2005 Beginners' 8th Kyu Grading
Grahame:
For anyone who has watched 'The last samurai' as many times as I have,
they
would know what I mean when I say 'too many mind, mind to sword, mind to enemy,
mind to people watching'.
This made an impact on me. To be able to focus purely on
the task at hand and not be distracted by the goings on around you, is not
one of my greatest virtues. Besides music and my bass guitar, find it hard
to stay focused on anything.
Before
we began our grading on Tuesday night, I felt confident enough in myself
to be able to follow the instructions
given. By the time
we were lined up ready to give our all, my mind had left my shinai and
kamae. I was worried about hitting the guy beside me, tripping over because
my feet
would not slide, or forgetting how to count, and what if my body isn't
positioned correctly during and after each move and so on. I don't know
if it’s
my nerves creating these thoughts or my thoughts creating nervousness.
Either way, I lost my focus.
Can kendo help me with this? I believe
its up to me. I have to be willing to
give my all in order to reap the rewards. I wish to become a better person,
not that I was ever bad, but we can always improve on who we are. For example,
I
have always been a tidy person around my home, but since I started kendo about
6 weeks ago, or so, I have become extremely fussy. Its also making me question
my employment, because the company I work for have very little respect for
their employees which often makes it an unpleasant work place. Who knows,
maybe this
will teach me patience.
Kendo is a life changing experience not only for me, but
for my family as
well.
If all political leaders of the world
were to study the art of kendo and its history whole-heartedly, there is
no doubt in my mind, the world would be a better place.