Waikato Kendo Club

Hi Sam Over the last few months I have been focussing on trying to improve my stamping and my swing for big cuts. Jeffrey has told me that I tend to lift my right leg up rather that driving forward when I stamp; also that my stamping is not strong enough. As well as this, I have been trying to focus on not moving my left foot forward when I am about to stamp. So I'm trying to co-ordinate my left leg, my waist and my right knee to improve my stamping. The other day you gave me a really good technique to help ensure that I raise my shinai high enough before executing the cut: this is where you advised that we should swing our shinai forward when we see our left fist reach eye level. Generally, I think the problem is that I rush the cut so am not raising my shinai high enough. Whenever I train with Jeffrey he says "more stamping"; whenever I train with Leo he says "swing bigger", so one of my goals for the end of this year is for Jeffrey to say "nice stamping...

Hi Sam, the last few months at Kendo has been a challenging time both physically and mentally for me. The circle jumping suburi has been hard work as we go around it seems like the longest 5 minutes of exercise but when we finish it feels good!! I will defnitely be trying the method that you told us to use less power. Yesterday however I realised after doing Keiko how unfit I still am and sometimes wonder how I am going to keep up with these younger sempai who are progressing so very fast and are so nimble on their feet. I have realised how important the kihon basics are to kendo and am looking forward to trying to better these this year. In Kendo somedays I feel like I really am getting somewhere and other days I feel like I don't know anything and i have gone backwards. So Sam, I will keep trying to move forward! and to relax. I feel we are so lucky to have Jeffery, Marleen and Sam as teachers at different times as we get feedback from different perspectives. I think we have an e...

Dear Teachers and Club mates: To be honest, the Kendo training in this period deeply impact me in two ways: psychologically and physically. Before I start my kendo training, I had an introverted personality and always refused to communicate and exchange ideas with others. Furthermore, I often considered things in a negative way. However, I have changed since the first Teacher Sam’s lecture. Sam said: “In Kendo, we should be open. The open is not only for training our “气” and “技”，it is also a training for our mental power. Just like the brand of our club shown: ‘ 习技修心.’ .” From that time, I began to understand the spirit power is the indictor for all other things in our life. After that, I studied to think things in positive way and I also become more self-confident than before. Now I am sure I will be success because I believe in it and I never give up. In physical part, I have enhanced my coordination, balance and flexibility than before. When I was young, I always wanted to be a real...

Hello Sam sensei Here are my thoughts abouth Kendo: I think Kendo is a patience training. I look at sen sei(s) and some sen pais and I just feel I am so far far away from thier level. Yet, i know i've been improving, just that it is so slow that it's very anooying but there's nothing i can do about it. Enough with my complains. I have not got a lot of theories or understandings of Kendo at my level. I treat kendo as a sport, and I just want to do it well. Yeah, that's pretty much my goal for kendo now. I am happy that I've "upgraded" in the grading this time. Despite I think I am probably not up to 4th kyu but hey, since I am one now, all I have to do is to work and live up to it. I realise it will probably take me a long time to reach a non-beginer level but like the chinese proverb has said" drops of water over time can gradually penetrate the boulder." I will just have to be patient and keep coming to the trairing then. So~~thank you Sam and M...

Greetings Sensei's Sam and Marleen. After Saturdays Kendo grading I was very disappoined with my efforts, to the extent that I felt I didn't deserve to be advanced to 4th.kyu. When I recieved my first grading some months ago (6th kyu) I was excited, happy and proud that I had achieved something. Saturdays grading for me was atrocious !!! After all the times I /we have as a dojo executed proper maai, seme men, isoku i to no maai, waza, kirikaeshi, kote, men & do cuts as well as kata my mind just went blank. for example: Normal proceedures like kote cuts then moving to motodachi's left, or men cuts then moving to moodachi's right were totally lost on me. I ran into awatea nearly every time, Kendo kata I didn't know who was uchidachi and who was shidachi, I just waited for awatea to move then I did the opposite kata to him. Sensei Sam I needn't say more I know it you know it, I did a lousey job!!! So Iam very disappointed in myself just now. BBBUUUTTT to be po...

Well, I'm back in training. Carefully, of course. The bad news is that I wasn't able to completely note down what was taught today. So it'll be mostly from memory...and please tell me if I missed anything important. Haha. Training Schedule on Tuesday, 29 January 2008 Briefing Benji visited! With his girlfriend too. Certificates and DVDs from Saturday's grading are ready If you attended the grading and haven't sent the required reflection email, please do so to get your certificate. Warm up Normal -Break- Discussion Received certificates Anyone who graded and sent in the email but hasn't gotten their DVD can contact Omar to get theirs. Note: He doesn't actually have them...but you can ask anyway :D - Beginner's Cup 5th of February...that's next week, folks! (and right between my essay and assignment due-dates! Gah!) Anyone from any of the three 2007 beginner classes is eligible Register to Clement, and don't forget the $20 registration fee. Goodw...

Dear Sam, These past few trainings have been most humbling, Irealised the depth that Kendo has to offer. Thanks to Jeffrey Senpais guidance, I was able toslowly improve my cuts. We mostly practised thebasics, footwork, stamping and Kiri-Kaeshi. Yet heshowed me how much further I needed to go.I would like to use a quote that reflects my journeyin Kendo; "The more I learn, the more I realise, howmuch I don't know". Thanks to Jeffrey Senpai, Iunderstand how much I still need to work on mystrikes. Every time I practise my Men, Kote, Do cuts, I feel unsatisfied and compelled to further improve them.Ki-Ken-Tai-no-Ichi, Te-no-uchi, Following up of theleft leg, using big cuts, 30% back, 70% forward,40-80, 50-100 etc. This made me appreciate thechallenge of Kendo, to be committed to one self andcontinue to strive for perfection. In yesterdays grading, I was taught yet another lesson: teamwork. I realised I was too occupied on my strikes, stampsand kiai that I have forgotten to pr...