What is kendo about?

[JByrd]

I'm not sure how well I can answer your question, but here's what I think.

Some years ago Stroud Sensei said something that really stuck with me. Basically he said that the whole reason we do Kendo is because it gives us good feelings.

The truth of Stroud Sensei's statement is undeniable: Nobody would practice Kendo if it only made us feel bad. But Kendo is so difficult and so frustrating at times that it left me wondering where the good feelings are supposed to come from. Here's what I've figured out so far:

First, we get good feelings from accomplishment. We start not being able to do something, then with work and help, we can do it! That makes us feel like more capable people when we step outside the simple, straightforward setting of the dojo into the messy, complicated world.

The second way we get good feelings from Kendo is by contributing to a positive group experience in the dojo. By trying our best with high spirits, we raise the enthusiasm level, and the spirits of everyone in the room. By trying hard to be a good partner, we can help others learn, and they can get that good feeling of accomplishment. When our Kendo friends walk out of the dojo after practice in good spirits, laughing, and with smiles on their faces, we feel good because we know we helped to put those smiles there.

Life can be hard. There have been (and continue to be) times when the good feeling I got at the dojo was pretty much the only good feeling I had all day.

So I guess I'm saying that to me, it doesn't matter whether we view kendo as sport or budo. When you boil it all down, the point is to give, and get, good feelings among our fellow human beings.

[akumalkenshi]

At the end, budo or sport, what matters is your own approach, and what it does mean to you.