Daughter and Father in Kendo - Richard and Lilly

2016 Beginner Class-B Grading

17 September 2016

Richard:

I wasn't intending to join Kendo club at first, it was really Lilly's request, she had been asking to join since the beginning of the year.

When we came and observed beginners class briefly to see what it was like, I was very impressed by the atmosphere of tradition, kindness and respect.

There was a strong feeling of family, and as visitors we were made to feel very welcome.
So I became excited about joining this group with Lilly.

The greatest benefit I have gained from our short time with Kendo so far has been strengthening the bond between my daughter and I.

Training together as equals, helping each other, and having conversations relating to philosophical aspects of life, inspired by Kendo training have given us a greater sense of mutual respect.

The positive qualities we have been learning from our new Kendo family such as patience, clarity, focus, spirit, humility and kindness have made a positive impact on our personal life at home, and how we relate to each other.

For this I am very grateful.

Its a great start to our Kendo journey!

Lilly:

As soon as my dad had told me about Kendo I was eager to join in.

I had read books and watched cartoons that have inspired me to become a great swordsman.

When me and dad went to look at the Beginners Class-A we were moved by the passion, kindness, and respect the members showed for Kendo and each other, even we were warmly welcomed.

This made me even more eager to learn.

Since I started Kendo all has been great.

I have learnt so much about perseverance, patience, communication, strength, fitness, and much more.

But the things that have most affected me are balance, form, confidence, and even I think I've learnt about myself.

One thing I love about Kendo (and have loved it from the beginning) is the people!
It`s great how everyone treats each other.

As soon as I set foot in the Dojo I feel I feel respected and equal by and with everyone around me and that makes me feel happy to respect them back.

Thank You Sam and everyone at Waikato Kendo Club for welcoming us and all your help and guidance.

Star Wars Read - Hamilton City Library

15 October 2016

Richard and Lilly.

Comments

How do you practice seme?

Kobayashi Hideo Sensei – How to Seme (w/English CC) 小林英雄先生 - 攻め方 How do you practice S eme ? Very early on, I have heard of the “Three Opportunities to Strike”: strike when your opponent’s technique is about to start, strike when your opponent’s technique ends, and when the opponent is mentally and physically depleted. Since then, this line of thinking has given me a direction in how to train. In 2017, Utsunomiya sensei, 7-dan kyoshi, came to visit us and taught me the concept of “okori”. That reminds me of the conversation that happened 8 years before that in 2009 with Morioka sensei, also 7-dan kyoshi, who asked me: “What is the timing or reason of your strike?” I think most people are familiar with the idea that you should “ seme then strike ”. However, when do you strike after seme has been a source of struggle for most kenyu. That’s why when I saw the video from Kobayashi Hanshi where you seme for the purposes of creating “okori” , I felt this added a whole other d

Ji-ri-ichi - practice & theory combined into one 事理一致

Wednesday 19th April 2023 Keiko Reflection by Janet Tonight’s Keiko is a timely reminder of the importance of training in Ji-ri-ichi (事理一致, practice & theory combined into one). While we are constantly receiving knowledge & theory passively from Senseis, one must also be actively applying the theories learnt into action to make it their own through repeated practice. We must also be proactive in our own learning by actively seeking more knowledge such as observing other kendokas keiko ( mitori-geiko ), reading books, asking questions when in doubt, & constantly reflect & ask ourselves why do we do this? what are we doing wrongly or correctly? This way we can better understand our bodies, the mechanics of each movements & the purpose behind each individual action, therefore maximise our learning outcome by improving productivity & quality of our practice or Keiko. Remember Kendo is a martial art that descended from Japanese swordsmanship or Kenjutsu, so it’s no

Kendo Journey: A "Travel Guide" from Shodan to Godan-and-a-Half

Waikato Kendo Association Grading (2009) Kendo Journey: A Travel Guide from Shodan to Godan-and-a-Half （中文） by Sam Tsai December 27, 2017 Those that know me should know that back in 1998, Marleen and I moved to Hamilton, New Zealand and ended up being the only two people that practiced kendo within the 100 kilometers radius. In the following year, the stars were aligned as we formed the Waikato Kendo Association and I found myself shouldering the responsibility of being a kendo instructor. Practicing kendo myself and teaching others how to do kendo are totally different things! About half a year after we established the dojo, Hsu Heng-Hsiung sensei , coach of Team Taiwan, led a delegation of more than 20 kenshi to come visit us in New Zealand. About a year after their visit, I was in Taiwan visiting sensei. The first thing he said to me was, “Tell me, what are you having trouble teaching?” I could not help myself but laugh out loud as I replied, “Coach you are wise

Waikato Kendo Club

Search This Blog