2005 Beginners' 8th Kyu Grading
Clive:
I have always loved swords and sword fighting. My favorite movies usually
include a good dose of swordsmanship. This is what originally attracted me
to Kendo.
What
I have really fallen in love with in Kendo hasn’t
actually been the ‘movements’ but the philosophy behind the
movements. I love seeing the practical applications behind the art of Kendo.
Two Examples of this would be:
1.
The first Kata that we saw during the Saturday demonstration… where
at first you kill the evil man, and then you chop his hand off, then you
push his sword away as a warning. This shows me that as I grow to be a better
fighter & a wiser person, I will be more compassionate.
2. One of the philosophies in Kendo is to strike first.
I like how you (Sam) applied this to our everyday habits. That I should be
the first to arrive to work, etc. etc. The idea of taking initiative.
I
am not the most patient of individuals, but I have actually enjoyed the
slow process of getting the basics right. What I admire about
this Japanese martial art is that it is indeed an art. When you kill, you
must do it perfectly, with style.
This dedication to perfection is helping my patience and training me to focus
more on excellence in the little things that I do.
Having to stare into others eyes has been quite stretching. However, I have
found that as I do it more, I am becoming more confident with people
in everyday situations. I still have far to go, but I have enjoyed this
stretching process.
Another
stretch for me is getting my call to be respectable. I suppose as Westerners
we are not used to making a big noise. I think that this really helps with
focus and confidence.
Thank you Sam for investing so much time into us. It is
appreciated!