Chicago Newbie Who Just Started Kumdo Training

[ElleJayVee]

Hello everyone~

My name is ElleJay, and I have just started (about six weeks ago, I believe,) kumdo training in Glen Ellyn, IL. Since kendo and kumdo are nearly identical in practice, (from what I have read thus far, I apologize if that is incorrect,) and it seems practitioners of the two get along well, I thought this would be a great forum to join! I look forward to learning from all of your experiences.

I am 23 and a graduate student in Library Information Science. You can find out more about me on my Facebook if you are curious.

My goal is to find other kendoka/those-training-in-kumdo near where I live! The more practice the better!

Hope to talk to y'all soon!

[rfoxmich]

I don't know the kumdo scene in Chicago-land very well, however there are four fine kendo dojos there:
- Choyokan DesPlaines
- Choyokan
- Chicago kendo dojo
- University of Chicago Kendo

http://auskf.info/dojo/il.htm provides contact information for all of these, however the Choyokan DesPlaines contact is out of date, just contact Dr. Sakamoto from the 'other' Choyokan listing.

Best wishes and enjoy Kumdo/kendo.

[ElleJayVee]

Thank you for the info! I'm happy with my dojang, but if I ever need to change, I'll check those out~ Right now, those are all a bit of a drive for me.

Are you located in IL, rfoxmich?

[yoda-waza]

Hopefully your dojang is affiliated either with a regional federation of the AUSKF (kendo) or is a member dojang of the KKA (kumdo) - i.e, groups officially sanctioned by the FIK. We had a member join our kendo dojo several months ago who had last practiced kumdo years earlier in Chicago and had been awarded the rank of 1 Dan (don't know the Korean term). Unfortunately, that dojang no longer existed and had never been a member school of KKA or its U.S. affiliate, so his rank was not recognized by our federation. He had to enter his first shinsa here as 0-kyu, and based on his performance was graded as 4-kyu.

I don't know if the KKAUSA website is current, but there are apparently 13 member dojangs in the entire nation, only one of which is in Illinois (north of you in Wheeling). It is good that you are happy with your dojang, but unless it is officially a member of a sanctioned federation (kumdo or kendo), you face limitations in practicing, competing and testing outside your local dojang. By contrast, there are a dozen or so dojang in California that constitute the Western Kendo Federation, which is an official member federation of the AUSKF. Members of those dojangs can practice at other AUSKF dojos and can compete and test not only within their own federation but at other AUSKF federations.

Here is an earlier discussion on these forums about this subject.

[Shinsengumi77]

Thank you for the info! I'm happy with my dojang, but if I ever need to change, I'll check those out

It's not like you have to completely change where you practice, but if you want to meet/ train with new people, or just expand your practice by going to other dojo/dojang on the days yours doesn't have practice it's fine to visit other places. Most places welcome visitors, and you might get to experience whole new types of practice, or just different types of kendo/ kumdo that benefit your own. Good luck!

[Ruleslawyer]

I've been told there is a Kumdo class where the Choyokan Dojo practices in Des Plaines on Sundays. One of the other students mentioned it to me. I guess one of the Senseis for Choyokan teaches Kumdo as well. I don't know where to find official information for it though. Maybe the Des Plaines park district?

[degeneral1]

I believe there is a Kumdo class in Des Plaines. I don't know much about it, but I do know none of the Choyokan senseis teach Kumdo. just fyi.