There was a period when I was getting pretty frustrated with my kendo and how badly I was doing at... well, everything. I feel like I'm getting better now, though; I have a better grasp of how to move with armor on, I feel like I can get one or two hits in in sparring practice, and I think I'm starting to understand the basics.
On the other hand, there's this blog. I originally wanted to chronicle my growth in kendo and remind myself of what I was doing in each class, but the blog ended up becoming a burden and a distraction... not to mention a dead albatross around my neck. I ended up just sitting down and thinking about all of the mistakes I'd made rather than what I'd accomplished.
So, if you've been waiting for a post -- sorry!
The reason I'm making this one is that I have an exam coming up -- ikkyuu, or first kyuu. Kendo rankings generally run from sixth kyuu to first kyuu, and then from first dan to eighth dan. It doesn't sound as fancy as it looks, though; first kyuu is the first rank that really means anything in the kendo world, and then, it doesn't mean much at all... just that you attended practice and paid attention for a little while.
Seriously. The lower kyuus aren't even graded or really recognized by the kendo federation; they're awarded by each dojo. They're given to help people feel that they've progressed (something I can certainly understand!) -- knowing how to sit, hold the shinai properly, walk properly, dress properly...
Ikkyuu is, I guess, a grade that shows that you're learning how to practice properly. Even though first dan is regarded in the US as "black belt", in Japan, first dan just means you're serious about wanting to learn. Third dan is where most people stop; serious kenshi are around fifth dan. Seventh dan is really, really hard, and the test for eighth dan is supposed to be one of the hardest tests in the world. National Geographic even did a special about it at one point.
My first kyuu test is in two and a half weeks or so -- I'm really nervous about it. Even though it's such a minor ranking, it's my first real step into the world of kendo.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Kendo XVIII -- Steam Man
No relation to the animated film Steam Boy, though.
Today, after a very intense practice, after I took off my men, steam was rising from my head for a while and the kids couldn't resist poking fun at it. The dojo was very cool and I was very hot, hence the steam.
Practice started with kata review. Kendo has seven basic kata using a wooden katana, or bokuto. Each kata has two halves; the uchidachi's (teacher) and shidachi's (student). I know the shidachi's halves better for obvious reasons, though I'm able to do the uchidachi for the earlier ones. I've been taught the first five kata.
Since we had an odd number of students today, my partner was sensei. I always like having him for a partner; he's a great example and partnering with him somehow makes me more confident in my own abilities.
Some of the things I say after this may not make a lot of sense; I need to remind myself that this blog is as much for me as it is for other people! Writing about this stuff helps me commit it to memory and also provides a way to look up things in the past.
The first kata is really interesting to me because it really forces you to consciously think about the basics of kendo (as I see them): grip, footwork, and distance. The uchidachi attacks the shidachi with a men strike, but the shidachi steps back and then forward, striking the uchidachi's men. As the uchidachi starts to draw back, the shidachi's sword remains ready as it draws down the center of the uchidachi's face before the shidachi steps forward, raising his bokuto to high guard.
One of my main problems (as I see them) with this kata is the flow from the strike to high guard. When sensei does the first kata as shidachi, I can "see" the meaning behind the movements... and though I feel like I understand the meaning, when I do it myself, there are herky-jerky pauses that upset the rhythm. Those pauses show up in a lot of my kata, actually... I don't practice them as much as I'd like to since I can't find anyone at the kendo club at school who knows them. Well, one guy knows them, but he hasn't been going lately...
A similar problem I have is in the fifth kata, where the shidachi deflects a men strike before dealing his own, then his sword traces a line down the middle of the uchidachi's face AS he moves his body to step back into high guard. I've been using my arms to draw the line, then stopping at the bottom of the uchidachi's face before going into high guard. It should all be one fluid motion, though. Sensei worked with me on this for a bit and I feel a little better, knowing what I should do and what to look out for.
I really, really love kata.
After kata, we lined up and I made the mistake of sitting down first and putting out my gear; I was fixated on getting everything on the ground properly and completely forgot about etiquette. Oops.
I felt pretty bad about that.
At this point, Tozuka-sensei came in.
Then we went into practice mode. My third practice in armor! Little did I know that it would be my roughest so far.
Practice began with kirikaeshi; a large men strike, a push back, then four diagonal men strikes while pacing forward followed by five diagonal men strikes pacing backward. Then, to cap it off, two large men strikes with a follow-through that leaves you behind the opponent. It's a basic exercise because it involves footwork, distance, and grip. You have to match yourself to your opponent's rhythm to make sure you stay within proper striking distance.
Until now, I've pretty much always been doing it with sensei, so I'm used to his rhythm and the distance his steps take. It was really jarring doing it with the kids -- sometimes I found myself way too close, and then when I tried to compensate, way too far.
I'm also not used to being uchidachi in kirikaeshi, so my footwork in walking backward/forward while parrying is really inconsistent. It's something I need to pay more attention to and work on.
After a few rounds of kirikaeshi with different people (including two with sensei), we changed modes and started jigeiko.
Jigeiko is Japanese for "run around screaming until you feel like you're going to die".
Not really, but it should be.
It's free practice; you and your opponent go at each other trying to make valid strikes, though nobody's keeping score. It's supposed to simulate an actual match without score and time constraints. Man, did my respect for the kids shoot up after jigeiko.
Not only did they seem to have boundless amounts of energy, but the strikes I used to think were slow and clumsy from the sidelines are pretty good face-to-face. I totally got my ass handed to me by a bunch of kids.
During jigeiko, since I only had the slightest idea of what I was trying to do, I just went for men all the time, which may have contributed to me getting hit a lot. I got whacked a few times in bad places -- the arm, my thigh, just above my chest armor, and once a shinai got under my men to whack me in the throat... This isn't to say I was perfect, either. I smashed a kid's fingers once. The same kid I smacked in the ribs last time, actually... I get the feeling he hates me now.
Jigeiko lasted about an hour and a half; we rotated consistently, changing partners. Tozuka-sensei went a lot easier on me than the kids; the kids just wailed on me constantly, while Tozuka-sensei gave me openings and let me go for them.
One of the things I had problems with at the beginning was the follow-through. I'm used to simple practice for men strikes where you strike, dash past, and then turn to prepare for another strike. In jigeiko, you can't really do that; or perhaps you can, but I'm not abl e to do it. It leaves you open for more strikes as you pass.
So I got in the habit of dashing in, striking, and stepping diagonally to the side while turning to prepare for another attack. Sensei really got me into that habit after my first jigeiko with him; he kept whacking me on every open spot I had as I ran past him. Now I see the power of a 7-dan...
Jigeiko was incredibly fun. Just incredibly tiring, too.
Not only was I running and swinging, but I tried to get a good kiai (shout) out with every swing as well. I was constantly breathless and tired; at one point I leaned against the wall to keep from falling over. Things that seemed a little hard at the beginning of practice suddenly seemed nigh impossible toward the end!
I guess this just shows how out of shape I really am... a problem that should remedy itself with more practice.
Speaking of more practice, practice at the dojo is canceled for this Saturday and next Tuesday as well. I can't practice at school, either, since club activities are closed because a set of big tests is coming up soon. No kendo for a week!
Maybe I can still use the school dojo and practice by myself or something... better than nothing.
Today, after a very intense practice, after I took off my men, steam was rising from my head for a while and the kids couldn't resist poking fun at it. The dojo was very cool and I was very hot, hence the steam.
Practice started with kata review. Kendo has seven basic kata using a wooden katana, or bokuto. Each kata has two halves; the uchidachi's (teacher) and shidachi's (student). I know the shidachi's halves better for obvious reasons, though I'm able to do the uchidachi for the earlier ones. I've been taught the first five kata.
Since we had an odd number of students today, my partner was sensei. I always like having him for a partner; he's a great example and partnering with him somehow makes me more confident in my own abilities.
Some of the things I say after this may not make a lot of sense; I need to remind myself that this blog is as much for me as it is for other people! Writing about this stuff helps me commit it to memory and also provides a way to look up things in the past.
The first kata is really interesting to me because it really forces you to consciously think about the basics of kendo (as I see them): grip, footwork, and distance. The uchidachi attacks the shidachi with a men strike, but the shidachi steps back and then forward, striking the uchidachi's men. As the uchidachi starts to draw back, the shidachi's sword remains ready as it draws down the center of the uchidachi's face before the shidachi steps forward, raising his bokuto to high guard.
One of my main problems (as I see them) with this kata is the flow from the strike to high guard. When sensei does the first kata as shidachi, I can "see" the meaning behind the movements... and though I feel like I understand the meaning, when I do it myself, there are herky-jerky pauses that upset the rhythm. Those pauses show up in a lot of my kata, actually... I don't practice them as much as I'd like to since I can't find anyone at the kendo club at school who knows them. Well, one guy knows them, but he hasn't been going lately...
A similar problem I have is in the fifth kata, where the shidachi deflects a men strike before dealing his own, then his sword traces a line down the middle of the uchidachi's face AS he moves his body to step back into high guard. I've been using my arms to draw the line, then stopping at the bottom of the uchidachi's face before going into high guard. It should all be one fluid motion, though. Sensei worked with me on this for a bit and I feel a little better, knowing what I should do and what to look out for.
I really, really love kata.
After kata, we lined up and I made the mistake of sitting down first and putting out my gear; I was fixated on getting everything on the ground properly and completely forgot about etiquette. Oops.
I felt pretty bad about that.
At this point, Tozuka-sensei came in.
Then we went into practice mode. My third practice in armor! Little did I know that it would be my roughest so far.
Practice began with kirikaeshi; a large men strike, a push back, then four diagonal men strikes while pacing forward followed by five diagonal men strikes pacing backward. Then, to cap it off, two large men strikes with a follow-through that leaves you behind the opponent. It's a basic exercise because it involves footwork, distance, and grip. You have to match yourself to your opponent's rhythm to make sure you stay within proper striking distance.
Until now, I've pretty much always been doing it with sensei, so I'm used to his rhythm and the distance his steps take. It was really jarring doing it with the kids -- sometimes I found myself way too close, and then when I tried to compensate, way too far.
I'm also not used to being uchidachi in kirikaeshi, so my footwork in walking backward/forward while parrying is really inconsistent. It's something I need to pay more attention to and work on.
After a few rounds of kirikaeshi with different people (including two with sensei), we changed modes and started jigeiko.
Jigeiko is Japanese for "run around screaming until you feel like you're going to die".
Not really, but it should be.
It's free practice; you and your opponent go at each other trying to make valid strikes, though nobody's keeping score. It's supposed to simulate an actual match without score and time constraints. Man, did my respect for the kids shoot up after jigeiko.
Not only did they seem to have boundless amounts of energy, but the strikes I used to think were slow and clumsy from the sidelines are pretty good face-to-face. I totally got my ass handed to me by a bunch of kids.
During jigeiko, since I only had the slightest idea of what I was trying to do, I just went for men all the time, which may have contributed to me getting hit a lot. I got whacked a few times in bad places -- the arm, my thigh, just above my chest armor, and once a shinai got under my men to whack me in the throat... This isn't to say I was perfect, either. I smashed a kid's fingers once. The same kid I smacked in the ribs last time, actually... I get the feeling he hates me now.
Jigeiko lasted about an hour and a half; we rotated consistently, changing partners. Tozuka-sensei went a lot easier on me than the kids; the kids just wailed on me constantly, while Tozuka-sensei gave me openings and let me go for them.
One of the things I had problems with at the beginning was the follow-through. I'm used to simple practice for men strikes where you strike, dash past, and then turn to prepare for another strike. In jigeiko, you can't really do that; or perhaps you can, but I'm not abl e to do it. It leaves you open for more strikes as you pass.
So I got in the habit of dashing in, striking, and stepping diagonally to the side while turning to prepare for another attack. Sensei really got me into that habit after my first jigeiko with him; he kept whacking me on every open spot I had as I ran past him. Now I see the power of a 7-dan...
Jigeiko was incredibly fun. Just incredibly tiring, too.
Not only was I running and swinging, but I tried to get a good kiai (shout) out with every swing as well. I was constantly breathless and tired; at one point I leaned against the wall to keep from falling over. Things that seemed a little hard at the beginning of practice suddenly seemed nigh impossible toward the end!
I guess this just shows how out of shape I really am... a problem that should remedy itself with more practice.
Speaking of more practice, practice at the dojo is canceled for this Saturday and next Tuesday as well. I can't practice at school, either, since club activities are closed because a set of big tests is coming up soon. No kendo for a week!
Maybe I can still use the school dojo and practice by myself or something... better than nothing.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Kendo XVII -- Hitting Children
My second time wearing armor.
It seems like my feelings about my kendo tend to go up and down with each practice session. Today was definitely a down.
I don't like hurting people; that's one of the reasons aikido appealed to me so much initially -- it promised the art without the violence. It seems odd that I would also be interested in kendo, which consists of hitting other people with bamboo swords... right?
Well, not quite. Kendo is one of the safest sports in the world; most injuries are self-inflicted from tripping or are some kind of bone/joint injury resulting from... tripping or swinging too much.
I should also say that I like kids. You know, in the grand scheme of things, there are a lot of things out there that are worse than kids. And in the grand scheme of things, there are a lot of people out there worse than kids. At least kids have the general excuse of youth and inexperience... which is also a point in their favor; they tend to be more honest about their feelings.
Well, today I felt kind of bad about my kendo because I was hitting kids... incorrectly.
In one case, the do strike, I kept missing his do entirely and hitting his ribs above the side of his do. I felt really, really bad about it, but I couldn't seem to get used to his height. Until now, I've only been practicing with sensei, who is slightly shorter than me, or other adults. Since I'm in armor, I'm supposed to practice with the kids, but it's definitely hard going -- they're all much, much shorter than I am!
I try to hold back the power on my men strikes, and I do, pretty successfully. The same on kote strikes. It's the do strikes that give me problems -- even before I put on bogu, I had pretty bad control over my do strikes.
So yeah, I walked out of today feeling like crap because I hurt a kid.
It seems like my feelings about my kendo tend to go up and down with each practice session. Today was definitely a down.
I don't like hurting people; that's one of the reasons aikido appealed to me so much initially -- it promised the art without the violence. It seems odd that I would also be interested in kendo, which consists of hitting other people with bamboo swords... right?
Well, not quite. Kendo is one of the safest sports in the world; most injuries are self-inflicted from tripping or are some kind of bone/joint injury resulting from... tripping or swinging too much.
I should also say that I like kids. You know, in the grand scheme of things, there are a lot of things out there that are worse than kids. And in the grand scheme of things, there are a lot of people out there worse than kids. At least kids have the general excuse of youth and inexperience... which is also a point in their favor; they tend to be more honest about their feelings.
Well, today I felt kind of bad about my kendo because I was hitting kids... incorrectly.
In one case, the do strike, I kept missing his do entirely and hitting his ribs above the side of his do. I felt really, really bad about it, but I couldn't seem to get used to his height. Until now, I've only been practicing with sensei, who is slightly shorter than me, or other adults. Since I'm in armor, I'm supposed to practice with the kids, but it's definitely hard going -- they're all much, much shorter than I am!
I try to hold back the power on my men strikes, and I do, pretty successfully. The same on kote strikes. It's the do strikes that give me problems -- even before I put on bogu, I had pretty bad control over my do strikes.
So yeah, I walked out of today feeling like crap because I hurt a kid.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Wearing Armor
I just wanted to add something to my thoughts about armor... so I can read this in the future and laugh at myself.
Miyasaka-sensei helped me put on his armor, then I walked out to the main room and went to sensei for approval. He smiled and nodded, then told me to go do it how I always do it. I was going to go, but Miyasaka-sensei stopped me and told me to go look in the mirror.
I really, really wanted to look in the mirror, but I'd been resisting up til then because I didn't want to look like a stupid little kid. Now that I had permission, though, it was another matter entirely! I couldn't help but grin while I walked to the mirror.
I finally looked like a real kenshi.
Miyasaka-sensei helped me put on his armor, then I walked out to the main room and went to sensei for approval. He smiled and nodded, then told me to go do it how I always do it. I was going to go, but Miyasaka-sensei stopped me and told me to go look in the mirror.
I really, really wanted to look in the mirror, but I'd been resisting up til then because I didn't want to look like a stupid little kid. Now that I had permission, though, it was another matter entirely! I couldn't help but grin while I walked to the mirror.
I finally looked like a real kenshi.
Iaido
The Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei (or All-Japan Kendo Federation) is the governing body of kendo in Japan. Since Japan is the source of things kendo, I suppose it's sort of the governing body of kendo for the world.
The Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei is somewhat unique in the fact that it actually governs three martial arts. For example, the Zen Nihon Judo Renmei governs only judo, and the other federations are basically the same. ZNKR actually governs kendo (using a bamboo sword), iaido (art of drawing/attacking/sheathing a steel blade), and jodo (using a wooden staff).
From what I gather, many, if not most high-ranking kendo sensei also have (high?) ranks in the other two arts as well. There are connections between all three because all three are kata budo, or martial arts that are practiced through set forms. Sensei teaches all three; I'm not terribly interested in jodo, though I think it looks nice... and I'm obviously interested in kendo.
I'm also very, very interested in iaido. Not only is it useful for kendo, but it combines several things that I like: elegance, kata, and tradition.
I also want to concentrate on kendo. I'm not used to being passable at any kind of sport, and I'd really like to be okay (at the least) at kendo. On the other hand, I'd love to do them both at the same time; I hear that one helps the other and vice versa. If that's true, then I'm all for it.
Sensei teaches kendo at my dojo three days a week; apparently he travels to other dojo in the area and teaches at those as well. I know he teaches jodo on Wednesday nights. What I don't know, however, is when and where he teaches iaido.
Today, between rounds of the tournament, he gave me his kodachi (short sword) and showed me how to draw and sheathe it. Of course, I couldn't do it, and we ran out of time, but he kept encouraging me. It seems like he's interested in teaching me iaido as well. I just don't know when or where... or if we're just going to start doing it after kendo every once in a while.
Whenever it is, I'm looking forward to it!
The Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei is somewhat unique in the fact that it actually governs three martial arts. For example, the Zen Nihon Judo Renmei governs only judo, and the other federations are basically the same. ZNKR actually governs kendo (using a bamboo sword), iaido (art of drawing/attacking/sheathing a steel blade), and jodo (using a wooden staff).
From what I gather, many, if not most high-ranking kendo sensei also have (high?) ranks in the other two arts as well. There are connections between all three because all three are kata budo, or martial arts that are practiced through set forms. Sensei teaches all three; I'm not terribly interested in jodo, though I think it looks nice... and I'm obviously interested in kendo.
I'm also very, very interested in iaido. Not only is it useful for kendo, but it combines several things that I like: elegance, kata, and tradition.
I also want to concentrate on kendo. I'm not used to being passable at any kind of sport, and I'd really like to be okay (at the least) at kendo. On the other hand, I'd love to do them both at the same time; I hear that one helps the other and vice versa. If that's true, then I'm all for it.
Sensei teaches kendo at my dojo three days a week; apparently he travels to other dojo in the area and teaches at those as well. I know he teaches jodo on Wednesday nights. What I don't know, however, is when and where he teaches iaido.
Today, between rounds of the tournament, he gave me his kodachi (short sword) and showed me how to draw and sheathe it. Of course, I couldn't do it, and we ran out of time, but he kept encouraging me. It seems like he's interested in teaching me iaido as well. I just don't know when or where... or if we're just going to start doing it after kendo every once in a while.
Whenever it is, I'm looking forward to it!
Kendo XVI -- Kendo Matsuri
Today was the kendo matsuri, an event that's held in the first half of November every year at the dojo. Former students come as well as current students. Older former students and associates who are dan-ranked referee the tournaments.
There was quite a turnout -- around 34 people in the tournaments, I think.
There were several tournaments; one for kids under fourth grade, one for kids in fourth grade, one for kids in fifth and sixth grades, and one for kids in seventh and eighth grades. Then there was an overall tournament that consisted of the first-place winners of each category.
It was a lot of fun to watch; I didn't participate for obvious reasons (age and inexperience). After the tournament, we had a big lunch that consisted of sushi and cookies. I also brought pigs-in-a-blanket that I'd made from scratch (except the sausages), though I vastly underestimated the number of people that would be there. I figured it would be good to triple the normal number and took 36, but there were parents, guests, and referees as well... oops. I was short by probably a good 20 or 30... oh well.
The people that did eat them loved them, though.
After people started leaving, I got to put on Miyasaka-sensei's bogu. It wasn't so bad until I put on the men; that was a lot heavier than I was expecting it to be. I guess that's good, since you don't really want your head caving in... and also, the most weight is probably from the mengane, or faceguard, which is metal.
Yeah, you don't want a stray shinai popping through your mengane and taking out an eye...
(You're gonna lose an eye!)
Keiko (as practice is called when you go one-on-one with an opponent also wearing armor) was fun and very tiring. A lot of people have said that the first time you wear bogu is depressing because you lose mobility and you feel different; I didn't have that problem at all.
If anything, I felt like I had more confidence because I didn't have to worry about a stray blow hurting a lot. I could charge in and attack without worrying about the opponent's shinai... and because we were both wearing armor, I didn't have to worry about body impacts either.
The worst problems for me were sight and sound. A lot of people complain about lack of peripheral vision when wearing men, but that doesn't bother me -- you're only fighting one person, so you only have to be able to see them. It forces you to remember the basics and face them properly.
Sight was a problem because I couldn't wear my glasses under the men. The new new glasses I have don't have enough of a hook behind my ear to stay on securely, so I couldn't wear them. Unfortunately, that meant I didn't really have any depth perception.
Sound was a problem because the men is made of thick, hard futon... which protects you and also absorbs sound. It was interesting in a way, because it reminded me what it was like to be on normal hearing aids back when I was in school. Not that it induced any kind of nostalgia at all; I like being able to hear.
The only strikes that hurt in the slightest were kote, and I was kind of expecting that since I'd had the experience at the middle school club.
All in all, it was a great experience... and now I now I should take a sports bottle with a really long straw so I can drink during practice if I need to, since you can't easily take off the men and you're not supposed to once you have it on.
Too bad all of the gear is so expensive or I'd buy my own set right away!
There was quite a turnout -- around 34 people in the tournaments, I think.
There were several tournaments; one for kids under fourth grade, one for kids in fourth grade, one for kids in fifth and sixth grades, and one for kids in seventh and eighth grades. Then there was an overall tournament that consisted of the first-place winners of each category.
It was a lot of fun to watch; I didn't participate for obvious reasons (age and inexperience). After the tournament, we had a big lunch that consisted of sushi and cookies. I also brought pigs-in-a-blanket that I'd made from scratch (except the sausages), though I vastly underestimated the number of people that would be there. I figured it would be good to triple the normal number and took 36, but there were parents, guests, and referees as well... oops. I was short by probably a good 20 or 30... oh well.
The people that did eat them loved them, though.
After people started leaving, I got to put on Miyasaka-sensei's bogu. It wasn't so bad until I put on the men; that was a lot heavier than I was expecting it to be. I guess that's good, since you don't really want your head caving in... and also, the most weight is probably from the mengane, or faceguard, which is metal.
Yeah, you don't want a stray shinai popping through your mengane and taking out an eye...
(You're gonna lose an eye!)
Keiko (as practice is called when you go one-on-one with an opponent also wearing armor) was fun and very tiring. A lot of people have said that the first time you wear bogu is depressing because you lose mobility and you feel different; I didn't have that problem at all.
If anything, I felt like I had more confidence because I didn't have to worry about a stray blow hurting a lot. I could charge in and attack without worrying about the opponent's shinai... and because we were both wearing armor, I didn't have to worry about body impacts either.
The worst problems for me were sight and sound. A lot of people complain about lack of peripheral vision when wearing men, but that doesn't bother me -- you're only fighting one person, so you only have to be able to see them. It forces you to remember the basics and face them properly.
Sight was a problem because I couldn't wear my glasses under the men. The new new glasses I have don't have enough of a hook behind my ear to stay on securely, so I couldn't wear them. Unfortunately, that meant I didn't really have any depth perception.
Sound was a problem because the men is made of thick, hard futon... which protects you and also absorbs sound. It was interesting in a way, because it reminded me what it was like to be on normal hearing aids back when I was in school. Not that it induced any kind of nostalgia at all; I like being able to hear.
The only strikes that hurt in the slightest were kote, and I was kind of expecting that since I'd had the experience at the middle school club.
All in all, it was a great experience... and now I now I should take a sports bottle with a really long straw so I can drink during practice if I need to, since you can't easily take off the men and you're not supposed to once you have it on.
Too bad all of the gear is so expensive or I'd buy my own set right away!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Some Notes
A few things I forgot.
The kid who started after me is really impatient to get into hakama... and today, he asked sensei about bogu, and sensei just laughed for a bit before telling him to hold his horses.
He still hasn't gotten into hakama. I totally know how he feels, and I try to help him sometimes, but I'm such a beginner myself that it doesn't feel right. Sometimes it seems like all he has to do is concentrate a bit more, but he's a kid.
I can see him getting better little by little, though.
It's been slightly over a month since I started kendo. Wow. I never would've realized that without this blog.
The kid who started after me is really impatient to get into hakama... and today, he asked sensei about bogu, and sensei just laughed for a bit before telling him to hold his horses.
He still hasn't gotten into hakama. I totally know how he feels, and I try to help him sometimes, but I'm such a beginner myself that it doesn't feel right. Sometimes it seems like all he has to do is concentrate a bit more, but he's a kid.
I can see him getting better little by little, though.
It's been slightly over a month since I started kendo. Wow. I never would've realized that without this blog.
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