Visit of Chou Sensei (8th Dan Hanshi)
Notes taken by Sam Tsai.
Original message can be found at Club's Forum HERE.
There is only start of Kendo Journey but no end of it. ~ Chou Sensei

Tuesday 17 January 2006
  To share with those who could not come tonight or need to leave earlier, what Sensei Chou's lesson after the training were:
  1. Kendo starts from Rei (manner) and finishes with Rei. If there is no Rei in your Kendo, no matter how strong your Kendo technique is, it still means nothing.
  2. In terms of physical techniques, footwork should take 70% of importance while hand/arm only take another 30%. So, paying enough attention to footwork is essential to improve our Kendo.
  Particularly, after strike, we should follow up our left foot quicker.
  3. When you feel "proud" about your Kendo, then it is the time your Kendo starts to decline. Keep humble and keep studying and training in Kendo is very important.
  -- Sam's note here: what sensei does not want us to have is "over-proud" or to think our Kendo is "good enough" and then stop learning. Please don't get it confused with "no confidence".
  4. Sensei appreciates "the training we gave him" tonight. He thinks that we were all doing well tonight.
  -- Sam's note again: Reflecting what he just said, I think that he is the role model of a humble leaner, which we all should learn from him.
  5. Sensei also said that we don't need to worry about "being hit" during keiko but we need to focus and stick on kihon (basics). People might be able hit you at the beginning. However, after a while, people won't be so easy to hit you any more. That means you have improved in the right Kendo ways, rather than developing some other bad or wrong movements to prevent "being hit".
  My main personal reflection for the keiko with sensei is that we all need to keep our training regularly. I remember Kai once quoted his sensei's word that if we do not hold shinai for one day, our Kendo level drops two days back. I am amazed that sensei is still doing 7 days training among 3 dojos in Taiwan. He must feel boring here.
  I think it is impossible for us to open dojo everyday here now (it should be our long term goal!). And sometimes we are busy with work or study. However, it would be still very helpful for us to remember to pick up shinai and do some suburi at home.
  I know I have said for many times that Kendo is a life-long activity but I am too young to demonstrate this. I believe that we were all inspired and encouraged by him. To share a personal "funny" feeling about myself, probably because I have been surrounding by many young people like you for a while. Sometimes I feel I am a little bit older than before. Therefore, I felt very good and very refreshing when I did keiko with Chou sensei. From now on, I will NEVER feel I am an old person.
 

I sincerely wish all of us that we will continue our Kendo training until we are at least 85 years old. That means beside of Kendo techniques, we all need to take good care of our bodies!

  Kind regards, Sam
Sunday 29 January 2006
  Dear All,
  I feel sorry to inform you that Chou sensei did not feel well after the six days intensive tour in the South Island and has changed the flight to today (30 January).
  He said the view is very beautiful but it was too long for him to stay in the car. And, don't worry, he still has good health. There are 4 Japanese sensei (one 8th Dan and three 7th Dan) are waiting for his return to visit Taiwan. He apologies that he need to go back to Taiwan ealier than his original plan.
  I just visited him saying Good-Bye and presented the Birthday card (84 years old) and a small gift to him. He is pleased by the card you signed for him. He hopes that I can pass his appreciation to you.
  The sensei emphasised few things to me and I would like to share them with you.
  1. As an instructor, I should always pay attention on the safety and healthy issues. For example, I should ask members check shinai regularly and don’t ignore the warming up and cooling down.
  2. The meaning for benevolence (Jin) is “two people”. Although Kendo training is very important, exciting and attractive, I should remind members/students that do not let Kendo interfere with their work, study or health. The more important thing is to be patient, that is, having long-term and regular training; rather than expect a result or big progress in a short time and do “over intensive” training to damage body or work (career or study) - relating to the next point.
  3. Be patient. Too rush to put on bogu has no advantage at all. Without good basics (kihon), just put on bogu won’t improve one’s Kendo level. Similarly, after put on bogu, we still need to work on improving our basics (kihon). It is an endless effort. Just “know” the theory doe not equal to “understand” the theory. In order to understand, we need training. This is easy to say but difficult to do, particularly the progress in Kendo keiko (training) could be very slow in some stages.
  Another example, before we can manage Men cut well, it is helpless to work on Kote or Do cut. Regarding learning of waza (technique), assuring each step of learning is important. Without sound foundation, the building won’t be high. It takes patience (time and effort) when building the foundation. Focus on kihon.
  4. Footwork is very important. Sensei emphasised again the theory of “Ichi-gan Ni-soku San-tan Shi-riki” (1st-eyes, 2nd-footwork, 3rd-courage (or bravery), 4th-power (or force). The left foot and left hand are the key of improving our Kendo levels.
  5. When strike MEN, do not “pull back or up” our left hand. Also, when doing te-no-uchi does not let our right elbow lower than our shoulder and then lift it up again. Body should keep square and not controlled by right hand. (I will show you when we meet. It is difficult to write here.)
  6. Sensei hopes that he can meet some of you in Taiwan someday. He invites us to train at his dojo.
  Those are the main ideas sensei hopes that I should do or pass to you.
  One feedback for my personal Kendo technique is that I use too much right arm and shoulder. It reduces my speed of striking. I should relax my right arm more and rely on my left arm more. Also, that will help my te-no-uchi and increase my speed and power of cutting. – Does this sound familiar to you? I hope you now understand better about what I invite you about “climbing the Kendo mountain together.”
  Happy Chinese New Year!
Sam
 
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