around vancouver area that teaches beginner classes for kendo

[B.Fong]

ooo that person lol i remember. retarded Semi-beginner noob lol? totally u did not look like a noob at all, u looked perfectly focused and into everything which is great everyone was like so into it, just wondering tho, how much does it cost for all the equipment u need? i know that if i join i won't need it right away and that it would take me a while until the teacher tells me i need it, but for my parents sake because they were wondering

[Django]

Haha, I was exhausted after a lil' bit. If there's anything I seriously need to work on, it's endurance.

Hmmm, I got mine round 700 dollars after shipping and tax. It came with a free keikogi and hakama. Actually, Renbu is partnered with EBogu, so you should get a better discount than I did, since my was already a special.

And no, you don't need it right away. I'm sure you saw those other beginners in there without the equipment. My sis being one of them. Take a look at some bogu sites. It'll give you an idea of what, and how much to look for. In fact, there's a great FAQ on this forum that you should take a look at. It's in the "bogu" forum.

And the yearly fee is pretty cheap, especially in comparison to other activities. Like piano costs almost 200 per month for me and my sis... o_<; And you can be sure that you won't be paying for the half a year prior to now, they'll calculate it based on the months left in this year.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Fong, just have a talk with one of the sensei after class, they will set you straight and they don't bite. Maybe your parents could chat with them, too, if they have questions or concerns.

[Django]

Or, you could listen to Neil. Best choice.

[j.noh]

Wow, I would have thought that all the Vancouver dojo's got their gear from Aoi. Go figure.

Just my two bits, if you are anything like me, I had a growth spurt in highschool, so see if the club has loaner bogu. Hate to see you spend all that money on a set of bogu that won't fit you in a couple of years.

[Django]

Well, I got my shinai bag from there. =\

And I stopped growing 3 years ago, when I was 14... ._.; lol