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From French Team's training video

Hope to share some e-mails inside of our dojo members:


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Marleen
Date: Tue, Mar 31, 2009
Subject: [waikato-kendo] French team's training



Dear Teams,

The file is about French team's intensive training news for 2009 World Champs.

http://videos.tf1.fr/video/news/0,,4323220,00-serie-arts-martiaux-le-kendo-.html


You can see there is not much different between our and their training ^^

It tells us the very important element of Kendo is still TRAINING.

Through training, you will experience different stage of mentality then you learned and improved.

That's we say: through technique training to cultivate your mind ^^

Make sure, you stay in Kendo longer then your expectation.

See you this evening
Marleen ^^



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sam
Date: Tue, Mar 31, 2009


Dear All,

As some of you know that I started my Yoga journey about one and half years ago in Taiwan.

I would like to share my Yoga learning experience with you.

My flexibility actually does not have any dramatically improvement. I am still having the "same body".

However, my Kendo experience makes me understand how important the patience is when we are learning things. Getting rid of the "rush mind" is very important.

Just think how our normal mind is. We are always think how to improve our efficiency, how to do things quicker, how to learn more ... ...

There is nothing wrong to improve ourselves and do things more effectively.

But just sometimes, "slower is faster" especially when we are dealing with our lives.

"Wait for our body to catch up" is a common suggestion in Yoga.

Of course, I believe you know already that it does not mean a "passive waiting" which means do nothing.

It is an active waiting just like we plant plants in garden. After we have done whatever we need to do, the only thing left is waiting. Kendo is very similar like this. Our "life" is also like this!

* * *

I am thinking recently that if I don't have the long experience in Kendo, I would stop my Yoga now. The main reason is that I don't feel I have much "improvement (physically)". However, my Kendo experience teaches me that I even don't need to have patience, I just make it becomes parts of my life.

I won't do Yoga when I need to return to NZ. I could not do Yoga when the university is really busy. I also could not do Yoga when the THU university Kendo club needs me to be there. However, I am trying my best to keep my Yoga training regularly to let the "change" happen naturally.

* * *

The reason I share this with you is because Yoga is new to me and Kendo is new to you. Kendo is already a part of my life style. Now, I am making Yoga a new part of my life. This requires long-term efforts.

After I watched the France Kendo Team, again, like Marleen said that we are in the right track. Only we have stayed in Kendo long enough, we won't understand what it really means to us.

Inoue sensei said that many people come to Kendo and hope to get some inspiration from Kendo. However, sensei emphasised that without commitment (both physically and mentally) to Kendo, we won't appreciate what Kendo is.


In Yoga, I am a newcomer. This experience helps me understand better about your situation. What I have said is what I do have in my mind.

Kendo makes me feel very good about my life. I sincerely hope this will happen to you, too.


Kind regards,
Sam
From Taiwan



Ps. One our my students in THU Kendo Club noted down my two lessons there in Chinese:

2009-03-17
http://www.wretch.cc/blog/chaiing/22617336

2009-03-10
http://www.wretch.cc/blog/chaiing/22561338

If you read Chinese, you are welcome to have a look. :)


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: mark
Date: Tue, Mar 31, 2009


Hello Marlene Sensei. Thank you for the very cool link. I do not speak French, but you can still recognise the terms used by the Kendoka and really enjoyed wathcing them training very much like us - Kendo is truly a international sport! I am looking forward to training this evening!

Kind regards, Mark.



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Douglas
Date: Wed, Apr 1, 2009 at 5:21 PM


Wanshang hau Tsai Sensei,
Good to hear from you, especially regarding your yoga Journey :) TRUE, I can see how there are many of parallels between yoga and kendo,as they are both life-long pursuits.
As a SENIOR kendoka (not meaning Sempai, I mean OLDER person) I can appreciate life long pursuits, I should have started my kendo 40 years ago. Never mind Sensei it's no use crying over what never was, but to appreciate what we have at present.
As we get older and go through life I'm finding it's the journey that's important, more than the destination. By the way, I am greatly enjoying my kendo!!!!
I think finally after 2 years I am starting to understand things a bit more now, especially after giving new kohai the WRONG advice:( how embarrasing I don't think Marleen Sensei was very happy.
Anyway my friend it's good Sensei Marleen and joyce are going to Taiwan to be reunited with husband and daddy again:) Families should not be apart!!! We all look forward to seeing you back HOME in New Zealand really soon.
zaijian Douglas



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Marleen Charng
Date: Wed, Apr 1, 2009



Dear Mark,

I bet, you must get involved in family commitment, last evening.

We had a Japanese boy (10 years old, 3rd Kyu) and Uni girl (21 years old, 2nd Dan) visited us.

They have done really well.

Anyway, don't worry, I believe Clement and David will share what they have seen and experienced with you ^^

Cheers
Marleen ^^

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: david woodcock
Date: Wed, Apr 1, 2009


Yes, dear Mark,

it was very interesting to witness the young lady and talented [i think] young boy in action.
I had the benefit of Marleen sensei pointing out to me that the two young people had very straight and direct styles [which she also shared with the class]. I learnt that it is is important to work towards controlling the centre throughout your kendo journey until at least san-dan, rather than going for, or experimenting with, unusual strikes from different angles. I am reminded of Sensei Sam's recent lesson about sen and seme.

Our other new benefit from training with our Japanese friends was the speed at which we deliver our strikes in repetitive training [shomen-uchi ? etc - I apologise for not remembering the correct terminology]. The faster rhythm is quite invigorating and one must concentrate on perfecting technique to master the "snap".
Even though I had a terrible blowout when putting on men, and was told I looked like a chicken during fumikomi training, it was a highly educational session.

I hope you are well and look forward to seeing you [and Alba and Daniel] soon.
:-)
David

p.s. Has anyone found a really good site for translating our names into Kanji yet?

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