singapore kendo

[kesh56]

i find it kinda weird why the singapore kendo club would only accept 30 people out of a 100 plus that apply. sure, they might say that they are not big enough, but with demand so high, aren't they making money which could be used to expand the dojo? also, wth is the audition thingy? imagine your really interested but go for the kendo audition and gets rejected, its kinda sad, do they allow to like appeal or anything?

[nebosuke]

aren't they making money which could be used to expand the dojo?

Like the vast majority of places, they aren’t in it for money. New member registration is $10 SGD and annual membership fee is $120 SGD. Doesn’t sound like they’re rolling in it.

also, wth is the audition thingy? imagine your really interested but go for the kendo audition and gets rejected, its kinda sad, do they allow to like appeal or anything?[/QUOTE]
Have you gone and actuality tried to join and been turned away, or just complaining after reading their web site? Because it sounds like what they’re really saying is mainly that flakey people aren’t tolerated.

[ArcticBlizzard]

I'm only a beginner but my thoughts on the subjects:

I don't really think it's weird. There are numerous reasons why the would "only" accept 30 students.

A lack of space
A lack of guidance (not enough qualified people or not enough people willing to guide 30+ beginners)
A lack of time (A sensei normally doesn't get paid for instructing, after a look at their fees this sensei probably doesn't either. A normal paying job and a family doesn't leave a lot of time to train and teach more groups)
etc.

There's a high drop out rate, so only selecting those who they think will stick around is actually a good idea. The sensei invests a lot of time and energy in his students, it's only natural that he doesn't want to let this go to waste. And of course we like kendoka who take training seriously because we can only improve if others try to improve with us. Small example; Not putting on your men because it's hot deprives the rest of us from being able to perform a correct men.

When you get turned down when you audition, just wait for the next course and sign up. People who give up after one try probably didn't want to do kendo that badly as they might suggested/imagined they did.

[kesh56]

maybe your right, i will go find out more info ty

[tango]

According to how I understand their website, they take on beginners twice a year...
I don't know how many instructor-level people they have there, nor do I even know the current size of the club, or even the space they have available... But if they have 100s of people trying to get in, accepting 60 beginners a year is, in my opinion, a daunting task.

In short, (not that my opinion matters much), I think they're probably doing the very best they can. Hell, by taking 30 newbies every 6 months, they're probably going overboard.

[Omnis]

Is this the only dojo in Singapore and do they favor taking natives first? How would it work out if I were to study abroad over there and wanted to practice?

[cesarekim]

An Italian friend of mine moved to Singapore and joined the club. People there were nice, he said. I don't know much about newbies joining as he went over as a godan and is rokudan now. He did mention that there might have been issues in the past with contacting the club. If someone wants more info, pm me with your email address and I will forward it to him.

[foundinsea]

Singapore Kendo is a good group but unfortunately they just don't have the space or resources to take in too many students at a time AND provide proper training. The dojo where all beginners start isn't that large. It's a rented space at the Japanese elementary school in Singapore and it's in the smaller of the 2 gyms there...the space really is quite limited (think of a space that is about 3 shiai courts length-wise joined together with just about 2 meters or so extra left and right). Their policies are based on experience and quite frankly, out of 30 people that start, probably a handful will continue. I started there and out of everyone in my intake, I think I'm the only one still practicing kendo. People get fantasies about kendo from movies and stuff so they come but once reality sinks in the drop outs start. So rather than waste valuable instructor time there's an "audition" I guess (although this is new...didn't have it when I was there, just a weeding out period). Anyway, I understand why they do it.

[george22]

i find it kinda weird why the singapore kendo club would only accept 30 people out of a 100 plus that apply. sure, they might say that they are not big enough, but with demand so high, aren't they making money which could be used to expand the dojo? also, wth is the audition thingy? imagine your really interested but go for the kendo audition and gets rejected, its kinda sad, do they allow to like appeal or anything?

[ender84567]

Expanding the dojo does no good if they dont have enough instructors to watch everyone. Quality over quantity is just the way kendo is done, its not about making money.

[ben]

Mate, you're replying to a bot that reposted the OP. b

[IronWarrior]

Maybe the high drop out is due to their very high standards and over-top rules? I looked at the rules and requirements and everything and if I was an beginner looking at Kendo, I would be put off as well. They require you to train 3 times per week, twice during the week and one on Sunday.

I love Kendo, I really do and I would love to train each day, but I can't, but am realistic, I believe requirements this high can put people off.

If the demand to join is so high and this is how they select their new members, it seems an fair way to deal with it, through I would recommend they invest or look for a new place to train if their current location is too small, this doesn't mean they should allow more people to join, but I think it would do the club a lot of good.

Also, they really lucky to be able to train in an Japanese School! I would love that.