Statesboro Kendo

[Onajourney]

We are a new group and we have just lost our Sensei. We are looking for close-by group to practice with, and improve our kendo. Any Sensei welcome to teach, we are ready to learn.

Maxwell Fryer
GSU.kendoclub@gmail.com

[Kaoru]

Hello!

Welcome to the forum!

I see you are asking for close dojos to practice with. Well, I hate to break it to you, but there are no dojos within a stone's throw of Statesboro. It is very rare to find a legit dojo in one's own backyard.

There are only 5 AUSKF dojos in Georgia at this time. There are three in Atlanta, and one in Peachtree and the other is in Athens.

Here they are:

Georgia Japanese Language School Kendo Club
Lindley Middle School
Atlanta, GA

Practice time: Sat. 3-5pm

Contact:

Hiroshi Matsuda
(770) 424-3856

e-mail: Hiroshi Matsuda

Driving distance:

This dojo is about 170 miles give or take. I used this map for all approximate dojo distances:

http://www.sitesatlas.com/Flash/USCan/static/GAFH.htm

I used the legend on the lower left of the map to determine the approx. distances.

So, that's nearly a 3 hour drive.

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Georgia Kendo Alliance

http://www.georgiakendo.com/

Athletic Club Northeast (Aerobics Room)
1515 Sheridan Road N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30324

Practice times:

Th 7:30-9pm (Regular Class)
Sat. 5-6pm (Beginners Only)
Sat. 6:15-7:45pm (Regular Class)

Contact:

Fisher Londono
(678) 376-3828 (M-F after 7:00PM)

e-mail:

Information @ GeorgiaKendo.com

Kunitoshi Arai

Driving distance:

The same as above.

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Georgia Kendo Association

http://www.georgiakendo.net/

Midtown Athletic Club
135 Interstate North Parkway NW
Atlanta, GA 30339
770-953-1100

Practice times on website.

This dojo also practices in Roswell, which is in the north area of Atlanta. (I know that's a bit farther, but I have to put it, since it's part of the dojo info.)

This dojo has 9 sensei.

Contact:

Kunitoshi Arai
770-394-3242 (daytime)

Kentaro Hara
404-579-9672 (evening)

e-mail: information.gka @ gmail.com

Driving distance:

The same as the first dojo above.

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Nanto Bukan East Georgia Kendo Club

http://www.classic-mac.com/kendo.htm

Classic Martial Arts Club
165 Coile Dr.
Athens, GA 30606

Contact:

Shigeru Koyama
(706) 769-9971

Driving distance:

Approximately 140 miles give or take. Likely it will be a 2 1/2 hr. drive at least.

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Peachtree City Kendo Club
Glenloch Rec Center
Peachtree City, GA

Practice time:

Mon. 6-8:30pm

Contact:

Jim Totten
(770) 567-5191

Driving distance:

Approximately 175 miles give or take. This is probably a 2 1/2 hour to 3 hour drive at least.

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All driving times I gave are approximate times and could be more or less.

Well, this is all you have to choose from, and I highly recommend that you visit several of them to see which dojo suits you best. You'll need to explain your situation to them and see if they are willing to take you under their wing.

I would not ask them to come to you to begin with. These sensei have daytime jobs on top of teaching kendo several times a week. You need to go to them, to show that you are dedicated to studying kendo. If you can show diligence and a good attitude toward showing up to practice as often as possible, they may be willing to send someone down to teach once in a while. It it a good idea to put out your hand first, before asking them to extend theirs. Besides, that's just the polite thing to do.

Kendo is a lot of hard work, and most of us have to drive several hours just to get to the dojo to practice. That is what you have to do and it is just a part of your kendo practice, if you expect to be able to continue practicing kendo. So, I don't want to hear of any complaints that they are all too far. You take what you can get! Or, don't do kendo.

In terms of that league you want to create, you need to walk before you can run. You need to see if you can even get a kendo study group(What it is, unless you have a sensei running it.) together that will hold together first. It will take you a LONG time to get any core members who will want to even stick around through bogu. You'll lose most of the people who try it right off. That is normal. Our dojo has beginners come and go all the time. Most never come back after several practices. It's not the sensei's fault, either. It is because kendo is so demanding. It is like that in every kendo dojo.

So, I highly recommend that you put the idea you have on a shelf to come back to after a while. You just need to focus on your own kendo and getting people. You don't even have enough experience yet to really know what you are doing anyway. So, why put the extra pressure on yourself when you have kendo to learn properly first? That is TOO much of a load to ask of yourself, imho.

You need to slow down and take things one at a time. Rome was not built in a day.

So, please do visit these dojos and pick one to train at. You seriously need a dojo and sensei to guide you or it will all fall apart miserably, I promise you.

You will need to call first to request to visit the dojos. This is standard etiquette. They need to know you are coming and that you want to practice.

Well, I hope this will be helpful to you. I'm sorry you lost your sensei, but that's how things go sometimes. Just keep at it, and do visit those dojos. You won't be sorry you did, I promise you. These are all very good dojos.

Good luck and please let us know what dojo you chose in the end.

Kaoru

[annoraderenart@]

Hi Maxwell,

Columbia, South Carolina is also about 2 1/2 hours away...

We have two sets of classes.

One set is on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. These are at Friarsgate Park on Chadford Road. Friarsgate Park is a public park operated by Richland County. We are inside the main building. We practice in the main gym except during basketball season. Then we are in the racketball courts. The fees are $35/month. Please come and meet us. I usually arrive between 6:30 and 6:35 to prepare. This class accepts adults, teenagers and older children. There is no fee for the first class. However, you will need to sign paperwork at the office in order to participate.

Friarsgate Park
1712 Chadford Road
Irmo, SC 29063

We also have a group that meets at Fort Jackson in Vanguard gym. The time is 10 a.m. We are fortunate that a very experienced kendo instructor moved to Columbia recently and teaches the Saturday morning class. He is a go-dan - 5th degree black belt. At this time, the Fort Jackson class can only accept adults and teenagers at least 18 years old.

We are considered visitors to Fort Jackson. We can only enter in Gate 2 on Forest Drive. In order to enter you MUST have your driver’s license, car registration and proof of insurance. Security at the gate does not make any exceptions. Security will ask your destination: Vanguard Gym. Navigating Fort Jackson is not easy. Please use mapquest or something similar.

Vanguard Gymnasium
2009 Wheeler Street
Fort Jackson, SC 29207
(803) 751-4384

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any further questions about our group.

Page

[Kaoru]

Hi Page-san,

Thanks for putting that one up! I was going to put that one, but I didn't know exactly just how far it was from Stateboro. I thought it would likely be at least that far, but I got tired of looking at maps and figuring out distances, and just decided to let it go. (I mean, I spent a LONG time putting that post together, and I was going cross-eyed!) So yeah, I second this for a good dojo.

Kaoru