Nicole's Kendo diary on 2 March 2016

Waikato University starts this week,

welcome many of you coming back to NZ to continue your study and Kendo journey.

Let's have another great year together!

* * *

I think I'm gonna call this Kendo diary now... (by Nicole)

Wednesday 2/03/2016:

Firstly, we need to welcome our returning students back to training.

Looking forward to train with you boys and girls throughout this year. This also means we will be having new blood coming into our club as the new beginner's class is going to start this weekend. You'll be Senpai from now on, fighto!

There's a change of training menu for our regulars for this year. While we are still doing the Kihon, Waza and Shiai training, we are also shifting our focus on stretching exercise to strengthen our muscle and footwork exercise to improve our agility so that we can perform better when we are doing Kendo. For example we were doing zigzag tsuri-ashi through uneven spaces to train us for being able to move rapidly and change direction quickly with our waist. The hardest part was to keep your upper body straight and steady as you are moving in a zigzag manner. We were training with different types exercise every week with the same principles. Thanks to our Captain Kai Yoshitani, we were having so much fun doing them.

Since we have returning students, us beginners were focusing on the Kihon training on one side of the dojo to refresh our memory and strengthening our foundation so we can look "handsome and beautiful" when the new beginner's class start.

On the other side of the dojo, Senpais were practicing waza and how to execute them in practice shiai. Thanks to our guest - Erina San, our senpais were able to training with someone really skillful and gained some good shiai experience. Beginners were able to witness some amazing shiai and see how cool we can be in the future if we keep training!

P.S. After training, another one of our guest - Moena San mentioned she was impressed by our Kendo club, mainly by the friendly atmosphere of our club. She also felt the Kendo we were doing was beautiful Kendo. To received compliment from someone who have done Kendo since primary school, I felt very honoured!

Comments

How do you practice seme?

Kobayashi Hideo Sensei – How to Seme (w/English CC) 小林英雄先生 - 攻め方 How do you practice S eme ? Very early on, I have heard of the “Three Opportunities to Strike”: strike when your opponent’s technique is about to start, strike when your opponent’s technique ends, and when the opponent is mentally and physically depleted. Since then, this line of thinking has given me a direction in how to train. In 2017, Utsunomiya sensei, 7-dan kyoshi, came to visit us and taught me the concept of “okori”. That reminds me of the conversation that happened 8 years before that in 2009 with Morioka sensei, also 7-dan kyoshi, who asked me: “What is the timing or reason of your strike?” I think most people are familiar with the idea that you should “ seme then strike ”. However, when do you strike after seme has been a source of struggle for most kenyu. That’s why when I saw the video from Kobayashi Hanshi where you seme for the purposes of creating “okori” , I felt this added a whol...

Kendo Dōjo basic etiquette & commands for beginner & kyu grades

Kendo Dōjo basic etiquette & commands for beginner & kyu grades Thanks to Janet for organising this article. When entering & leaving the Dōjo （道場, training hall）, we need to bow respectfully from the waist, first towards the direction of Joseki （上席）, in our case this is the Waikato Kendo Club WKC banner. (But in Japanese dōjo there is often a Kamiza （上座） with a small Shinto shrine or altar displayed with religious significance). And then bow towards Sensei & Senpai on your way in before neatly organising your belongings on the side & getting ready quietly. At beginning of each Keiko（稽古）, Sensei（先生）or Senpai（先輩） will say: Line up - Seiretsu （整列） : We will need to quickly find our position along a horizontal line facing Sensei (in the middle) in order of our experience/ rank with Senpai (Seniors) on the right and Kōhai (Juniors, 後輩 ) & Shoshinsha (Beginners, 初心者 ) on the left. Standing straight facing the front, holding Shinai firmly...

Day 1 Kendo Beginners – FAQ

What is Kendo? Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art based on traditional swordsmanship. It is both physical training and a cultural practice , emphasising discipline, respect, etiquette, and personal development alongside technique. Do I need previous martial arts or sports experience? No. Kendo beginners start from the very basics, and no prior experience is required. Am I fit enough to start Kendo? Yes. You do not need a high fitness level to begin. Training intensity increases gradually and improves fitness over time. What should I wear to my first class? Please wear comfortable sports clothing such as a T‑shirt and track pants or shorts. Training is done barefoot. Do I need to buy equipment before starting? No. All beginner equipment is provided. Your instructor will advise you later if and when equipment purchase is needed. What will I learn in the beginner class? Beginners learn etiquette, posture, footwork, shinai handling, ...

Waikato Kendo Club

Search This Blog