Skip to main content

Chris - Kendo and Me


“SHOGAN” a program in the late seventies which hooked me on the Japanese ethos of the period and sparked my interest for my martial arts passion was then born “BUSHIDO” the way of the warrior.

After many years participating in several different full contact arts the path has lead me to KENDO” and after an interest in “KENJUTSU” or the art of the sword it was a natural step. A quick search on the internet and I found “WAIKATO KENDO ASSOCIATION” venue at the university basket ball hall gate 4, “Great!” nice and close to home, I turned up and used proper DOJO etiquette and was welcomed in.

After a hello and handshake with Sensai Sam Tasi and a few after club members I took a seat to watch. After years of playing hard and a few major motorcycles accidents in life as motorcycling is my other passion, this art still gives me a good work out and is easy on my worn joints this is great.

After 8 months of being part of the Waikato Kendo Association family I am enjoying every minute spent surrounded with a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm the club has. After 3 months of wearing the full “BOGU” or body amour I feel at home, with great camaraderie amongst the club mates and interaction with the young ones, it gives me good self pride to be part of this great club.

Being a contact sport the rush of full contact “SHANAI ON SHANAI” “ DO ON DO” is where its at for me and watching Sensei Sam, Sensei Marleen and other senior club members move, strike and Ki-ai with the passion they do this is the goal for me.

So if you are interested in a art that will give you good cardio, flexibility and good old fashion discipline and a great way to shake off everyday life then try it! This is my beginning of a road long and winding and with a good friend and a great club I look forward to the next time we gather to put on our “BOGU” and dance.


Thanks Chris

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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 whole other d

Kendo Journey: A "Travel Guide" from Shodan to Godan-and-a-Half

Waikato Kendo Association Grading (2009)   Kendo Journey: A Travel Guide from Shodan to Godan-and-a-Half ( 中文 ) by Sam Tsai December 27, 2017 Those that know me should know that back in 1998, Marleen and I moved to Hamilton, New Zealand and ended up being the only two people that practiced kendo within the 100 kilometers radius. In the following year, the stars were aligned as we formed the Waikato Kendo Association and I found myself shouldering the responsibility of being a kendo instructor. Practicing kendo myself and teaching others how to do kendo are totally different things! About half a year after we established the dojo, Hsu Heng-Hsiung sensei , coach of Team Taiwan, led a delegation of more than 20 kenshi to come visit us in New Zealand. About a year after their visit, I was in Taiwan visiting sensei. The first thing he said to me was, “Tell me, what are you having trouble teaching?” I could not help myself but laugh out loud as I replied, “Coach you are wise

Starting your kendo journey in 2024

You are warmly invited to join us and  start your New Year resolutions as a  Modern Samurai .  --- Information for Year 2024 Beginners --- Little Samurai Class (age under 14): 1.30 - 2.30pm, Saturdays  Beginners Class (age 14 and above): 2.30 - 3.30pm, Saturdays Intermediate and Advanced Class : 3.30 - 6.00pm, Saturdays Starting Dates: Class A: Saturday 10 February Class B: Saturday 9 March  Class C: Saturday 4 May  Class D: Saturday 27 July Join our  Beginners Facebook Group  now to get updates. Course Information: No previous experience required. Regardless of gender,  ages from 6 to 60  are all welcome. First lesson  is your Free trial. Fees:  Kids and School students: 50.00 per month Tertiary students and adults: 80.00 per month Family discounts : the 2nd family member is 50%OFF, and from the 3rd one is free. Learning Objectives:  By the end of the course,  you will be ready to put on Bogu (armour)  and start your Kendo journey as a modern Samurai! Venue: School of Education (SOE