tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30244574847318656922024-02-23T03:07:46.136+11:00集ーーー>Shugo<ーーー合Shugo means "gather round" in Japanese. This blog is for longer articles connected to the Nanseikan Kendo Club.Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776967115069837945noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-77622114201051773032022-01-05T12:48:00.001+11:002022-01-05T12:48:19.775+11:00How to put away club bogu<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvxbkeIZIPaaG946IcThPG1mos0I4QdjyQBswERXU1Qz4R6McHSjL4FPknECl9dRdcTw4k_qXmMHwAdmDILeed8QDrZQUYUaLG-Gq6gHlKZ3nfBXeqTDg3q6j1bN4wzWU2768r4mV5vriCh03GdxG4EE51yhW3AFSFxi8p89uNzZ4W98yP2N1ltte6gg=s709" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="709" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvxbkeIZIPaaG946IcThPG1mos0I4QdjyQBswERXU1Qz4R6McHSjL4FPknECl9dRdcTw4k_qXmMHwAdmDILeed8QDrZQUYUaLG-Gq6gHlKZ3nfBXeqTDg3q6j1bN4wzWU2768r4mV5vriCh03GdxG4EE51yhW3AFSFxi8p89uNzZ4W98yP2N1ltte6gg=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSSb08-Tlj_xiLS0wpEUMxNzgOr9bwjwgS4s4_uJQdVzglPQhI2JROLYXUvBd94PGaVfjNGPuz5A8Q-499G3io2c4xBfSpoIrLDopc4WPF8BqRp0CA25tZ-_zioQbnnXoWapWt_R0nqZq0NxLgnnEOXBda-PLk44w_TX2bFZZaLWif2bZn3QQqTTnilw=s709" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="709" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSSb08-Tlj_xiLS0wpEUMxNzgOr9bwjwgS4s4_uJQdVzglPQhI2JROLYXUvBd94PGaVfjNGPuz5A8Q-499G3io2c4xBfSpoIrLDopc4WPF8BqRp0CA25tZ-_zioQbnnXoWapWt_R0nqZq0NxLgnnEOXBda-PLk44w_TX2bFZZaLWif2bZn3QQqTTnilw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't tie up the tare himo like this!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRmR9c4pohbJikvaw1dj5IkY7Zp0038bg4BY9KAWoi1eZjU0n-0jxfUHr1P8GmKNaJrYrDvsAiVbmOjhv3SpQopjrtY3ZSLIuczKJFtuOKwFOz4toIZ7ljy5JoMmdcKx35QyE81zCdSbfX22JoJealtWwQqAlV-uFLiVSBjbzhQqeMzAcUUxlOoHY2uw=s709" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="463" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRmR9c4pohbJikvaw1dj5IkY7Zp0038bg4BY9KAWoi1eZjU0n-0jxfUHr1P8GmKNaJrYrDvsAiVbmOjhv3SpQopjrtY3ZSLIuczKJFtuOKwFOz4toIZ7ljy5JoMmdcKx35QyE81zCdSbfX22JoJealtWwQqAlV-uFLiVSBjbzhQqeMzAcUUxlOoHY2uw=w418-h640" width="418" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgquk8XAzPlceN1FLOYdlEkX-0dQVM-6PZhjGxktmmxBQwp8EM3ElvZRS0uaV2AZZvDh6GCsT0ZysBGMyhb3rdAQo2sCKe3D9XimNUqLR5Hmv9vN1JML41YFRazRa87wz6grheEWeeIVr7_w9i1_UXB_K52OiYZAnmJ_XAJmNCMBUf1Aygxt-EQrptshA=s709" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="709" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgquk8XAzPlceN1FLOYdlEkX-0dQVM-6PZhjGxktmmxBQwp8EM3ElvZRS0uaV2AZZvDh6GCsT0ZysBGMyhb3rdAQo2sCKe3D9XimNUqLR5Hmv9vN1JML41YFRazRa87wz6grheEWeeIVr7_w9i1_UXB_K52OiYZAnmJ_XAJmNCMBUf1Aygxt-EQrptshA=w640-h560" width="640" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglFhnR2GrdedTdaXXjD_wQlDwmX32CJo_kXb96elb2jGmYH_jn1c6e_mCNt3x_jOP4v-fPZW-mGKWyFnkPOk7whp9Z3fMdBlqpJq0WMcw5IDD-UPsFmrxy5MY9kXIYOhF0-FG9SfAjLVu17pj78eOAOgQZWNQWDEytZkB4yt_19zGjF8JCCtqBqUSj6w=s709" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglFhnR2GrdedTdaXXjD_wQlDwmX32CJo_kXb96elb2jGmYH_jn1c6e_mCNt3x_jOP4v-fPZW-mGKWyFnkPOk7whp9Z3fMdBlqpJq0WMcw5IDD-UPsFmrxy5MY9kXIYOhF0-FG9SfAjLVu17pj78eOAOgQZWNQWDEytZkB4yt_19zGjF8JCCtqBqUSj6w=s320" width="180" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776967115069837945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-86576650676987237362021-09-11T21:27:00.003+10:002021-09-25T16:49:09.716+10:00Useful but lesser known Kendo terms from the AJKF Kendo Dictionary<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://zenkenren-shop.com/images/detailed/1/050106-01.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="563" height="400" src="https://zenkenren-shop.com/images/detailed/1/050106-01.png" width="282" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This excellent book (2020 edition) is currently unavailable from the AJKF website due to COVID restrictions on mail from Japan. Fingers crossed it can be shipped soon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the meantime, here are a list of useful and lesser know words for the Kendo nerd (剣道オタク)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">to memorise and drop into conversation whenever appropriate... :D</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>jukurensha </b>熟錬者 n.- person who has amassed a lot of skill through years of training</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>kawasu </b>かわす v. - to avoid the opponent's attack whilst remaining ready to act</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>amasu </b>あます v. - to perceive an intention to strike and then to calmly step back as the opponent attacks, thereby nullifying their attack.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>atouchi </b>後打ち n. - striking your opponent after they have already scored, often in frustration</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>kisen </b>機先 n. - the moment an opponent's intent to attack becomes clear. <i>kisen-o-seisuru</i> 機先を制する, to suppress their attack at this point.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>ki o miru</b> 機を見る v. - to perceive the moment your opponent's intention becomes manifested </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>utase kata</b> 打たせ方 n. - to help a more junior partner learn by allowing them to strike.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>hiki giwa </b> 引き際 n. - the moment when an opponent is about to retreat. It is a representative example of an opportunity for striking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">more to come...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776967115069837945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-63401425597443543922021-03-21T15:11:00.014+11:002021-04-23T14:21:18.642+10:00The Three Stages of Kendo Development<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rQIvsMH2sERU67HLdUKqgvXun3FFvax-YnOVNaM-mFOyBK_hAys_4VxgnLwLHbEvdJY2I4qdGi5HoGbE7b0QKTcNGEf8ORZFbw5Z0mgulziaxSa6yADuWVwlagz1jP5mKuKb-QX3-ooo/s1920/funatsu+sensei.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rQIvsMH2sERU67HLdUKqgvXun3FFvax-YnOVNaM-mFOyBK_hAys_4VxgnLwLHbEvdJY2I4qdGi5HoGbE7b0QKTcNGEf8ORZFbw5Z0mgulziaxSa6yADuWVwlagz1jP5mKuKb-QX3-ooo/w640-h360/funatsu+sensei.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />Stage one - climbing the first fence</b></p><p>This is from beginner to about 4th kyu, but it can last longer. You can hear noise and people having fun on the other side of a high fence. You've been inspired to try Kendo and you think it's for you but now it seems to be brutally difficult. Whether it's the basics of footwork or getting the shinai to 'stick' on the target, there's something that remains out of reach. And never mind the big one - achieving a genuine scoring cut (yuko datotsu) on another person when they're actually trying! That just seems too far away. How do the sensei and sempai make it look so easy? I can't imagine ever doing what they can do...</p><p>But after a while things slowly fall in to place. How? You just keep going to training. You don't try to work it out in your head you just trust your teacher and the fact that probably everyone else went through this frustration as well. Part of you knows that this is how it has always been with Kendo. This is what makes it a particularly Japanese cultural pursuit.</p><p>Then one day you finally get your first 'ippon' in jigeiko with someone whose Kendo you respect and who you're pretty sure wasn't giving you the opening... and it feels GREAT! You've hauled yourself up and over the first fence and you're finally where all the fun is.</p><p><b>Stage two - defeating all comers</b></p><p>This is where you pile skill upon skill. You have your bad days but overall you are making good progress. And the fact that you can perceive that you're making progress helps create a positive feedback loop that helps you through the difficult times. </p><p>Your life circumstances allow you to get to training almost as often as you like and this helps even further. You experience grading success, passing them all on your first attempt. Seminars are a wonderland of new insights. You join your state squad and this lifts you even further. You subscribe to a bajillion Youtube and Instagram Kendo accounts. Competitions are hard but you relish the challenge and they too, add to your skill. Your first trip to Japan is an eye-opener. In spite of being a tiny fish the locals see that you're genuine and this encourages you even further. </p><p>You're a sempai now, progressing in the dan grades. Your next big goal is national squad membership or a national title. Soon you'll be heading towards sensei level. You finally own a great set of bogu and several sets of dogi for different weather conditions. </p><p>But then, after many years, something disturbing happens. Either a major injury hits and sidelines you, or a new job or child limits your training. At the same time you realise you're not the youngest, gung-ho-est, hungriest kenshi in the room any more. There are others and they are better than you ever remember being. People who aren't even dan grades start to take points off you in jigeiko. Your progress grinds to a halt. You become jealous of everyone else's Kendo. You compare yourself unfavourably to everyone. Each point someone scores on you destroys your confidence. It becomes hard to go to training. When you win it's expected, when you lose it's humiliating. Training is a chore. Your old waza don't seem to work any more. You listen to your sensei but they seem to just say the same thing year after year and it doesn't help.</p><p>It's about now that you start to fail gradings, over and over. If you weren't so embedded you would walk away. This is when you have to transition to...</p><p><b>Stage three - 道 means 'a road'</b></p><p>You're tired of comparing yourself to everyone and always coming up lacking, so one day you stop trying to beat everyone else and you try just turning up. </p><p>At about the same time the thought occurs to you (or did someone say it?) that Kendo is a road. A journey. Whose journey? Mine. And yours. Each and everyone, on their own journey along the same road. That means that you can stop comparing your progress to the progress of others. Your progress is up to you, not in the hands of the shinpan or the grading panel or your opponent. There were always people ahead of you on the road and there will always be people behind you. There's no 'catching up'; that makes no sense. Kendo's importance never lay in helping you be <i>the </i>best, but in helping you be <i>your </i>best.</p><p>More and more you re-read and re-hear things you've know for years. "If your opponent wants to attack, let them". "Kendo is the path of self-development." "Strive to defeat the person you were yesterday." "Beginner's mind." "Kendo begins and ends with courtesy." </p><p>You finally relax. You become more humble. You keep your cool more. When someone scores on you, you are genuinely happy for them, and grateful. You realise it doesn't mean you can't also score back. More and more people want to train with you because they sense this reciprocal benefit. If you can acknowledge your failures and persevere with a smile then they can too. There is a lightness to training with you.</p><p>A psychological weight is lifted, which leads to physical improvements in the quality of your Kendo. You are faster and have more energy. You move more efficiently and so you heal from your injuries. You're in the right place. Your Kendo is no longer getting better, it's getting deeper.</p><p>We don't all follow this exact same path. But these stages are broadly consistent amongst all kenshi: we struggle to develop skills; we use our skills to try and master others which leads to a dead end; we let go of mastery and focus on our own journey. These stages describe our whole Kendo lives. They can also describe a single Kendo training!</p><p>These stages are known as <i>shu-ha-ri </i>(守破離).</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Image: screenshot of Funatsu sensei from </i><a href="https://youtu.be/4s0Al1t9pOI" style="font-size: small; text-align: center;">https://youtu.be/4s0Al1t9pOI</a></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /></p>Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776967115069837945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-7576608075129574922019-09-18T10:41:00.001+10:002019-10-19T14:56:57.960+11:00Safety and reiho 安全と礼法<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Sr84NJkigcV2nH7aCTWn6rMJ2ELJOnlMsITFp1LXY6Ru-YSNOOtNKQDjuTKyPmOGKwoqe6g3JvIVaZ1EWyT3jfHAda9HFZ2alg2YzIFLuVTovnn0AYSJN_o3O2-1fOe3_-bTboXvEWve/s1600/20190720_102606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Sr84NJkigcV2nH7aCTWn6rMJ2ELJOnlMsITFp1LXY6Ru-YSNOOtNKQDjuTKyPmOGKwoqe6g3JvIVaZ1EWyT3jfHAda9HFZ2alg2YzIFLuVTovnn0AYSJN_o3O2-1fOe3_-bTboXvEWve/s640/20190720_102606.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our dojo is small, so we need to be careful and consider others in order to train safely.</td></tr>
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In Kendo we are used to showing reverence for people, places and things. This respect contains within it the seeds of safe and healthy conduct.<br />
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For instance we bow to the dojo, our training environment. By doing so we vow to keep it clean and therefore safe for use. Sweeping and mopping the floor helps to clear it of objects like pins that might cause injury, and shows us if nails are sticking up from the floor.<br />
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We bow to shomen which is the symbol of the ongoing tradition of which we are a part. By doing so we vow to look after our own bodies so that we can contribute to that tradition for as long as possible. This is the best way to honour the kindness of the sensei who have gone before and who have given their time so that we may progress.<br />
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We bow to each other in recognition of the fact that we can't train alone. Inherent in this is the recognition that our training partners are precious and we must do everything to look after them so that they, like us, can contribute and help us train for as long as possible.<br />
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In Kendo we don't bow to the sword as such as they do in Iaido. Perhaps we should? It would be appropriate. I bow to my men before I put it on. I feel that I am asking it to protect me and it does a good job of that, so it is worthy of respect.<br />
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Respect and reverence means we take a little bit of time to slow down and notice the things around us that are important to us. From a safety point of view this 'noticing' is very useful as it means we might see details that otherwise remain 'invisible'.<br />
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Here are some specific points I would like you to keep in mind while training at Nanseikan, or at any dojo for that matter:<br />
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<li>If you have received a hard blow to the <b>head</b>, either from someone's shinai, or from a fall, and it makes you feel dizzy, or nauseous, or causes you to see 'stars' or hear music in your head, immediately stop training, tell a dojo leader, sit down and take off your men. If you have been knocked unconscious for even just a moment, the same action applies. In all head injury cases you must see a doctor or got to hospital as soon as possible after training. Do not drive or ride a motor vehicle. Report back to dojo leaders on the doctor's prognosis. Usually it will be to avoid all contact sports for at least one week.</li>
<li><b>Hydrate </b>regularly, especially in warm weather.</li>
<li>If you notice that you are suddenly feeling strange or in <b>pain</b>, please let someone know and then excuse yourself from training. Take off your men. Drink water. If the feeling disappears you can resume training. If it returns when you start training again then you should stop for the rest of training.</li>
<li>If you have to sit out training, make sure you <b>move </b>well away from the training area and keep your shinai and bogu out of the way, especially while people are doing jigeiko. Always sit on the side of the dojo appropriate to your grade.</li>
<li>If you notice <b>someone else </b>is not well, as them what the problem is. It might be nothing or it might be serious, but always ask.</li>
<li>Look after <b>smaller </b>and younger training partners. Adjust the power of your strikes consciously and appropriately.</li>
<li>Let your training partner know if they are repeatedly hitting <b>too hard</b> by stopping and telling them politely.</li>
<li>Check all your <b>shinai </b>regularly. You should disassemble your training shinai about once a month if you are training regularly with it, to check for internal cracks. Internal cracks are more dangerous than external splintering.</li>
<li>Cover cuts on your feet and always clean up <b>blood </b>on the dojo floor immediately.</li>
<li>Inform the dojo leaders if there are <b>items missing </b>from the first aid kit.</li>
<li>Always <b>bring your own</b> sports tape<b> </b>to training if you use it regularly. </li>
<li>Always check the length of your <b>toenails </b>and keep them neatly trimmed and smooth.</li>
<li>Please don't use <b>baby powder</b> on your body before training. It can get onto the dojo floor and cause patches of floor to become extremely slippery and dangerous.</li>
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Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776967115069837945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-51430211555214601442019-07-28T20:55:00.006+10:002021-09-19T15:07:53.621+10:00Notes from the journey<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOj3XVE1Ey1p_3R2MNOsldVGvFzHlQH5FnatsLNrK51NReaEJyvbRt546J9h8DbReqss1X-Uow30Yf79nCosYbptBip09JBI1wIvpl437a2lB4Pf6bZse4mLLuqmO-YC_zFbIYL98H4Kwz/s1600/P1010069.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOj3XVE1Ey1p_3R2MNOsldVGvFzHlQH5FnatsLNrK51NReaEJyvbRt546J9h8DbReqss1X-Uow30Yf79nCosYbptBip09JBI1wIvpl437a2lB4Pf6bZse4mLLuqmO-YC_zFbIYL98H4Kwz/s320/P1010069.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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I recently found an old notebook with things written down from attending seminars over the years. There are also things I've written down after conversations with senior kenshi. Much of it was for the purpose of achieving sixth dan, which in my case took four attempts over seven years; plenty of time for reflection!<br />
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Here then are some of these thoughts, sayings and instructions. Most are Kendo-related, some are from Zen Buddhism. They are not in any order and I've chosen them because they still speak to me. In some cases they are attributed and in some cases not. But all have come from my study with those who were further along the path than myself.<br />
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I hope they are useful for you.<br />
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Realisation makes every place a temple. </blockquote>
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<i>Chudan no kamae</i> is <i>gassho </i>(gratitude/prayer/greeting).</blockquote>
Makoto Tajima<br />
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No self therefore no enemy. </blockquote>
Yamaoka Tesshu<br />
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Remember how the feeling of soft hands leads directly to a soft lower back. Relaxation.</blockquote>
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<i>On dealing with an overwhelming opponent in shiai or shinsa</i></blockquote>
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<i>Ki-atari</i> 氣当たり. Meet the opponent's mental attack with your own. Kata no.7</blockquote>
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Expand into the possibilities of the present moment. Understand the possibilities of repleteness.</blockquote>
<i>Fujiwara</i> <i>Hironobu </i><br />
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Create <i>seme </i>with your front foot or your <i>men </i>in order to create change in your opponent's mind and posture. Then attack with the whole body.</blockquote>
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<i>Sumi Masatake </i><br />
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<i>On the process of attacking</i></blockquote>
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seme 攻め---> kuzushii 崩し---> sutemi 捨て身---> zanshin 残心 </blockquote>
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(attack ---> unbalance ---> commit ---> remain alert)</blockquote>
<i>Sumi Masatake </i><br />
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<i>On posture</i></blockquote>
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Standing in migi-jodan helps to set your hips. Hold jodan position without raising the shoulders. Then return to chudan and you find that your hips are engaged. The repetition of the sayumen in kirikaeshi helps to develop this hip engagement and creates the foundation of the pole that runs through your body: in other words, correct, straight, indomitable posture.</blockquote>
<i>Okada Morimasa</i><br />
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Good keiko is maintaining posture that allows you to strike correctly at anytime. Use your five senses to focus on your opponent's every move. Use your sixth sense to strike your opponent with 100% commitment (<i>sutemi</i>).</blockquote>
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Sonkyo should be... when going down, like a pebble sinking to the bottom of a still pond, when standing up, like smoke rising from a stick of incense.</blockquote>
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After standing up from sonkyo:</blockquote>
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<li>Take kamae</li>
<li>seme-ai 攻め合あい assail your opponent</li>
<li>seme-katsu 攻め勝つ assail and win</li>
<li>datotsu 打突 strike correctly</li>
<li>zanshin 残心 follow through</li>
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This is the process for one cut.</blockquote>
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The difficulty is between (2) and (3), The difficulty with the semekatsu stage is to gauge whether you have, in fact, won. You must imbalance (kuzushii) your opponent's kamae. To do this you must first get information through the kensen. If your hands are soft you give no information to your opponent. It should be possible to pull the shinai from your grasp because your grip is so soft and relaxed.</blockquote>
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This is the meaning of a position you can always cut from. </blockquote>
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<i>Ozawa Hiroshi</i><br />
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You're too concerned with my shinai, you should be aiming for my body!</blockquote>
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<i>Arimitsu Masaaki </i><br />
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No strategy. No feint at this or aiming for that. Just "come on m*****f*****, I'm going to run you through!"</blockquote>
<br /><div><br /></div><div><i>image: <span style="text-align: center;">The author and Ozawa Hiroshi sensei at his Kobukan Dojo, </span><span style="text-align: center;">Tokyo c. 2009</span></i></div>Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776967115069837945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-31172843487055120372019-01-13T18:48:00.001+11:002019-01-22T14:03:12.487+11:00Why would a Kendo club buy a real sword to use?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpScb1Fa4DMJSekz4CNmaYPfku0Sx3uYPKJgmENCmNx1ff5J0sbxvEzwIxR3qHMg3KL8zjs42jdrJw9BUwE81DXB3c-rDSqxAX_ZsWVzleF5JcpX2VA1_baHy0FFqODToZgWUnE8dQyHa/s1600/20181201_112244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpScb1Fa4DMJSekz4CNmaYPfku0Sx3uYPKJgmENCmNx1ff5J0sbxvEzwIxR3qHMg3KL8zjs42jdrJw9BUwE81DXB3c-rDSqxAX_ZsWVzleF5JcpX2VA1_baHy0FFqODToZgWUnE8dQyHa/s640/20181201_112244.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The sword comes to training for the first time.</span></i><br />
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Last year we embarked on a project to purchase a real sword for the club to own and use. One of the senior members of the club is a collector of Japanese swords and related militaria and he has a real eye for quality, so I was confident he would find something appropriate. We decided that we wanted a sword that was properly forged and in good polish (i.e. sharp!) but not so expensive or valuable that we would be afraid to use it for test cutting.<br />
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Below I will describe in detail the process of acquiring the sword, and then the rationale for having it.<br />
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<b>Research</b><br />
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After only a few weeks of searching online a blade was found that seemed to fit the bill. It was a properly forged katana with no name (<i>mumei</i>) dating to the early Showa period (1930s). The temper pattern (<i>hamon</i>) showed care and skill but it was not overly decorative, meaning this was a sword made to be used. One theory about its provenance is that it was part of a large order of swords from the Japanese Government to the swordsmiths of Gifu Prefecture, before they shifted to factory manufacturing processes in the lead up to WWII. However being a <i>mumei </i>sword I'm afraid we will never know for sure the sword's history.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxmSOjS5nFCek4aZ0fx2eHJOIG6SLOhic-Djacn_gY82nNUMF1jeySsgVky_TTdLLEFgQLRH5d5mjWblCU0S25TEwAzOcVr3r7D6ZvUrxK9_IQLplccDGjfsRxySf3UQfbm9tdxSMEfEV/s1600/20181204_094142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxmSOjS5nFCek4aZ0fx2eHJOIG6SLOhic-Djacn_gY82nNUMF1jeySsgVky_TTdLLEFgQLRH5d5mjWblCU0S25TEwAzOcVr3r7D6ZvUrxK9_IQLplccDGjfsRxySf3UQfbm9tdxSMEfEV/s640/20181204_094142.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>the </i>kashira <i>or pommel-cap; you can see the white </i>same <i>or rayskin underneath, and how the silk </i>tsuka-maki<i> or handle-wrapping is knotted off at the end</i></span><br />
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The only problem was that it was a bare blade. After some further hunting around online our resident sword-expert found a guy in the States (where the blade was) who was a skilled amateur in making sword fittings (<i>koshirae</i>): the handle (<i>tsuka</i>) and scabbard (<i>saya</i>). This seemed like a promising avenue because he would be keen to do a good job but because he was still improving in skill his prices would not be through-the-roof.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOELC5uw6FON1ueHujYq5hgB7CK_ZRUOAjx9EbjhpltUDD6phmSIX8REQ-71DqA-cSMPooQ95qrMAQpJFaE7aw6X6Rphv1j96Kko-qa_ZUmPGMOhfTZBO69poh-pDtKu5Z_DYyBUNCEAmh/s1600/20181204_094452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOELC5uw6FON1ueHujYq5hgB7CK_ZRUOAjx9EbjhpltUDD6phmSIX8REQ-71DqA-cSMPooQ95qrMAQpJFaE7aw6X6Rphv1j96Kko-qa_ZUmPGMOhfTZBO69poh-pDtKu5Z_DYyBUNCEAmh/s640/20181204_094452.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">the sword next to a standard-sized bokuto</span></i><br />
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The other things that were needed were all the small parts: the <i>menuki </i>(small figurines that lie embedded in the handle to aid grip), <i>habaki </i>(sword-collar), <i>kashira </i>(pommel), <i>fuchi </i>(handle collar) and <i>tsuba </i>(guard). These things had to be sourced separately and then shipped to the koshirae-maker for use in the final assembly. These parts are designed after auspicious animals or objects, and a sword would use specific themes or motifs that showed something about the owner's personality, beliefs or family. Typically for instance, the menuki, fuchi and kashira usually share the same motif. A tsuba may have a different motif but there might be a hidden meaning in the choice of theme overall.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMYm5M9uOKDS80iMLs-Rw1vqk84COSC3-MLwfWU2OCe9xKIo9V3ocBO4pjA5X46_Oo3FlVA4Du6kpjE1MJRUimf00X3f1MbR4JF-yFhn5bAEZh2uwnz9Jb7M3nWg03qDNZHvz3YVZbof_/s1600/20181204_094003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMYm5M9uOKDS80iMLs-Rw1vqk84COSC3-MLwfWU2OCe9xKIo9V3ocBO4pjA5X46_Oo3FlVA4Du6kpjE1MJRUimf00X3f1MbR4JF-yFhn5bAEZh2uwnz9Jb7M3nWg03qDNZHvz3YVZbof_/s640/20181204_094003.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>if you click on this image you can see the grain of the folded steel that proves this was a properly forged sword; you might also see along the seemingly unevenly wavy </i>hamon <i>or temper-line a repetition of three bumps, said to represent three cedars trees sitting above the line of the forest canopy</i></span><br />
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After some discussion it was decided that a theme of phoenixes (phoenices?) would serve as good motif for the decorative parts of the tsuka. The fuchi and kashira were modern reproductions, albeit of very good quality. However the menuki were Meiji era (100+ years old) originals with actual gold detailing. Really special!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABuSUSdSLCQtv4zkfSZ9aZlvnJqFh_lGVFpzaAd8Z5bt8HUam1cRe9W-Et1IudZ7nWxOcbi4mshxnKrNCe-ofAzVXzuzpL4RwKAKL0e8vqECxATEPtGfnQJ68F4lOCJtxTOP4FV0iVR4E/s1600/20181204_094152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABuSUSdSLCQtv4zkfSZ9aZlvnJqFh_lGVFpzaAd8Z5bt8HUam1cRe9W-Et1IudZ7nWxOcbi4mshxnKrNCe-ofAzVXzuzpL4RwKAKL0e8vqECxATEPtGfnQJ68F4lOCJtxTOP4FV0iVR4E/s640/20181204_094152.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>one of the </i>menuki<i>: a </i>Ho-o<i> or phoenix</i></span><br />
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Because the style of swordsmanship that I know is the Tatsumi Ryu of Chiba Prefecture, we tried to find an emblem related to the school in some way. It proved difficult to find anything specifically 'Tatsumi-esque' so instead I looked towards the ruling clan whose <i>bushi </i>(warriors) were drilled in Tatsumi Ryu Hyoho.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>the Hotta family kamon: a design based on the </i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">boke </span><i>or Japanese quince</i></span><br />
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The Hotta Clan (<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">堀田氏)</span> certainly did have an emblem or <i>kamon</i>, and by some luck, our researcher was able to locate a tsuba that was based on the this family emblem! The tsuba was not overly expensive because it is a cast iron reproduction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2V4SX9FR0hjK3MgdYMf3PIiqDKWHOxvR62taT_fdrfH-SbY02kHGX7dFrbIW8JjF88EmQt9PCS4G4o6LFnUjyNI8JCu1SXeHxFXUThAN65p8ynRYAiEFG6GGLVQL670NL1C1HQD8Z-qp/s1600/20181204_094124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2V4SX9FR0hjK3MgdYMf3PIiqDKWHOxvR62taT_fdrfH-SbY02kHGX7dFrbIW8JjF88EmQt9PCS4G4o6LFnUjyNI8JCu1SXeHxFXUThAN65p8ynRYAiEFG6GGLVQL670NL1C1HQD8Z-qp/s640/20181204_094124.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>the </i>tsuba<i>; on this side you can see the </i>fuchi <i>and one of the serrated </i>seppa <i>or washers, on the other side the copper </i>habaki</span><br />
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You might not want to go into battle with a tsuba that was not forged, but for our purposes it was perfect. It fitted the theme but didn't blow the budget. Even better, the weight of the tsuba turned out to suit the blade very well. This was something that we only found out when the finished sword was delivered complete.<br />
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The<i> tsuka-maki</i> or handle-wrapping is tight. From experience I know that only time will tell exactly how tight and well wrapped it is. But I am confident the artisan who did the job was proud enough of his workmanship to do what was required that we should never have a need to send it back to him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqjyN1qm7C0OjVkXoOWxkPcXe5E-7evy-7oEaAQ-MXeG4KYFgkpvmul6p0VvzK9q3TVy2cMd_pO7r22o-YRDZYSQcO4ikdwC05FHyl-mA0MIe0vyTS96xX-vSJMLDd_fE3Cxte5T-aY8Q/s1600/20190121_083550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqjyN1qm7C0OjVkXoOWxkPcXe5E-7evy-7oEaAQ-MXeG4KYFgkpvmul6p0VvzK9q3TVy2cMd_pO7r22o-YRDZYSQcO4ikdwC05FHyl-mA0MIe0vyTS96xX-vSJMLDd_fE3Cxte5T-aY8Q/s640/20190121_083550.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-size: small;">the </i><span style="font-size: x-small;">saya </span><i style="font-size: small;">showing the </i><span style="font-size: x-small;">same </span><i style="font-size: small;">(rayskin) on the left and the improved </i><span style="font-size: x-small;">ishime </span><i style="font-size: small;">(stone-look) finish on right</i><br />
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The saya is quite broad, and the copper habaki fits nicely into the <i>koigichi </i>(opening) with a tightness that is reassuring. The finish of the saya is half <i>same </i>(rayskin) and half <i>ishime </i>(stone finish). When we received it the ishime finish was very rough and sharp, like coarse emery paper, and would have destroyed the obi and hakama of anyone who used it. It was also not uniformly black but was a kind of blotchy dark charcoal that didn't look great up close. Because everything else was fine and the maker was in the US I didn't want to send it back so I had a go at smoothing it out with some 400 and 1000 grit paper. This took the worst of the 'tooth' off the saya's finish but it still didn't slip through the obi smoothly enough. So I painted it with a coat of polyurethane varnish and this filled in the surface enough to create a pleasingly smooth, but still 'ishime' finish. I then tried a coat of the same varnish with some Japanese ink added. To my surprise and delight this worked beautifully and brought the overall tone of the ishime to a consistent black, even up close and under strong light.<br />
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<b>Rationale</b><br />
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A real sword is a lot of things.<br />
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It is sharp. It is labouriously made. It is expensive. It is restricted in its use, from a legal and safety point of view. It is dangerous. It is beautiful. It is not a toy. It is a tool for killing.<br />
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The shinai is a sword but it doesn't look at all like one. A bokken is a sword but is neither heavy nor sharp like a sword. An iaito feels like a sword but it won't cut you if you mishandle it. Only a real sword or shinken is all these things.<br />
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It is something that we as kenshi are told from day one: "Handle the shinai as if it were a sword." And eventually we learn the actions that show this awareness. We don't drop the shinai on the ground. We don't kick it or step on it. We don't throw it. We don't lean on it like a walking stick or drape it over our shoulders. We (hopefully!) don't use it for cosplay or freestyle mucking around.<br />
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Then with more experience we learn how to properly mime drawing the shinai as if it was a sword (although significantly we don't do the same when we put it away, I've never known why this is...). And we eventually learn to make sure our cuts have <i>hasuji </i>(blade path and angle) at least somewhat like what would be required by a sword. Many people who do Kendo are also drawn to Iaido to add to their experience of the sword, and it is here that they receive a proper education in handling the sword.<br />
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My approach to Kendo would be described as 'traditional' I suppose and one of the meanings of this is that I believe good Kendo does not stray too far from the principles of use required by the Japanese sword. I also try to give all my students the benefits of the things I've learned from koryu iai, so that even if they don't pursue that path themselves, their Kendo will have some of that understanding. Up until now I have tried to explain and model a Kendo that has <i>toho 刀法</i>:<i> </i>understanding of the fundamental mechanics of sword use. But now we have a sword, a real sword forged and polished at a time when its makers' believed it would be used in combat. And that sword, I hope, will show us concretely, practically, the quality of our technique, that is, whether our cutting action and all the many, tiny component-actions it requires are sufficient to cut through a solid object. Will the sword cut or will it get jammed in the target?<br />
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There is value in this feedback. Although it is not crucial for the modern-day kenshi who will never use a sword, it is still informative to know what happens at that precise moment when the <i>mono-uchi </i>of a real sword touches the surface of its target. There is no other drill that can provide this knowledge.<br />
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Importantly for me as instructor, and guardian of not only the tradition but my students' safety, there is also value in making sure correct handling etiquette is strictly observed, from the moment each person receives the sword to the moment they hand it back.<br />
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These things I hope will add depth to my students' Kendo, as well as to their understanding.<br />
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<br />Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08262294760676446902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-41582831103169699412018-08-22T15:04:00.000+10:002018-10-06T10:55:30.005+10:00How the Japanese see lifelong learning differently to Westerners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is not unusual to see Kendo sensei training regularly into their 70s and 80s. It is something that we love about Kendo; that barring a major injury or health problem, we look forward emulating that dedication, to continue Kendo until we fall off the perch.<br />
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This attitude to practice is thanks entirely to Kendo's Japanese-ness. Were it a Western pastime, someone my age (about to turn 50) would be rationalising that it was time to slow down a bit, or hang up my boots, or move into coaching. I probably would have done all those things already.<br />
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Admittedly, in the last twenty years or so the phenomenon of "Masters' games" has developed, so that there is an outlet for those who want to pursue their sport and compete into advanced age. But nowhere are these athletes considered the pinnacle of their sports like they are in Kendo. And besides, old-age kenshi are just not newsworthy like elderly sportswomen and men are. Admirable, yes. Exceptional, no.<br />
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It is the Japanese veneration of age, and the attitude of <i>isshokenmei 一生懸命 </i>(a life devoted to a single purpose) that gives Kendo its rigour. The Japanese, and probably the majority of Asian cultures as well, respect older people and their experience in a way that is absent in modern Western culture. And to focus on a single pastime or activity is considered, in and of itself, an important thing to do. So you will never, ever hear a Japanese person say while observing your struggle, "Come on mate, give it a rest. You're flogging a dead horse. That dog won't hunt. It's time to move on. Time to act your age" etc, etc.<br />
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These sayings actually mask a belief, or a fear, that all things reach a point after which improvement is impossible. In Japanese culture this attitude doesn't exist. It's no coincidence that the business concept of Continuous Improvement is a Japanese concept: <i>kaizen </i>改善. It is also reflected in the Japanese saying, "Defeat the person you were yesterday".<br />
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In Kendo we must remember that we can always improve. No matter how old we are, no matter how weak or uncoordinated, we can improve.<br />
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This is key, to actually believe this. I'm not just biding time, I can improve. I can reach nanadan, hachidan if I try hard enough. To truly believe this past a certain age may be strange to those of us raised in Western traditions. But Kendo and its culture gives us the framework to see things differently.<br />
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There is no condescension in Kendo to the older kenshi. In fact some of the most brutal beat-downs I've seen in Japan were hachidan sensei pushing their elderly students to the wall, literally and metaphorically! It's confronting to see, but now that I am older I can see how this is a kind of honesty, and how it might be welcomed by the older student because it is a sign that their sensei sees their potential. "OK, so you want to improve? This is how you improve! BAM!BAMBAMBAMBAAAAMM!"<br />
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Accepting that improvement is possible is not easy, and not just because it means hard work (with or without the occasional shellacking). It can mean accepting that what we have been doing comfortably for a while may need to be discarded, or comprehensively reworked. We may have to throw away our own ideas and just follow our sensei's advice, even though we mightn't quite believe that improvement is possible. This is another aspect that is really Japanese: the ability to discard one's own opinions and trust completely in one's teacher.<br />
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Believe that improvement is always possible. Trust in the fact that you will eventually be able to do what your teacher can do, so long as you train continuously and don't stop.<br />
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Have hope for the future.<br />
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<i style="font-size: small; text-align: center;">Kojima Masaru hanshi (Kendo 8 dan, Iaido 9 dan) was born in Kagoshima Prefecture in 1924. </i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i style="text-align: center;">This top photo was taken in 2011. The photo above is from a video of him doing Kendo keiko in 2016 aged 92.</i></span>Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08262294760676446902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-2760624359566926722018-08-10T09:37:00.001+10:002018-08-23T08:59:38.193+10:00We have a state championships. What about a state gasshuku?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Concept of Kendo says that the main point of Kendo is <i>to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the Sword</i>. I take this to mean that Kendo is primarily about self-development, and also the development of human relationships, through the medium of Kendo.<br />
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Competition and winning are specifically and deliberately absent from the Concept of Kendo. This was indeed one of the main reasons it was drafted (in the mid 1970s I believe), to articulate what had, up until then, been an unwritten understanding about the nature of Kendo, and indeed all Japanese budo. As Okada sensei pointed out in his Saturday lecture a few weeks ago, the history of swrodsmanship in Japan was originally about warfare, then became about personal cultivation, and then only relatively recently, since the <a href="https://kenshi247.net/blog/2013/07/17/gekken-kogyo/" target="_blank">Gekkiken Kogyo</a> of the late 19th Century, did it become at all competitive.<br />
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However because there is a competitive component to Kendo, and because sportive competition is something that has a prominent place in world culture, it seems that we default to a position of placing competition at or near the centre of things, even in Kendo. Proof of this is the amount of time and energy that goes into organising the major championships. And not just that, but training and selecting for them.<br />
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To be honest we do very well having a rigourous and life-long process of grading exams based on performance in Kendo. This certainly helps keep the focus on personal cultivation and is something that is available to all.<br />
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However gradings are quite a personal, individual thing. We don't come together to help people with their gradings. There are not state 'grading' squads. People are expected to do that during their 'normal' training time with the help of their sensei.<br />
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There is the opportunity to create a new tradition that brings people together, sets challenges and furthers the goal of human development through Kendo.<br />
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We need a state, and maybe even a national gasshuku. There already exists an international gasshuku of sorts, in the form of the Annual Kendo Leaders' Summer Camp in Kitamoto. But one a little closer to home and more accessible is called for.<br />
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Imagine if there was a gasshuku that had something like the organisational and logistical support of a state or national championships, and the same kind of kudos attached. Instead of only a few people coming away with the benefits, everyone did. People getting rewards, not awards. Where the focus was not on celebrating the individual, but on strengthening friendships and deepening knowledge.<br />
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I propose a 10 day gasshuku schedule that all kenshi around Australia follow as best they can, coming together in their capital cities' main dojo, at the same time; much as Muslims do when they practice Ramadan. It wouldn't require as many resources as running a taikai, and would impact many more people.<br />
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The schedule could follow a similar one that runs currently in Osaka, a gasshuku that is not residential like the picture above, but that takes place around people's exiting schedule of work and school:<br />
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<li>all day Saturday and Sunday</li>
<li>morning (5am to 7am) and evening training (6 to 7.30) every day during the week</li>
<li>all day Saturday and Sunday to finish</li>
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Building in a social aspect, specifically eating together after training whether it be regular breakfasts or dinners, would further cement the bonds of participation.<br />
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Such an event could become a real focus of the Kendo year for all practitioners. I believe that there's no reason why it should not become equally or more important than the state and national championships themselves.</div>
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What do you think?</div>
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<br />Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08262294760676446902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-43015511760507934622018-04-13T17:13:00.001+10:002018-08-23T23:30:27.819+10:00Jo-ha-kyu in suburi; or, 'how fast should I swing the shinai?' (answer - every speed!)<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4ohlJ63WrFI?start=47" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Watch this Noh actor for the johakyu in his retreating steps.</i></span><br />
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Suburi, as we know, is a very important form of solo training for the development of efficient movement in Kendo.<br />
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When you are practicing, it might become confusing as to how fast you should swing. When you do suburi or kihon waza at training, while you are warming up it might be difficult to find your tempo. There is a very common tendency to rush, born of two things 1) the influence of watching people around you move quickly, and 2) trying to please sensei and her/his admonitions to do your best!focus!move faster!etc.<br />
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In these situations, whether by yourself or training with others, using the principle of "jo-ha-kyu" can help inform correct and powerful technique without excessive force or muscle power.<br />
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Jo-ha-kyu has been well-described in English on the internet. <a href="http://budobum.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/the-utility-of-jo-ha-kyu.html" target="_blank">This article is especially good</a> (as is the blog it is taken from). Johakyu appears all over Japanese culture, from the movements of the Noh, to the way the we beat a drum in the dojo (<i>don.............don........don......don....don...don..don-don-don-dondondondon..... don!</i>). We even use johakyu in the three steps between bowing and sonkyo.<br />
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With suburi, you should use johakyu to begin slowly and then accelerate through the back-swing to the cut, and finally tenouchi. <b>It is absolutely essential that there is no stopping in your movement.</b> This is one of the bad habits that johakyu can help eliminate: the tendency to pause slightly at the top of the swing.<br />
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Johakyu means basically that you don't swing fast or slow, but fast <i>and </i>slow <i>and </i>every velocity in between. Explore this movement and timing deeply. This is why we do suburi. It is our personal research time.<br />
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What I hope you will find is that your swing becomes easier, more accurate and more powerful and that you use less effort. The speed of your cut when you use johakyu timing is constantly increasing. This makes it unpredictable for an opponent. Hence it is more than just a training exercise, it has martial relevance as well.<br />
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When you return to the dojo, use this timing to warm up your body and ground your technique during the first few rotations of kirikaeshi and kihon waza.Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08262294760676446902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-55472962254225041482018-01-25T00:37:00.002+11:002018-01-25T00:37:30.143+11:00Shisei 姿勢 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Shisei, or posture, in Kendo is very important. For people who start Kendo young it's not usually a problem. But if you start Kendo as an adult, very often you'll have some issues with your basic posture, most commonly in kamae.<br />
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But what's the big problem? Does it matter how you stand? We all stand pretty much the same don't we?<br />
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We learn quite early in Kendo that it's not so difficult to stand in kamae without resting our arms against our body, even though in the beginning it looked like it would take a lot of effort. More importantly we learn that it is a requirement of being able to move the shinai quickly. The shisei of the whole body is no different.<br />
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I've been working on my posture for the whole time I've been doing Kendo, and it has been a fascinating journey of discovery about how I stand when I'm not thinking versus how I could stand if I worked on it. I've learned what it feels like to be more ready with less effort. And I've been lucky to have received excellent instruction from a variety of sources along the way. On the left here we have pretty much the kind of posture I started with. The left foot is planted a long way back to support the arch in the spine. The left heel is high. From the top of the head to the heel this kenshi's body makes a reverse "S".<br />
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This is really quite a static position. No matter what this kenshi wants to do, they have to undo this position first. It is not neutral. It is not ready. On the contrary it is quite a restful position so the kenshi often feels they have to expend effort to wake themselves up!<br />
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This is a much improved posture. The shoulders are above the hips, not behind them as in the first picture. The feet are a better distance apart. The heel is lower. There is still a little bit of work to be done in learning to stand even taller with the ears above the shoulders not in front of them, but the improvement is vast and will allow more spontaneous and relaxed movement. The kenshi is maybe as much as 20cm closer to their opponent even without changing their front foot position, because of the shift in their centre of gravity brought about by straightening the spine.<br />
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They can now move from the <i>hara </i>more effectively and keep their upper body relaxed while doing so. Shifts in body weight are easier, more fluid and less perceptible. And a whole lot of techniques that were impossible before suddenly become a lot easier.<br />
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This is the reason why posture is important. Not just because it looks good, or sends a commanding message to your opponent, but because it lifts the level of your Kendo, making possible things you couldn't do before.<br />
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Next time you're at the Kenshikan and there's a seminar with some visiting sensei, keep an eye on how often they go and check themselves in the mirror. They're not vain, they're just working on shisei!Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08262294760676446902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-12656180584947565072018-01-18T12:11:00.000+11:002018-01-19T07:09:22.251+11:00Nabeyama sensei at the Gyokuryuki<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jaEVsg5D4RI" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
Coming up in March is a seminar in Sydney and Melbourne with Nabeyama sensei, head instructor of Tsukuba University Kendo Dept. Here are some highlights of his Kendo when he was back in high school, fighting for the famous PL Gakuen of Osaka. Date is sometime in the late 80s I think.<br />
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The competition this video comes from is the Gyokuryuki Taikai, which is held every July in Fukuoka. According to All Japan Budogu, it is the largest high school tournament in Japan with 900 schools competition over 5 days. Like most HS shiai in Japan, the crowd noise and the barracking is much louder than the All Japans or the 8-dan Championship! This is also because it uses the 'kachinuki" format which often makes for a more volatile competition. Teams are still of five, with the various designation of team places (e.g. Senpo, Jiho, Chuken, Fukusho, Taisho) but if you win, you stay "in". If you lose or draw the next member of your team has to step up. So in theory one person can defeat the whole opposing team. This means that teams that only have one really good player can go much further than in a normal teams event.<br />
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From watching this video of Nabeyama it certainly looks like he has an attitude of "win quickly"! You can also see how the person who wins through can develop a momentum that is difficult for their opponents to resist: they are not just warmed-up, they are running hot.<br />
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Nabeyama sensei's Kendo here is interesting to watch. His posture is that of a young man: flexible, a bit stooped, lacking the 'spine' that he will develop later. All his Kendo is about speed and readiness. But he shows an amazing ability to find opportunities when his opponents are resting or just beginning their movement. He is also very relaxed in his cuts, which shows the speed of his mental processing: he is not getting ippon because his reactions are fast, he wins because he has very quickly seen (or anticipated) what his opponent is going to do. He looks like he's fighting less-experienced people in ordinary jigeiko, not the best in Japan at a major tournament!<br />
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Thanks to Tom of MUKEN for introducing me to this video.Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776967115069837945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-55165219534504722062017-10-29T12:43:00.000+11:002017-10-29T12:43:06.410+11:00Tying up the elbows for better technique<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdyGKJkHN0ZEr63X3RpyGrAb_zXcRFYZJWoPBNAeIgwTxGPzdOMdbyVAuwzkIZody5r4gbi3yacgA97ShTj5ZYqgOZ17rOM_QLw3ZaslBfoIRQ1vq_DOgAD4JMZKS3sNjdHtyXG5GZln6/s1600/20171028_094018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdyGKJkHN0ZEr63X3RpyGrAb_zXcRFYZJWoPBNAeIgwTxGPzdOMdbyVAuwzkIZody5r4gbi3yacgA97ShTj5ZYqgOZ17rOM_QLw3ZaslBfoIRQ1vq_DOgAD4JMZKS3sNjdHtyXG5GZln6/s320/20171028_094018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yesterday we did an interesting exercise that carries on from my thinking about <a href="http://shugo-nanseikan.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/kendo-is-geometry.html" target="_blank">Kendo, geometry and robots.</a><br />
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We tried tying our arms together with old <i>himo </i>(laces) above the elbow and then performing kihon men. As you can see from the pictures, students were told to tie their arms together quite tightly. Tight enough so that some of the kids complained of discomfort. One was even prompted to exclaim, "Oh, my precious elbows!" which is about the second best thing I've ever heard said in the dojo.<br />
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But interestingly there was very little impact on people's ability to perform basic men cuts. Both from my observations, and also from self-reporting after the exercise. Most students reported either no difficulty with their technique or an improvement in their technique. Why?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPWws2faYg16tr0CSx_TXZTAB9UAy2AcgrtdyiPpOaEf2Gh4Iuk7UoV36guNxF4OglHlm5hIIa090EPrOVIB1X_Zg3F7lFJOspdZzfKf676YTaUZaPBsZ-XzglXXMSPAwARWOT0OQ4EU2/s1600/20171028_094008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPWws2faYg16tr0CSx_TXZTAB9UAy2AcgrtdyiPpOaEf2Gh4Iuk7UoV36guNxF4OglHlm5hIIa090EPrOVIB1X_Zg3F7lFJOspdZzfKf676YTaUZaPBsZ-XzglXXMSPAwARWOT0OQ4EU2/s320/20171028_094008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The reason I believe is excessive flexion of the elbows, a common beginners' mistake that makes accuracy and consistency more difficult. Elbow flexion increases the overall tendency of the shinai to be able to veer and wooble through the air unpredicably. After all, the more joints you have, the more movement possibilities you have. Using the sword correctly however requires fewer movement possibilities, so reducing the number of joints involved in the action from six to four logically improves accuracy. Severely restricting the ability of the elbows to move during the cutting action shows the student how little their elbows contribute to the performance of an effective men cut.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmVBIA-Sr44BbVUCzrNg9rRVjFV_M7NxGOJxexXS8zu5eDRGz9olxa8yphGR66A1ACs8xv0laQNj8nSMEnK7fYifVeBlvFbwKBbyPRFyiB7ew3Z6IytHt_qJZjzjdcAuO9MntA7mo_Fsd/s1600/20171028_094006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmVBIA-Sr44BbVUCzrNg9rRVjFV_M7NxGOJxexXS8zu5eDRGz9olxa8yphGR66A1ACs8xv0laQNj8nSMEnK7fYifVeBlvFbwKBbyPRFyiB7ew3Z6IytHt_qJZjzjdcAuO9MntA7mo_Fsd/s320/20171028_094006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Now there are many ways to skin a cat, and I know of experienced kenshi who use the elbows to great effect in their kihon waza. The key word here is <i>experienced</i>. Also, as I mentioned in training yesterday, the very vertical, up-down cutting action that Kendo employs, based as is it on Itto Ryu, is not the only way to use the sword. Tatsumi Ryu and Katori Shinto Ryu for example, both use cutting actions that are circular rather than linear as the basis of their kihon uchi.<br />
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However in the context of a Kendo club that teaches fundamentals to a wide range of ages and abilities, the desire is to find the most effective, efficient and easy-to-understand way of using the shinai, that nonetheless still matches the logic of using an actual sword (刀法 - <i>toho</i>). I think that this exercise is a great way forward in this respect.<br />
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If you try it out yourself, please leave a comment and let me know what you think. We only used it for kihon men. Next week we might try <i>kote </i>and <i>do </i>as well. I think it might even prove more useful there too, as the position of the elbows in the cut has an important influence on which part of the palms of the hands make contact with the tsuka, and how tenouchi is employed, which again has an impact on accuracy.<br />
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The only drawback is that it does make reiho pretty much impossible!<br />
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<br />Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776967115069837945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-91893435552337702952017-07-03T15:54:00.001+10:002018-08-23T09:01:02.344+10:00Fight. Die. Repeat.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Aargh! I'm sick of these tension headaches!</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I've got you mate!</span></i><br />
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As a bona-fide Kendo tragic, I'm always thinking about Kendo. Often I get new insights into what Kendo is about when watching other pastimes, such as my son's soccer matches.<br />
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Soccer is a great thing to compare to Kendo because it comes from a very different cultural mindset. Players are allowed to celebrate, to criticise the referee (within limits) and to show disrespect to their opponents (within limits). And spectators are allowed to do the same. Rather than these things being problems, they are celebrated as part of the 'passion' of the game. The same probably goes for all football codes and most spectator sports in general.<br />
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<img height="331" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c8/4f/43/c84f43e8f111bec863858d134e325a15--road-flares-soccer-games.jpg" width="400" /><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The safest place to be at a Greek soccer match: outside the stadium. In a helicopter.</span></i><br />
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It couldn't be more structurally different either: a team sport with 90 mins to decide the outcome of a single match in which you are allowed to score as many times as you are able. Soccer is unusual also in that is possible for the dominant team (the team with the majority of the possession of the ball or majority of the play in their own half) to lose. I suppose you could say the same about Kendo sometimes.<br />
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So watching soccer has helped me to clarify what I love about Kendo, about what makes it unique.<br />
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Recently I was struck by an incident in one of my son's games that showed me something lacking in soccer: intensive practice at winning and losing.<br />
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After an important goal towards the end of a match, members of my son's team yelled out ferocious encouragement to themselves that was also part bragging about how they were dominating the other team. The effect of this was interesting. It actually had the result of firing up their opponents, who had until that moment been demoralised at being down 2 nil. The opposition then scored a quick goal, and with only a few minutes left, suddenly saw they could rescue a draw, if not win. In the end it was a tense finish and my son's team didn't concede another goal. But their 'passion' and 'swagger' very nearly gave away the match.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">“If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.” </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">― </span><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1771.Sun_Tzu" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Sun Tzu</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">, </span><span id="quote_book_link_10534" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3200649" style="color: #333333; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">The Art of War</a></span></blockquote>
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It struck me that in Kendo one of the things we practice the most is how to win and how to lose. We know that to celebrate a win would only fire up our enemy. We know to show via our posture that we are demoralised also hands them victory. We regularly have to accept that despite our best efforts we get beaten, sometimes many times over! "Strike and reflect. Be struck and give thanks." This is, in effect, the point of Kendo. Victory and defeat, over and over again. Some people are easy to lose to. Some people are not. How will you manage it?<br />
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<img alt="." src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/60/4c/18/604c1857eacc6ccc14c6bba5fb3f330e--kendo-fencing.jpg" /><br />
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We are told by our sensei to be thankful because the opponent who defeats us is the one who shows us the path to improvement. More than this, it helps us manage our egos, which is the real barrier to self-improvement. You've got to first recognise you're maybe not as good as you think you are, before you can work out what you need to do to improve. It's very easy, especially as you get some seniority, to go into denial about your defeats. You can tell yourself it was a fluke, or an anomaly. You might avoid shiai or shinsa where the outcome is uncertain, or only do keiko against your students. You might think that to admit to yourself and others that you've been defeated would be to lose face. The struggle against this kind of thinking is endless.<br />
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<img src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/f0/ea/c7/f0eac7e19477eff420c821977a65b064.jpg" /><br />
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<i>"The most important thing in Kendo is a flexible mind, which makes one humble enough to recognise one's own weakness, and to overcome it through practice."</i><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Ishida Kenichi sensei </blockquote>
<br />Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08262294760676446902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-58455765856055207902017-06-16T18:33:00.001+10:002017-06-18T11:36:38.230+10:00Kiriotoshi sequence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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This sequence was shot at the Kenshikan, Melbourne. Takizawa sensei is demonstrating kiriotoshi waza against Shinoda sensei (renshi 6 dan) while Yano sensei (Kenshikan head instructor) watches on.<br />
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As you can see by the action of the hands they are both cutting downwards. The third frame above shows the point at which Shinoda sensei's shinai stops. The kiriotoshi movement, although it is travelling in the same direction as Shinoda sensei's attack, has managed to halt his attack so effectively that there is a small bend in the shinai. This seems to go against the laws of physics! I am confident that Shinoda sensei was not 'pulling' the cut, that he was genuinely going for Takizawa's men. Video below for moving reference.<br />
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This is a sequence that needs a genuine slow motion camera to record it...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_6AsQbdruzA" width="560"></iframe>Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776967115069837945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-55292109248460164812017-04-10T14:56:00.001+10:002020-10-27T13:50:47.374+11:00Why studying koryu is important for Kendo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recently I have invited our senior students to join me in practising Tatsumi Ryu Iai before our regular Saturday morning training. This was partly inspired by the example of Ozawa Hiroshi sensei, who practices <a href="https://youtu.be/oWmr1JBk2BI?t=1m23s" target="_blank">Mizoguchi-ha Itto Ryu</a> in addition to Kendo at his dojo, the Kobukan, in Tokyo.<br />
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Over the years, I've found that most of the kenshi I admire, both Japanese and non-Japanese, have at least some, and in most cases a lot, of experience in one of the traditional sword styles or <i>koryu</i>. This practice gives them something extra in their Kendo, something that I think is worth investigating.<br />
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<b>What are koryu?</b><br />
Koryu literally means 'old style'. Briefly, these are traditions or styles of martial art that started before the Meiji period of modernisation in Japan. In other words before the 1870s. They usually use a system of kata to transmit the techniques of their style. Throughout history, koryu would often break off into different branches and form new styles. For instance the Itto Ryu has many branches such as the Ono-ha (Ono branch), Mizoguchi-ha and others. A very few of the oldest koryu still in existence date back to the <i>Sengoku Jidai</i> or Warring States Period (1467-1603). Most however were developed during the Tokugawa era (1603-1868). The main difference between Sengoku and Tokugawa era koryu is that the former contain techniques either for and developed from battlefield use (armoured opponents, various weapons, multiple opponents) and the latter tend to be more focused on duelling (unarmoured, single opponent, mainly sword use).<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W2F7QSSJYKM" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This video has some great sequences of Kato soke performing and explaining the basics of Tatsumi Ryu.</i></span> <br />
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<b>Tatsumi Ryu Hyoho</b><br />
In Melbourne we are fortunate to have a licensed instructor of one of the oldest and rarest koryu, <a href="http://tatsumi-ryu.org/" target="_blank">Tatsumi Ryu Hyoho</a>, in the form of Liam Keeley sensei. He has given me permission to start teaching the basics of the Tatsumi Ryu Iai curriculum to interested Nanseikan students for the purpose of developing their Kendo. Of course any Nanseikan students who become enamoured of the style are welcome to contact Keeley sensei directly about <a href="http://melbournekoryu.com.au/joining-a-koryu/" target="_blank">formalising their study</a>.<br />
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Tatsumi Ryu dates from the Warring States period and is a <i>sogo bujutsu</i>, which means it is a comprehensive fighting system that has kata for all armed and unarmed combat situations samurai would find themselves in. That means as well as sword it teaches spear, naginata, staff, grappling and so on. Keeley sensei's organisation is called the <a href="http://melbournekoryu.com.au/tatsumi-ryu/" target="_blank">Melbourne Koryu Kenkyukai</a>.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">My feeling about the difference between Seitei Iaido and Tatsumi Iai! </span></i><br />
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<b>Iai and Kendo</b><br />
One of the reasons I prefer Tatsumi Ryu Iai to the 'normal' Seitei Iaido (which is what most Kendo people know), is because of the Tatsumi Iai belonging to a larger curriculum*. There is a very simple but profound rationale behind everything in Tatsumi Ryu. Whereas Seitei Iaido has a small range of very handsome kata with various methods of drawing, cutting and sheathing the sword, Tatsumi only has a couple of very straightforward ways of doing the same. But those simple techniques are then expanded into literally hundreds of different applications. To me, Iaido feels like a demonstration art, like a piece of decorative furniture, that shows (off) all the different things one can do with a sword. Tatsumi Iai is just the bare bones and feels more purposeful, almost as if it was designed to learn quickly because you, as a samurai, are going to need to use it for survival-- tomorrow! I find there is a great sense of urgency in the techniques for that reason: you must study and master this! You must get it right! There are some historians who see this as evidence of Tatsumi Ryu's wartime origins whereas Seitei Iaido's antecedents were created during times of relative peace and stability.<br />
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<b>Softness</b><br />
If at its heart Tatsumi Ryu Iai has this martial urgency, by contrast the outward movements emphasise softness, naturalness and as a result, a kind of invisibility. Iaido people show great <i>kigurai </i>and <i>shisei</i>-- commanding presence and beautiful posture-- when they perform their Iaido. The hakama is deftly and proudly swished out of the way when they go into a seated position like <i>seiza </i>or <i>iaigoshi</i>. Tatsumi Iai doesn't show you when it has started. Kneeling in seiza takes half the time and no noise, but all the more leg strength in order to do so!<br />
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In Tatsumi Iai the sword is initially grasped very lightly, as lightly as a ballerina resting her hand on the <i>barre</i>, or a dragonfly sitting on a reed. The characteristic action of the sword in Tatsumi Ryu, <i>senkai</i>, is executed with soft hands and supple wrists. The Tatsumi student learns the importance of letting the sword move naturally with the help of gravity, not muscling it to follow their will. Use of muscle power is momentary and extremely focused, returning quickly to softness. Kendo of a high level also has this exact aim. It is all about minimum effort for maximum effect. Simple to say but years of practice to achieve!<br />
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Tatsumi Ryu is, almost by accident, a very good fit with Kendo and there are many kendoka amongst the ryu's Japanese members. The same cannot be said of all koryu, and especially not of other Sengoku Jidai koryu.<br />
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<b>Understanding the sword</b><br />
As well as the improved understanding of use of the body, Iai also teaches about what a sword can and can't do. It shows what we should keep in mind when using a sword. For instance, not using your index finger to guide the blade into the saya! And it deepens our understanding of the culture of sword use, the <i>why</i>, <i>when </i>and <i>how </i>of the sword. This is true of Tatsumi Iai and Seitei Iaido equally.<br />
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On the other hand, part of the larger Tatsumi curriculum is close-quarter techniques, known as <i>Yawara</i>. These are not 'unarmed' techniques since Tatsumi Ryu assumes both self and enemy always to have at least a sheathed dagger or bo-shuriken in their belts, as much as for situations when samurai were forbidden to draw their weapon, or elected not to for various reasons. In learning these techniques you are drawn directly into a practical understanding of the history and ethics of the feudal Japanese class system. It also reminds us of the fact that even today soldiers and indeed civilians are subject to laws about appropriate use of force in violent conflict. The very breadth of <i>sogo bujutsu</i>, or comprehensive systems, gives expanded understanding to each component part of the curriculum. The parts form the whole but the whole even more so informs the parts.<br />
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This expanded understanding is also what I think koryu practice gives the <i>kendoka</i>; the connection to a whole culture of sword use so that even carrying the shinai feels different. You no longer have to <i>imagine</i> the shinai is a sword, it is no longer an abstract concept. You really understand that it <i>is </i>a sword that you are holding in your hand. And you start to be confident that you will know how to handle it <i>correctly</i>, with every nuance of what that word implies.<br />
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<i>AUTHOR'S NOTE: It is not my intention to denigrate or belittle Seitei Iaido via my observations of the differences between Seitei and Tatsumi Iai. The practitioners of Seitei are dedicated and knowledgeable group of people, many of whom are my good friends and possess amazing skills. And a lot of them do Kendo too! If, dear reader, you are in an area where the only option for sword-based study is Seitei Iaido then I would encourage you to take it up!</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">* Of course Seitei Iaido is connected to related koryu, most commonly Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu and/or Muso Shinden Ryu. However this connection is not aurtomatic, nor easily found in Australia. Iaido students often have to travel to seminars around Australia and internationally in order to progress their koryu practice.</span><br />
<br />Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776967115069837945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-19414059934079203192017-03-28T06:00:00.002+11:002017-03-28T06:31:40.857+11:00Finding the switch for focus in high school<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Teachers talk about focus all the time: "Sit still and focus!", "You need to bring your focus back to the task." "If you focus on studying effectively then you will do well in the upcoming test."<br />
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But what is focus really? How do you get it? Some kids seem to get it easily and never get in trouble from their teachers but others don't seem to know what it is. In this article I hope I can explain not only what focus is, but also how to get it and why we need it.<br />
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The most important thing is to realise that you probably show focus already in things that you love to do. What sorts of activities are easy for you to find focus in? Playing a soccer match? Drawing? Making or building stuff? If you get so engrossed in something that you forget the time, or you forget to eat, then you know what focus is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquXD58hHAw7cY1tj8jj9m2BcZDbc3e7vvuXSa-1WnpxrDCGaT4-DFbgHWJecRZspleiuF1uWKU51Qc9WbLQuVw0O4oYJbujt19-eBaJh5flezBsAJLNO_qNJrdU0aiM7m0FYMbFrfBpSK/s1600/child+playing+soccer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquXD58hHAw7cY1tj8jj9m2BcZDbc3e7vvuXSa-1WnpxrDCGaT4-DFbgHWJecRZspleiuF1uWKU51Qc9WbLQuVw0O4oYJbujt19-eBaJh5flezBsAJLNO_qNJrdU0aiM7m0FYMbFrfBpSK/s400/child+playing+soccer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Think a bit about that feeling. It might be hard to do because the focus comes by itself. It's almost like you're not doing it. It's like you're so absorbed in the activity you forget about yourself altogether. You forget about trying to be focused. You just are.<br />
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But when it is something you don't like so much, or you're not good at, staying focused is really difficult. Sound familiar? Most people are like this, adults included.<br />
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The way to bring yourself back to focus is realise that there is a switch for it. And that switch is the fact that you've done it before. Remember a time when you were focused and it was something you didn't enjoy so much. At school, tests are a good example. Maybe it was a big maths test in class, or perhaps the dreaded Naplan. They're stressful and sometimes, like with Naplan, you have to sit still and not talk for quite a while, as you focus on answering the questions. Beforehand it was stressful, but after it was all over there was relief. Often students think, "what was the point of that really?"<br />
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Well apart from giving teachers an idea of where your knowledge is at, the test situation itself is a really important experience for you. It shows you can focus when you choose to. And this is the point. You are the one that turns the switch on. No-one else can do it for you. Just remind yourself that you've done it before.<br />
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The more often you flick that switch, the easier it gets. And if you can learn to do that, then you can turn your mind to learning anything!<br />
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<b>Why is focus so important?</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S3AegoB6zh8" width="560"></iframe>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>the action starts at 2:04!</i></span><br />
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Perhaps this video is a better explanation than I can put into words. This pistol is being cut in half by water. That's right, just water! It is high-pressure water that is focused to a single point. This is a great image to have in mind when we wonder what can be achieved with focus. When you focus on something you can overcome huge obstacles. <br />
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But the first obstacle you have to overcome is yourself. That's why it's important to remember that you can find focus when you try, because you've done it before.<br />
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Focus is important because it is what will help you learn new things. There are a whole lot of things at this stage that you don't even know that you don't know! To go from not knowing about something, to knowing about something, to then being an expert in something takes focus.<br />
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Remember it might be hard to focus at first, but hang in there. Like anything, finding your focus gets easier with practice.<br />
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<br />Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776967115069837945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-71051811582122528912017-02-27T00:50:00.001+11:002017-03-02T16:20:35.905+11:00Lessons from the Hokkaido Police<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s-sUuvmVvF0" width="560"></iframe>
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The various police forces around Japan have a special connection to Kendo*. When the Tokyo Metro Police (<i>Keishicho</i>) was established, it's first Superintendent, Kawaji Toshiyoshi, stipulated that police officers should learn bujutsu in order to keep in shape and apprehend criminals. He was no doubt inspired by the success of the <i>Battotai</i>, an early police unit of the Meiji Government who helped to defeat Saigo Takamori's rebels at the battle of Taburazaka (1877) using only swords. To this day, each prefectural police force maintains a <i>Tokuren</i> (Special Training Squad) and a <i>Kidotai</i> (Riot Squad) that recruits the strongest university kenshi. Places on these Tokuren are coveted, as the members have special dispensation from regular police duties to train in Kendo. Over the years the vast majority of All Japan Champions have come from the police force.<br />
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This video is of the current members of the Hokkaido Police Tokuren. They have great skill, speed and strength. But their basics are also really solid. Each technique is demonstrated and explained, then a slow-motion repeat is shown. I will go through the video and translate some of their main points. <br />
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The video is produced by Let's Kendo, whose Youtube channel is an extensive collection of videos from all the major Japanese tournaments.<br />
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<b><a href="https://youtu.be/s-sUuvmVvF0?t=1m1s" target="_blank">1:01 Suburi</a></b><br />
Matsui sensei emphasises making a big, sliding step when you do your suburi. This is something Yano sensei at Kenshikan also says. Matsui-s. also says to bring up your trailing foot quickly.<br />
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Notice also that his arms at the end of each cut <a href="https://youtu.be/s-sUuvmVvF0?t=1m38s" target="_blank">are both straight</a>.<br />
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<b><a href="https://youtu.be/s-sUuvmVvF0?t=1m52s" target="_blank">1:49 Kiri kaeshi</a></b><br />
Hayashi sensei has a very powerful, fast and correct kirikaeshi but what can we learn from it? His first kiai is huge, this is important. Even though his cuts are fast his left hand comes up above his face every. single. time. and his footwork is in sync with his cuts. When he finishes, and important detail is that he turns and holds a stable kamae before relaxing.<br />
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His points: aim for the opponent's head, not finishing your cuts above it; also he says to cut sayu-men on each side from above your head (literally "from furikaburi" which is the name for the high point of a men cut), not by bringing the shinai around your shoulders, so to speak. Cutting down at 45 degrees.<br />
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His partner Kuraoka sensei's point is to receive your partner's cuts in kirikaeshi by pulling back your shinai towards you on either side, which helps with timing and also allowing your partner to cut close to the target area (as opposed to blocking a long way from your own head).<br />
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<b><a href="https://youtu.be/s-sUuvmVvF0?t=3m29s" target="_blank">3:29 Men</a></b><br />
Iida sensei says for small men cuts not to raise your kensen too high, it opens your kote to attack. Instead you must choose the shortest path to your opponent's men. Apply seme to opponent's throat by driving forward with your kensen towards tsuki, and at the last moment cut men. Remember not to raise your sword first.<br />
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<b><a href="https://youtu.be/s-sUuvmVvF0?t=4m27s" target="_blank">4:27 Kote</a></b><br />
In this you can see what I was explaining last week about how in Japan it's usual to practice kote by finishing with tai-atari rather than following through past your opponent. This makes for a different kind of <i>zanshin</i>. Watch closely how Yoshida sensei demonstrates zanshin, and also how Eto sensei receives.<br />
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Yoshida sensei says to cut, again with the shortest, most direct movement, then come in to meet your opponent with tai-atari making sure to keep your posture straight, and then return to a good, solid kamae, maintaining your strong spirit. She makes a point of saying not to dodge or fade away to the right after cutting. This is a common trait in high school Kendo, who are probably the main audience for this video in Japan.<br />
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<b><a href="https://youtu.be/s-sUuvmVvF0?t=5m16s" target="_blank">5:16 Hiki waza</a></b><br />
As we have only just started looking at hiki-waza (techniques moving backwards from tsubazeriai) I will just summarise the main points that Jishiro sensei makes here. Other than that, please watch his movement closely.<br />
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His main points that apply to all forms of hiki waza are to keep a straight posture and have enough of a space between yourself and you opponent when in tsubazeriai. He says if you lean your upper body back when you make the technique then your cut will be too shallow. For hiki do he says to push down slightly on your opponent's fists to create a counter-movement where they raise and reveal an opportunity for you to strike.<br />
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<b><a href="https://youtu.be/s-sUuvmVvF0?t=8m41s" target="_blank">8:41 Tsuki</a></b><br />
Lastly, Ando sensei demonstrates <i>morotezuki</i> or two-handed tsuki. His points are simple: make sure you <i>seme</i> strongly so that opponent flinches and then follow up immediately with tsuki. This is important. Tsuki can be very dangerous when executed against someone who is moving towards you. Your opponent must be static or flinching away from you in order to perform tsuki safely in keiko and shiai. He also says not to withdraw or step back after delivering the tsuki, but to step up. This makes it possible to perform a follow-up technique if necessary.<br />
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Ironically enough, <a href="https://youtu.be/am-U_BpvE24?t=29s" target="_blank">here is a video</a> of Ando himself performing a tsuki in shiai where he withdraws afterwards in just the way he says not to! To be fair, this is a stylistic thing in high school and university, and this video was taken when Ando was on the Kokushikan University team in 2014. Or at least I'm assuming it's the same Ando. It <i>is</i> a fairly common name! I'm guessing each of these Hokkaido Tokuren guys have been chosen because the waza they demonstrate is their favourite, or at least one they're known for.<br />
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Regardless, Ando sensei's tsuki waza here is pretty formidable! The main thing to do is to admire and watch closely to see what else you can glean about his technique.<br />
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Thanks to Let's Kendo (and Zen Sankei) for these great videos. Support original and worthwhile content on Youtube by subscribing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.kendo-world.com/wordpress/?p=371" target="_blank">*From an excellent short history of Kendo</a></span>Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08262294760676446902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-65425699775933142392017-01-24T16:49:00.016+11:002021-10-10T16:29:10.193+11:00Reflections on passing my first kodansha grading<div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZaIIIXq9DezKkCf3vXpVmLMYP7LY9pvROos8_E758Z9Y2w8abPMa-4B2AKmuinwtn0p4z8Ty_IMWAFKolUF3DyucB2lyW-A12Ja0TeZanBOCCUowwOEvpHi5xOoiHSGFaf8ZFvZ_HtnJ/s1600/20161125_081047.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZaIIIXq9DezKkCf3vXpVmLMYP7LY9pvROos8_E758Z9Y2w8abPMa-4B2AKmuinwtn0p4z8Ty_IMWAFKolUF3DyucB2lyW-A12Ja0TeZanBOCCUowwOEvpHi5xOoiHSGFaf8ZFvZ_HtnJ/s640/20161125_081047.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">6 dan candidates waiting for the venue to open, Esforta Arena, Hachioji</span></i></div><div>
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<i>Kodansha </i>(高段者) means someone who is either 6th, 7th or 8th dan. The other terms in Kendo are <i>yudansha </i>有段者 which is some who has a dan grade, and <i>mudansha </i>無段者, someone without or not yet dan-graded.<br />
<br />I attempted 6th dan in 2009, 2013, 2014 and finally passed on my fourth attempt in 2016. All gradings were the November "Tokyo" gradings, usually held on the last Saturday in November. <br />
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<b>What does it mean?</b><br />
Lots of non-Kendo people ask this question. The short answer is that now I am taken seriously as a kenshi. As one sensei told me, now you are considered an instructor in Japan. Not a senior instructor: there are still many levels of instructor above me! But an instructor nevertheless. This means a lot to me. Ever since I was a teenager doing Kendo in Melbourne I have always looked to Japan as the pinnacle of Kendo. I've always felt that the depth of Kendo there was beyond my capacity to understand. Part of my journey to sixth dan was to do my best to understand this depth by throwing myself into Japanese Kendo at the deep end, as much as I could anyway. So there were many trips to Japan where I was smashed by all and sundry, including the students of the sensei I was visiting, and no success at all in terms of grading. Looking back, these visits were a big part of my preparation.<br />
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<b>What was it like?</b><br />
My first trip was overwhelming. Although I was as ready as I could be at the time, it became clear that I was not at the same level as the others who were going for sixth dan.<br />
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What I learned was that there was a certain level of familiarity required regarding the experience of grading in Japan. In other words, I had to fail a number of times in order to be able to deal with the pressure of the grading situation itself. Familiar with what? Well, among other things, there not being any instructions in English, the sheer number of people around you, the pressure that these things place on you, how short 60 seconds feels like when under this pressure, fighting opponents you've never met and who may have much more training under their belt than you (a situation that those who compete at national and international level would be already familiar with) and so on.<br />
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On each of my four trips to grade in Japan I received a huge amount of support from the people I met. I never just turned up for the grading and went home again. On my first trip this was problematic because the very helpful sensei who was looking after me was intent on reconfiguring my basics, one week out from the grading. In hindsight this may have been detrimental but it did mean that I had lots of things to take home with me and work on. The first time I failed 6th dan was also the first time I had ever failed a grading, so that was a extra kick in the guts. I had lots of work to do.<br />
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The second time I was better prepared but still a bit at sea when it came to the actual grading. I don't remember my first opponent but my second opponent was a woman, quite a bit shorter than me. This should have given me an advantage, but she was, like many female kenshi, very good at protecting herself from being struck. Her waza were quite slow, but her <i>degote </i>timing was good under pressure and this unsettled me. I was definitely more afraid of what my opponent was doing than focusing on my own technique. She and I both failed.<br />
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The third time I was actually knocked to the ground by a taller, more powerful opponent. He was adept at using tai-atari after his opponent had attempted a men cut. My failing there was that I had been knocked off my feet rather than pivoting around his tai-atari, and for having a 'banzai' (arms raised) follow through. His failing was to try and negate my attack without offering any kind of oji-waza (counter-attack), which showed his nervous insecurity. We both failed.<br />
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<b>The fourth time</b><br />
My fourth attempt was the successful one. As with all my other gradings, my opponents were both Japanese. Both were men. On this trip I had also had my basics pulled apart and analysed by a very helpful Japanese sensei just a week before the grading. But in this case, that sensei was hachidan and also a grading panel member. I was confident that what he had shown me was of such value to my future Kendo that in a sense I didn't mind if it upset my preparation and caused me to fail. I had been on this journey to sixth dan for so long now (seven years) that I felt that I might be able to incorporate these changes into my Kendo in time to be effective in the grading. Either way, I knew I was being true to my ethos of 'throwing myself into the deep end of Japanese Kendo.'<br />
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In a <a href="http://shugo-nanseikan.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/music-as-preparation.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> I mentioned that I was in bad shape physically by the day of my grading. Again, the length of time I had been on this journey meant that I was pretty sanguine about it. There's really no such thing as 'perfect preparation', or rather, there is, but it doesn't in any way guarantee you success. This, I realise now, is an important mindset to have. In line with what I said in that same post about 'heijoshin' (everyday mind), just plowing ahead in spite of circumstances is of fundamental importance. It's interesting that many people understand this when it relates to going for a single cut: throwing everything into the attack. But they forget it also applies to the bigger picture. Many people complain that they don't feel ready, or 'it didn't feel right' to go ahead with their grading because of some circumstance. I suppose this is each person's judgement call. But I feel that some people could practice <i>not </i>listening to their inner doubts a bit more.<br />
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The part of the grading that was most stressful was, for me, the prospect of getting to the grading venue, which this time was a 90 minute train journey west of Tokyo to Hachioji. The stress came from the prospect of making connections between trains at the various major stations like Shinjuku. How difficult would it be? Would we have enough time to make our connection? I was there with Teoh sensei from Fudoshin Kendo Club in Melbourne and he was much more confident about the logistics. In the end we were fine, but I worried about it right up until the moment we finally got out at Hachioji station.<br />
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The doors to the arena opened and there was the now-familiar rush for spots to park one's gear and start getting ready: another aspect of grading in Japan that can be daunting for the first-timer. The sheer number of people is quite astounding. Soon it became apparent that Esforta Arena, being a conventional four-sided box of a building, had a lot more space than the Nippon Budokan which is octagonal and has no 'corners'. While there was more space for one's belongings, there was still no shilly-shallying about getting ready and getting down onto the floor for a very quick warm-up.<br />
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Three things interrupt one's warm-up before the grading proper starts: 1) the distribution of grading cards and allocation of <i>kaiba </i>(grading area), 2) the pre-grading briefing to all candidates by the organisers and 3) the allocation of grading numbers. Generally speaking if you haven't had a warm-up by the time you have to gather for the briefing, you're not going to get any more than a quick (and discreet) stretch in beforehand. In my experience a physical warm-up is probably not such an important thing to aim for anyway. You will only be doing Kendo for a total of 120 seconds, so it's not going to be physically taxing. And you'll have to wait for anything from 5 mins to 3 hours before your grading, so any physical benefits will be lost for all but the first few candidates. And perhaps most importantly part of your preparation should have been the ability to perform -- to be "on"-- at a moment's notice. This is another reason to discard the notion of the perfect preparation. At sixth dan your mental state should remain unflustered no matter what happens.<br />
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I was surprised to find that Teoh sensei and myself were up quite quickly: the previous time we had both been in the last grading group of the morning session. This time we had to wait less than an hour. Candidates are organised according to date of birth and it happens that Teoh sensei and I are so close in age that we were once in the same group of four. This time I was in the group following Teoh sensei's, so I got to watch both his gradings. Unfortunately he didn't get to watch mine as he was moving off the grading area and thanking his opponents. By the time he had done that I had finished my grading.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPDpkvilJDLf5yGht739QP4o_jUa0DoczpYNdgVgxvPwjtLvjbxGuzjREo_VT-TZCWb5wHYw1cccUCidwa-hppHb79Gk0s0S1ZeXl0xVQCTmbgH-B8Adni5YxsPuscmFqaLo24lrtxKnG/s1600/20161125_111533.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPDpkvilJDLf5yGht739QP4o_jUa0DoczpYNdgVgxvPwjtLvjbxGuzjREo_VT-TZCWb5wHYw1cccUCidwa-hppHb79Gk0s0S1ZeXl0xVQCTmbgH-B8Adni5YxsPuscmFqaLo24lrtxKnG/s640/20161125_111533.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>the main arena for jitsugi</i></span><br />
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<b>$3000 kiai</b><br />
One of the sensei who had helped me prepare gave me this advice. When she heard how much it cost for me to come to Japan for each attempt she was a little shocked. "I'll never complain about flying up to Tokyo for a grading again!" She also knew that I had been told to make sure my first kiai was especially loud, so she said, "make it a $3000 kiai!" This was an easy bit of advice to put into action!<br />
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It's hard for me to say how I went. I'm never good at remembering the individual waza I perform in gradings. I know there were a couple of degote, a couple of kaeshi-do, and perhaps a suriage men that wasn't 100%. I think I might also have landed one or two debana-men, which is the technique I had been working on the most. But I couldn't have said how well I had done any of those. I don't think there was a cut that felt 'wow'.<br />
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Nevertheless when I was finished I felt good. I had done everything I could have done on the day. I had not been intimidated, and I hadn't tried to negate my opponent's cuts. I only did positive Kendo. If I didn't pass I felt that was OK. Passing and failing are outside our control. I had done my best with the things I had control over.<br />
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<b>The big piece of butcher's paper</b><br />
At these national gradings, the first results come out pretty quickly. After the first 16 groups of four candidates had finished they calculated the results. The grading was continuing on in the background when the big pieces of paper come out, just like<a href="https://youtu.be/0HPDAFqN74A?t=2650" target="_blank"> in the documentary.</a> Each kaiba had its own, and the dutiful <a href="http://www.nittai.ac.jp/eng/" target="_blank">Nittaidai </a>students who do all the basic admin jobs hold them up: a reassuringly analogue display in today's digital world.<br />
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When I saw my number I was strangely unmoved. I looked, thought "that's my number", looked down at my zekken to double-check, then looked at it again, "yep, that's it." Sadly Teoh sensei's number was not there. We commiserated, and then I looked around to see who else had passed and who had not. From memory neither of my opponents passed. People whose numbers were there started to congratulate each other: it's well known that the kata section of the grading is much easier to pass. Unless your grasp of the 10 kata is very poor you will receive your sixth dan.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhs2WKLBnUaFBWJn3Wf9spj60G_S466BeXtTUUjSjsIDQk3iZvtEAu7f_-O4vHnhACT7-uACXOcZllCMLlAf0pPyqbNP5Z_tUHKE9GxfjVVqyhLtu9NP4S4HmXs3pHtXdVax95GtPR7oAt/s1600/20161125_133528.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhs2WKLBnUaFBWJn3Wf9spj60G_S466BeXtTUUjSjsIDQk3iZvtEAu7f_-O4vHnhACT7-uACXOcZllCMLlAf0pPyqbNP5Z_tUHKE9GxfjVVqyhLtu9NP4S4HmXs3pHtXdVax95GtPR7oAt/s640/20161125_133528.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<i>the kata arena</i><br />
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<b>Kata</b><br />
The next part of the grading, Nihon Kendo no Kata, starts almost immediately. The successful candidates from all eight <i>kaiba</i> were called on to make their way to the second arena. We were assigned new numbers and then had to sit, while seven pairs of kenshi performed kata in front of three hanshi hachidan sensei. I recognised two of them: Ota sensei who had once visited Melbourne long ago, and Iwatate sensei, whose DVDs were playing at one of the pop-up Kendo shops in the foyer.<br />
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We sat cross-legged and waited in rows. This arena was a real contrast to the one where jitsugi was still underway. The only sounds here were the kiai "yah!", "toh!" and the occasional clash of bokuto. The mood was one of restrained excitement, like children waiting to unwrap their Christmas presents, a total contrast to the more oppressive tension in the main arena. When my turn came after almost an hour of sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor, it was a relief just to be able to stand and move around. I did a passable set of kata, non-plussed a little by the 'blunt' kissaki (tip) of the bokuto that the All Japan Kendo Federation provides for all candidates. I must have done OK because in spite of the fact that I was placed directly in front of the grading panel, I passed kata as well. There was a moment of tension as results were tabulated and we realised there would indeed be a "pass-fail" announcement, then widespread relief when it was announced that the three candidate numbers on the butcher's paper were of those people who had failed. Out of a cohort of over 200 kenshi, that was a rather different pass rate than of the <i>jitsugi. </i></div><div><br /></div><div>Overall the pass rate for 6th dan at this grading was about 20%.<br />
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One thing I was very grateful I had the presence of mind to act on was to remove the tape on my feet before I did kata. There was tape on both my toes and also some kinesiology tape on my left Achilles which was falling off and stained a mottled-blue by my hakama. When we changed numbers on our zekken I thought to throw these bits of tape away with my old number, and I'm glad I did, especially given that I was placed directly in front of the grading panel. One never knows what might tip the old turtles over the edge, and dirty, ragged sports tape is pretty undignified. Little considerations like this were a product of my three previous attempts, and all the advice and disappointment along the way.<br />
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Kendo is a personal journey. My path to 6th dan is my own and unlike anyone else's. Your story will be different. You have to write it yourself. However there are some fundamentals that are common to all successful attempts. Your ability to perceive what those things are and how to incorporate them into your Kendo will be part of your story.<br />
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<br /></div>Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776967115069837945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-55083802985703857032016-12-13T14:45:00.000+11:002016-12-15T11:53:49.733+11:00Music as preparation <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_gvIyEppFoE" width="560"></iframe><br />
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This year's Rio Olympics showed many athletes wearing headphones.<br />
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I'm not normally a fan of the pre-race/bout/match headphone wearing brigade. The best rationale I have heard is that wearing headphones is a way to get people not to bug you with chit-chat. You don't necessarily have any music playing, but the headphones buy you a quiet space. This I can understand. On the other hand, the athlete who needs to listen to death-metal or 2Pac in order to get into the 'zone' is not someone I admire.<br />
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Heijoshin is a concept in Japanese culture that says your performance frame of mind should be your ordinary frame of mind. It comes largely from the Zen idea that enlightenment is not a state that is separate from ordinary life, nor is it 'special' or on a higher plane.<br />
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The implication of this is that one shouldn't try to 'escape' from the present moment in order to best manage or understand it, one should penetrate deeply into the nature of its very 'ordinariness' (or its 'stress', 'fear', etc). I personally believe this is a very, very profound truth, one that requires ongoing study.<br />
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So on my path to 6th dan I knew I wasn't going to have a special playlist for the morning of my grading, or a playlist for suburi, or for the hours of cross-training on the bike. I believe this attenuates the experience of the journey towards the goal. Those bike rides I went on to build lower-body strength and the intervals I pedalled to improve my cardiovascular fitness were experiences of their own, as well as being experiences with a purpose. Those experiences I wanted to live fully, not have them take on the samey flavour of one of my dull playlists.<br />
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So when I found myself wanting to listen to something special the night before my grading I was in a bit of conflict. Was I submitting to the cultural norms of the day by having to 'soundtrack' my life? And yet I love movie soundtracks and how they can reveal an extra dimension to a particular moment.<br />
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So I chose a track which I have listened to in the past for relaxation. It wasn't a favourite. It was something that always just came on first when I chose my favourite album of this particular band. I chose it as an anchor, a summation, to try and wrap up and say good-bye to the years of preparation.<br />
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For this purpose, I found music, and this music in particular, was a perfect catalyst for this last stage of preparation.<br />
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As I listened to it I became able to let go of all the 'to do lists' of the last seven years. It helped me shed the weight of preparation and just 'be' in the state of readiness that I was in at that time. That state was far from perfect: damaged voice, sore Achilles, intermittent flu symptoms, lack of certainty about my new kamae. But it helped me to accept what was at that moment.<br />
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In looking for a video of this track to post, I realised I didn't want the official music video playing while people listened to it because that would cloud the meaning of the music. So I quickly pieced together a video using the small amount of footage I had from my trip; images that I hope will trigger a similar feeling in the viewer to the one I had in my hotel room in Tokyo where I finally understood what it means to "effortlessly release what we have learnt in training."<br />
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The title refers to Bishamon, the Buddhist deity and sometimes patron of warriors, and a small shrine dedicated to him outside the city of Kagoshima. It was the second time I had been taken there, and the promise by my friends to pray there for my success on the morning of my grading was very moving. Hence the video is dedicated to that experience.Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08262294760676446902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-51257462895991711262016-07-02T15:30:00.002+10:002016-07-04T09:19:34.028+10:00Basic cutting action<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recently I have noticed a lot of people with incorrect cutting action. Not just at Nanseikan but other clubs too. These people are all in their first few years of Kendo so it is understandable. But without extra effort and guidance, this incorrect technique could become a bad habit that is hard to break.<br />
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Broadly speaking there are two basic aspects that I'm referring to:<br />
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The action of the arms.<br />
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The action of the hands.<br />
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<b>Arms</b><br />
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At the uppermost backswing, your elbows should be equally bent, the same as in <i>jodan no kamae</i>. Your arms should make the number "8" in Japanese, i.e. 八 with your fists at the apex. As you bring the sword down to the target, you bring your elbows together by rolling in your wrists, squeezing them together the same way we wring out the 'zokin' which we use to clean the floor before training. Rolling your wrists inwards allows you to straighten your arms as much as possible. This allows you to gain the maximum possible <u>reach</u> for your build. <br />
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It is crucial to make sure both arms are equally straight at the end of the cut. Most often, beginners have their left elbow bent at the moment of cutting because they are using predominantly their right arm to power the cut. If anything the left arm should provide more of the power.<br />
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Your elbows remain totally straight only momentarily. As important as it is to straighten them, it is equally important to relax as soon as the cut has been made. Your arms should retain the finishing position of the cut but without tension.<br />
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<b>Hands</b><br />
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The action of the hands and wrists is even more important and subtle than the action of the arms. This doesn't mean you shouldn't work on understanding it at the beginner level. It just means that you will continue to understand new aspects of how to use your hands in Kendo for many years to come.<br />
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Basically your hands and wrists have to reach to the maximum extent. There is a moment of overextension at the point of impact, but, as with the elbows, this exertion only lasts for the moment of the cut, before the <i>kensen </i>rebounds off the target. The difference between the angle of the shinai at the moment of cutting and the moment of rebound is fairly well illustrated by the double-image of the shinai in the photo at top.<br />
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The shinai should never be extended at the exact same angle as the arms. Even at full extension, there should be a 5 to 10 degree difference between the arms and the shinai.<br />
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<b>Checking</b><br />
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A good measure for both these aspects above is that the knuckle of the left thumb should briefly touch the muscle of the bottom of the right forearm (flexor carpi ulnaris) at the moment of cutting. This brief contact indicates not only that the angle of the sword is correct, but that the arms are working in unison.<br />
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<i>Hashimoto Keiichi sensei demonstrates correct finishing position for men uchi.</i><br />
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<br />Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08262294760676446902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-38489592325308966952016-03-07T10:59:00.002+11:002016-03-09T09:45:58.627+11:00Whether crucible or anvil, gradings transform<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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When I wanted to describe the testing aspect of Kendo grading, the part that makes it difficult, I naturally thought of the term "crucible". A crucible is a special container designed to be heated to extreme temperatures. In English usage it is also used to describe a test or trial of extreme difficulty where the final result is something new. In the crucible, metals are melted together to form an alloy. The metals are transformed by melding together and the final result is something stronger than the original.<br />
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But what would the Japanese or Kendo metaphor be? Because of its connection to the process of making swords, in Kendo the metaphor used is forging, <i>tanren</i> 鍛錬. Metal is forged when it is beaten repeatedly with a hammer. The beating slowly changes the structure of the metal, strengthens it and forces out impurities in the form of sparks.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>http://travel.kankou-gifu.jp/</i></span></td></tr>
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As a metaphor it has the same intention as the term crucible. Both are used to describe why it is important to push through situations that are difficult.<br />
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Why?<br />
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We don't understand when we are in the middle of it, but the important fact is that when the process is over we will be transformed. We will be an alloy that is stronger than the original metal. We will be shaped and strengthened with the 'impurities' forced out.<br />
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The process has a purpose. It will come to an end and it will be worth it.<br />
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It also points out to us that this is something that doesn't happen by itself. Iron ore in the ground doesn't transform itself into steel. It just stays lying in the ground. Some coal turns into diamond, but only when, by some geological fluke, it happens to come under extreme pressure. Most coal just stays there, being coal.<br />
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Unlike coal, people can choose to transform themselves by subjecting themselves to intense pressure. This is important. Because when you find yourself in the crucible, when you are the piece of metal being smashed between the hammer and the anvil, you can remember that you were the person that put yourself there.<br />
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What difference does this make? It makes all the difference! Being beaten up when it's not your choice is, by definition, <i>punishment</i>. Punishment is designed to weaken, not strengthen. So it has the exact opposite effect. By remembering that this process is something you chose for yourself puts you back in the driver's seat. Everything that then happens is part of a strengthening, learning, purifying process.<br />
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One of my favourite Zen priests, Shunryu Suzuki said, "Hell is not punishment. Hell is training." He was taking this idea even further. He meant that even things that many people think of as punishment, things we didn't consciously choose to happen to us we can transform into things that are part of our 'training' if we have the right mindset.<br />
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So the small process of a Kendo grading can have enormous implications for the rest of our lives if we choose to see it that way.<br />
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I have done many Kendo gradings and I came late to the crucible. My first grading I double-graded to 4th kyu. Thereafter I passed every grade on the first attempt. Sixth dan has been my first taste of this painful forging process. I have had to remind myself time and again that the process is worth it, that it will come to an end, that I chose this for myself and indeed that I am very lucky to be able to be a part of it. I have learnt that in failure there is a lot to be gained. Each time I've been able to discard bad habits and attain new skills. I have been strengthened and my Kendo (slightly) purified. Even after failing three times, I know I have learned more and improved more than had I just turned up to training with no purpose. That would have been the way to remain as just a piece of coal lying in the ground.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2WkWNDDrQO4" width="420"></iframe>Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08262294760676446902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-17204205212103765662015-10-25T15:32:00.000+11:002015-10-26T01:05:59.280+11:00Suburi revisited, suburi as homework<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPEoIuPlr9pg-0PvtbGx8ncsT7L4TWZ9gfLts_6I733XhM6Fw06kOSC4P1K17CAcDoRle0VtfBHN_XARt2dbWSiTt4DdKZKrX0fyj3WMtaAGtA5tYegEa1yiUEc8VtRcHi_joh4lMjQBK/s1600/correct-and-incorrect-swing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPEoIuPlr9pg-0PvtbGx8ncsT7L4TWZ9gfLts_6I733XhM6Fw06kOSC4P1K17CAcDoRle0VtfBHN_XARt2dbWSiTt4DdKZKrX0fyj3WMtaAGtA5tYegEa1yiUEc8VtRcHi_joh4lMjQBK/s400/correct-and-incorrect-swing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-size: x-small;">The example on the right is the correct one. In Japan the </i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">maru</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i><b>○ </b></span><i style="font-size: x-small;">is used where we would use a tick.</i></div>
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Here at Shugo-Nanseikan, <a href="http://shugo-nanseikan.blogspot.com.au/search/label/suburi">I've written about suburi</a> more than a lot of other concepts or techniques. That's because over the last ten years, with all the work I've done on my own Kendo and with other kenshi of different ages, the thing I've found that makes the single biggest difference to a person's Kendo is their commitment to doing suburi everyday.<br />
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This may not be the case where you are, if you are not a Nanseikan student and you have different opportunities to train. If for instance, you train more than four times per week, your Kendo will improve without suburi. But for my students, given our timetable and other factors such as age, fitness level and motivation, suburi is the thing that makes the most difference. It helps both the new beginner who is not very strong as well as the experienced kenshi building up to shiai. It helps each in different ways but it helps equally, and it never becomes obsolete.<br />
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But it needs to be practiced every day, or at least most days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bszdKtOV2IJQRQuLdPM2nZNYtX8Hx_gJOP50GOeBFeO133j26mPV1jyWjGaMTyCDZTZCbd5VI1FlJ3UQ0lFJm9RUVruRef9pl7PXOYNicBbsv3PUQ2VYTTZnEt6_tEb5qhFdozFoMfv_/s1600/suburi-hasuji-diagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bszdKtOV2IJQRQuLdPM2nZNYtX8Hx_gJOP50GOeBFeO133j26mPV1jyWjGaMTyCDZTZCbd5VI1FlJ3UQ0lFJm9RUVruRef9pl7PXOYNicBbsv3PUQ2VYTTZnEt6_tEb5qhFdozFoMfv_/s400/suburi-hasuji-diagram.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>diagram showing where your suburi should finish, for straight suburi (left) and diagonal suburi (right)</i></span><br />
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<b>How much is enough suburi?</b><br />
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The short answer is: any amount that you can do every day without injury.<br />
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The basic premise of all kinds of training is that as you get stronger, you should increase either the load or frequency, depending on what kind of results you want. However, the first hurdle to conquer in this instance is not physical weakness but mental weakness.<br />
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You have to <u>train yourself to make the time</u> to do the suburi.<br />
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So in the beginning, a short and simple program that you stick to is better than an ambitious and complex program that you soon give up.<br />
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Fifty, double-time, <i>sho-men suburi</i> take less than one minute!<br />
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When you start to look forward to doing the suburi, or alternatively if you start to feel like something's wrong if you haven't done your daily suburi, then you have overcome the first hurdle. The next step is to increase the load or frequency.<br />
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<a href="http://blog-imgs-35.fc2.com/e/y/a/eyaneya/2011082912000310d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="http://blog-imgs-35.fc2.com/e/y/a/eyaneya/2011082912000310d.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><br /></b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>from Oyakata Mamoru san's <a href="http://eyaneya.blog79.fc2.com/">blog</a></i></span><br />
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<b>How do I know what suburi to do?</b><br />
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In the beginning stick with straight, two-handed men*. This is the most fundamental technique in Kendo and helps to ingrain straightness as well as requiring <i>tenouchi</i>. If you can do it outside or you have high ceilings it's best to do it standing with footwork. If not, you can get a lot of benefit from doing suburi while sitting in <i>seiza</i>.<br />
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When you want to increase variety the next suburi to practice is, like the kids above, left-hand only suburi (<i>katate-men</i>). Keep the cuts very straight and clench your right fist on your hip, like the boy on the right. If you are not strong in the arm or wrist, start by gripping the <i>tsuka</i> (handle) closer to the <i>tsuba</i> (hilt). As you get stronger your aim is to be able to do straight cuts with your left hand down the very end of the tsuka. Never do right-hand-only suburi, at least not until your second decade of Kendo.<br />
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After that you can introduce all kinds of variation: using <i>bokuto</i>, using <i>suburito</i>, kote-uchi, do-uchi, <i>nidan-uchi </i>(e.g. kote-men), vary the footwork pattern (e.g. ten forward, ten back; five forward, five back), diagonal cuts, <i>hiraki-ashi</i>, lunges, <i>kabuto-wari</i>, <i>hayasuburi</i>, etc.<br />
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No matter what suburi you do, you must keep the following things uppermost in your mind:<br />
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<li><u>gaze</u>: look straight ahead, not down or up</li>
<li><u>posture</u>: the straightest possible with very erect spine and relaxed (i.e. not hunched) shoulders</li>
<li><u>tenouchi</u>: 'freeze' for a moment at the end of each cut. Relax, <i>squeeze</i>, relax...</li>
<li><u>sharpness</u>: move briskly with both upper and lower body in unison</li>
<li><u>accuracy</u>: aim for a certain point and hit that point with regularity</li>
<li><u>hasuji</u>: be aware of the angle of the blade matching the angle of the blade's path without wobbling</li>
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<b>The ethos of every day</b><br />
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There's an oft-quoted urban myth of the swordsman who could never get to the dojo but instead did 1000 suburi every day and thus became great. It sounds simplistic but there's more to it than at first appears. That's because the difficulty lies not in the actual suburi (1000 suburi is not as hard as it sounds, takes 20-30 mins) but in the making time for them and then sticking to it. If you have that willpower, you have already distinguished yourself amongst your fellows. Amongst most people who do Kendo, I would guess an average of only 20% do suburi regularly and only 10% everyday. But I would also guess that above a certain level—let's say 4th dan—that this percentage increases dramatically. I'd be willing to bet that more than 50% of experienced kenshi have a solo practice they commit to every day. And my hunch is that above 6th dan that figure would rise to more like 90%.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvTJwiAl2PaKuhIOIFFMWo1M_Q26sC2qbP-fTs1gHONQ7-f9RvaJOd4K97Drql6Q-Vm7vQ5T6jdlUYN2IJBmKmZQlNFdwCtS1mkdgWZ88q5WDUAyRPV3hBi3fqSVvX6EQrdcNo9saMQYw/s1600/suburi-swing-puppet-diagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvTJwiAl2PaKuhIOIFFMWo1M_Q26sC2qbP-fTs1gHONQ7-f9RvaJOd4K97Drql6Q-Vm7vQ5T6jdlUYN2IJBmKmZQlNFdwCtS1mkdgWZ88q5WDUAyRPV3hBi3fqSVvX6EQrdcNo9saMQYw/s400/suburi-swing-puppet-diagram.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>a visual representation of how suburi connects to the core </i>(tanden)</span><br />
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<b>The ethos of insight</b><br />
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Bruce Lee once said that he didn't fear the man who had practiced 10,000 kicks, but he did fear the man who had practiced one kick 10,000 times. What he was talking about was depth of insight into not only the movement but also oneself. Related to the point above, the attitude of commitment enables one to reap rewards that remain out of reach otherwise. There is a level of understanding that is not conceptual or nameable, it is simply demonstrated by how well one can perform a technique when required and with consistency.<br />
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With suburi, one of the things we are doing is maintaining muscle-memory with regard to manipulating the sword. The sword is a tool that works only when used precisely, even though this cutting movement is a simple one. The human body is always failing in its ability to re-create this precision movement, because the sword and the human body are fundamentally different. With suburi, one is engaged in maintaining the discipline and precision of co-ordinated muscle use necessary for a successful cut, as well as learning new things about how the body and this linear object interact.<br />
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On the one hand there is the action of the hands, arms and shoulders in relation to the cutting action itself. Then there is the action of the lower body, the mechanism that delivers the cutting action to the opponent. These need to work together, which is why suburi usually has a footwork element even if it is only forwards and backwards on the spot.<br />
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Through repetition, a kenshi gains insight not only in how to perform these upper and lower body actions efficiently, but also begins to understand the connection between them. She or he realises it's not just about arms and legs but also about the spine, the muscles of the core, the hip flexors and buttocks, and how all of these effect posture, weight transfer and stabilisation.<br />
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<b>Homework</b><br />
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Given this importance, it might seem a little strange that I have <a href="http://www.kendo.org.au/p/new-training-format.html">all but eliminated suburi</a> from our regular training routine. However this is not because I don't believe suburi is important.<br />
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It is because I believe that most current members see suburi as a dojo-only form of training. It is my aim to put the onus squarely on the individual to do suburi themselves outside of training, by removing it from training as much as possible. I hope that those who do not do it at home will start to see their Kendo deteriorate, and will realise for themselves why it is important.<br />
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Of course if their Kendo does not deteriorate without suburi then it was a waste of time all along!<br />
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* <span style="font-size: x-small;"> When you read this phrase and it doesn't even occur to you to snicker, you know you're a Kendo tragic.</span>Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08262294760676446902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-28712100058755843332015-10-03T16:31:00.000+10:002015-10-05T17:51:32.624+11:00Nagae sensei — still teaching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNsxem2I45pk0RAywTjeq6LjWXHaN7yP0Ilq9_WjNn5AvzC02MX4HK91dDXgYYp5zIAXnzeatxH4fXHMJqTRES-CwEQhDAGohrqm9xm5eNm_8z0svugPU-Sr4BDx6Kxx8H_f8q855OuY/s1600/nagae+portraitt+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNsxem2I45pk0RAywTjeq6LjWXHaN7yP0Ilq9_WjNn5AvzC02MX4HK91dDXgYYp5zIAXnzeatxH4fXHMJqTRES-CwEQhDAGohrqm9xm5eNm_8z0svugPU-Sr4BDx6Kxx8H_f8q855OuY/s1600/nagae+portraitt+1.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Nagae Sumitaka sensei, Kendo Kyoshi 7th dan (1921-2011)</span></i><br />
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Many of you know that recently we held the third annual kendo gasshuku for high school students at the Kenshikan. The aim is to improve the quality of Australian kendo through building the number of young people who love kendo.<br />
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At the gasshuku, some of the young kenshi trained harder than they had ever trained before. A few of them reached the point where they felt they couldn't go on. Tears, wanting to vomit, being unable to breathe, they experienced the full range of physical and psychological symptoms of going beyond their limits.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKx8JwCjdVA_DfI-hNypf2v2floha5lHUsMyzTGYExn0ZKtnHk4kqj64DuD2oPApyC6mmU9-r2WQe0k59mhtVX5FOLMEr94UQawXjJviUhAUs3E36rNwaZLR-uA1Zw7L-Cwp5k1VjuVrC/s1600/20150912_103556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKx8JwCjdVA_DfI-hNypf2v2floha5lHUsMyzTGYExn0ZKtnHk4kqj64DuD2oPApyC6mmU9-r2WQe0k59mhtVX5FOLMEr94UQawXjJviUhAUs3E36rNwaZLR-uA1Zw7L-Cwp5k1VjuVrC/s400/20150912_103556.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In kendo culture this is a sign of the best training you could hope for!<br />
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Everyone who has been there knows that it's really an unpleasant place to be. For a young person who has not experienced anything like it before, and who doesn't know that it is temporary, it is even more frightening. It can feel like the end of everything, like a near-death experience.<br />
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Of course the important thing about these kind of experiences is not that they are fun or some kind of 'macho' badge of toughness, but that we come to learn that we can survive them. At the end of the training session where some had reached their limit I felt that it was important to let them know this.<br />
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The best way to explain something is to embed it in a story, and fortunately Nagae sensei had told me a story of when he had survived similar experiences and what that had done for him. He told me that in 1933 when he was only 12 years old his father sent him to train at the dojo of Kokushikan Senmon Gakko (later Kokushikan University). Kokushikan has always been regarded as one of the strongest universities for kendo. Nagae sensei, as a quite frail, asthmatic boy was up against young men who had no concern for his safety or well-being. This was the pre-War era when the ethos of kendo training was preparing for actual combat. Nagae sensei found out later that some of the Kokushikan team would put lead weights inside their shinai near the tip to give them more weight and a louder sound when striking.* This meant they would be more likely to score the winning point in matches that, at that time, were adjudicated by a single shinpan solely on whether a strike would have been a decisive, killing blow.<br />
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He told me that he cried before training, he cried during training and he cried after training. The blows of the university students were so hard he was in a lot of pain during and after training, and of course there was the fear in anticipation of going back. One can only imagine what it must have been like!<br />
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But he said that this experience came to his aid many times in his life, not least of which when he was sent to Europe after the war to research new industrial techniques for his employer Snow Brand. As a Japanese amongst war-scarred Europeans, Nagae sensei was the target not just of racism but open hatred and threats. He told me it was quite common for Japanese businessmen in such circumstances (and there was a number of them it seems) to commit suicide rather than ask to return home. It was against this extreme stress, fear and isolation that his tough experiences at Kokushikan came back to protect him. He was able to put his present troubles in context, knowing he just needed to keep going and he would be OK. If his early experiences had not been so terrible, if they had been merely unpleasant, he might not have found them so helpful later on. I would suggest that the protective factor about his time at Kokushikan was that those experiences threatened his very survival. It was a near-death experience over and over again, if not in the physical sense then at least in the psychological sense.<br />
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As I told the story, I knew that it was giving some tired and stressed young kenshi the chance to regroup internally. There was silence in the dojo, the kind where you know people are listening. Some of the more experienced kenshi who knew Japanese kendo but not the story were nodding in agreement, marvelling at the idea of a 12 year old training with the powerhouse Kokushikan.<br />
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It was not long before I saw smiles on the faces that were earlier crying and stressed. And it felt appropriate that at the Kenshikan, his old dojo, Nagae sensei was teaching a new generation of kenshi the meaning of kendo.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht47owRpLMjeXgqP-xmJw99QqM0pbSpdp35Wkx6SFS1hgeOd8QNqlgmNIl4jAKFNyxsWvolTSIA46SrHBJPtCJY8Qut0yT2xRbo29h9umY96NJHYwxdKuenKdMpFkORLftm3i66WZQwTk8/s1600/20150912_160127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht47owRpLMjeXgqP-xmJw99QqM0pbSpdp35Wkx6SFS1hgeOd8QNqlgmNIl4jAKFNyxsWvolTSIA46SrHBJPtCJY8Qut0yT2xRbo29h9umY96NJHYwxdKuenKdMpFkORLftm3i66WZQwTk8/s640/20150912_160127.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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POSTSCRIPT:</div>
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On reading back this article, it occurred to me that some might misconstrue my main contention, and believe that I was condoning abusive training as a positive value of benefit to young people. This is a fraught area and I have written about it before here:</div>
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<a href="http://kenshi247.net/blog/2009/04/07/traditional-sword-pedagogy-and-abuse/">http://kenshi247.net/blog/2009/04/07/traditional-sword-pedagogy-and-abuse/</a></div>
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(indeed I had forgotten I had wrote it, I thought George had! I was genuinely surprised to find my name at the bottom!) </div>
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Nagae sensei's childhood occurred in a much different world to the one I live in. Few parents would submit their children to exactly the kind of training that Nagae sensei told me about. But then, how hard was it really? His 12 year old self, recalled at a distance of more 70 years, remembered the university students as mountains, ruthless and cold. Would their treatment of him if observed by an adult be still considered extreme? And which adult? A contemporary Australian one or an early Showa-era, Japanese one? Male or female? Kenshi or non-kenshi? Most importantly, was I guilty of driving the students at the gasshuku to such abusive extremes? </div>
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All I can say is that their training at the gasshuku was less than one tenth as hard as what I would consider 'hard'. Perhaps if and when these students reach my age and stage of Kendo they will think about this first gasshuku and wonder at two things: a) how hard it seemed, and b) how easy it actually was!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Almost as confirmation of this, the current Regulations for Kendo Shiai state:</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Article 2</b>: The specifications of Shinai referred to in article 3 of the Regulations shall be as follows: </span></i></blockquote>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">1. Shinai shall consist of four slats and shall not include therein other objects than the core inside Sakigawa and Chigiri inlaid at the end of the Tsuka...</span></i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Regulations of Kendo Shiai and Shinpan, International Kendo Federation (revised 1996) </span></div>
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<br />Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08262294760676446902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-30806057947221992202015-09-18T00:09:00.001+10:002015-09-18T00:09:35.102+10:00The different flavour of kyu grades — 6th kyu to 2nd kyu<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UXoOZ5_UtBs?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Last weekend I was on a grading panel for the first time in a long time. It was a real reminder for me of the way the levels progress in Kendo.<br />
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In Japan, kyu grades are designed for children and dan grades for adults. In Australia, where the majority of people start Kendo as adults, kyu grades are a necessity for all. It is possible to double-grade and this is important, allowing those who can pick up the basic skills of Kendo quickly for whatever reason to move ahead more quickly than the norm. This is as much for the protection of the 'average' Kenshi (is there such a thing?) as it is for recognising excellence. How? Well it allows the grading panel to advance a stand-out candidate, rather than grade down (or 'moderate') his or her fellows in comparison.<br />
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In other words, if you're just an average Joe going for 3rd kyu, and you're grading next to some guy who grew up doing Kendo in Japan as a kid but who never graded until now, he's going to make you look bad, right? Wrong. Gradings are not competitions. All the grading panel is looking for is whether or not <b>you</b> can perform the requirements to a set of quality criteria. If you can, great, you pass. If you perform really, really well, then you pass and may get to come back and try for the level above. <br />
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<b>6th kyu</b><br />
This is the first grade in Kendo in Australia and therefore is the easiest. The focus is on demonstrating correct attire (<i>chakuso</i>) and correct basics from standing to bowing to sonkyo, kamae and so on. It is difficult only because you will be nervous. Everything you're being asked to do should have been mastered weeks or months before. You wear <i>do</i> and <i>tare</i>. Almost impossible to fail.<br />
<b>TIP</b>: even though you might feel like your job is done, stay and watch closely those who come after so you know what to expect at 5th kyu.<br />
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<b>5th kyu</b><br />
is almost as easy as 6th even though for most it comes six months down the track. Six months extra training and the confidence of knowing what the grading will feel like makes 5th kyu probably even easier than 6th, because there's not a lot extra required. Still only wearing <i>do</i> and <i>tare</i>, the only extra is <i>kirikaeshi</i> against a motodachi in full bogu. Simple. Still close to impossible to fail.<br />
<b>TIP</b>: train hard in the months between 6th and 5th kyu and aim to double-grade here by absolutely smashing it with perfect basics. Just make sure you have your <i>men</i> and <i>kote</i> handy...<br />
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<b>4th kyu</b><br />
This is a bit of a shock now because from here until 8th dan you'll be wearing full bogu for every grading. But still, you will usually have at least 18 months Kendo under your belt by now, so you should be able to do this one in your sleep. They're still looking at how you wear everything, how you stand and bow, straightness of posture and so on, but now there are more cuts required and you also have to receive cuts. There will be multiple cuts as well and finally <i>uchikomigeiko</i>, which is difficult if you're nervous. People often start to use too much energy here: too much <i>kiai</i> and too much stiffness in their arms and shoulders, perhaps because perhaps they feel like there's a trick somewhere. "This stuff is easy isn't it? But look at <i>all those judges</i>! That must mean this is really hard. Must put in extra!" Well don't. Just do it nice and easy, big and correct, loud and relaxed. Difficult to fail but sometimes happens, mainly because a candidate shows they don't know the basics at all. This is more their instructor's fault for letting them grade when they weren't ready.<br />
<b>TIP</b>: Keep you left heel up like you know you're supposed to!<br />
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<b>3rd kyu</b><br />
Third kyu is a long list of things to do. Everything from 4th kyu and now also <i>sandanwaza</i> (three cuts in a row). Sometimes, depending on who's head judge, you might have to do <i>kakarigeiko</i>. But hopefully not. Could be tiring if you're not prepared for it. Remember you expend about three times the energy to do in a grading what you can do easily in training*. Double-grading here is tricky, because what comes after this is very different. And yet one person did it last weekend so it's far from impossible. Failure is starting to be a possibility, particularly on the <i>quality</i> of you performance, not so much just on whether you got the movements correct.<br />
<b>TIP</b>: Enjoy it. This is the last drill-oriented, rote-learned, kihon-based grading you'll ever do in Kendo.<br />
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<b>2nd kyu</b><br />
Now failure is a real possibility, and the criteria have a subjective element, as you enter the realm of <i>jitsugi</i>. Jitsugi is similar to shiai. The reiho is the same, but there are no shinpan. The Dojo Steward calls <i>hajime!</i> and <i>yame!</i> He or she will also call <i>sore made!</i> which means "it ends here" and that's when you do sonkyo. The big difference between jitsugi and shiai is that jitsugi is not competitive. You do fight of course but there is no winner and no loser. Both candidates can pass any given jitsugi. It is not an 'either-or' situation. So you should not worry about your opponent's attacks and whether they land or score. Don't try to block or dodge. Focus only on your own attacks and being as effective and correct as possible, because this is where it's different. Up until now every grading you've done has been about whether your Kendo is <b>beautiful</b> and <b>correct</b>. Now it also has to be <b>effective</b>. You have to score a winning ippon. You're starting to see what sho-dan looks like from here.<br />
<b>TIP</b>: Train hard and regularly for this one, and against as many different people as you can. Visit other dojos and do extra training. Suburi every day. Watch great Kendo on Youtube and great Sensei in real life.<br />
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A knowledgeable kenshi once told me that the gap between 7th dan and 8th dan is wider than the gap between 1st dan and 7th dan. This thinking applies to the kyu grades as well. The higher you go, the more is expected of you. For 6th kyu to 4th kyu you have to perform everything you performed last time and <b>more</b>. For 3rd kyu and up you have to also perform it <b>better</b> than last time.<br />
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*<span style="font-size: x-small;">(not a scientific measurement) </span>Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08262294760676446902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024457484731865692.post-81070546654692104082015-08-03T18:59:00.000+10:002015-08-06T12:54:21.473+10:00Book review – "Kendo: Culture of the Sword"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well whaddya know? I was browsing eBay with the keyword "Kendo" and came across this, publishing date of 31 July 2015.<br />
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Kendo: Culture of the Sword is the new book by Alex Bennett, founder of Kendo World, NZ team coach and the go-to guy if you want to know anything about Budo culture but can't speak or read Japanese very well (just ask <a href="https://youtu.be/ZIcIm_LtRiQ?t=1m24s" target="_blank">Anthony Bourdain</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/no4czR9bMJU?t=43m25s" target="_blank">Terry Schappert</a>), or even if you can but you need to have an expert on hand (ask <a href="https://youtu.be/TOsq5gopHb0?t=7m32s" target="_blank">Nicholas Pettas</a> and even the national broadcaster <a href="https://youtu.be/lqiFKekeTCo?t=5m27s" target="_blank">NHK</a>).<br />
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But Alex is much more than a TV <i>tarento </i>(celebrity), he is a bona fide academic in the area of Kendo and related martial arts. After doing a year as a high school exchange student in the late 80s, at some point he must have thought, "How do I stay in Japan to keep doing Kendo?" It's a question most kendo tragics ask themselves in their early 20s. In Alex's case he decided he wasn't just going to teach English at GEOS for 12 months and then go home. Like another well known Kendo über-tragic, <a href="http://kenshi247.net/" target="_blank">George McCall</a>, Alex dug deep and must have said to himself "Bugger it! I'm gonna stay here and do Kendo whatever it takes!" Fast forward twenty years and, hey presto, he's living the dream.<br />
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<i>Kendo: Culture of the Sword</i> is really the book he has been building up to writing for a long time. I've been aware of Alex and his work in this area since I first signed up to Kendo World forum in 2002. I think at that stage he had only just submitted his PhD thesis titled "Towards a Definition of Budo"; and in Japanese no less. Since then he has worked tirelessly in both academia and as a high-level translator. Along the way he has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocGE6wmZrgg" target="_blank">achieved his 7th dan</a> in Kendo. He was even kind enough to help yours truly via email when I needed some inside info for a Masters' assignment on contemporary Japanese culture. Not that that last one was a life highlight for him, it just makes me slightly relevant.<br />
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Alex's academic background is strongly in evidence in this book. It is written as a reference work, containing scrupulous footnotes and referencing that acknowledges and builds on scholarship in the areas of Japanese history and cultural theory. In the internet age of bloggers, trolls and keyboard warriors, this kind of informed and disciplined writing is more valuable than ever. Not surprisingly it comes in a book. A hardcover one. Published by the University of California Press.<br />
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Part of this discipline is starting from the beginning. Alex explains what Kendo is in basics and then goes all the way back to explain its history in detail. Maybe it was my own impatience, but I got the sense that it wasn't until about half way through that Alex finished with his set-up and started getting into the meat of his thesis, that is, with those parts which are his unique contribution to the area.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5pZWGTA6xkaJ_bP49b5xo7fM2oDqAU_n5f7DjYlmXzfZiYMZFncOO7h0O_zW6hgxgQpQTl1YlW55UXnMhuofuOQ2sWaL9kFupr3_vbp3zWqEwLnU-YQYS4A4829eWS-5rYe3yVmS_pxq/s1600/kendo+postcard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5pZWGTA6xkaJ_bP49b5xo7fM2oDqAU_n5f7DjYlmXzfZiYMZFncOO7h0O_zW6hgxgQpQTl1YlW55UXnMhuofuOQ2sWaL9kFupr3_vbp3zWqEwLnU-YQYS4A4829eWS-5rYe3yVmS_pxq/s640/kendo+postcard.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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To my mind it is his examination of the role Kendo has played in Japanese identity from the Meiji era onwards that is the strength of this book. Very few scholars have had access to the sort of primary sources Alex has used. Hence he is able to shine new light on how Kendo has been continually 'repackaged' to suit the prevailing political needs of each era: Meiji, Taisho, Showa and Heisei.<br />
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Admirably, Alex keeps a sternly critical focus on these aspects, never letting his own love of Kendo, nor his 'insider' status lead him to making sweeping generalisations of difficult counter-arguments or gloss over legitimate criticisms of Kendo culture. For instance he questions the often nebulous and rarely (within Japan) criticised pronouncements on Kendo's 'character building' qualities. He also analyses the assumption held by most kenshi that Kendo is not a sport, and elaborates on the patently politico-cultural reasons for this belief. He also examines the notion of Kendo as a uniquely Japanese cultural product and the tension between Japanese desire for international promulgation of Kendo on the one hand and the fear of 'internationalisation' (read: dilution, misinterpretation) of Kendo on the other.<br />
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Indeed so new are these discussions, in both English <i>and</i> Japanese I would warrant, that many kenshi are bound to have difficulty accommodating them given the assumptions they have been taught about Kendo since day one of their beginners' courses. It is clear from the Epilogue that Alex has had trouble with this himself, and his answer is this book. For this reason alone I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Kendo.<br />
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Alex finishes with a wonderful observation from the late Yoshihiko Inoue sensei, a man for whom he has obvious respect. It is as if to calm the doubts that he must have been having about Kendo's legitimacy and purpose as a result of the long months of research and cogitation. I will leave to those who purchase the book to find out what that observation was. But as a result of some Google-jutsu after reading the book I came across a similar, very affirming observation of Inoue sensei's regarding <a href="https://youtu.be/Vt9-JtK7II8?t=2m19s" target="_blank">the nature of Kendo</a>:<br />
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The main objective of Kendo became (in the Taisho era) the development of the human character... meaning that through disciplined practice we develop the right mental attitude... one can contribute towards peace and prosperity for all humanity across the world, thus reflecting our own humanity. This is what it means to develop the human character in Kendo. Therefore something that cannot contribute towards peace and prosperity in the world cannot be called Kendo.</blockquote>
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There are many reasons for enjoying this book: the clear and rigorous history that takes into account new ideas about 'invented tradition' and 'aestheticised swordsmanship'. There are many photos that I've never seen before, especially of <i>shinai kyogi</i>, the short-lived, post-War replacement for Kendo. As a school teacher, one of my favourites bits is Alex's translation of the Japanese Ministry of Education's <i>Three Pillars of Kendo Education </i>(2006), a curriculum framework document that simplifies Kendo's benefits into the kind of Powerpoint-friendly bullet points only an Education bureaucrat could love.<br />
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On a pedantic note, I was chuffed to read that Alex disagrees with the common English translation of the Concept of Kendo, which uses the term <i>katana</i> (刀). I have long felt that since the Japanese original uses the term <i>ken/tsurugi </i>(剣) it should be translated as: "...via the application of the principles of the <b>Sword</b>." <i>Katana </i>refers to <b>a</b> physical sword, whereas <i>ken</i> is <b>the</b> conceptual or metaphorical Sword. What English accomplishes with capitalisation and definite or indefinite articles, Japanese accomplishes with synonyms of approximate equivalence but quite different historical meaning. A minor quibble perhaps...<br />
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Alex is already the most lettered historian and theorist of Kendo in English. I think if and when he comes out with a Japanese-language version of this book, he will become one of the most important scholars of Budo in any language.<br />
<br />Nanseikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776967115069837945noreply@blogger.com3