.

Life goes on for the living in Christchurch too. The tragedies experienced there were horrific and real. Nobody came out of it unscathed. But the process of rebuilding the city and trying to get some semblance of order back is proving to be very difficult. Of course, people soldier on, but with the literally thousands of aftershocks that have continued to rattle the city day in and day out, peoples’ nerves are frayed. How much longer will it go on? Some experts predict it could continue for thirty years. The fault lines run directly under the city, and they are shallow. Earthquakes have now become a fact of life in the once “more English than England” city of Christchurch. Now, I think we have much more in common with Japan!

What should people do? Leave the city and start elsewhere? Or, stay and try and rebuild the city to be better and safer than ever before. Understandably, a considerable number of people have already chosen to leave, and they can’t be blamed for taking that course of action. Others have decided to stay and try and get on with their lives. I no longer live in New Zealand having made Kyoto my home nearly two decades ago. However, as the adage goes “you can take the boy out of New Zealand, but you can’t take New Zealand out of the boy.” I will always have a close affinity with my hometown, and as I happened to experience the earthquake firsthand, I felt a strong urge to try and do something to help it rebuild.

The kendo club that I helped form in 1988 (Seitou Kenyukai) lost two members in the quake, and the building we rented as a dojo was completely destroyed, like so many of the characteristic old buildings in the CBD. Finding a place to hold regular trainings after the quake was a frustrating and expensive task for the current leaders of the club, and sports and community groups were competing to book time slots in any suitable building that could accommodate. There aren’t many, and the competition for space is stiff.

When I was shown a warehouse in the west of the city that was up for sale, it occurred to me that this could be my contribution. Against considerable odds I was able to coordinate a loan to buy the warehouse, but there was not enough left in the coffers to furnish the dojo with a wooden floor. With much trepidation, I decided to take the plunge and ask my colleagues and budo buddies in Japan if they would be prepared to “buy a floorboard”.

Given the extent of the disaster in Japan, I felt uncomfortable calling on people for favours. My reservations proved groundless, and I was overwhelmed by everybody’s generosity and offers of help. It is thanks to their charitable nature, and generosity that the dojo is now up and running. With five of our members selected to represent NZ at the 15^th WKC in Novara this year, the kendo club is training regularly and very hard, and other culture and budo clubs are preparing to move in.

The new Christchurch dojo is only a tiny drop in a massive bucket that needs to be filled to get Christchurch back to its former glory. But, at least we now have a little hall where people can come and train in the martial ways of Japan. Thank you to all who supported the dojo financially or otherwise. Everybody is always welcome!

御礼
クライストチャーチ武道場復活の推進につきましては、多大なる御理解、御協力を賜り厚くお礼申し上げます。皆様から、過分なる御寄付を頂戴しており、物心両面より本事業の推進に全面的に御協力を賜りましたこと、ここに深く感謝申し上げます。昨年の11月、私も初めて道場で稽古をしてきたところです。その時撮った写真とビデオはリンク（Ｙｏｕｔｕｂｅ）でご覧になれます。春３月頃に道場（忠誠館）の完成を見込んでおりますので、正式な道場開きと全ニュージーランド剣道選手権大会を企画しております。皆様の期待に応えられるように「忠誠館」のメンバー一同頑張りたいと思います。今後ともよろしくお願いいたします。

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]]> Alex http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/124-The-Newest-Dojo-in-the-World <![CDATA[Japan trips... and how they don't turn out the way you planned for....]]> http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/123-Japan-trips-and-how-they-don-t-turn-out-the-way-you-planned-for Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:30:38 GMT As usual I wrote ahead and set an itinerary down for myself for the 14 day trip... 7 days training at Seinen no Ie Ozu, down to Kannonji to visit sensei's grave, then back to Kyoto for a bit of iai related shopping/touristy stuff, with night time training...
The original plan was to hammer away at the partner work with Neil after the days' main training was over... That went out the window as Dirk, Neil and Yuriko were translating Iwata senseis notes every evening! Fortunately Chin san from Taiwan stepped up as my partner, so although I didnt get to practise with Neil, I still got some reminders and also extra insights from Nishimoto sensei...

As usual I overdid the first day, (started 9am and finished 10pm) with the result of my dodgy knee playing up the next day. This turned out to be not such a bad thing as I got to speak with Isshikki sensei, (late 80's, old student of Iwata s.) and went through some stuff I had seen previously but not had a chance to speak to him about. His approach to iai, and cutting in particular, has always fascinated me, and as I guess I am finally at a place I can understand what he is doing, the day flew by, with anecdotes and demonstrations reinforcing points and timing. Any money I had spent getting there was worth every penny just for that day...

Final day we got the afternoon in a class room with Nishimoto s. and his insights in iai. His cartoon type drawings are brilliant and get the point across easily. This time I particularly liked the thoughts on flowing iaido, not sure if everyone picked this up, but at least it goes into peoples notes so they may understand later on...

I had been thinking a lot recently about how to 'sharpen up' my timing, so had questions to ask about my relaxation times and focus. It turns out I am far too tense at the start and give away my intentions too much. Which then begged further questions on preventing an attack in the first place by your demeanour! It occurred to me that Taniyama sensei's opening 'study' of his opponent was always calm and observant, with a lightning response into nukitsuke, which to me always came across as realistic and effective, but also a very naturally instinctive and reactive technique. Nishimoto and others were helpful to watch as they have this'calmness' I have been looking at, but not been able to do.... Now all I have to do is practise it. Again a question I needed to ask but as usual the answer is never what I expect, but I tend not to ask questions that confirm what I know, its always stuff I don't know or can't work out...

The Kannonji trip was something I needed to do... I laid some flowers on sensei's grave and went down to his house to visit his family. Sadly his wife passed away shortly after him, (around the same time as my dad died in fact). His dojo is something of a shrine, with everything left as it was, swords everywhere, mountains of books, and his students' names on the wall.... I hadn't known mine was up there until it was pointed out! I did feel like clearing out the other guys so I could do a little embu, but that wouldnt have been fair and time would have prevented us all doing it! The family grows satsuma oranges, so we had some straight off the trees, (and yes they do taste better).

I got to drive for the first time in Japan as Nishimoto s. wasn't feeling too good. You realise very quickly how much you rely on ENGLISH words for town names. By the time you read the sign, with a tiny bit in english, you are nearly past the turning! Fortunately he took over just before we hit the big city area, so although I didnt get to drive over the bridge into Kobe, I was quite relieved to pass the controls over....

Finally got to go to the little sword shop near Nijo castle and drooled over some of the stuff in there. I should have bought one but exchange rate this time was a killer... even though it was a gorgeous balance and I need another shinken...

Training on a night time this time was... different. I got the opportunity to just get on with what I needed to work on, with Nishimoto s. popping off random comments as needed. I usually expect a lot of 'interruptions' during training when I am being a student (rather than me teaching) but this time it was strangely quiet compared to normal. I asked and was told I only needed random comments on stuff I had forgotten about... (I am renowned for my bad memory and my ability to learn new stuff... which I forget just as quickly...)
The strangest moment was being asked to teach some of the students, as Nishimoto s. was struggling with his points in English to the junior foreign students in the class. He watched, nodded his ok, and let me get on with it. ERRRRMMM... excuse me, I am here to be taught!!! Turns out its another little lesson and he is checking what I know... Teaching iai in Japan, whatever next...a full seminar / class there perhaps?hahahaha!!!

Travelling around always takes longer than planned, but Himeji trip was great, a night in the dojo with Yabe s. followed by a day wandering around the castle and local tea house and gardens. I had been to the dojo before, when they had run a shoden shinsa with 30 odd 7th dans and 4 8th dans, so it was nice to visit a local dojo on 'normal practise' night. As usual the foreign students got paraded out in front as an example of commitment to train hard, and to be fair its a reasonable thing to do although slightly embarrassing for us....

One of the nicer things is seeing iaidoka I had met before at the dojos I visited, and seeing how they have come on since my last trip. I also got to meet up with quite a few new people this time, but the best was seeing Morinaka s, who was one of the sensei who came over on Iwata s' first time to the UK. I always remember him arguing with Iwata sensei over how much they could show us, with Iwata s. saying no to this, that, and the other, with us watching saying 'wow look at that!'

This trip gave me a sense of closure with Iwata sensei, knowing his students are still hammering away at his methods. I particularly enjoyed Yabe sensei enforcing the basic kihons Iwata sensei came up with to get us all to understand how the body really works. the effects on basic training of new students is obvious and showed me how much of an 'iai genius' my sensei was.... although anyone who was hachidan hanshi for longer than most of us have been alive did give him an edge I guess...

The question now is 'do I need to go again now sensei has passed away?' If so, why and what will I go for? Fortunately I already have the answer from sensei, which is 'a good swordsman is a good thief, he takes what is best and builds it in to his own iai'. The hard part is finding who to steal from and making sure it does not change the roots of what you already have. So.... next time I have to wander around all his students and learn what they considered his important points. Nishimoto s. is a mine of information both on history of the ryu as well as technical stuff, so you can guess who is first on my list.... ]]> chidokan http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/123-Japan-trips-and-how-they-don-t-turn-out-the-way-you-planned-for <![CDATA[It's Been a Minute]]> http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/122-It-s-Been-a-Minute Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:39:04 GMT Name: photo (1).JPG
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Been ages since I posted, but there isn't too much to tell really. Up until about a week ago I was practicing regularly, but now our dojo is in summer vacation hibernation until the 22nd. Most Monday's for the past month and a half I've been connecting with the capo to do some endurance training at the start of keiko. The heat has been seriously daunting, but I'm learning loads about relaxing my grip and shoulders.

Last week I took a boat way down south of Tokyo to the Bonin Islands. It was a crazy experience. Anyone who is interested in my extra-kendo thoughts on Japan and other things is welcome to check out my blog - called Toriaezu - the most recent post has pics from the island and an account of the voyage there, with more to come.

Anyways, while there, Tokyo life/work and the outside world got totally drowned out by the scenery and activity. One thing did manage to trickle through though....kendo. I was itching to practice! This week I'm going to accompany the Capo to one of his practice spots in Shinjuku near Takadanobaba [read: Takadanobadass], so hopefully more posts to come, with better photos.

As per my usual M.O. here is the song of the post, a lively tune for the summer-minded. ]]> tyler http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/122-It-s-Been-a-Minute The Kendo Bible! It’s Here Now! http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/115-The-Kendo-Bible!-It’s-Here-Now! Sat, 16 Apr 2011 10:15:37 GMT

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Assisted by my brother Blake, and supervised by Satō Nariaki-sensei, for the past year I have been working hard on a translation of the Kendō Shidō Yōryō (The Official Guide for Kendo Instruction). This book, as the title suggests, is the official be-all and end-all textbook authorized by the All Japan Kendo Federation. This is the book that outlines the “correct” way of executing all of the kendo techniques, and definitions for terms and concepts. It is used in Japan as the standard text for seminars, and is what people studying for their Kyōshi examination have to memorize. Actually, part of the reason for doing the translation is in preparation of the International Kendo Federation (FIK) Kyōshi exam system which is being organised at the moment. More to come on that later. The book will be a useful, nay, indispensible guide for all instructors of kendo. As the “bible” of kendo explaining how all aspects of it should be done, the text can be quite dry in places, but is very detailed and is a “must have” for all kendoists. You can buy the book here on the AJKF’s homepage.

l A Short History of Kendo and its Evolution 剣道小史 —剣道の流れ—
l What is Kendo? 剣道の在り方
l Kendo Instruction 剣道指導の在り方
l Kendō-gi, Hakama, and Training Equipment 剣道着・袴および用具
l Rei (Etiquette) 礼
l Kihon-Dōsa (Basic Movements) 基本動作
l Applied Movements (Techniques) 応用動作（対人的技能）
l Training Methodology (Keiko-hō) 稽古法
l Shiai 試合
l Warming-up, Cooling-down and Strengthening Exercises 準備・整理運動と補強運動
l Glossary 主な剣道用語
l Appendix

The following excerpt is taken from the introductory section where Fukumoto Shuji-sensei gives information surrounding how the book came to fruition.

“The Yōshōnen Kendō Shidō Yōryo (“Kendo Guide for Instructing Children”), first published on March 15, 1977, was substantially revised and republished on November 1, 1985, based on input and opinions by numerous specialists. It was reprinted several times after this, and by April 25, 2001, it had reached its tenth edition. Despite the title, this book has been utilized for many years to instruct people of all levels and ages, not just children.

Twenty years have passed since the first revised edition was made available. To incorporate the sentiments of instructors, and gain consistency with other publications produced by the AJKF, the federation (President Takeyasu Yoshimitsu, and Managing Director Ōtani Masatoshi) organized a committee on June 27, 2006, to consider further modifications to the original text. In total, forty-five meetings were convened in which the ideas of many instructors and experts were heard, culminating in the publication of the Kendō Shidō Yōryō (The Official Guide for Kendo Instruction) on July 1, 2008. This publication is the English translation of that book.

This fully revised edition will provide kendoists all over the world with comprehensive information to learn and teach kendo properly. Of course, the intention is not unify all teaching methods. Instead, the content is designed to provide instructors with clues on how kendo should be taught, and as such, it is my hope that it is employed by teachers far and wide.” ]]> Alex http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/115-The-Kendo-Bible!-It’s-Here-Now! The Christchurch Quake- 12:51 pm, February 22, 2011 http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/113-The-Christchurch-Quake-12-51-pm-February-22-2011 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:30:05 GMT I thought it was all just superstition, but yakudoshi really are the “years of calamity”. This is a Japanese belief that people who are at the “age of yakudoshi” are likely to experience some kind of catastrophe or illness. If you believe that new-borns start at one year old (kazoedoshi), yakudoshi... I thought it was all just superstition, but yakudoshi really are the “years of calamity”. This is a Japanese belief that people who are at the “age of yakudoshi” are likely to experience some kind of catastrophe or illness. If you believe that new-borns start at one year old (kazoedoshi), yakudoshi for men is generally believed to be the ages 25, 42 and 61, and for women 19, 33 and 37. One’s yakudoshi is measured by adding one to your actual age, and as I was born in 1970, I fall plum into the 42 category.

The year did get off to a bad start. Our dog died. May father-in-law passed away suddenly a month later. And then, on a trip from Japan back to New Zealand for the national kendo squad training camp, the quake hit. I had just arrived back in Christchurch the day before.

I woke up in the morning of February 22 quite jet-lagged and grumpy. A neighbourhood dog had been howling like a wolf on heat for hours. After forcing myself out of bed bleary-eyed, I started to get ready to head into town and meet my old kendo buddy Karl for our traditional “liquid lunch” down the strip. However, due to a pending doctor’s appointment, we offhandedly agreed over the phone to hook up the next day instead ‒ a seemingly insignificant decision that, in retrospect, may have saved our lives, or at least our limbs. Everybody who came out of the quake uninjured in Christchurch has a similar story. “I was supposed to be at…” Or, “If it wasn’t for… I’d have been…” Of course, that logic can work the other way as well as many unfortunate souls unwittingly found out.

Forgoing lunch in town, I decided to spend some more time with my mother. We sat down in the lounge catching up, and enjoying a nice cup of tea. We talked about that bloody dog.

“Did you hear that dog this morning Alex?”
“How could I not hear it! The noisy bugger woke me up…Repeatedly.”
“You know that dogs are supposed to be able to sense earthquakes.”
“Yeah, something about electromagnetic waves emitted from the plates or something… Do you reckon there might be an earthquake?”

Despite all that has happened in the last couple of months, I am still not a superstitious person, at least I don’t think I am, but another odd thing did happen. I asked if many waxeyes (a small native bird) had been poking around the bird house of late. “No, haven’t seen any for quite a while.” Ten minutes later, just as I was finishing my cuppa, I saw something flitting around the window in the next room. It looked to be outside, but upon closer inspection I realised it was a small bird actually trapped inside the room, and was none other than a lovely little waxeye. The poor thing was very stressed, but mum nabbed it with a handkerchief, and we set him free outside. I didn’t think of it at the time, but many cultures believe a bird who comes inside the house is a harbinger of tragedy or bad luck… It all seems so bizarre now.

That’s about all I remember of the morning of the 22nd. I was sitting on my bed about to get changed, and then it struck at precisely 12:51pm. The intensity of the jolt was so inconceivably violent and sudden, that I was stunned on my arse for a moment before realising what was happening. I jumped up to stand under the door, but could hear mum screaming outside. Running through the house trying to keep my footing, I made it to the yard and tried to calm her down.

The citizens of Christchurch had been through literally thousands of aftershocks since the first big quake struck (7.1) in on September 4 last year, but this was something else. In the first quake, miraculously, there were no casualties. Buildings were lost, but lives weren’t. My gut feeling was that Christchurch was not going to be so lucky this time.

Still, we were all too flummoxed to realise the true destructiveness of the quake, and as we were completely cut off from the rest of the world (no electricity), we had no information of what was happening around the rest of the city. We only found out the extent of the damage in the coming week. Ironically, although we were situated smack bang in the middle of the disaster zone, the rest of the world knew more about what was going on than we did.

We had to make do without electricity, phone contact, running water, toilets etc. for days. What water we did have, we used very sparingly, and we started to wreak something awful, as did the city itself with all the crap spewing out of the earth. Our neighbourhood was pretty devastated by the liquefaction, but we got off comparatively lightly. Many people lost their houses, and the tragic injuries and deaths in the CBD are being covered extensively by the international media, as are individual exploits of heroism in extreme adversity.

Still, it is far from over. The immediate aftershocks were regular and big, and the nervous tension remains in the city and the hearts of its people as I write this blog. I am back in Japan now, but am heading back to NZ again next week. There is not much I can realistically do, but like any one-eyed Cantabrian, I want to do all I can to get the city of Christchurch back on its feet, even if it feels in vain at the moment.

The attached video is some of the footage I took with my little stills camera that comes equipped with a basic video setting. I only recorded images immediately after the quake, and out of respect, I didn’t film the carnage I saw in my short journey traversing the city in search of a couple of people. The images will give you an idea of the damage in the suburbs. All they seem to show on TV is the utter obliteration in the CBD, with little coverage of the damage elsewhere. The eastern suburbs in particular suffered a different kind of destruction, and many have lost their homes forever.

A final note for the moment, I feel I should acknowledge SOFTBANK, the cellular phone company I use in Japan. I always take my phone with me when travelling overseas, but use it prudently because of the astronomical international roaming charges. As you can probably imagine, with all the calls that started coming through from Japan (which I have to foot the international charges for), and the calls I had to make, my phone bill went through the roof. When I got back to Japan on February 27, SOFTBANK sent me a text message informing me that my phone bill was in excess of 180,000 yen (approx. US$2000). I rang them up and explained the situation to see if I couldn’t get a reduction on the international charges, or at least if I could pay the bill off in instalments. They kindly decided to remove ALL phone charges accumulated during the period I was in New Zealand given the circumstances.

I was greatly impressed by this gesture, and have been amazed to see so many acts of kindness by people from all over the world who want to help in some way. As Natalia Ginzbur once said, “Today, as never before, the fates of men are so intimately linked to one another that a disaster for one is a disaster for everybody.” I think this certainly rings true for the recent disaster in Christchurch, especially considering the many foreign visitors who lost their lives. There is still much tragedy to be uncovered from the dust and rubble, and I for one nervously check the trickle of names of the confirmed deceased being released by the police, hoping that there is nobody I know, but also knowing that it could so easily have been any one of us.

]]> Alex http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/113-The-Christchurch-Quake-12-51-pm-February-22-2011 Kendo From Above http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/112-Kendo-From-Above Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:02:37 GMT Attachment 1034 (http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1034) I took a spill a few weeks ago and have been out of commission, but went to the dojo last Saturday to spectate practice. My dojo is a bit small, it being built in the middle of a tight residential neighborhood... Name: ohone.jpg
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I took a spill a few weeks ago and have been out of commission, but went to the dojo last Saturday to spectate practice. My dojo is a bit small, it being built in the middle of a tight residential neighborhood in Tokyo. The changing space (I don't say changeroom because it's really more of a hallway - you have to spread up against the wall like you're getting arrested if anyone wants to get by) is upstairs. The floor and surrounding area becomes so busy during practices that visitors often end up watching from above.

I spent most of my time watching sensei, and due to the layout of the place I was located pretty much right above him. Kendo is interesting from above.

First thing I thought was 'huh,' and then I thought, 'shimpan should fully be suspended from the ceiling from harnesses'. Kote, men and tsuki strikes are so clear from above, and do strikes are easily seen too.

Sizing up kamae from on high is also a new game. Watching the shinai-work and the right feet creeping out ominously, I wished I had a still camera on the floor below, with me holding a remote switch above. All the mechanics of seme seemed really apparent, and details stood out that I'd never noticed before.

The fight for chushin (centre-line) was especially interesting. Awareness of centre has always been a bit troubling for me, but exactly who had it and how it was being guarded was really plain to see. The whole scenario had me feeling very omniscient, until the memory of how many times I got walloped last time I practiced put things back into in perspective.

That said, my elevated vantage point also stripped the spectacle of some of its more human elements. I could see how various kenshi were pressuring each other physically, but it didn't translate as well as it does on the ground. Watching kendo on the same level that it takes place, you can feel the contest, see the faces, and maybe most importantly, imagine yourself being involved. From above, it gets abstracted. You notice details that otherwise you might not, but it loses intensity. Anyways, it was interesting for a while. Something to think about while I heal up.

Check out this tune if you have 8 minutes. It's kind of painful but I think it might make you stronger, like a vaccination. ]]> tyler http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/112-Kendo-From-Above Hip Calibration http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/106-Hip-Calibration Tue, 25 Jan 2011 04:59:02 GMT Practice over the past two weeks has been up and down as I’ve been trying to hone a more flexible kamae. Last night I tried to focus on my left hand and the angle of my hips. Over gripping with my right hand has led to a bit of pain in the elbow, always a sign of bad form, so last night I tried... Practice over the past two weeks has been up and down as I’ve been trying to hone a more flexible kamae.

Last night I tried to focus on my left hand and the angle of my hips. Over gripping with my right hand has led to a bit of pain in the elbow, always a sign of bad form, so last night I tried to be all about the left. I think this made for crisper men-uchi in kihon-geiko, and in ji-geiko I seemed to have better kensen control when it came to minor adjustments and trying to channel seme with the shinai.

The other focus was trying to calibrate my hips. If I had to say what was really different between those days when I’m on point and when I’m bunk, I’d say it comes down to how I carry my hips when I fight. It’s not a decision per se, or I’d choose to do it all the time, but on those days when it’s really right, my kamae is ready, like a cocked gun. The rest of the time, which is most of the time, I’m pointing a gun that hasn’t been cocked yet.

Put another way, instead of having to overcome inertia by stomping on the gas, setting the attack in motion, the attack should be constantly in motion, wheels spinning, and waiting to be set on the ground. It’s less a decision to go forward and more a removal of an inhibitor that is checking a force which is already going forward.

That may be a good working definition of seme: The pressure generated by a force which is being kept from moving forward, like water inhibited by a dam.

Come to think of it, these are things which Kim Taylor, my iaido sensei in Canada, used to talk about. He named his club Sei Do Kai, which refers to the concept of quiet or stillness in action, and conversely action in stillness. One of the other things Kim often speaks about are the angle of the hips.

So to wrap up – I’ve been trying to calibrate my hips and keep them rolled forward, belly out, same way you sit zazen. On my rare good days, this sort of happens naturally, and I’m more dangerous for it. The task now is to keep up that focus and make it second nature while also reducing the shoulder and arm tension problems I’ve been having.

Snap your fingers to the song of the day if you've got a minute. ]]> tyler http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/106-Hip-Calibration Kendo and the New Concussion http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/105-Kendo-and-the-New-Concussion Thu, 20 Jan 2011 05:39:42 GMT I came across this article in Slate today regarding American Football and a new category of head injury that has been discovered.

To sum up: It begins with the mention of G as the force of gravity, and the fact that in collisions, force is measured in G's. It seems that collisions in this heavy contact sport range from 40Gs at the low end to 300Gs at the more brutal extreme. Guys getting wrecked with forces of this magnitude naturally leads to a high number of concussions to compliment the myriad other corporeal injuries.

Until now, head injury was thought to be diagnosable on the field by physicians. The classic symptoms of concussion are quite easily recognized.

The feature of the article, however, is new research which suggests that there are other very alarming kinds of head trauma, the signs of which are not easily recognized. It mentions blows to the top of the head, and subsequent impairment of the 'executive functioning' of the brain.

Naturally, my thoughts strayed to last night's practice, and to kendo in general. We hit each other - right on the top of the head no less - many many times per practice. We have bogu of course, just as American Footballers have helmets, and a shinai is perhaps a far cry from the impact of an airborne man, but I can't help but wonder just how much damage we may be incurring, and at what cost later on down the line.

Does anyone know of any studies in English regarding the amount of force in Gs that a normal men-strike generates?

Further still - regular strikes aside, how many times have you really had your bell rung in kendo, been caught off guard or broken your posture and really got cranked?

p.s. - [it has come to my attention that I threw this one up absent a tune at the end. That means a few people have missed out on this collymellon Billy Holiday/Lester Young track. Apologies! 07/03/2011] ]]> tyler http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/105-Kendo-and-the-New-Concussion Steady on! http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/104-Steady-on! Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:03:33 GMT Off to a half-decent start! My first keiko of the year was actually pretty terrible. It had been about 2 weeks since I practiced, which is neither here nor there, but for whatever reason things just weren't working in unison. Instead of trying to relax, I tried to make it come together with force, tired myself out, and generally had a bunk practice. That was Saturday.

On Monday morning, through the bright idea of a dojo mate and the kindness of one of our sensei, I had a chance to attend morning practice at Kodansha Publishing's famous Noma Dojo. I've been to the old Noma dojo for shiai, but I have never attended a practice, or been to the new dojo at all. So, up at 5am for a breakfast of champions: 2 bananas, 1 kiwi, some yogurt to activate the vitamin C in the kiwi (good lookin' out Hamish), and and egg sandwich. Then off to the station. Brick freezing!

Just today I happened to check the weather in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada where my sister lives. -26 degrees. Egads, I thought, that's brutal. But I'll tell you, I will take -5 in Canada before I'll take +2 degrees in Japan. Something about the wet air really makes it cut to the bone. A brisk walk through that brought me the the station, and a few transfers later I met my companions from my home dojo in Nakano.

Walking from Gokokuji station to Noma dojo, our sensei threw out some pointers. "This is a very traditional and strict dojo. Mind your manners. If you're doing ippon shobu with someone and they act like they've won, give it to them. No arguing."

I was curious to see how much the new dojo resembled the old one. We went past the main Kodansha building to a larger one behind it and elevated to the 5th floor. It still smells immediately of old wood, and I think the sliding doors in the entrance hallways must be from the old dojo.

After signing in and getting changed in a very hushed change room, we found a place to get ready at the far end of the dojo. I have no doubt that there were many people of note there, although one that stood out to my eyes right away was Uchimura, a past All-Japan champion. That fellow may just be as wide as he is tall. I had a chance to watch his keiko while I was in line, and the word for it is 'tenacious'.

Keiko itself was of course straight forward, nothing but ji-geiko. My first bout was sub-par but helped to warm me up. I think I had 5 in all, the last three feeling quite good and on point.

We were lucky enough to get a kind of 1 month pass to practice there, so I'll absolutely be going back.

Tonight's practice was also good, but all of my most glaring problems were on full display. First, the bad. One source of many minor problems is stiffness and excess tension, especially in my shoulders and arms. This has always been a problem for me, and at the suggestion of a sensei from my dojo I'm trying to pay attention to the level of tension in my shoulders all the time, meaning while I'm at work or walking around. I think he's right - I think I'm a bit numb to just how much tension I have there, as a matter of habit. Every time I remember to check, lo and behold, I'm tense. If I can manage to cool out my shoulders a bit, I think it will follow down to my elbows and forearms and produce a much more natural, longer strike and finish.

On the mental side, I've picked up the bad habit of stopping my ji-keiko and breaking zanshin WAY too much. When I began kendo, my dojo had a great atmosphere of concentration, and we were always paying attention while the fight was on. After coming to Japan and practicing in a few different places, I saw some people who at times would be working on some technical aspect of their kendo. They would engage, have an exchange, and then sort of turn off and re-set their position. This is all right now and again, I think, but somewhere along the line I began doing it too much. So that's another goal, to have more consistent focus and to start taking zanshin more seriously.

On the positive side, my kamae has been praised a bit lately for being very straight, but I'm not so sure this isn't connected to my shoulder tension problem. I definitely make an effort to make a beautiful kamae, but I may be straining a bit to achieve the form. It looks all right, but it's too static, and I don't respond well to people who knock my shinai around.

That's all there is at this point. I'm glad to be back in the swing of things and looking forward to next practice when I can try to address some of these points. In my ongoing effort to include a song in every post, I offer you this. Not for the faint of heart. ]]> tyler http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/104-Steady-on! bogu is in stasis, practice begins on the 8th. http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/103-bogu-is-in-stasis-practice-begins-on-the-8th Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:56:50 GMT The holidays have been a bit too restful. Cabin fever isn't really acceptable in the absence of sub-zero temperatures, yet I managed to catch it over the past few days. Japanese variety TV at new years is, as an aesthetic experience, probably akin to being stung by a scorpion. You go somewhat numb and the intervention of others is required in order to be roused. Time turns fluid and slips by as a boy band is grilled over 3 hours of viewing. They're made to improvise skits, weigh in on various and sundry unique food items, execute impromptu slapstick comedy, and clean a muddy car wheel with a high pressure water contraption. Another show pits two teams of hapless contestants against each other in a random rush to avoid injury in weird, semi-violent challenges.

Although I failed for the first time ever to enjoy my very own traditional dish of (sticky/dense pounded ricecake) mochi and maple syrup, I did make it out to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura to parlay with the gods on the cusp of the new year. It was worth the frosty toes to look behind me as I ascended the steep steps at the python of people lined up to toss their coins.

A few days later, lying outdoors on a slightly inclined stone slab, hotspring water running down and around, I thought about kendo, my fortune in being around such high quality kendo people, and the infrequency with with I've taken advantage of these surroundings in the past 6 months. Hence the idea for this fresh year is to practice more, think more about it 'aloud' in this space, and stay chisel.

I like music a lot and I would like to invite everyone to listen to this song if they think they might enjoy it.

Happy New Year! ]]> tyler http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/103-bogu-is-in-stasis-practice-begins-on-the-8th The hardest job in kendo...? http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/102-The-hardest-job-in-kendo Sat, 23 Oct 2010 04:16:04 GMT Attachment 998 (http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=998)When I wrote this, the FIFA World Cup was in full swing. Apart from the early exit of some of the highly regarded teams, and the fantastic showing of the underdogs, perhaps the biggest on-going stories at this...

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When I wrote this, the FIFA World Cup was in full swing. Apart from the early exit of some of the highly regarded teams, and the fantastic showing of the underdogs, perhaps the biggest on-going stories at this competition surrounded the glaring mistakes made by the world’s top football referees. What about that goal scored by a blatantly offside Tevez in the match between Argentina and Mexico? Who can forget the goal scored by Lampard against Germany that bounced over the line and out again, but was not awarded by the ref? I can only imagine the intensity of profanities screamed out simultaneously in Old Blighty that very instant. It could plausibly have been the first four letter word audible from outer space.

These, and many other incidents put life in to an old debate. If we have the technology, why not use it? How hard would it be for an extra official sitting in a booth to check dicey decisions on a video screen and report by radio back to the ref? Not only would it avert potential international incidents, perhaps the threat of citation afterwards might even stop some of those deplorable cheats who take an orchestrated dive for the team. Still, some are of the opinion that hullabaloo is an important part of the game. Even the Brazilian coach Dunga said “If there is no controversy in football, you wouldn’t be there and I wouldn’t be here.”

I’m sure that most people would prefer to avoid the same kind of controversy in kendo. Still, being only human, shinpan in the kendo context are also bound to make a few mistakes. Obviously this is not ideal, but it is inevitable. I remember one 8-dan sensei told me he only gets it right “about 90% of the time”. So why not use technology? Interestingly, this is an issue that is rarely considered seriously in kendo. There are just too many factors that need to be taken into consideration, not just a simple issue of whether or not the ball crossed the line. First there the stipulated “requirements” for yūkō-datotsu which include of datotsu-bui (accurately striking the target), datotsu-bu (with correct part of the shinai), hasuji (correct direction of the cutting edge), kyōdo (adequate strength of the cut), sae (crispness of the cut), ki-ken-tai-itchi (unity of sword, body and spirit), and zanshin (continued physical and mental alertness). Then, there are other “factors” that need to be taken into consideration. These are shisei (posture), kiai (vocalization), maai (interval), tai-sabaki (footwork), kikai (striking opportunities), and tenouchi (grip). The role of the humble kendo shinpan is a complicated one indeed, and it just got a little more difficult for fifteen of the world’s best.

Most readers will be aware that newly renamed SportAccord, the former General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) held the first SportAccord Combat Games in Beijing from August 28 to September 4, 2010. The competition showcased thirteen Martial Arts and Combat sports, both Olympic and non-Olympic events, and there was also a Cultural Program that was intended to “reflect the social and cultural values of these sports and Combat Games as a whole”. In the kendo event, 32 male and 24 female competitors selected from around the world, plus 24 demonstrators participated in an individual kendo tournament, East versus West demonstration match, and 8-dan demonstrations of kendo, Nippon Kendo Kata, iaido and jodo.

Not all AJKF officers were initially enthusiastic about participating in this momentous event. However, it was quickly realized that the potential to showcase kendo to the rest of the world and the prestige through taking part was too much of an opportunity to ignore. One aspect of the competition vital to its success was the level refereeing. Fifteen referees were selected and all converged in Narita city on June 21 and 22 for an intensive seminar. Due to the restricted time for the events, it was decided that each match would be four minutes in duration with an additional two minutes enchō (time extension) if no winner is decided. If after two minutes of extra time the scores are still level, the outcome will be decided by hantei (referees decision) in which the three shinpan raise either the red or white flag to indicate who they thought was the better player overall.

This system was used in the All Japan Kendo Championships until 1986, and it is stipulated in Article 7 of the Regulations “In pronouncing hantei, shinpan-in shall take into consideration, first the skill of shiai-sha, then their attitudes in shiai.” In Article 9 of the Subsidiary Regulations, it states “Hantei prescribed in Article 7, Item 5 of the Regulations, shall be based on the following criteria: 1. In case shiai-sha has made datotsu nearly equal to yūkō-datotsu, his or her skill should be regarded as superior; and 2. In case shiai-sha is predominant in posture and movements, his or her attitude should be regarded as superior.”

Once again, I was in the privileged position of interpreting for the seminar. Okushima Yoshio Sensei from Kyoto, who was the Shinpan-chō at the event, served as the main instructor and his explanations were concise and to the point. The main thrust of his instruction was as follows. As the whole premise of kendo matches is to try and score valid points in the opponent, the first hantei criteria of “nearly equal to yūkō-datotsu” goes without saying. This does not mean strikes that touch or come close to touching the target should be considered, but genuinely close attempts that have the referee “wanting to put the flag up, but not quite able to…” Furthermore, even if one referee puts their flag up for a point, this should not be taken into consideration in the hantei process because it could have been “an error of judgment”. According to the rules, if the hantei cannot be decided by the first criteria, the second, “superior attitude” will become the deciding factor. This factor takes into consideration hansoku or penalties. Again, just because one shiai-sha commits hansoku, this does not necessarily mean that they automatically lose the hantei, as there may be mitigating factors.

In essence, the responsibility of hantei draws on the level of understanding the shinpan has regarding every aspect of kendo. Rather than just adjudicating valid points as they happen, hantei requires the shinpan to do this, but also be constantly assessing the entire match from start to finish (not just the final two minutes of enchō) evaluating the superiority in skill and attitude demonstrated by the shiai-sha. It doesn’t get more demanding than this, and is in many ways similar to an examiner in a promotion examination. To make the wrong hantei judgment could be viewed as a reflection of the shinpan’s lack of understanding of the essence of kendo. Okushima Sensei concluded that “as long as you are able to judge yūkō-datotsu correctly, correct hantei should be a matter of course.”

For many of the shinpan at the seminar, this was a first-time experience in making hantei calls. Overall, the judgments made in the practice matches were consistent, but the pressure seemed even greater than the buildup shinpan seminars to the World Championships.

In many ways, the SportAccord Kendo Tournament in Beijing proved to be an historic event, and it was the skills of the shinpan which were an important part of its success. You can see all of the videos on the KW homepage, and close analysis will always show the odd “dicey” call. My friend Jesus Maya-Martinez scored what looked to be a nice men against Japan champion R. Uchimura, which was not scored. You can see the video here. (The attached photo shows the point I am referring to. Jesus is on the right.) But that is the nature of the beast, and the fact that video remains on the internet for all to see and dissect makes the role of shinpan an unenviable responsibility, but somebody has to do it. Still, it must be remembered that some aspects become distorted on video, and what seems to be a valid ippon on screen was not the case when watching the match live at courtside. Whatever the case let us not condemn, but learn.

It also got me thinking. Wouldn’t it be interesting to have competitions in which matches were decided not by sanbon-shōbu, but by hantei?…

(Adapted from the Kendo World Journal Vol. 5.2 Editorial) ]]> Alex http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/entry.php/102-The-hardest-job-in-kendo