Waikato Kendo Club

Thanks to our young Japanese guest, Mark, for his calligraphy (Shodo 書道) gifts to Waikato members!   15 August 2013 Post by Waikato Kendo Association .

Welcome to our newest beginners who just joined us today! 21 September 2013 Getting ready ... Getting organised. Organising the name list. Group 1 - Kamae Group 1 - Footwork Grading Panel Group 1 - Kote Group 2 - Kamae Group 2 - Men Group 2 - Kote * Congratulations to our 2013B Beginners who have achieved 8th Kyu Kauri Tepana Ben Smith Jerry Jie Yang Xue Wen Joseph Maea Liam Mauch Sophie Laing Alicia Laing 7th Kyu Billy Maea Leon Lu Ko Phyo Santisha Clement Tangiwai Amopiu * Also, thanks to our senior members who came to help for serving the grading panel and giving feedback to the beginners.

 Updates from Ben, Tübingen Kendo 2013 - 13 July 2013 - Hello Sam and Marleen, another semester's beginners course has come to an end, and I want to write to you and let you know how it went. Up until now our beginners course has been done in an 'everyone for themselves' style: you needed to buy your things yourself (and people often bought the wrong things), no one really talked to you, there were no emails or get-togethers. Normally only 2 to 3 people stayed, and sometimes none. This semester (my second time as trainer, this time alone) I tried to do things like how I remember them from my time at Waikato: I made lists, wrote emails, provided lots of information, organised and ordered all the materials (shinai, gi+hakama etc.), and generally tried to be very professional. I also concentrated more on doing the training with kindness and humour, instead of only concentrating on the kendo, keeping in mind that kendo is hard at the beginning (and mi...

It's always nice and warm to know your updates. Please keep in touch, All Waikato members, no matter where you are!   - 8 November 2012 - Hello Sam and Marleen  Do you remember me, a tall guy who started Kendo in your dojo? I've been training in Tübingen the last year, and now I am teaching the beginners course.  I try to remember everything you taught me, and I try to be as nice to the beginners as you were to us.  Here is a little video from the 3rd training we have had.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q82rQT7bDOI Lots of love Ben

I think here are some important points for our members regarding Do-cut: 1. In uchikomi-geigo , the issoku-itto-no-ma-ai of Do (kihon) generally is shorter than Men's ma-ai . However, it important to remember both Do and Men cuts have their first part almost identical e.g. toward to the centre. 2. While most of us can perform te-no-uchi when strike Men, it is crucial to also have te-no-uchi in the Do striking. This is closely related to the striking power and how you perform the following zan-shin . 3. The application of footwork such as the following up of left foot (both timing and distance) and the stability of waist is important to have your distance controlled.  4. In terms of seme , gently pushing opponent's shinai to get the centre line or to disturb her/his kamae is a common technique. However, it is also important that you don't destroy your own kamae while you are keen or focus to get what you want. 5. Point 4 also leads to the concept of Ke...

Original post on our club's previous forum Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 9:45 am Post subject: 8th Kyu Grading (for Gi & Hakama) * * *  It's our club's tradition that beginners should pass 8th Kyu grading before putting on Gi & Hakama (the Kendo cloth & skirt). Normally after 2 months learning and training, all beginners are expected to perform Suburi well. This is the first grading for our beginners. The items in the 8th Kyu grading will include: 1. Kamae 2. Footwork : forward-backward, right-left, and diagonally.   suburi : The act of swinging the shinai up and down vertically or diagonally. 3. Joge-buri : vertically 4. naname-suburi : diagonally kukan-datotsu : Image an opponent in space, and strike the targets. 5. Men 6. Kote 7. Do 8. Side Men 9. Kote-Men 10. Kote-Do That's all and please don't worry too much. Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 3:58 pm    Post subject: What virtues do the hakama pleats represent? * * *  ...

Kendo's Gruelling Challenge (original English narration) Watching the video, I was impressed by the dedication of Kendo participants. It is clear Kendo has a formidable learning curve, but one in which height is no advantage, age no barrier. It is all about patience and experience. To be in command of one’s emotion is to open one’s mind, to be in control. Only when the mind, body and sword are united as one can you master your strike. While it was really sad when Koji died, I was impressed by Kenichi Ishida Sensei , and his dedication to the competition, and desire to succeed for his son’s sake, as much as his own. It made me think, particularly when he reached the written exam, just how much work I have to do. Kenichi Ishida Sensei and Kai Miyamoto Sensei’s journey’s made me think of my own challenges and weaknesses, and how I want to address them. As an over-weight smoker, I am nothing like the young man I once was, and while I cannot turn back the clock, I hope Kendo w...