Memphis Kendo Club

2012 AUSKF/SEUSKF Dues

2012-01-10T10:25:00.002-06:00

2012 AUSKF/SEUSKF Dues ---

Beginning this year, ALL Memphis Kendo Club members are REQUIRED to join AUSKF/SEUSKF.

For 2012, dues are:
$70 -- 18 yrs old and above
$50 -- 17 yrs old and below

DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22nd

CHECKS PAYABLE TO ***MEMPHIS KENDO CLUB***
Please submit your payment to Yasuda-sensei.
Also be sure to include YOUR NAME, YOUR DATE OF BIRTH, and YOUR CURRENT RANK (if any).

Be advised that you will also be required to sign an AUSKF/SEUSKF waiver of liability form at the same time you submit your payment to Yasuda-sensei.
**FORMS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU IN CLASS**

2011 Holiday Practice Schedule

2011-12-09T09:34:00.002-06:00

There will be NO practice on the following dates during the holidays:

Saturday, December 24
Monday, December 26
Saturday, December 31

Club Christmas Party

2011-12-01T09:06:00.002-06:00

The club Christmas party will be tomorrow (Friday) evening, December 2nd..

TIME: 7pm to 9:30pm

VENUE:
2013 Bartlett Road
Memphis, TN 38134

Contact ph# if you get lost or need directions: 901 220 7571

HOST: Robert Wilkins

** We're trying to arrange some sushi for the event, BUT DO NOT COUNT ON IT...
Highly recommend you bring a small dish of sorts... Sodas will be provided... otherwise, bring your own beverage...

New Members joining Memphis Kendo

2011-10-27T14:14:00.000-05:00

After discussion among the Memphis Kendo Club instructors, it has been decided that, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, the club will only be accepting new members the first Wednesday of the following months:

December (2011)
February (2012)
April
June
August
October
December

This info will be cross-posted to the Club FAQ.

22nd SEUSKF Tournament and Testing results

2011-10-23T16:49:00.000-05:00

Unofficial results from the 22nd SEUSKF Tournament/Testing held in Murfreesboro, TN:

Shinsa:
William Thornton-Leonard, 2.dan
Lysa Walterhouse, 1.dan
Shinnosuke Taniguchi, 1.dan
Justin Reh, 1.dan
Hiro Inaba, 3.kyu
Lance Wright, 4.kyu
Keita Inaba, 4.kyu

Taikai (169 Participants at this year's event):
Pat Register - Kanto Sho (Senior Division)
William Thornton-Leonard - 3rd Place (Youth B Division)
Shinn Taniguchi - 3rd Place (Youth C Division)
Justin Reh - 3rd Place (Mudansha Division)

KENDO DEMO ~ THIS SATURDAY, AUG 20

2011-08-17T10:12:00.000-05:00

Memphis Kendo Club has been invited to put on a kendo demonstration at the Germantown International Festival THIS SATURDAY, AUG 20 from 3:30 to 3:45pm.

If you are able to participate in this event, please contact Yasuda-sensei as soon as possible to let him know.

Venue:
Germantown Baptist Church
9450 Poplar Avenue
Germantown, TN 38139

Congrats to MKC Members at the AUSKF Nationals!

2011-08-15T08:53:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, several members of the Memphis Kendo Club competed at the All-U.S. Kendo Federation (AUSKF) National Championships in Atlanta.

Yuki Kasuya took 2nd place in the Senior Youth Division (Boys)
Masumi Kamimura took 2nd place in the Senior Youth Division (Girls)
Walter White took the Fighting Spirit award in the Senior Division

Related news...
The SEUSKF Women's Team took 3rd place in the Team Division (Women)
The SEUSKF Men's Team tied for 4th place in the Team Division (Men)
Shinobu Maeda-sensei took 2nd place in the Senior Division
Michio Kajitani-sensei (Little Rock, SWKIF) took 1st place in the Senior Division

Congrats to all!

MKC at 1st Atlanta Taikai

2011-05-31T10:42:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to the group of Yuki Kasuya, Masumi Kamimura, Warren Oster, Shinn Taniguchi, and William Thornton-Leonard at the Inaugural (that's 1st) Atlanta Taikai over the Memorial Day weekend.

Competing as a 5-man team (senpo Taniguchi, jiho Thornton, chuken Kamimura, fukusho Kasuya, and taisho Oster), the group had a very tough draw in the brackets. The team completely swept the Atlanta Kendo Kai's C Team with 5 victories, 2 pts each, but were defeated in the next round by eventual 3rd place finisher, a very physically large GKA-B team.

In the individual divisions, Yuki Kasuya took 1st place in the Sr Youth division and 3rd place in the 3.dan+ division. Masumi Kamimura took 3rd place in the Women's division and Shinn Taniguchi took 2nd place in the Jr Youth division.

Congrats to all on a good showing!

Congrats!

2011-05-03T11:52:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Memphis Kendo Club's Justin Reh who passed 1.kyu this past weekend in Dallas at the Nabeshima Cup/Texas Open Taikai and Shinsa!

Jackson (TN) Kendo Club to Open (and other news)

2011-04-20T15:57:00.003-05:00

SEVERAL NEWS ITEMS OF INTEREST:

**OFFICIAL OPENING OF JACKSON KENDO CLUB**

Tuesday, June 7, 2011 will mark the official opening of the Jackson Kendo Club in Jackson, TN.

The address for the practice (from 7pm to 9pm) is:

160 Campbell Street
Jackson, TN 38301

For more details, please see Justin Reh.
Please make plans to attend that practice if at all possible!

...OTHER NEWS:..

SATURDAY CLASS SCHEDULE ---
Unless otherwise indicated or communicated, Saturday Class will always be from 10am to 12pm, EVERY Saturday.

We will find a room in which to practice upon arrival... ALWAYS BE SURE TO BRING YOUR BOKUTO WITH YOU TO SATURDAY CLASS.... If there is no space available at the community center for regular practice, we will go outside and concentrate on Kendo Kata.

MONDAY CLASS SCHEDULE ---
Monday practice (still open only to those in bogu) will regularly take place in the main room/auditorium.

SATURDAY, MAY 14 -- KOBUDO MARTIAL ARTS EXPO (JACKSON, TN)
There is a scheduled martial arts expo taking place in Jackson on Saturday, May 14.
At this point, we don't have all the information about venue/times, but there is a good possibility Memphis will be invited to do a kendo demonstration.
VENUE:

Jackson State Community College

2046 N Parkway

Jackson, Tennessee

TIME: 12:30pm - 1:30pm (that's the window; actual length of demo to be determined)

AUSKF Member ID #

2011-04-11T10:40:00.000-05:00

If you do not know your AUSKF ID #, here is the most-current list on record at SEUSKF:

Abidi - #005826
Barratt - #009015
Bui - #010718
Cole - #005827
Crittenden - #003271
Dach - #003269
Edge - #003258
Gossett - #003254
Inaba, H. - #010719
Inaba, K. - #011071
Kahre - #005828
Kamimura - #006323
Kasuya - #008052
Oster - #009018
Ransom, D. - #011426
Ransom, G. - #011425
Register - #006325
Reh - #011068
Schaal - #011070
Taniguchi, S. - #007904
Taniguchi, K. - #010721
Thornton, K. - #007907
Thornton-Leonard - #004123
Tribo, M. - #010724
Troyer - #004307
Walterhouse - #009014
White - #003257
Wright - #011427
Wynne (Sr), R. - #011429
Wynne (Jr), R. - #011428
Yasuda - #003255

Shinsa (Rank Testing) thoughts from Tsuyoshi Inoshita-sensei (7.dan)

2011-03-29T09:12:00.003-05:00

Dr. Tsuyoshi Inoshita-sensei

Dr. Tsuyoshi Inoshita -- for those not in the know -- is a long-time friend of Memphis Kendo. He is a board-certified physician, having practiced medicine for more than 35 years. He also happens to be a Kendo 7.dan, AUSKF Officer (Recorder), President of the GNEUSKF, and founder of the Cleveland Kendo Association, which hosts arguably one of the largest and best-known perennial kendo tournaments in the country.

During the weekend of the 23rd Annual Cleveland Taikai (March 26-27, 2011), Inoshita-sensei sat on the grading panel for Sunday's rank testing (up through 4.dan). He recently offered his personal insights on shinsa, as an examiner, and has graciously granted his permission to have them re-posted here.

Kendo Shinsa - by Tsuyoshi Inoshita on Monday, March 28, 2011

Some questions were raised regarding kendo shinsa this weekend. Although I am not a kendo expert by any stretch of the imagination, I often sit on the examining board at the local level. My ideas about kendo shinsa are as follows:

For the shodan/nidan level, the mechanics of strikes with the shinai, body, and spirits in unison, especially with the proper posture, is the most important aspect. For the sandan/yondan, you have to be able to apply what you have learned into an actual keiko situation.

You can call it understanding of riai of kendo (reasoning behind kendo movements). It is essentially like moving up from the basics to applications, trivium to quadrivium, or from 教養 to 専門.

Although it may not be appropriate, let me use the card game, Blackjack, as an example.

In Blackjack, you have to learn the basic rules of the game and be able to hit cards as close to 21 as possible without going over the number. After this phase, however, you have to learn how to play in relation to the hands of the dealer. If the dealer has 6 and you have 11, you have to double-down. If the dealer has an ace and you have 12, then it would be silly to double down. You cannot just [keep] hitting cards without paying attention to the dealer's hands.

The same thing can be said about kendo. You have to learn the basics of kendo strikes, but eventually you have to know when and how to use those strikes in relation to your opponent. Although we cannot overemphasize men strikes -- as they say, kendo starts with men and ends with men --, you cannot keep hitting men. You have to look at the situation and may have to react accordingly with ojiwaza [counter-attack]. Of course, ultimately we want to reach the level where you make your opponent move with your strong seme and strike your opponent accordingly.

The other important aspect of kendo is that it is an art -- you have to show grace, beauty, elegance, and composure as well as strength. Incessant, brutal strikes would not make you a sophisticated kendoist.

Let's practice kendo more and harder to make ourselves better kenshi!!

____________________________

Memphis Kendo Club gratefully thanks Inoshita-sensei for allowing his insight to be posted here for thought and reflection, and congratulates him and the Cleveland Kendo Association on yet another successful taikai!

2011 SEUSKF Members

2011-03-23T10:25:00.000-05:00

Well, Kendo is obviously growing a little bit in the SEUSKF...

434 members representing 29 different dojos/clubs over 7 states have signed up for 2011.
This is an increase in 15 members since this time last year.

The Top 10:
1. Georgia Kendo Association -- 44
2. Nashville Kendo Club -- 36
3. Gulf Coast Kendo Club -- 35
Northern Virginia Budokai -- 35
5. Atlanta Kendo Kai -- 31
MEMPHIS KENDO CLUB -- 31
7. Baltimore-Annapolis Kendo -- 24
8. Triangle Kendo and Iaido -- 23
9. Koryo Dojo -- 22
10. Knoxville Kendo Club -- 16

Memphis Club Members make All-SEUSKF Team!

2011-03-08T09:33:00.003-06:00

The All-Southeast U.S. Kendo Federation (SEUSKF) Team has officially been announced. With 35 total Team Members, almost a full 1/4 of the Team consists of members of the Memphis Kendo Club.

Congratulations to the following Memphis Kendo Club members who were selected to compete at the AUSKF National Championships this Fall in Atlanta:

Masumi Kamimura (Sr Youth Individual and Women's Team)
Warren Oster (Mudansha Indvidual)
Justin Reh (Mudansha Individual)
Yuki Kasuya (Sr Youth Individual and Sr Youth Team)
William Thornton-Leonard (Sr Youth Individual and Sr Youth Team)
Lysa Walterhouse (Sr Youth Girls Individual)
Shinn Taniguchi (Jr Youth Boys Individual)
Walter White (Seniors Individual)

This is the largest contingency of Memphis club members to be selected to the SEUSKF Team at one time.

The SEUSKF is a regional federation of the All-U.S. Kendo Federation (AUSKF) and consists of 29 different clubs/dojos covering 7 states (Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia).

Best of luck to all of our club members in representing not only the SEUSKF, but also the Memphis Kendo Club and its instructors!

Memphis Club members selected to previous SEUSKF Teams:
Kazuto Yasuda (Los Angeles, 2002)
Patrick Register (Cleveland, 1996 and Las Vegas, 1999)
Rogers Gossett (Cleveland, 1996 and Las Vegas, 1999)
Masumi Kamimura (Las Vegas, 2008)
Yuka Kamimura (Las Vegas, 2008)
William Thornton-Leonard (Las Vegas, 2008)
Jeremiah Mazurek (Las Vegas, 2008)
Valera Vulfson (Ann Arbor, 2005)

UPDATE ~ American Kitamoto Camp (Seattle) ~ Sept 1-5, 2011

2011-03-03T10:00:00.000-06:00

There is still a limit of 30 participants for the camp. If more than 30 people are interested in attending, there will be a selection process (out of necessity).

Visit the website:
http://americankendo.com/

...which includes a registration form if you are interested in participating.

There is also a Facebook page for this event:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=186075221406744

Jackson (TN) Kendo Club

2011-01-17T08:08:00.000-06:00

Memphis Kendo Club's Justin Reh (2.kyu) is in the very early stages of trying to start a kendo program up the road in Jackson, TN.

A Facebook page for the program was recently created, so if you're on Facebook, please check it out and consider clicking on the LIKE button to show your support!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jackson-Kendo-Club/176038672433187?v=wall

New SEUSKF Board of Directors announced

2010-12-20T16:01:00.000-06:00

Results from the recent SEUSKF Board of Directors election have been announced.

Arai, Kunitoshi
Barr, Ryoko
Canada, Tina
Eitel, Robert
Hyun, Phillip
Maeda, Shinobu
Scanlon, Wayne
Souder, Robert
Watson, Mike

The new Board will meet in January to elect officers.

2011 AUSKF Education Tour

2010-12-15T16:19:00.000-06:00

Kunihide KODA-sensei (Kyoshi, 8.dan) of Ibaragi, Japan will be conductin an education tour for the eastern region of the United States in February 2011.

Koda-sensei is a professor at Tsuba University (Kendo Section Head).

His SEUSKF visit will take place in Atlanta on Wed-Fri, February 9th - 11th.

This is the only information available for the time being.
(Potential seminar registration fees, scheduling, topics to be covered, etc. are not known at this time but will be made available as soon as possible).

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN GOING TO THIS EVENT (doesn't necessarily have to be all 3 days), PLEASE LET ME KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

(UPDATE) AUSKF National Championships

2010-11-29T18:11:00.001-06:00

The 2011 AUSKF National Championships will be held on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta, GA.

The DATES for the event have been set for FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, AUGUST 12th-13th.
The dinner banquet will be Saturday night, of course, with no events scheduled for Saturday in order to permit travel back home on Sunday.

Keep in mind that SEUSKF Team tryouts are limited to certain individuals (see previous post on that matter) who have voluntarily committed to competing at the tournament should they are selected to the team.

Kunitoshi Arai-sensei passes 7.dan

2010-11-15T09:44:00.000-06:00

Congrats to Arai-sensei of Georgia Kendo Association, who passed 7.dan this past weekend in Atlanta!

2010 SEUSKF Tournament and Testing Results

2010-10-04T17:09:00.003-05:00

Congrats to a good showing by Memphis Kendo Club members at the 2010 SEUSKF tournament held this past weekend in Knoxville. Cpmplete Tournament results will be posted as soon as the info is received.

TESTING RESULTS:
Yuki Kasuya - 3.dan
William Thornton-Leonard - 1.dan
Warren Oster - 1.kyu
Martin Tribo - 1.kyu
Rigelle Tran - 1.kyu
Lysa Walterhouse - 1.kyu
Shinnosuke Taniguchi - 1.kyu
Kazuo Taniguchi - 2.kyu
Justin Reh - 2.kyu
Courtney Schaal - 4.kyu
Keita Inaba - 5.kyu
Ryo Komaru - 5.kyu

TOURNAMENT RESULTS:
Youth Division A:
1st Place - Shinnosuke Taniguchi

Youth Division B:
3rd Place - William Thornton-Leonard

Youth Division C:
1st Place - Yuki Kasuya

Women's Division:
3rd Place - Masumi Kamimura

1.dan-3.dan Division:
1st Place - Yuki Kasuya

Mudansha Division:
Kanto Sho - Martin Tribo

"Dach's Kendo" ~ A short documentary on Memphis Kendo and Sensei Harry Dach

2010-07-26T15:29:00.000-05:00

Originally presented at the Live from Memphis project "Flipside Memphis".
Very nice video quality and editing job.

Enjoy and please spread to all your friends!

SEUSKF Western Region Shinsa Results (Nashville testing results)

2010-04-26T14:39:00.007-05:00

This past weekend, several members of the Memphis Kendo Club travelled to Nashville for the 2010 SEUSKF's Western Region seminar and rank promotion. Players also made the trek from Little Rock (SWKIF), New Orleans, Knoxville, and Atlanta.

Congratulations to everyone!

Warren Oster - 2.kyu

Martin Tribo - 2.kyu

Shinn Taniguchi - 2.kyu

Lysa Walterhouse - 3.kyu

**Kazuo Taniguchi - 4.kyu

**Hiroto Inaba - 4.kyu

**Rigelle Tran - 4.kyu

**Phy Tran - 4.kyu

** Val Barratt - 5.kyu

**denotes first promotional

Short Film "4th Dan" NOW ONLINE!

2010-03-31T10:29:00.002-05:00

The independent short film "4th Dan" is now available for viewing online:

http://www.kendoshortfilm.com/

Click on the tab "THE FILM" to view it for free in its entirety, thanks to supportive efforts from E-Mudo Online Kendo Supplier (www.e-mudo.com)

The film is approximately 20ish minutes in length.

2010 SEUSKF Statistics - Memphis 3rd Largest Dojo

2010-03-31T10:06:00.002-05:00

For 2010, Memphis Kendo Club came in as the 3rd largest dojo of the Southeast U.S. Kendo Federation.

The SEUSKF, made up of 32 clubs covering seven states (Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia), had a total of 419 people sign up prior to the March 1st deadline.

In addition to the Memphis Club coming in at #3, the other two AUSKF-affiliated clubs from the state of Tennessee (Nashville and Knoxville) were among the top 10 largest of the federation.

2010 Top Ten Largest Dojos of the SEUSKF
1. Georgia Kendo Federation (Atlanta) - 38 members
2. Northern Virginia Budokai (Wash, D.C.) - 33 members
3. Memphis Kendo Club - 30 members
4. Triangle Kendo and Iaido (Raleigh-Durham, NC) - 28 members
5. Nashville Kendo Club - 23 members
6. Georgia Kendo Alliance (Atlanta) - 22 members
7. Peachtree City Kendo Association (Atlanta) - 20 members
8. Gulf Coast Kendo Club (Tampa/St Pete, FL) - 18 members
8. Knoxville Kendo Club - 18 members
10. Koryo Dojo (Richmond, VA) - 17 members

Thanks to all who joined for 2010!!

Monday Night Classes

2010-03-23T08:54:00.002-05:00

Just a reminder that Monday night classes are now open to everyone IN BOGU.

Since Monday night is not normally a dedicated class (like Wednesday and Saturday), it has been subject to cancellation at the last minute.

If you plan on attending class on Monday night, you can send an email to Pat Register-sensei to confirm whether or not class will take place:
pat (at) patregister (dot) com

Understanding SEME

2010-03-16T10:46:00.002-05:00

I don't want to make much comment on this video but want to share it.
Some of you may understand things here that others may not quite yet be able to grasp.

Overall, I think this is a very good visual aid. I watched it without the volume turned on and thought it was pretty good. Take note that during the action, the points about "attack" and "invitation" are sometimes written in white or red, and this appears to correspond with which player you should observe.

So, this is provided just FYI for thought and reflection...

2010 AUSKF/SEUSKF Membership

2010-02-09T10:11:00.014-06:00

Thanks to all who joined AUSKF/SEUSKF for 2010!!!

1. Barratt
2. Bui
3. Cole
4. Crittenden
5. Dach
6. Delancey, C.
7. Edge
8. Gossett
9. Holcomb
10. Inaba
11. Kahre
12. Kamimura, M
13. Kamimura, Y
14. Kasuya
15. Oster
16. Reh
17. Royer
18. Runnels, L.
19. Runnels, N.
20. Taniguchi, K.
21. Taniguchi, S.
22. Thornton-Leonard
23. Tran, P.
24. Tran, R.
25. Tribo, L.
26. Tribo, M.
27. Troyer
28. Walterhouse
29. White
30. Yasuda

Congrats to Yasuda-sensei

2010-01-04T09:02:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Yasuda-sensei on receiving his Ph.D. over the holidays!!!!

Doctor Yaz will be returning to the U.S. on Jan 4th...

2009 SEUSKF SHINSA and TAIKAI RESULTS (Memphis)

2009-10-26T13:24:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, Memphis club members Walter White, Masumi Kamimura and Shinn Taniguchi made the trip to Washington, DC for the 2009 SEUSKF Tournament and Promotional.

I have not seen final results for the whole tournament yet, but all three of our club members were successful at the testing.

Walter White - 3.dan
Masumi Kamimura - 3.dan
Shinn Taniguchi - 3.kyu

Congrats to all!

So.. you want to purchase bogu...

2009-08-21T15:31:00.002-05:00

Looking around the blog here, I recently stumbled onto an old post (FAQ) on purchasing bogu (and hakama and keikogi), what to look for, what to expect, etc.

The information is about as thorough as you can possibly get.

To access the blog entry, click on the BEGINNERS' CORNER and in the Quick Links section, at the bottom, you'll see a link to "ULTIMATE BOGU-BUYING FAQ."

..or you can click here: http://experiencedkendo.blogspot.com/2007/11/ultimate-bogu-buying-faq.html

Some of you are close to buying your own set and so you should find this information extremely helpful.

New video links in Beginner's Corner

2009-07-28T15:55:00.004-05:00

I just put up some YouTube video links over in the Beginner's Corner related to Kendo Basics.

Pretty good stuff if you haven't already seen them.

Click on the link over in the right-hand column labeled BEGINNER'S CORNER for access...

2009 AUSKF Summer Camp RESOUNDING SUCCESS

2009-07-22T10:08:00.004-05:00

Today, I recieved an email from our own Pat Register-sensei to be posted here for everyone:

++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Memphis Kendoka,

I would just like to say how proud I am to be a part of Memphis Kendo Club. As an instructor and lifetime student, I am impressed by the way our club handled the task of hosting the National summer camp. I am particularly thankful to our instructors Dach, Yasuda, and Gossett, but it would not have been possible without the help of our students who did their part.

Again, I am humbled by the dedication of everyone involved, including family members and friends. If I have learned one thing during this weekend summer camp, it is to fully commit to your strike and take seriously every swing. Our kendo club showed this virtue in respect to the responsibility we had undertaken.

By this, I am inspired.

Be prepared to work harder than ever before to show your beautiful kendo and NEVER GIVE UP.

Yours in Kendo,

Patrick Register

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For my own part, I would like to reiterate Register-sensei's points. I cannot thank everyone enough for helping to put on such a spectacularly successful summer camp. I received numerous compliments from everyone I came in contact with, especially from the visiting 8.dan sensei, Tagawa-sensei, Yoshida-sensei, Maeda-sensei, Marsten-sensei, Murakami-sensei, Strawn-sensei... the list goes on and on.

As many of you know, there were people from all over the country who came to this event. There were a host of people who came in from the west coast, and even Robert Stroud-sensei DROVE from Idaho for the event. Even greater seemed to be the group that came from the New York area. EVERYONE was very impressed with the organization of the camp and the overall hospitality shown specifically by the Memphis group. All the big wigs know the challenges involved with undertaking a task like this and it did not go unnoticed.

I'm overwhelmed by the help of our volunteers, especially in providing transportation between the hotel and gym, showing up early in the morning and driving folks back to the hotel late in the afternoon. Moreover, our volunteers took up the task of working the registration tables, running to the store for more ice and water, and picking up and delivering the bento on both days. Many of our parents put their family lives on hold to help out, which I know is not an easy thing to do. Very simply stated, these kinds of events NEVER run smoothly without the help of people sacrificing their personal time to ensure that things happen when and where they're supposed to happen.

Without going into greater detail, I cannot avoid mentioning the tremendous efforts of Yasuda-sensei in everything he did to help organize things. Most people will never know how vital his efforts really were.

Finally, I would like to say that I hope everyone was able to get something positive out of the weekend (kendo-related). As some of you know, I injured my foot halfway through Saturday's practice, so I found myself in much the same situation as the folks who were there but were limited in their ability to participate. It's incredible just how much you can pick up by watching and listening, so hopefully, the weekend's experience was very good for those both in and out of bogu.

On a side note, I will be downloading many pictures from the weekend today and posting them in various places.
If you are on Facebook, you need to find the profile for the Southeast US Kendo Federation... pictures will be posted there first. Later, they'll be posted in the photo section of this blog.

Zekken/Nafuda (name tag) for Memphis Kendo Club

2009-06-04T09:22:00.004-05:00

Some of you new folks in bogu have been involved with kendo long enough for you to need a "nafuda" (or "zekken" or "thing-with-your-name-on-it-that-fits-on-the-tare").

This is something you need to think about (and order) if you are new to bogu, or not yet in bogu but are certain that you'll be sticking around for the long haul. Normally, I might suggest that you wait to order nafuda until you've been in bogu for a little while because if people don't quit kendo early in the process, many will quit kendo soon after getting into bogu. If you compete at a tournament, AUSKF by-laws actually mandate that you have one. It's also very handy to have if you go to seminars and such just so people can identify who you are.

In order to maintain consistency (letter style, size, etc.) with those who already have them, we ask that you please place your order with E-BOGU at the following link:
http://www.e-bogu.com//SearchResults.asp?Search=zekken

If you order on your own, $35 is a fairly standard price to pay, regardless of what company you go with, so... please... go with E-bogu. If you go with anybody else, that's fine, but be advised that your nafuda may NOT look exactly like everyone else's.

I have not visited the link at E-bogu recently, but they used to offer a discount of sorts if at least 5 were ordered at the same time. As well, they used to have free shipping for orders more than $100. So, the bottom line is that if you need a nafuda, you need to check on any possible discounts and talk to your dojomates to see who else needs one so that you can all go in together and place one big order.

Ordering instructions:
1. access the above website linked.

2. click on "add to cart" and go through the process of filling out your information AND paying for the item

3. then PRINT OUT this form: http://www.e-bogu.com/Customer-Downloads/ZekkenOrderForm040220.pdf

4. on the form, write MEMPHIS across the top line; write your last name in Romanji (that's "English") on the bottom line; write your last name in Katakana (or Kanji, if applicable) vertically down the center. It doesn't have to be perfect handwriting, but it must be legible.
If you are not absolutely 100% certain of how to spell your name in katakana, please consult the consortium of native speakers of Japanese at class.

5. after filling out the form in full (be sure to have your order # handy to write on the form as well), FAX the form to E-bogu. ***Obviously, you'll need several of these forms if you order as a group ****

Godogeiko and Shinsa this past weekend

2009-04-13T11:25:00.002-05:00

Memphis Kendo Club was grateful to be visited by Yazaki-sensei, Imai-sensei and the Bullington family of Nashville Kendo Club for a godogeiko and shinsa this past weekend at Singleton Community Center.

If you have pictures (especially group pictures), please email them to me and I'll put them up in the club's Photo Gallery. I have not been able to download my own pictures at this point, but check back for an update in the next few days.

Shinsa (rank testing) results were as follows (I'm going on memory here..):
*Lysa Walterhouse - 6.kyu
Shinn Taniguchi - 4.kyu
*Warren Oster - 4.kyu
*Koki Kira - 4.kyu
*Jim Atkins - 4.kyu
William Thornton-Leonard - 3.kyu
Chris Corleone - 2.kyu
Iko Bullington (Nashville) - 1.kyu
Chris Bullington (Nashville) - 1.kyu
Jon Kahre - 1.kyu
Chris Cole - 1.dan
(* = denotes first time shinsa)

Memphis Kendo tied as 2nd largest in Southeast U.S.

2009-03-23T11:05:00.003-05:00

With 32 members having joined SEUSKF/AUSKF for 2009, Memphis Kendo Club has once again tied as the SECOND LARGEST KENDO CLUB in the Southeast region, comprising clubs from Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

The 10 largest clubs of the SEUSKF:
1. GKA (Atlanta) - 59 members
2. MEMPHIS KENDO CLUB - 32 members
....Northern Virginia Budokai - 32 members
4. Gulf Coast Kendo Club (Florida) - 28 members
5. Koryo Dojo (Virginia) - 25 members
6. Triangle Kendo (Virginia) - 20 members
7. Baltimore-Annapolis Kendo (Maryland) - 20 members
8. Charlotte Kendo Club (North Carolina) - 19 members
9. Knoxville Kendo Club (Tennessee) - 17 members
10. Nashville Kendo Club (Tennessee) - 13 members

Breakdown by STATE:
1. Georgia (85 members)
2. Virginia (72 members)
3. TENNESSEE (62 members)
4. Florida and North Carolina (49 members each)
6. Maryland (30 members)
7. South Carolina (4 members)

(Charleston Kendo Club, Mejuro Iaido Kendo Kai of Ft Myers, Shin Sei Kai, and South Florida Kendo Club did not remit dues by the required deadline and were not included in this data).

There are total of 23 kendo clubs/dojo in the SEUSKF that submitted dues by the deadline, with 351 individual members total.

Club Bogu rental

2009-02-23T14:53:00.004-06:00

Please keep this in mind starting with March 2009...

If you are using club bogu, there will be a $5/mo. charge.
This is SEPARATE from the dues you pay directly to the Community Center.

If you pay in cash, fine.
If you pay with a check, please make it out to Memphis Kendo Club.

In either case, payment should be put in an envelope with YOUR NAME and the MONTH clearly indicated. Payment should be given to Yasuda-sensei or Gossett-sensei.

The reason this rental fee has been instituted is two-fold:
1. wear and tear on club bogu necessitates repair(s) and/or replacement over time, and
2. after using club bogu for a while, people need to be encouraged to purchase their own so that other beginners can use available club bogu.

MazkiyaUSA Bogu Supplier - Updated Website

2009-02-09T10:37:00.002-06:00

MazkiyaUSA (the kendo equipment supplier that was here in Memphis last October for the SEUSKF tournament) has updated their website.

.. a whole new look with everything they have to offer.
.. orders can now be made directly on their website.

Check it out!
www.mazkiyausa.com

(There's also a link down the right-hand column of this blog that'll take you right to the site)

Practice with Nashville

2009-01-19T15:11:00.001-06:00

Group picture after practice this past Sunday...

New Community Center Rules....

2009-01-06T16:31:00.003-06:00

The next time you are at practice, you may notice a flyer for the Kendo and Iaido Class.

From this point forward, our club is apparently only able to accept students who are at least 12 yrs of age. If you are UNDER 12 yrs of age and are ALREADY in the class, then you have nothing to worry about. Please continue to show up for class as normal.
(I don't think we have anyone under 12, but...)

Likewise, it seems the Community Center has a policy that if you are UNDER 16 YEARS OF AGE, you must have a parent or guardian remain in attendance THROUGHOUT the practice.

Please be mindful of this.

MKC gets write-up in The Commercial Appeal

2008-11-03T07:50:00.005-06:00

Direct Link: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/nov/03/sword-play/

At Memphis Kendo Club classes, students get workout -- physical, mental and ethical

By Stacey Greenberg, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Monday, November 3, 2008

Ten-year-old Rowan Racine is dressed in a navy blue robe. In one hand he holds a long bamboo stick and in the other, a helmet, mask and chest plate.

Barefoot, he bows at the door of the Singleton Community Center gymnasium in Bartlett before quietly kneeling on the floor.

Kazuto Yasuda and Yuki Kasuya engaged in "Ji Geiko" or "free practice."

Photos by Chip Chockley/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Kazuto Yasuda performs "Migi-do uchi" or "strike to the right torso/trunk" on Yuki Kasuya.

Photos by Chip Chockley/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Welcome to the start of the Memphis Kendo Club's weekly practice.

Roughly 20 people, men and women of various ages and ethnicities, have gathered to study this ancient Japanese martial art, which translates to "way of the sword," originally practiced by the samurai class in the twelfth century.

Kendo provides both aerobic and anaerobic exercise, nurtures discipline and stamina and promotes a strong moral code. In modern Japan, kendo is taught in middle schools and is actively practiced by people throughout their lives -- well into their twilight years. Kendo has been gaining popularity in the United States over the past 30 years, and clubs can be found across the country.

After the initial meditation and warm-up exercises, the kenshi, or swordsmen, pair off and begin screaming at each other while beating one another over the head with their bamboo swords, called shinai. Each wears protective armor -- bogu -- which protects the head, wrists, chest and groin.

To say it looks intense would be an understatement.

Chip Chockley/Special to The Commercial Appeal
Jon Kahre and Rogers Gosset conducting "kakari geiko" or "attack practice" during a Memphis Kendo Club session.

Kendo uses the whole body. Even shouting (or "using voice"), which is vital to mastering the art, requires using the abdominal muscles. A two-hour practice involves a lot of sprinting and provides a great cardiovascular workout. However, physical prowess is less important than doing everything with full spirit and participation.

"Swing properly and the sword does all of the work," says Harry Dach, 58, owner of Dach Imports and lead instructor of the Memphis Kendo Club. He stresses that repetition leads to perfection in kendo, which he says can also be seen as boring or not exciting enough to some.

While stationed in Japan with the U.S. Marine Corps, Dach studied under Takaaki Nakahama, who gave him 32 complete sets of armor with an understanding that he would pass on his learning in the United States.

Dach has been teaching kendo in Memphis for more than 30 years without ever accepting a penny in payment. (Monthly fees for the use of practice space are paid directly to the Singleton Community Center.)

Rowan, who originally wanted to play soccer, started practicing kendo three years ago. His mother, who lacked the funds and transportation needed for the local soccer league, discovered kendo after flipping through the Singleton activity guide.

Rowan says he really likes the rules and etiquette of kendo and the physical activity it provides. He also admits it is fun to "hit people with big sticks."

Local artist Wayne Edge, 54, got interested in kendo nine years ago after taking his son to a class. "He didn't stick with it, but I did," he says. Edge has seen a lot of people come and go over the years and attributes the high attrition rate to the fact that not everyone likes yelling and getting hit.
"Once you get the bogu, kendo becomes much more physical," Edge explains, referring to the fact that beginners must master certain skills before being allowed to wear armor. The bogu can be uncomfortable and hot, making the sport even more physically demanding and mentally challenging.

At practices, beginners join the group for warm-up exercises and then work on the basics off to the side with one of the instructors.

Typically, a beginner spends three to six months learning proper kendo stance, shinai grip, swinging the shinai, foot movement, and eventually movement while swinging the shinai. Once he or she has mastered these skills, the student is loaned a set of bogu and invited to join the more advanced members of the club.

Once in the bogu, participants spend a good deal of class hitting and getting hit with the shinai while running back and forth. Although it may look intimidating, kendo is very safe.

Rogers Gossett, 36, who works for FedEx and has been studying kendo for 14 years, attests to the safety of the sport. "My only injury has been a strained muscle in my foot," he says, after listing a string of injuries he suffered while practicing taekwondo in college.

Blisters are actually the most common injury since kendo is practiced barefoot.

"I injure myself more doing carpentry," said Edge, who downplays the small bruises he sometimes gets when an opponent misses his armor, comparing them to hickeys.

They're nothing a modern-day samurai can't handle.

Memphis Kendo Club

The kendo club has open practices on Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Singleton Community Center, 7266 Third Road, in Bartlett.

New students, ages 8 and up, are welcome any time throughout the year.

Monthly dues are $20, payable directly to the Singleton Community Center for the use of practice space.

Beginners should dress in comfortable clothing and purchase a shinai (bamboo sword) and a bokken (wooden sword). Both are available at Dach Imports on Summer Avenue and online.
More information is available online at memphiskendo.org.

2008 SEUSKF Shinsa Results (Memphis Club Members)

2008-10-06T10:41:00.002-05:00

Congrats to the Memphis kenshi who passed shinsa this past weekend:

Rogers Gossett - 4.dan
Jeremiah Mazurek - 1.dan
Conrad Delancey - 1.kyu
Chris Cole - 1.kyu
Darren Williams - 1.kyu
Jon Kahre - 2.kyu
Rowan Troyer - 3.kyu
Joshua Schoeneberger - 3.kyu
Chris Corleone - 3.kyu
Shinn Tanaguchi - 5.kyu

2008 SEUSKF Tournament Results

2008-10-06T04:43:00.003-05:00

There was a lot of great effort made by a host of volunteers (new students, moms and dads, etc.), and were it not for those folks, the tournament simply could not have happened. Thanks to everyone who sacrificed their weekend to help out!!

Final tournament results are as follows:

Youth A:
1. Riku Imamura, 6.kyu (Little Rock)
2. Sayaka Givens, 5.kyu (Little Rock)
3. Kai Imamura, 5.kyu (Little Rock)
3. Chris Corleone, 4.kyu (Memphis)

Youth B
1. Yuki Kasuya, 2.dan (Memphis)
2. Masumi Kamimura, 2.dan (Memphis)
3. Hayato Desouza, 1.dan (GKA)
3. Conrad Delancey, 2.kyu (Memphis)

Mudansha
1. Kevin Kim, 1.kyu (GKA)
2. Jamie Tillman, 1.kyu (Nashville)
3. Jiff Kim, 1.kyu (GKA)
3. Paul Kutz, 3.kyu (Charlotte)

1dan/2dan
1. Shingo Watanabe, 2.dan (Nashville)
2. Craig Philbeck, 2.dan (Charlotte)
3. Pavel Litterbach, 2.dan (GKA)
3. Yuki Kasuya, 2.dan (Memphis)

Women
1. Masumi Kamimura, 2.dan (Memphis)
2. Ryoko Barr, 5.dan (GKA)
3. Sonoko Mori, 3.dan (Gulf Coast)
3. Reiko Desouza, 4.dan (GKA)

3.dan+
1. Tomoya Tanaka, 4.dan (GKA)
2. Katsuyuki Tamura, 4.dan (GKA)
3. Masahiro Ishizaka, 3.dan (Little Rock)
3. Yukihisa Tokunaga, 3.dan (Triangle)

Senior
1. Susumu Yazaki, 7.dan (Nashville)
2. Sakae Imai, 4.dan (Nashville)
3. Michio Kajitani, 6.dan (Little Rock)
3. Kunitoshi Arai, 6.dan (GKA)

Team
1. GKA (A) - Akira Hara (3.dan), Pavel Litterbach (2.dan), Ryoko Barr (5.dan), Tomoya Tanaka (4.dan), Katsuyuki Tamura (4.dan)
2. Memphis (A) - Yuki Kasuya (2.dan), Don Crittenden (2.dan), Rogers Gossett (3.dan), Kazuto Yasuda (4.dan), Patrick Register (4.dan)
3. GKA (B) - Yuki Desouza (3.dan), Daniel Kim (3.dan), Stephen Kang (3.dan), Hyon-ki Yi (3.dan), Kentaro Hara (4.dan)
3. Nashville (A) - Dale Kirby (1.dan), Jamie Tillman (1.kyu), Susumu Watanabe (2.dan), Sakae Imai (4.dan), Susumu Yazaki (7.dan)

Takaaki Nakahama Memorial Kanto Sho Award - Patrick Register, 4.dan (Memphis)
Chris Aday Memorial Kanto Sho Award - Pavel Litterbach, 2.dan (GKA)

Kendo Medical Alert - Achilles Tendon

2008-07-23T11:42:00.005-05:00

Pay attention to this and make yourself aware ----
Even though injuries in kendo are, by and large, not terribly common and not terribly major, Achilles Tendon injuries are not unheard of and they can be, to varying degrees, serious business. Snapping the Achilles Tendon isn't life threatening and, as I understand it, they tend to heal just fine with surgery and don't have real long-term detrimental effects to your ability to walk, run, etc., but those kinds of injuries can certainly affect your kendo future, so pay attention to this email I received a little while back, but have put off posting here...

++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Fellow Kendoka and students of Budo:

This message is an urgent medical alert for all Budo students and specifically for Kendo and Naginata students.

Distribution list:
Budokai Kendo List
Budokai Business List
Arai Sensei
Maeda Sensei
Hyun Sensei
Strawn Sensei
Seto Sensei
ALL SEUSKF DOJO CONTACTS
Dr. David Hall / courtesy
Dr. Bill Dvorine / courtesy
Dr. T. Inoshita, GNEUSKF / courtesy
Summerlin Walker / courtesy
Mr. Alex Bennet, Kendo World Magazine / courtesy

On Tuesday, July 8 (yesterday), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a "Black Box" warning regarding the antibiotic drug Cipro. Specifically, the warning alerts all users of this drug, and the related antibiotic drugs Avelox, Floxin, Proquin, Levaquin, and Norfloxacin, that the use of these prescription antibiotic drugs has been linked to a significant weakening of muscular tendons, particularly the Achilles Tendon and the Rotator Cuff, and may contribute to tendon rupture or tendonitis.

See this link: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7011544965

The story is also being given wide circulation on Reuters, the Associated Press, and CNN, and was a lead story this morning on CNN at 7:52 am EST.

The mechanism by which these drugs weaken muscular tendons is unclear, but it is believed that they raise the toxicity level in muscular tendons, thereby weakening the tendons and rendering them much more susceptible to rupture. What is certain, however, is that there is now a undeniable linkage between these drugs and an increased probability of tendon rupture, particularly the Achilles Tendon. As all Kendoka know (or should know), rupturing the Achilles Tendon is the most common and debilitating injury in Kendo, so this news is of particular interest to us. If you are practicing any martial art and particularly Kendo or Naginata, and you are taking any of these prescription drugs, you are in danger of rupturing your Achilles Tendon or tearing your Rotator Cuff. The obvious stress placed on the Achilles tendon in the practice of Kendo makes Kendoka particularly susceptible to this threat. If you are a Kendo student and currently taking any of these drugs, please consult your physician to see if there is a prescription alternative to these drugs, or consider modifying your practice schedule. Perhaps it is time to brush up on your Kata?

As Budokai Chairman for 2008, I request that all Budokai instructors share this information with their respective practice groups. As a member of the SEUSKF and a Kendoka, I urge my fellow Dojo leaders in SEUSKF, as well as the Dojo and Federation leaders copied in this message as a courtesy, to consider passing this message on to your clubs and students. I am also of the opinion that the AUSKF should probably alert member Federations as well.

I hope this message proves to be timely and useful to the Kendo community, and I pray that it serves to prevent any Kendoka on these medications from suffering an injury that would prevent them from enjoying this art that we all love so much. May we all train in good health!

Yours in Kendo,
Reverend Chion Ernest Lissabet
Chairman of the Board 2008
Capitol Area Budokai, Washington DC USA
Wednesday July 9, 2008

Club Zekken/Nafuda for Memphis Kendo

2008-07-02T12:06:00.004-05:00

As the SEUSKF tournament approaches, some of you folks in bogu have been involved with kendo long enough for you to need a "nafuda" (or "zekken" or "thing-with-your-name-on-it-that-fits-on-the-tare").

It is highly recommended, encouraged, etc. (in fact, AUSKF laws REQUIRE it), that you purchase such an item prior to the SEUSKF tournament and since it normally takes around 4 weeks for them to get it back to you, this is something you need to think about (and order) fairly soon.

In order to maintain consistency (letter style, size, etc.) with those who already have them, we ask that you please place your order with E-BOGU at the following link:
http://www.e-bogu.com//SearchResults.asp?Search=zekken

If you order on your own, $35 is a fairly standard price to pay, regardless of what company you go with, so... please... go with E-bogu. If you go with anybody else, that's fine, but be advised that your zekken may NOT look exactly like everyone else's.

If at least 5 of you can get your collective minds and money together, there is a discount (see the link) if you order at the same time. Shipping is also free for any order more than $100 (I think that's still true.. see the website for details).

Ordering instructions:
1. access the above website linked.
2. click on "add to cart" and go through the process of filling out your information AND paying for the item
3. then PRINT OUT this form: http://www.e-bogu.com/Customer-Downloads/ZekkenOrderForm040220.pdf
4. on the form, write MEMPHIS across the top line; write your last name in Romanji (that's "English") on the bottom line; write your last name in Katakana (or Kanji, if applicable) vertically down the center. It doesn't have to be perfect handwriting in any case, just so long as it's legible.
If you are not absolutely 100% certain of how to spell your name in katakana, please consult Yasuda-sensei.
5. after filling out the form in full (be sure to have your order # handy to write on the form as well), FAX the form to E-bogu. ***Obviously, you'll need several of these forms if you order as a group ****

MKC's Don Crittenden passes Iaido Shinsa

2008-06-11T09:32:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Don Crittenden who successfully challenged his 3.dan shinsa for Iaido in Pennsylvania recently!

No More Menjo in Japanese

2008-05-21T09:17:00.002-05:00

Effective June 1, 2008, the AUSKF will no longer issue menjos in the Japanese language.

2nd Largest Club in the SEUSKF

2008-04-01T08:59:00.003-05:00

Memphis Kendo Club, with 34 registered members, tied Koryu Dojo (Virginia) as the SECOND LARGEST kendo dojo in the Southeast U.S. Kendo Federation.

299 kenshi joined the SEUSKF this year and the breakdown is as follows:
1. Georgia Kendo Alliance - 62 members
2. Memphis Kendo Club - 34 members
2. Koryo Dojo (VA) - 34 members
4. Charlotte Kendo - 21 members
5. Northern Virginia Kendo - 19
6. Triangle Kendo Club - 15
7. Knoxville Kendo - 14
8. South Florida Kendo - 13
9. Baltimore-Annapolis Kendo - 12
9. Georgia Language School Kendo Club - 12
11. Summerlin Academy Kendo (FL) - 11
12. Nashville Kendo Club - 10
12. Peachtree City Kendo (GA) - 10
14. Shudokan USA (VA) - 9
15. East Georgia Kendo - 7
16. Annapolis Kendo - 6
16. North Raleigh Kendo - 6
18. Meguro Kendo Kai (FL) - 4

Clubs not having submitted dues:
Charleston Kendo Club
Gulf Coast Kendo
Il Kum Kwan
Renshinkan
Shinseikai

Memphis Kendo Club's registered AUSKF/SEUSKF membership jumped from 22 people in 2007 to 34 in 2008.

The SEUSKF covers kendo in 7 states: TN, GA, VA, NC, SC, FL, and MD

Great job, everyone! Thanks for joining!

Memphis Club Members make SEUSKF Team for AUSKF Nationals

2007-12-24T07:45:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Jeremiah Mazurek, William Thornton-Leonard, Yuka Kamimura, and Masumi Kamimura who were all selected as members of the All-Southeast U.S. Kendo Federation Team.

They will compete on the weekend of July 4th, 2008 at the All-U.S. Kendo Federation National Tournament in Las Vegas.

The Southeast U.S. Kendo Federation (SEUSKF) covers 7 states and includes more than 20 dojos and programs.

Of the more than 350 kenshi belonging to the SEUSKF, only 32 were selected for the team.

Again, congrats!

Kajitani-sensei and An Giang (Arkansas Kendo) in action...

2007-11-06T14:52:00.001-06:00

Just found this video from the 2007 Nabeshima Cup held in Dallas earlier this year.

Several good shots of An Giang and Kajitani-sensei (wearing white hakama/keikogi) in action here...

Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w2IMhpBI_I

2007 SEUSKF Senior Division Finals - Maeda v. Hyun

2007-11-02T13:22:00.000-05:00

An Giang of Arkansas Kendo has forwarded this link to a video of the 2007 SEUSKF Senior Division finals between Maeda-sensei (7.dan) and Hyun-sensei (5.dan).

Check it out!
Maeda-white (starting on the left side of the video)
Hyun-red (starting on the right side of the video)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OUfvsqrRoCA

Attitudes toward Shiai (Part 1) - Dr. Satori Honda-sensei

2007-10-31T14:05:00.000-05:00

This article by British National Kendo Team Coach, Dr. Satori Honda-sensei, can be found at its original location: http://www.kendo.org.uk/pmwiki.php/Main/Attitudestoshiai

_____________________
Introduction
In the previous two articles (BKA news April and June 2004), attitudes to Ji-geiko and how Ji-geiko in Kendo should be approached were covered. In this BKA news and the next one, Shiai in Kendo is examined from various angles. Kendo can be either a competitive sport or a Budo according to a Kendo-ka¡'s understanding of Shiai, and his or her attitude to fighting, watching and supporting. Having a proper comprehension and attitude to the Shiai should bring about a better understanding to the essence of Kendo as a Budo and the wonderful relationship between you and other Kendo-ka. The purpose of this article (part1) is to examine 1) the purpose of Shiai in Kendo, 2) competitors' attitudes, 3) spectators' and team mates' attitudes and 4) teachers' attitudes towards Shiai.1.

The Purpose of Shiai in Kendo
Shiai literally means, "to try each other". In Kendo, Shiai basically means "to try skills, manners, attitudes and spirit learned and acquired in Keiko, with each other in a competitive situation".Inoue (1994, p. 162) explains, "The purpose of modern Kendo is to refine one's heart which is invisible by training in Waza that are visible. Shiai in Kendo has to take place in line with this purpose." We, as Kendo-ka, therefore have to recognise Shiai as an important opportunity to develop our skills and personality and to acquire the correct attitudes to Shiai.

Attitudes of high school students to Shiai, whose only aim is to win at any cost, are quite often criticised in Japan. It is quite embarrassing to take myself as such an example, as my biggest purpose in Kendo was also to win competitions when I was a high school student. My Kendo at that time never deserved to be praised and I did not care what people really thought about my kendo, I only cared about winning. Of course, there is nothing wrong with trying to win in Shiai. You have to do your best to win, if you are taking part in a Shiai and it is also quite impolite to your opponent if you fight without doing your best. As mentioned earlier, however, aiming to develop the skills to win and to develop an understanding of the essence of Kendo and one's personality is strongly related to the concept of Shiai, how to fight in the Shiai and the results of the Shiai. Moreover, there are manners which one is expected to follow when doing one's best to win in Kendo as a Budo.

The following points discuss the various attitudes to Shiai that we are expected to take from the standpoint of competitors, supporters and teachers.

2. Competitors' Attitudes to Shiai (before, during and after the Shiai)
It is not my intention to discuss how to fight in a Shiai. It depends on who you fight against and the particular situation. Also, all of the decisions should be left to competitor[s] once a Shiai starts. It used to be quite often the case that Japanese high school teachers were constantly giving their students advice or orders on how to fight before and during a Shiai. This is an act that ignores the students' autonomy and hinders the smooth running and progress of the Shiai and the Taikai. From my experience, nowadays such acts do not seem to occur at official Taikai, but it can still be seen at practice matches. I would now like to discuss attitudes to Shiai that competitors are expected to take before, during and after the Shiai.

Irrespective of what the stage is in the Shiai, the most important thing is to control yourself. How can you control your opponent without controlling yourself? You need to calm your excitement to a certain extent before the Shiai. You need to focus only on the person in front of you during the Shiai.

You should again calm your excitement and reflect clearly on how you fought after the Shiai. You should also show gratitude and appreciation to the opponent who you just fought. It is important to be able to do all of these things if you are to be good at Shiai and learn something from the Shiai.

I will now describe these concepts outlined in more depth. The important point before Shiai is, firstly, to imagine your best Kendo, increase your confidence and start focusing only on your own individual match (in the case of a team fight, the team's score also needs to be kept in mind). Here, if you think too much about winning, you will lose patience and also be lured by your opponent's trickery and start attacking too hastily. Haste makes waste! Tell yourself that a satisfactory result will follow if you do your best and believe this, rather than thinking of winning. It is also important to know who you are fighting against and what your opponent's Kendo is like. Undoubtbly there are some people who believe that it does not matter who they fight against and that just trying to do their own Kendo is the best approach. Thinking this way is also important, especially for beginners who can use only a few techniques and may not have much tactical ability. For others, I would still recommend to increasing their concentration, imagining their best Kendo according to the opponent's type of Kendo and making tactics (but do not think too much and end up by confusing yourself) before the Shiai. By doing these things again and again before, during and after the Shiai, you will start realising what you need to think about before the Shiai and what tactics you need to adopt.

Secondly, during the Shiai, you are often driven by the necessity to modify your tactics and to control emotional stress. Off course this has to be done within a moment. The ability to cope with this is not something that you can acquire sufficiently in Ji-geiko, but you can acquire it by taking part in Shiai and gaining a lot of experience under pressure.

What competitors should concentrate on during the Shiai is: try to make the best decisions and perform to their best ability against their opponents in each particular situation.

An act, such as looking at Shinpan to confirm if you or your opponent has scored should not be done during Shiai. Even if you think that you made a perfect strike, you should concentrate only on your opponent until the opponent turns their eyes and Shinai away. In a high level Shiai, both you and your opponent will try to control each other and you can hardly see an opportunity to score. In this situation, the winner or loser can be decided by a small tactical error, made either by you or your opponent, such as dropping concentration during the match. It is important to develop the ability to keep your concentration for the duration of the whole match and to make appropriate decisions under pressure by gaining experience in the Shiai.

Thirdly, it is also important to get into the habit of reflecting on how you fought after each Shiai. In the case where you have your next match in a short period, it is recommended that you quickly and simply reflect on your previous Shiai and get ready for this next match. It is quite often the case that you do not remember how you fought if you were very nervous or you won in a very close and long match. It is very important, however, to reflect on how you fought when you were under a great deal of pressure. It would be ideal if you could watch a video someone taped. If this is not possible, ask people who were watching for their comments, and reflect again on how you fought.

In a Shiai there are always a winners and losers. What we aim for is to become a good winner and a good loser. As the author (2003, p. 141) discussed elsewhere, a good winner means one who fights with the spirit of Sei-sei-doh-doh (fair and square), is modest and has an understanding of the meaning of Shiai. Even if one wins a Shiai, one is aware of the loser's feelings and never shows off one's victory. A good loser is a person who did not win the Shiai, but still displays the same attitude and understanding as the good winner. On the other hand, a bad winner is someone who shows off his or her victory and a bad loser is someone who shows off his or her frustration as the result of losing and cannot praise the opponent's victory. These are people who have forgotten the essence of Shiai in Kendo.

We are only able to do Shiai and learn something from Shiai because there are other competitors who we can fight with, Shinpan to judge our Shiai, people who support our Shiai: recorders, timekeepers and ribbon tiers. We should never forget the purpose of the Shiai and show our gratitude to these people.

3. Spectators and Team Mates' Attitudes to Shiai
At a Taikai, we are not supposed to give competitors vocal support and advice, or to make sounds to cheer them up; we are instead supposed to support them by only clapping our hands. Spectators and teammates should be considerate so that competitors and Shinpan are able to focus only on the Shiai in the Shiai-jo and enable the management of the Taikai to proceed smoothly. It is quite understandable that everyone wants to give competitors as much support and encouragement, cheering and giving advice. However, as described earlier, all decisions should be left to the competitors once the Shiai starts. Moreover, competitors are expected to show mental strength by coping with all stressful situations by themselves as they experience the Shiai.

The most annoying thing for Shinpan in Shiai is a camera flashlight. It is again understandable that you want to take photographs of your club members fighting and that you want someone to take photographs of you fighting, but the Shinpan might miss a critical moment if you take a photograph with a flashlight as the competitors attack.

Competitors, Shinpan, spectators and Taikai officials should all have the feeling that they want the Taikai to be a wonderful experience, which they can all enjoy. The clapping of hands with all your heart and showing consideration to the Shinpan are the attitudes, which spectators should adopt.

In team fights, the correct etiquette is for team members, the manager and coach to watch or wait for their match in Seiza. It would be awkward, however, to do a Shiai if you kept sitting until it was your turn and kept rubbing your numb feet again and again while you were watching and waiting. This also does not look good. Nowadays, it is usual for team members, manager and coach to do Seiza only when Senpo and Taisho fight (and when there is a fight-off as well) and the member who fights next will wait in a standing position (of course this does not apply to people who have difficulty in doing Seiza). In team fights, it is important to feel totally involved when you watch your teammates' fighting. Although I previously stated that competitors are expected to cope with all situations by themselves, when all team members become "as one" and support their team mates, it's as if they were also fighting, the competitor will feel the strength of this support behind them and this gives the competitor both courage and confidence. If you really feel as if you are also fighting, you will find yourself moving your hands and upper body in spite of yourself as you observe your teammate's every action. One's own victory is everyone's victory in team fights.

4. Teachers' Attitudes to Shiai
It is the responsibility of teachers to make their Dojo members fight fairly, encouraging them and giving them feedback. The important thing for teachers to demonstrate during Keiko in their Dojo is how to fight and support in the correct manner. When giving feedback, teachers should consider giving the appropriate amount of feedback according to the members level. According to Aoki (1996), it is the most effective if feedback is given immediately after each performance in the practice. In the case of Shiai, however, feedback needs to be given at an appropriate time when their members are ready to accept it, taking into account the result and content of the Shiai, each member's personality, situation and so on.

5. Summary
It should be now be fairly evident that Shiai is not everything in Kendo, but another part of it. The results of Shiai do not show everything about a Kendo-ka. What is important is the way in which a Kendo-ka deals with their Keiko, fights in the Shiai, reflects on the Shiai and approaches the Keiko again, aiming to score the Ippon he or she dreams of. It totally depends on each Kendo-ka's attitude whether they develop character through doing Shiai. I would also like to mention that it is important to try to enjoy your Shiai without thinking too deeply about what I have discussed in this article. Shiai is fun and exciting. There is nothing wrong in thinking that.
We feel like we are in seventh heaven when we score the Ippon we have dreamed of. One who has experienced this would dream of having this same feeling again and again, doing Keiko very hard, repeating the same practice hundreds of times or even thousands of times.

It is my hope that many Kendo-ka will become interested in taking part in Shiai and that Taikai will become fascinating events, when lots of Kendo-ka will have the opportunity to learn and experience many valuable assets to add to their kendo.

In the next article, I would like to introduce some ways of doing Shiai practice in the Dojo. I would also like to introduce some forms of Shiai practice that take place at squad training and explain the aims behind these Shiai practices.

________________________________
References
Aoki, T. (1996) "Sports to Kokoro¨CShinrigaku-Shiten- (Sports and Mind ¨CPsychological Views)", in S. Nisugi et al (eds) Sports-Gaku no Shiten (Views of Sports Study), pp. 114-128. Kyoto: Showa-do Publishing Co., Ltd.

Honda. S. (2003) Budo or Sport? Competing Conceptions of Kendo within the Japanese Upper Secondary Physical Education Curriculum. Ph.D. Thesis. Unpublished Paper.

Inoue, M. (1994) Kendo to Ningen Kyoiku (Kendo and Human Education). Tokyo: Tamagawa University Press.

Attitudes toward Shiai (Part 2) - Dr. Satori Honda-sensei

2007-10-31T13:57:00.000-05:00

This article was written by British National Kendo Team Coach, Dr. Satori Honda-sensei, and can be found at the original source: http://www.kendo.org.uk/pmwiki.php/Main/Attitudestoshiai

__________________________

Introduction
In the previous article, I discussed attitudes to Shiai in terms of competitors, supporters and teachers. Reflecting on these briefly, Kendo can be either a mere competitive sport or Budo according to a Kendo-ka's understanding of Shiai, and his or her attitude to fighting, watching and supporting. Whether you are able to enjoy Shiai, build up a wonderful relationship with others and make Taikai memorable depends on your attitude to Shiai. In this article, I will introduce some ways of practising Shiai in your Dojo and the purpose of each Shiai practice. I will also introduce some Shiai practices that take place at squad training. Moreover, I will also introduce what squad members are expected to learn through Shiai practice and how and with what attitude the GB Kendo team is aiming to fight at various international Taikai.

1. Shiai Practice in the Dojo
Here I would like to introduce three kinds of Shiai practice. The first one is an effective way of Shiai practice based on the official rules and regulations of Shiai. The other two are different from the official one and Shiai practice takes place using modified rules with some particular purposes in mind.

1-1. Several Phases of Shiai Practice (especially for beginners)
It is important for Dojo leaders to organise Shiai practice regularly at their Dojo so that beginners can experience Shiai and learn the rules and etiquettes essential for Shiai. It is also useful for both Dojo leaders to see how the beginners are progressing and analyse what needs to be worked on. It is quite time consuming, however, to do Shiai practice using only one Shiai court in the Dojo and Dojo members will spend much more time waiting than fighting. The following example of several phases of Shiai practice probably depends on the number of Dojo members and the number of Kendo-ka who are able to referee. If it is possible, however, it may be better to start by dividing Dojo members into a couple of groups, having one referee for each mini Shiai court and having Shiai practice in a relaxed atmosphere. By doing this, Dojo members will be able to experience many Shiai by rotation within a limited time.

At the beginners' level, once Shiai starts, they are only able to focus on attacking and defending and not being able to have time to think of rules and manners even if they fully understand them when they are not fighting. It is important for Dojo leaders to create lots of opportunities for beginners to experience Shiai and learn the rules and etiquettes by making mistakes again and again and being corrected during each Shiai practice. Off course, it is also necessary for Dojo leaders to give feedback about technical and tactical points (at an appropriate time) as well.
After beginners come to understand the rules and etiquettes, Shiai practice moves towards a more formal type and beginners should be expected to learn new things such as Jogai Hansoku, Wakare and taking positional advantage in the Shiai court. It is also important for Dojo leaders to create an opportunity for beginners to experience fighting under pressure by having everyone watch them. After getting used to this type of Shiai practice, members of an intermediate level should be encouraged to do refereeing while Dojo leaders observe them and support the smooth running of Shiai and referee practice. This does not just mean encouraging them to learn how to referee, but is a means of encouraging them to learn what is Ippon and where there are opportunities to attack.

1-2. Shiai with a Handicap
There are some ways of doing Shiai practice by modifying the rules and giving more experienced members a handicap if there is a big difference in level between members. This is not only to prevent the Shiai finishing within a few seconds, but also, by modifying the rules, Dojo leaders can intentionally make Dojo members realise certain points that they want their members to learn. For example, experienced members are told that they can only use Tobikomi-men and Debana-men. By doing this, less experienced members can challenge more experienced members in Shiai with confidence. Less experienced members are advised to try to use all the techniques they possess without hesitating. At the same time, they are also given an opportunity to learn how to use Ashi-sabaki, Tai-sabaki and Shinai to control and defend the attack of experienced members (they are not expected to use Oji-waza at this level). As the target to be attacked is only men, they will be able to deal with the attacks of experienced members without confusion and with confidence. On the other hand, experienced members are required to focus on how to create opportunities to strike Tobikomi-men and Debana-men. Beginners tend to be very defensive even if an opponent only shows a small intention to attack and their men striking tends to be quite big. In the case where an experienced member and a less experienced member try to strike men on each other at the same time, the experienced member will end up hitting the less experienced member's Shinai that he /she swings up even if the experienced member's attack is faster. Through this type of Shiai practice, experienced members will also be able to learn a lot of things such as distance and when and how to make less experienced members attack.

1-3. Modified Shiai
In this handicapped Shiai, Dojo members are divided into two groups. One group is the attacking side and the other group is the defending side. Shiai time is set for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. The attacking side has to try to get Ippon by using any means of attacking without worrying about Ouji-waza within this short period. On the other hand, the defending side has to focus only on defending by using Ashi-sabaki, Tai-sabaki and Shinai control. Winning and losing is decided when the attacking side scores Ippon or the defending side keeps defending for the whole Shiai time. This Shiai practice will be useful for Dojo members to develop their skills in Renzoku-waza (continuous attacking), Tai-atari, making feint attacks and surprise attacks, and defence. In the case of the defending side they have much more experience than the attacking side, but the area that the defending side can move within is limited. In the case that the attacking side they have much more experience than the defending side, but the targets which they can attack are limited. The attacking side should not fall into the trap of starting to strike lightly and swing the Shinai randomly as a result of getting too excited and trying too hard. The purpose of this Shiai practice is not just to compete with winning and losing in mind, but to acquire and develop the skills of Renzoku-waza, Tai-atari, making feint attacks and surprise attacks, and defence. It is the Dojo leaders' job to point out and correct any attacking and defending methods that are against the essence of Kendo.

2. Shiai Practice at Squad Training
Shiai practice for squad members during squad training involves modified matches, team matches and squad league matches on a regular basis. Shiai practice is important for selecting team members to take part in various international Taikai. More importantly, however, it takes place for the purpose of improving technical and tactical abilities, forming teamwork and making fighting spirit stronger, and also for bringing about the proper attitude of Kendo-ka through Shiai practice. I would now like to briefly introduce three types of Shiai practice that take place at squad training and the purpose of each Shiai practice.

2-1. 3~5 Minutes Shiai
In this Shiai practice, no matter how many times you score or are scored against, competitors continue fighting until the Shiai time runs out. Shiai time is usually 3~5 minutes, but this changes according to the number of squad members and guests, their levels, their physical condition at the time, and what international Taikai the team will take part in next. The purpose of this Shiai practice is to give squad members a chance to fight to their heart's content, make their bodies remember what a 3~5 minute Shiai feels like, make them develop their concentration so that they never get distracted whatever might happen and make them develop their spiritual strength so that they never give up the fight right up until the end.

In Shiai, it is sometimes the case that referees do not raise their flags even if a competitor thinks that he or she has made a perfect strike. It is also the case that an opponent does strange, violent or annoying Kendo. So anything can happen in Shiai. But whatever happens, being upset and annoyed by the referees' judgment and by an opponent's Kendo and attitude will always result in one not being able to do one's own Kendo. It is impossible to control an opponent without being able to control yourself.

2-2. Conditional Shiai
This Shiai practice begins with one competitor already having Ippon and only 60~90 seconds left of Shiai time. The purpose of this Shiai practice is to develop squad members' tactical ability of how to fight in such a situation and to make them realise what techniques they need to acquire to deal with such a situation, also to make them able to fight without losing their heads and make them develop their never-give-up spirit. As I described in the previous article, I believe that all decisions should be left to competitors once a Shiai starts. Therefore, I do not tell squad members what to do during this type of Shiai practice. Of course I will warn them if they become too keen on winning and fight in a way which is against the spirit of Kendo, which will make them give up their Shiai before the Shiai time is up, and display bad attitude to anyone because of their unsatisfactory result. I also give advice such as "You could do or could have done this and that in the situation." "You can take (could have taken) advantage if had done this." and "You need to acquire this technique if you want to do that."

It is not my intention to keep actual advice secret, but I have to omit it here due to limitations of space. Shiai time in this type of Shiai practice is quite short. Squad members are required, therefore, to fight again and again at short intervals. They are also advised to keep thinking positively and to take part in the next Shiai whatever happened in their previous Shiai. In fact the interval between Shiai becomes shorter as one or one's team keeps winning. This type of Shiai practice is quite important for training so as to be able to keep one's feeling positive before a Shiai.

2-2. Team Shiai
This Shiai practice is the closest to real Shiai as it adopts the official rules, has the same size of Shiai court as the official one and has three referees. The purpose of this Shiai practice is to make squad members experience Shiai in an atmosphere that closely resembles the real international Taikai, and to make them learn how they are required to fight as a team, how they are required to fight in the various situations in each position within the team and how to support their team members. In fact, how to fight as a team is emphasised the most in this type of Shiai practice. In a team match, just winning one's Shiai does not mean that one has done the job perfectly. How one passes a baton of fighting spirit onto the next competitor in one¡¯s team is equally important. Generally speaking, one has passed the baton on successfully if one can make the next competitor feel that you have done your best. Doing your best ideally means that you have fought so that you do not feel that after a Shiai you should or should not have done that or one could have done that. In reality, however, this is quite difficult or may be almost impossible to achieve. In the case of team members, they have been doing Keiko and having Shiai practice together for a long time and they know each other's best Kendo. They can also see, therefore, whether or not other members are trying to do their best Kendo in the Shiai.
In the team, therefore, successfully passing the baton of fighting spirit is not based on whether they could do their best Kendo in Shiai, but succeeds only when one of the team members makes the next member feel that they tried his or her best to do their best Kendo.

As for supporting other team members, squad members are required to change their way of thinking and "do their best" to support their team members whatever the result of each member's result (see BKA news August for how to support members in team matches).
What I have placed the most emphasis on and spent the most time in training on before the 12th World Kendo Championships was how each member should try to do his or her best in each situation in each position within the team and how to pass the baton of fighting spirit, support each other and fight as a team. In fact, I believe that the men's and women's teams both fought wonderfully and that all the team members got to know each other's strengths and weaknesses, encouraged and helped each other, and developed together through the team Shiai practices.

3. Conclusion
Shiai has been discussed from many angles in both articles. What I would now like to emphasise again is, as described in the summary of the previous article, that Shiai is not everything in Kendo, but only a part of it. But I do not wish to belittle "Shiai", by saying that it is just a part of Kendo, since it is such a very important part of it. It would however give me great satisfaction, if Kendo-ka came not to think negatively about Shiai and not to harbour the wrong ideas about the purpose and nature of Shiai, also that they come to a deeper understanding of the effects of Shiai and Shiai practice through these two articles.

Arkansas Kendo Club

2007-10-31T12:49:00.000-05:00

The Arkansas Kendo Club, led by Dr. Michio Kajitani-sensei (6.dan), is quickly developing into the Memphis Kendo Club's "brother dojo."

They have a very nice website here: http://www.arkansas-kendo.com/ ...with many nice pictures, too.

Please visit the site when you get a chance!

2007 SEUSKF Shinsa/Taikai Results

2007-10-08T14:16:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to all members of the Memphis Kendo Club for a successful venture to Atlanta for the 2007 SEUSKF Tournament and Testing!!!!

Shinsa results (successful candidates):
Kazuto Yasuda - 4.dan
Masumi Kamimura - 2.dan
Larry Runnels - 1.dan
Jeremiah Mazurek - 1.kyu
Salman Ali Abidi - 3.kyu
Chris Cole - 3.kyu
William Thornton-Leonard - 3.kyu
Nick Runnels - 4.kyu

Tournament Results:
For the second year in a row, the Memphis Kendo "A" Team tied for 3rd place, being defeated only by the eventual champions (again, for the second year in a row), Georgia Kendo Alliance "A" Team.
Team Members in order:
An Giang
Walter White
Don Crittendon
Kazuto Yasuda
Pat Register

In the individual divisions, preliminary reports are that Masumi Kamimura took 1st Place in the Youth B division (13-15 yr olds), while William Thornton-Leonard tied for 3rd Place in the Youth A division (12 yr olds and under).

Congrats to everyone!!!

Memphis Kendo Group

2007-09-20T09:29:00.001-05:00

Here's a picture of the Memphis Kendo Club after last night's practice (minus a few absentees!).
Thanks to Emi Tanaka-san for taking this picture! (Click on the picture to enlarge it)

First row, L to R: Kento Takahashi, Seth Patterson, Rowan Troyer, Garrett Patterson, Shinnosuke Taniguchi

Second row, L to R: Kazuto Yasuda, Kentaro Tanaka, Masami Kamimura, Yuka Kamimura, Conrad Delancey, ____(?)______

Third row, L to R: Kenji Takahashi, Wayne Edge, Bill Delancey, Jeremiah Mazurek, Chris Cole, ____(?)_____, Salman Ali Abidi, Yushi Matsuura

Fourth row, L to R: Harry Dach, Don Crittendon, Rogers Gossett

(Apologies to folks whose names I can't remember!)

KENDO FOOT

2007-08-06T14:29:00.002-05:00

*** WARNING ***
*** GRAPHIC PICS IN THIS POST ***
*** AVERT YOUR EYES IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH ***

Memphis Kendo Club has been very fortunate in the past couple of years to have many people start kendo and, more importantly, stick with it long enough to get into bogu.

Since we have so many newbies now taking part in full keiko practice, this seems to be a good time to explore the most common type of "injury" in kendo --- BLISTERS (aka "kendo foot").

No matter who you are, you WILL deal with this at some point although you may actually be fortunate enough not to experience the full glory of the pictures I've attached below.
At the end of this, I'll provide some information on how to deal with these minor inconveniences so that you can get back to practice as soon as possible.

You can click on the pictures below to expand them. I've labeled 3 areas of the foot for ease of reference. While kendo foot is not limited to the left foot, blisters and well-developed calluses typically occur there.

(A) big toe
(B) ball of the foot
(C) the whole area of the upper foot, beneath the toes

(A) is unremarkable and typical of a well-developed callus on the big toe. By expanding the picture, you may also notice a very nice callus in the crease of the big toe. This is also a common area for blisters to form... think of that area as "(A), Jr."
(C) reflects a relatively large blister that formed and either ruptured on its own or was popped/sliced by the foot's owner. In any case, the skin has dried and this is -- in my experience at least -- the best way to deal with blisters of all sizes. Pop the blister and get all the pus out of the thing, allow it to dry and then cut away the dead skin. The time it takes for this to occur will vary from person to person. More details to follow...

Now, this is a real beauty. Every kenshi should WANT to get one like this at some point in his career. (Insert gratuitous comment about "REAL kendo people..")

The area at (A) is slightly remarkable in that the toe has a callus, yet a blister still managed to form. It is starting to heal very nicely with this foot's owner routinely removing dead/dried skin from the area. This will help in the callus-building process.

Area (C) is really choice. In the previous picture, it was obvious that a blister was formed and properly addressed when there was no significant ripping of the skin. In THIS picture, the blister may have ruptured significantly on its own such that the foot's owner needed to actually clip it off. Major tearing of the skin can happen in the course of practice and on this point, I speak from personal experience. It is NOT cool. If you experience this and there's just a small rupture, you might be best served to leave it alone and let it dry out (per picture 1). If you've got a flapper, best thing is to just clip off the skin and follow these steps:

To help with the drying process, be sure to clean your blister with hydrogen peroxide first. Follow that up with a nice bandage, making use of an antibiotic gel like Neosporin, for example. This is good for when you have to wear shoes all day long at work. At night, take off any bandaging and let the blister dry. Repeat this as often as necessary. You should be good to go for practice the following week.

If by the time you get back to practice the blister hasn't healed (or healed well enough), you're probably going to need some kind of protection if you want to take part in class. Some people like to use a tabi-like thing such as this: http://www.blitzsport.com/images/shop/07-08sml.gif

These things are designed with a small patch of leather on the bottom to help grip the floor a little bit. The one time I used one, I didn't like it because it was actually slippery and made pushing off with the left foot virtually impossible. Your mileage may vary on the use of this thing.

Without question, though, a time-tested solution is plain ol' athletic tape.

This website: http://www.evl.uic.edu/spiff/KendoBlog/docs/taping.html shows step-by-step a very effective way of taping up blisters that occur in the middle of your foot. Be careful to follow the instruction on placing tape in between the toes. If you just wrap tape around your foot, it will tend to move up or down during the course of practice. Using the method from the provided link will prevent this from happening, however.

Memphis Dojo 3rd Largest in Southeast Federation

2007-07-25T16:54:00.000-05:00

Latest update on SEUSKF membership totals puts the Memphis Kendo Club as the THIRD LARGEST in the federation out of 26 member dojos covering 7 states. Memphis Kendo Club is also the largest kendo dojo in the state of Tennessee!

1. Georgia Kendo Alliance (GA) - 61 members
2. Koryo Kendo Club (VA) - 28
3. MEMPHIS KENDO CLUB (TN) - 22
4. Triangle Kendo Club (VA) - 20
5. Tennessee Meiji Gakuin TMG (TN) - 17
Nashville Kendo Club (TN) - 17
7. South Florida Kendo Club (FL) - 16
8. Charleston Kendo and Iaido Club (SC) - 15
Il Kum Kwan (GA) - 15
10. Charlotte Kendo Club (NC) - 14
11. Orlando Kendo Club (FL) - 13
Northern Virginia Budokai (VA) -13
13. Georgia Nihongo Gakko (GA) - 12
14. Shuokan (VA) - 11
15. Baltimore/Annapolis Kendo Club (MD) - 10
16. Annapolis Kendo and Iaido Club (MD) - 8
East Georgia Kendo Club (GA) - 8
18. Meguro Kendo Club (FL) - 7
19. Renshinkan Kendo Club (FL) - 6
20. North Raleigh Kendo Club (NC) - 5
Peachtree City Kendo Club (GA) - 5
Shi Sei Kai (FL) - 5
23. Gulf Coast Kendo Club (FL) - 1
24. Emerald Coast Kendo Club (FL) - 0 (has not sent in any information)
Heaven Kumdo (FL) - 0 (has not sent in any information)
Ken Shin Kai (VA) - 0 (has not sent in any information)

By state....
1. Georgia - 101 members
2. Virginia - 72 members
3. Tennessee - 56 members
4. Florida - 48 members
5. North Carolina - 19 members
6. Maryland - 18 members
7. South Carolina - 15 members

Info on Promotionals

2007-07-25T16:30:00.000-05:00

I have just received word from SEUSKF President Ken Strawn on the topic of promotionals.

The International Kendo Federation (FIK) has passed down new rules concerning promotionals.
The new ruling is that for ranks 6.kyu through 2.kyu, the board of examiners must consist of FIVE 4.dan (or higher).

The official current SEUSKF promotional policy is for the board to consist of a minimum of three 3.dan (or higher), therefore, the new FIK rule invalidates the SEUSKF policy.

The SEUSKF Board of Directors will discuss this issue on August 11, 2007. You may assume that the SEUSKF policy will officially change in order to parallel the FIK rules/procedures.

The SEUSKF Board of Directors recognizes that our regional federation has a shortage of 4.dan+ people and that there is more distance between individual dojos throughout the federation than any other federation of the AUSKF. For this reason, the Board will also discuss the possibility of an additional new policy to allow more promotionals in every part of the SEUSKF rather than just the one that takes place annually at the SEUSKF regional tournament.

That said, there was much discussion between Murakami-sensei (AUSKF VP-promotions) and Hori-sensei (AUSKF President) regarding the poor skill-level among many people who tested for 1.kyu at the Atlanta Summer Camp. There was some discussion regarding people being allowed to test for 1.kyu without having tested for any prior ranking.

As a result, the SEUSKF Board of Directors will also consider a new policy that no one may test for 1.kyu without a prior rank.

Updates to this topic as a whole will be forthcoming after the Aug 11 Board of Directors' meeting.

Kendo Reigi --- Etiquette

2007-07-18T09:50:00.001-05:00

Sometimes folks can get a little lax in displaying proper kendo etiquette in the dojo.
Recently, the Memphis Kendo Club has been concentrating more on this very, very important aspect of kendo and so I thought I'd take a couple of minutes to list 20 items of importance.
Kendo reigi is not limited to just these 20 items, but these are very common and every kenshi should be well-versed in how to properly behave in class (and out).

1. When entering or leaving the dojo, bow to the front (shomen).

2. After you put on the keikogi and hakama, examine your appearance. Be sure to straighten the keikogi so that it is as flat as possible and not hanging over the koshi-ita (the small stiff section of the lower back) of the hakama.

3. Stack all your personal items neatly against the wall as not to take up too much space on the floor.

4. Many dojos have everyone line up in seiza (kneeling) with bogu immediately in front and to the right. Because Memphis Kendo Club has so many people and our floor space is not overly wide, it has become our custom to line up standing without bogu, preferring instead to keep all bogu off to the side. When setting up your bogu, first place the kote on the floor with the kote heads pointing to your RIGHT. Next, place the men face down across the wrist joints of the kote. The men should stay in place and not rock over. Place the men himo (strings) INSIDE the men. You may optionally put your tenugui (head towel) either inside the men or across the top -- at some dojos, this is not an option. It's either one or the other. If you visit another dojo, watch everyone else and follow their lead.
You should be wearing the tare and the dou by the time you line up for class.

5. Always carry or hold the shinai or bokken properly. Do not lean or rest on it; do not use it as a cane or walking stick.

6. If your bokken or shinai is not in use, store it, or alternatively, you may rest it against a wall. If you do this, be sure to do so with the tip pointing UP.

7. Do not step over anyone's equipment -- including your own.

8. Do not TOUCH anyone else's equipment (even to move it out of the way) without first asking permission.

9. Do not step over a shinai or bokken that is on the floor. If your shinai or bokken is not in use, it is probably better to refer to rule #6 above so that people do not have to maneuver around the equipment area trying to avoid stepping over anything.

10. Do not walk in front of anyone, but if this cannot be avoided, politely bow and extend your hand slightly forward, saying, "Please excuse me."

11. When you put on full bogu for class, follow these rules --
a. Put on the tenugui such that when you tie on the men, there is no "flap" sticking out from the back of the men. This is affectionately referred to by some as a "rooster tail."
b. After you have tied the men on, examine the men himo such that they are together, parallel, and not twisted.
c. When putting on the kote, put on the LEFT kote first, followed by the RIGHT.

12. During class, after you have finished an exercise with your partner, return to the center, pause, return your shinai to the sheathed position (osame to), take 5 steps back, and bow, saying "Thank you!"

13. If you MUST take a break during class, politely bow out. Take a moment to catch your breath or cool down if necessary and then work your way back into class. It is perhaps more proper that you ask permission to bow out AND bow back in, especially if you are visiting another dojo and are unfamiliar with their customs. No matter what, though, DO NOT take off the men unless you absolutely must do so. If you have to leave the floor for any reason, please let someone know.

14. During class, refrain from idle talk. Pay attention and concentrate on the lesson. If you are waiting for your turn to participate, much can be learned by simply observing others.

15. If you are sitting in class, sit in seiza (kneeling). If you are unable to sit in seiza (try to do so as long as you can), then sit properly. Do not "lounge back" with your legs extended.

16. When lining up at the end of class (as well as at the beginning of class), do so QUICKLY. Make sure the line is straight by checking the person immediately to your right.

17. The head instructor will call for the instructors to seiza, but the student line should wait for the head student to call, "SEIZA!" before kneeling. Start to kneel when the person to your right starts to kneel (much like a domino effect). Kneel quietly without moving until the head instructor calls for everyone to remove the bogu.

18. When removing the bogu at the end of class, follow these steps --
a. RIGHT kote is removed first, slightly to your front and right, with the kote head pointing to your RIGHT.
b. LEFT kote is removed and place IN FRONT of the right kote.
c. Remove the men. Do NOT let the men himo flail about haphazardly. When finished, place the himo INSIDE the men.
d. Before placing the men on top of the kote, hold the men with one hand in front of your face. Remove your tenugui with the other hand and use it to wipe away any sweat from your face. Finally, place the men on top of the kote (as previously described). Place the tenugui either inside the men or across the top. REMEMBER -- at other dojos, this may not be optional. Watch others and follow their lead if you are visiting another dojo.
e. Remove the dou, placing it in front of the kote and men. Be sure that the dou himo are not scattered about, but rather are neatly concealed.
f. Remove the tare. There are at least a couple of different methods of folding the tare obi, but the point is, do not just set the tare in front of your dou, leaving the tare obi lying out.
Although some people at Memphis Kendo Club (myself included) occasionally tie the dou and tare together at this point, the traditional custom of the club is to place the tare in front of the dou (which is in front of the kote and men) so that your name --- if you had a zekken with your name on it --- can be easily seen by the instructor.

19. After removing all the bogu, remain in seiza with your back straight.

20. After class has been dismissed, it is customary to come forward and bow once more to the head instructor individually. Also take the opportunity to bow to your dojomates individually. Again, this is customary and should always be done from seiza.

Dach-sensei's trip to California

2007-06-15T07:53:00.000-05:00

(Kneeling: Harry Dach-sensei (center), "Big Tony" at Sensei's right)

Last weekend, Memphis Kendo Club's head instructor Harry Dach travelled to the land of fruits and nuts (California), where he had been invited to teach a seminar (gasshugu) to a group thirsting to understand CLEAN kendo. There he met quite a diverse group of eager individuals, including, among others, a serious practitioner named 'Filthy' and an American-born Japanese player learning to speak Japanese at a U.S. college.

The California dojo sensei is a giant of a man. At 350+ lbs, "Big Tony" towered over Dach-sensei. His kind personality and eagerness to learn dwarfed his physical stature. All of his students had the respect that all true martial artists come to know, and their ability to pick up what was taught, as well as their fearlessness in asking questions, made the overall experience a real joy.

Evenings were spent at Big Tony's house, with Tony's love, Barbara, there, too. She and Tony were great hosts.

Training started with Dach-sensei sharing his thoughts on the arts, including his feelings on an unwilling-to-help Federation of which he is a member. Afterwards, they jumped right into practice with basic footwork and the importance of kicking off with the back foot. Then they went on to make sure that the swing of the shinai and the stomp of the front foot all came together (ken-tai-ichi). Many explanations were given and from there, they moved onto drills both with and without the use of men and kote.

At the end, sensei led the group in kakari-geiko and jigeiko. A few problems arose when participants had problems kicking with the back foot and coordinating the hand, shinai, and the stomp (fumikomi-ashi) into one movement (ki-ken-tai-ichi). That will all resolve itself with practice, practice, and more practice.

Dach-sensei reports that the experience was fantastic and that he's grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and train with Big Tony's group.

At the Memphis Club's last practice, Dach-sensei passed on Big Tony's open invitation to all Memphis Club members to come and train with them if they ever find themselves in California.
Anyone who might be interested shoud speak with Dach-sensei for contact information and coordination efforts.

Inaugural Mid-South Taikai Results

2007-06-04T09:36:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Kajitani-sensei and the Little Rock Kendo Club for winning the inaugural Mid-South Taikai team championship which took place on Sunday, June 3rd, 2007!!!

And congratulations to Ken Tanaka (Memphis, pictured above) and David Biggins (Little Rock) for capturing Kanto-Sho (Fighting Spirit) awards!!

This was a great opportunity for the Memphis Kendo Club to practice with the Little Rock group, especially since both groups do not regularly get to travel to larger tournaments in light of their geographical locations. I think it's safe to say that through this event, we have all made some great new friendships.

Little Rock is to be commended for actually putting this idea into action and I think I speak for everyone in our group that it was a really great time. This takai -- the first of hopefully many, many more to come -- was designed much different from a typical tournament. Indeed, the team competition for more formal tournaments calls for a maximum of 5 players per team. For the inaugual Mid-South Taikai, however, the formal rules were altered such that both clubs would field only one team comprising as many members as could travel for the event, with the total number of match wins determining the victor. Likewise, only the students would fight for the championship, leaving the instructors and asst instructors the tasks of timekeeping, scorekeeping, and refereeing. This was a great example of a "goodwill" tournament between the clubs.

For this event, Little Rock fielded a team of 8 players, while Memphis fielded a team of 11.
Even with shimpan duties falling to the three Memphis instructors, Little Rock was on fire, winning the first 5 matches, putting the Memphis team in a very precarious position from which it could not recover.

It is hoped that, over time, both clubs will continue to grow and its members will gain more kendo experience such that this tournament will develop into a more formal setting. There really is quite a bit of potential for this to become an excellent annual event for the Memphis Club.

Congratulations to everyone who took part in the effort!
Despite having a team with 3 fewer members, Little Rock represented themselves quite well, and hopefully that will serve as a powerful motivator for our club to exact revenge next year!!

Nashville Group Practice Photos

2007-05-25T10:20:00.000-05:00

Some recent pics from the group practice in Nashville with Maeda-sensei....

Good luck to Yasuda Kazuto-san, who will be trying for 4.dan at this year's AUSKF Summer Camp in Atlanta!!!!

Lot of food for thought...for beginners/low Kyu-ranks

2007-04-09T10:39:00.002-05:00

Some of the things we at Memphis Kendo teach our beginners is the importance of footwork, moving forward, basic seme, big swing techniques, big voice, and ki-ken-tai-ichi. On top of all that, there is the old addage: THERE IS NO DEFENSE.. THERE IS ONLY ATTACK.

When beginners start to transition into a more active participation in class (read: wearing bogu and taking part fully in jigeiko) they sometimes tend to forget everything they've learned the first 3-6 months. Many times, people get into bogu and fall back to a basic human instinct of defense only. Some people are able to effectively carry over the concept of "ONLY ATTACK!", and they do so without regard to the consequences of their attack. In essence, they attack without fear (which is good at that level), but one of the drawbacks of this --- especially when they face someone of equal experience and rank --- is that one side attacks using a big men strike from always the same distance and with always the same timing. When this happens, the other side typically falls into the same pattern and the end result, usually, is that both sides continue to hit each other's shinai before reaching the men and a successful strike eludes both players for, seemingly, an eternity.

It is important that beginners use what they learn in regular practice, attacking without hesitation or fear, however, they cannot learn opportunities for attacking by repetitively using the same technique from always the same distance and with always the same timing.

Keep in mind that jigeiko is not "regular/kihon practice". Jigeiko is a real opportunity to work on what you've learned in class in a very practical way. It's not enough to simply kiai, push seme, and attack.... you will soon learn that that doesn't always work when the opponent is not acting simply as a target for your practice, and some real frustration can result from this.
Once you know how to do a very basic men strike in regular practice, try to use jigeiko to experiment with how to actually pull off a very basic men strike. Pulling off a very basic men strike is not as easy as some think!

PART II:
So, you know how to do big men... you have great voice... you have decent timing and ki-ken-tai-ichi. Works great in practice, but now you're having trouble in jigeiko.

What to do?

Gain the center and create an opening to attack!

Whoa. What does this mean? What is center?

In case you don't know, "center" is perhaps most simply described as "keeping your shinai pointed at the opponent" (i.e., your shinai is "in the center").

Great. Now that I know what center is, Why do I need to break it?

Basically, if your opponent controls the center, then you will not be able to attack.

Why?

Because --- without going into greater detail --- if you move to attack without getting your opponent off center, the opponent can do a number of things to nullify your attack, one of which being if he doesn't move at all and just holds his kamae, you could just kill yourself on the tip of his sword.

Ok, so how do I break the opponent's center?

Well, now you're starting to think like a kenshi. HOW to break the opponent's center is the basic, most important tactic in kendo and, regardless of how simple the concept is, pondering the "how" is what develops into more complicated and effective waza (technique) as you advance in kendo.

There are several ways to break the opponent's center, but the simplest way is to physically move the opponent's shinai off the centerline by using your own shinai. For example, you can attempt to push the opponent's shinai down/to the side (called OSAE-WAZA) or you can attempt to push/knock it left, right, up (called HARAI-WAZA).

This particular concept of manipulating the opponent's shinai is known as "Killing the Sword" or "Killing the Kensen"...

If you regularly kiai, push forward, then attack.... You can attempt to ALTER YOUR TIMING. Try: kiai, kiai, push forward, kiai, push forward, then attack. Or you might push forward, kiai and stomp your front foot to see what kind of reaction you get from the opponent. This is what is meant by "changing your timing".

If you experience some frustration with your attacks in jigeiko (Can't Seem to Land ANYTHING!), try experimenting with timing variations.... alter your footwork, play with your kiai (when you attack, is your kiai significantly different from when you're NOT attacking?), attack the opponent's shinai (Kill the Sword!), try to avoid the same patterns (1-2-3-GO!) of attack and change it up a little (1-GO!... 1-2-3-GO!... 1-2-GO!... etc.)

PART III:

As you progress in kendo, you will start to develop a better of sense of reading the opponent, recognizing his patterns, recognizing opportunities for attack, and so forth. You'll also learn different types of waza and over time, you'll get better at knowing what to use and when to use it. You'll discover that you can use some waza better than other waza. The kendo learning process is neverending, so, don't get too ahead of yourself.... there's plenty of time.

High-level kendo players use the same kendo basics that beginners use. The difference comes in their understanding and application of those basics which are ONLY able to develop through experience over time. There is no "quick path" to strong kendo. If such existed, 1.kyu-level players would defeat 5.dan players on a regular basis. So in the early stages of your kendo journey, continue to work ONLY on what you know and try to perfect it. THAT is the natural progression to "advanced kendo."

+++++++++++++++++++++++
Some of the items in this post were taken from Dr. Sotaro Honda's article "Learning of Tactics for Kyu-grade Holders". Honda-sensei is the head coach of the British National Kendo Team.

Memphis Kendo Club one of the largest in the Southeast US Kendo Federation

2007-03-29T08:30:00.000-05:00

According to the most recent stats from SEUSKF President Ken Strawn, Memphis Kendo Club is the THIRD LARGEST dojo (out of 24) in the Southeast US Kendo Federation.

Stats are based on the number of people who signed up to join the SEUSKF/AUSKF.

We had 22 people sign up and since we do not force members to join the SEUSKF, this is an excellent number. Some clubs might require all members to join the federation.

The Top 5:
1. Georgia Kendo Alliance (Atlanta, GA - Arai-sensei) -- 61 members
2. Koryo Kendo Club (Richmond, VA - Hoang-sensei(s)) -- 28 members
3. MEMPHIS KENDO CLUB (Memphis, TN - Dach-sensei) -- 22 members
4. Triangle Kendo Club (Raleigh-Durham, NC - Yasuda-sensei) -- 20 members
5. NASHVILLE KENDO CLUB (Nashville, TN - Ms. Honda) -- 17 members
5. TENNESSEE MEIJI GAKUIN (Sweetwater, TN - Maeda-sensei) -- 17 members

The SEUSKF has member dojos in 7 states:
Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, and Florida.

Excellent job, everyone! Thanks for joining!

SEUSKF/AUSKF Members from Memphis Dojo

2007-02-16T17:14:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who joined SEUSKF/AUSKF this year.
Here is the final list of 22 members (our largest ever):

Harry Dach
Kazuto Yasuda
Rogers Gossett
Don Crittendon
Wayne Edge
Walter White
Billy Delancey
Larry Runnels
Adam Wilson
Nick Runnels
Corbin Runnels
William Thornton-Leonard
Conrad Delancey
Rowan Troyer
Darren Williams
Thomas Davis
Joshua Schoeneberger
Seth Patterson
Christopher Cole
Salman Ali Abidi
Jeremiah Mazurek
Jonathan Kahre

A couple pics from 2006 SEUSKF tournament

2006-11-22T14:53:00.000-06:00

Memphis Dojo:

L to R: Rowan Troyer, William Thornton-Leonard, Conrad Delancey, Ester Lim, Steven Oh, An Giang, Billy Delancey, Kazuto Yasuda, Don Crittenden

(not visible: Larry Runnels, Corbin Runnels, Nick Runnels, Adam Wilson, Walter White, Rogers Gossett

Memphis B Team

L to R: Billy Delancey, Rowan Troyer, Conrad Delancey (slightly hidden), Ester Lim, Steven Oh

Memphis results at 2006 SEUSKF Tournament/Testing

2006-11-21T10:21:00.000-06:00

There were approximately 130+ competitors at the 2006 SEUSKF Tournament, hosted by Triangle Kendo Club in Chapel Hill, NC this past weekend. It may have been one of the biggest SEUSKF tournaments in recent memory. Every year, it seems to get bigger and bigger as more people take up kendo throughout the southeast.

For most of the Memphis contingency, it was their first tournament.
I think it was an overall good experience for everyone. For some, it was their first time doing kendo with someone outside of our own dojo. For others, it was only the second time.

In the individual divisions, we unfortunately did not have anyone place. Since Yasuda-san and I were tied up as shinpan in other rings, some of the details of individual performances are lacking (for now). The youth divisions, as well as the 1.dan-2.dan division, had more participants than I can remember in years past. Some of the details I can recall for the time being:
William Thornton-Leonard actually won two of his matches in the 1st round/round robin but for some odd reason was not advanced to the 2nd round. (Still not sure why that happened).
Yasuda-san, competing in the 3.dan+ division, had arguably the toughest draw of any competitor in the entire tournament. For the first round/round robin, he drew 5.dan Hyun-sensei (TMG) and 4.dan Yoshida-sensei (TKI). Yoshida-sensei wound up advancing to the quarter-finals before losing to Tanaka-sensei (4.dan?, GKA), who went on to finish in 2nd place in the division. For myself, I drew Kim-san (3.dan, GKA) and Imai-sensei (5.dan, TMG), the latter of which placed 1st in the division. I'm looking forward to this Wednesday's class to try and piece together how everyone did in the individual competition.

The level/quality of competition was quite fierce this year and the future of SEUSKF kendo looks good with younger and stronger players emerging and developing.

In the team competition, the Memphis A team tied for 3rd place (out of 19 teams). This was the first time in the club's history that a team has placed in the SEUSKF tournament.
Memphis A consisted of:
Senpo - An Giang (3.dan)
Jiho - Walter White (1.dan)
Chuken - Don Crittenden (2.dan)
Fukusho - Rogers Gossett (3.dan)
Taisho - Kazuto Yasuda (3.dan)
En route to the 3rd place finish, the Memphis team lost to a very strong team from Georgia Kendo Alliance (GKA) which eventually went on to win the team division.

The Memphis B team had a tough road to climb from the onset. This was the first tournament for every member of the team. Unfortunately, since the A team was competing at the same time, I don't recall who the B team faced. I do remember some details, and some were provided after the fact.
Senpo Rowan Troyer (unranked, 9 yrs old, all of 4 ft tall) fought his match to a stalemate, which in team competition can be as good as a win.
Jiho Conrad Delancey (4.kyu, 12 yrs old, all of 4.5 ft tall) lost his match by only one point to a player more than twice his height and almost twice his age.
I know that Dach-sensei is very very happy with the results of both teams and is sorry that he missed out on the trip!!

Final tournament results for each division will be posted as soon as possible.
Without question, the strongest contingency for this year's tournament came from GKA.
Arai-sensei (6.dan) informed me that they have up to 80 regular students now, with some very strong 3.dan and 4.dan players. There is also a 1.dan player from GKA who is showing some strong development in using jodan. I can't recall his name, but we will all be seeing him again in the future --- he'll be someone to watch out for!

TESTING RESULTS:
===============
Congratulations to everyone who passed his test:
Rowan Troyer - 6.kyu
William Thornton-Leonard - 4.kyu
Conrad Delancey - 3.kyu
Billy Delancey - 1.kyu
Adam Wilson - 1.kyu
Ester Lim - 3. kyu
Larry Runnels - 1.kyu
Nick Runnels - 5.kyu
Corbin Runnels - 5.kyu
Walter White - 2.dan

(Sorry if I have forgotten anyone's name here)..

REMEMBER: There WILL be class THIS Wednesday (the day before T'giving). Class will be pretty light, with some discussion on everyone's tournament experience.

Memphis Kendoists get noticed at Iaido Nationals..

2006-10-20T14:31:00.000-05:00

Link to the full story from the Cinncinnati Enquirer
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061002/NEWS01/310020015/1056/NEWS01

Quoted in part:

During the last few days, Cincinnati became the center of attention for Iaido lovers, teachers and students across the country as it hosted the U.S. Samurai Sword Championships and Seminar for the first time at the Corryville Recreation Center.
[...]

The youngest competitor was 12-year-old Conrad DeLancey, 12, of Memphis. He and his father took up the sport about a year and a half ago and came to their first competition this weekend along with their teacher, Harry Dach, known as a sensei. He’s one of the younger Iaido students, Atkins said. The art takes such discipline and practice that it helps kids stay focused. It also teaches manners, posture and respect. The care used when they fold up their robes after competition rivals that of an American flag being folded.“I just always wanted to learn how to use a sword,” said the dark haired, freckled boy. “I think that’s just neat that you can know how to use it and use it without cutting yourself.”

+++++++

2006 SEUSKF Stats

2006-03-21T10:21:00.000-06:00

There are 24 dojos that make up the SEUSKF.

318 kendoka have registered with the regional and national federations.
- 76 youths (17 and under)
- 242 adults (18+)
- 259 males
- 59 females

Memphis is the 6th largest dojo in the SEUSKF with 18 registered memebers.

The top 10 are:

1. Gulf Coast Kendo Club (Bradenton, FL) - 52 members
2. Georgia Kendo Alliance (GKA) (Atlanta, GA) - 42 members
3. Koryo Kendo Club (Richmond, VA) - 36 members
4. Annapolis Kendo and Iaido Club (Annapolis, MD) - 23 members
5. Triangle Kendo Club (Raleigh-Durham, NC) - 21 memebers
6. Memphis Kendo Club (Memphis, TN) - 18 members
7. (tie) Tennessee Meiji Gaikuin (TMG) (Sweetwater, TN) - 16 members
7. (tie) Northern Virginia Budokai (Fairfax, VA) - 16 members
8. Northern Raleigh Kendo Club (Raleigh, NC) - 15 members
9. Charlotte Kendo Club (Charlotte, NC) - 14 members

The SEUSKF covers 7 states:
Florida
Georgia
South Carolina
North Carolina
Virgina
Maryland
Tennessee

IMPORTANT: New SEUSKF News (2/24/06)

2006-02-24T08:39:00.000-06:00

I received an email from Sensei Jim Parker, President of the SEUSKF, regarding some important stuff that concerns all of us ... members and non-members alike.

I'll cut right to the chase and paraphrase the email (most of it is direct quoting):

1. If you are not a member of the SEUSKF or the AUSKF, you will either pay a higher fee for participating in SEUSKF activities or you will not be allowed to participate in SEUSKF activities. It is not fair for paying members to subsidize a non-member.

2. Members of another region may be required to pay a higher fee for participating in SEUSKF activities.

3. A non-member of the SEUSKF/AUSKF will not be allowed to test.
[MKC's note: #3 is not exclusive to SEUSKF regional events where promotionals are held. It *DOES* include in-house promotions!!!]

4. Dead Lines for registration will start to be enforced. If you show up to a tournament or an exam on that day - you will most likely not be allowed to participate.
[MCK's note: Make special note of this if you have NOT signed up to join the SEUSKF/AUSKF for THIS year, you will NOT be allowed to compete at the SEUSKF annual tournament in the Fall of 2006 if you intend to sign up "on site"...]

5. Applications may begin to require you to show proof of membership. Kendo Card: If Nationals doesn't prepare-the SEUSKF will.

6. Promotion exams:
a. If you are not in bogu-there is no reason to be testing.
b. The sensei of the Dojo/Club should be involved in recommending what rank someone is Challenging. Simply putting down "judges decision" doesn't help us judge where to place this individual and could harm a better player's change of passing by being paired up with a lower skilled opponent.
c. The dojo/club sensei's signature and recommendation is a part of the application.

7. People who are not participating need to get involved to help run the tournaments, promotional exams, etc. This is part of kendo training and needs to be taught in the dojo. Every kenshi at about 3-kyu and above should be able to help score at the table, keep time, run flags & locate competitors. Sho-dans and 2-dans should be being taught how to shimpan in the dojo so that when they become 3-dan and have to judge in the SEUSKF tournaments - they will have some knowledge.

8. To test outside the SEUSKF, you must have the SEUSKF presidents signature and permission to test as well as your dojo/club sensei.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2006 SEUSKF Tournament
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The SEUSKF is looking for a Dojo/Club to help put on this years Tournament. At a minimum we will need space for 3 courts and possibly 4. This primarily involves arranging for a gym, tables and chairs for the court, tape for the floor, stop watches, medals/plaques (this could be done by the SEUSKF or by the dojo/club), possible banquette, brackets (can be done by SEUSKF and/or the Club). This tournament is normally held in October or early November.

MKC Note: Memphis last hosted the SEUSKF Annual tournamnet sometime around 1997 with pretty decent success thanks to the efforts of Dach-sensei who did pretty much all the work himself. Hosting a tournament is a MAJOR undertaking, but with the number of people we now have involved in our group, it would not be an impossibility. This is something the group should perhaps consider doing -- if not this year, then maybe next year. It's not entirely fair that the same groups wind up hosting it year after year (namely, Charlotte and the Citadel groups) because of everything involved, but it's also not entirely fair that the tournament always seems to be held so far away from Memphis, thus limiting who from our group can go and get some much needed experience practicing with other kendoka. The items listed above from Parker-sensei's email barely scratch the surface of what's needed. The primary factors which need to be taken into consideration are:
1. Securing an area for the tournament (in our case, possibly the community center's gym),
2. Arranging the post-tournament banquet,
3. Securing/arranging hotel availability for travellers,
4. Securing/arranging ground transportation for any groups who fly into Memphis,
5. Sharing some of the costs for VIPs (read: normally visiting sensei from other federations who may be invited)... hotel rooms, food, transportation...

As I said, it's not impossible for a group our size to host this tournament, but if we offer to do it (it would be immediately approved, trust me), ALL of us must be committed to helping out in every way possible. It MUST be a group effort!!]

The SEUSKF is also asking dojos to host kendo AND/OR iaido seminars.
[If we are not willing or are unable to do the SEUSKF tournament, a kendo/iaido seminar would be another great opportunity for our group. In order to pull off a seminar, the same basic 5 things listed previously would still be needed (perhaps minus a banquet) but on a smaller scale. Memphis last hosted a NATIONAL iaido seminar a few years ago which was met with much success.]

MORE NOTES: If Memphis were to host the SEUSKF tournament or a kendo/iaido seminar, there is a GOOD chance that we would get players from other federations to participate, due to Memphis' central location and airport accessibility

MORE SEUSKF NEWS:

We are trying to get a SEUSKF web site up to help post more information. Again your input and assistance is always appreciated. The most important thing is to spread the information that is put out to other members.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

SEUSKF News Items

2006-02-02T17:04:00.000-06:00

2005 SEUSKF Tournament Results:

Shodan-Nidan Division:
1. Chang Oh (GKA)
2. Yuki DeSouza (GKA)
3. Nobuhiro Sekita (TMG)
3. DON CRITTENDON (Memphis)

Sandan+ Division:
1. Kotaro Yoshida (Triangle)
2. Yukihisa Tokunaga (Triangle)
3. Yoshimi DeSouza (GKA)
3. Daisuke Sugiyama (Dartmouth)

Seniors (45 and up):
1. Shinobu Maeda (TMG)
2. Don Seto (Shidogaikuin, DC)
3. Kunitoshi Arai (GKA)
3. Sokichi Kishi (Orlando)

Junior Youth (12 and under)
1. Ryo Eguchi (Torrance)
2. Brandon Oh (Koryo)
3. John Murden, Jr. (CKIC)

Senior Youth (13-17 yrs old):
1. Yuki DeSouza (GKA)
2. Akira Hara (GKA)
3. Uendae Park (GKA)
3. Nobuhiro Sekita (TMG)

Women
1. Yoshimi DeSouza (GKA)
2. Yatsuki Hoang (Koryo)
3. Jessica O'Quinn (GKA)
3. Ryoko Barr (GKA)

Mudansha
1. Yoo Chong (GKA)
2. Tae Youn Park (GKA)
3. Shunsuke Kishi (Orlando)
3. Pavel Litterback (GKA)

NO TEAM DIVISION WAS HELD

=========================================

Ken Strawn's Travelling Tip:

When you fly to a Kendo event, you may have encountered the problem [Ken has]. Besides [his] bogu bag and shinai bag, [he] must carry an additional case for [his] kendo prosthetic. When you fly coach, you are restricted to two bags. Twice [he has] had to pay an additional $80 for the third bag.

[Ken] recently flew to California for a kodansha test and this happened again. The lady processing [his] luggage told [him] to tape two of them together and the airline would count it as one. On the return trip, [he] tried this with duct tape --- and it worked!

Remember though, in this post-9/11 world, to put the tape on in a manner so that the suitcase can be opened for inspection without the agents having to cut away your tape and lose one of your bags.

===================================
A couple notes from the SEUSKF Board of Director's Meeting --- 17 Sep 2005

1. Treasurer's report -- ending balance as of 9/14/05 was $7,961.05
Total SEUSKF membership: 274

2. Promotional issues: Ken Strawn brought up his feelings that dojo promotionals are getting out of hand. No procedure for holding the promotional has ever been sent to the dojos. Main issue is that permission must be asked of the Vice President of Promotions (Mike Quinn) or results will be nullified. Dojo promotionals can go no higher than 1-kyu. New procedure will be issued.

3. Citadel Seminar -- March 9/10 with Kakehashi Sensei (8-dan) and Miyazaki Sensei (7-dan). SEUSKF agress to pay for one sensei's ticket. A seminar fee will be charged to help cover the other sensei's ticket. Suggested to hold spring promotional in conjunction with this seminar in order to promote attendance (spring promotional usually held at TMG). Plan is for only SEUSKF members allowed to attend.

4. Mentoring -- Maeda-sensei requests travel expenses be paid by SEUSKF for his traveling once a month to assist new dojo in Nashville. After reviewing SEUSKF policies and procedures, dojo must request mentor ahead of time and nothing has ever been set about paying mileage for mentors. As SEUSKF cannot afford to send mentors to every dojo who requests one, it should be the responsibility of the dojo to pay travel expenses for a mentor as much as possible. It is decided to pay Maeda-sensei who traveled in good faith for the two trips he already had made and to decide future requests on an individual basis.

5. Arai-sensei has been asked to become Vice President of Competitions
6. Next meeting is set for January 28, 2006 in Charlotte.

+++++++++++++++++

SEUSKF Board of Directors:
President - James Parker (jamesparker@coastalnow.net)
VP-Promotions -- Mike Quinn (mquinn6@hotmail.com)
VP-Education -- Shinobu Maeda (shinobu7358@bellsouth.net)
Secretary -- Eddie Miller (eddiemiller@OrlandoKendo.com)
Treasurer -- Ken Strawn (kenstrawn@earthlink.net)
At Large -- Kentaro Hara (kentaroh@bellsouth.net)
At Large -- John Murden (john.murden@citadel.edu)
At Large -- Kotaro Yoshida (Ky7@duke.edu)

Honda-sensei on Ji-geiko (Part 2)

2005-12-06T10:09:00.000-06:00

This is VERY good information for everyone! (pay close attention to the highlighted sections of the article...)

I doubt Honda-sensei of the British Kendo Association will ever see this little blog of ours, but if he does, I hope he understands how great his thoughts are on this.

Original link: http://www.kendo.org.uk/articles/jigeiko/02/

__________________________________

1. Ji-geiko with Seniors
What should be mentioned, firstly, is to try to get Sho-dachi (the first cut) no matter who you are having the Ji-geiko with. Irrespective of the difference in grade and experience.
Ji-geiko should start with Ippon Shobu played in earnest in an equal fifty-fifty situation, with the philosophy: that there is no second chance in a fight with real swords. It is important to understand this philosophy in Kendo as Budo and try to get a successful Sho-dachi by utilising all of your abilities to the full.

After attacking and defending Sho-dachi, in this Ji-geiko with someone senior, you are recommended then to focus mainly on Shikake-waza. However this does not mean merely attacking randomly against seniors. If you are of a low grade such as Ikkyu and Sho-dan, it is important to attempt to break the senior’s Chu-shin [centre] by making the best use of your footwork, Shinai and body movement. It is also important not to be afraid of being avoided and counter attacked, and not to stop attacking in the middle of your action, but to always try to complete your attack. You are supposed to develop various ways of Shikake-waza such as: by being avoided or being struck Debana-waza and Ouzi-waza, repeatedly . However it is not profitable for you to be struck as a result of waiting for the senior to attack. Try to use all the Waza you have and give 100 percent effort. Sumi (2000) points out that juniors should focus only on Shikake-waza and try to do Ji-geiko that makes them use up all of their energy in 5 minutes when they have Ji-geiko with a senior. 　

2. Ji-geiko with Juniors
There is no need to stress the importance of Sho-dachi here any more. What you should consider when doing Ji-geiko with a junior, is not to lapse into a Ji-geiko where the only intention is to obtain satisfaction by merely beating them. People tend to feel that they want to impress other people who are watching their Ji-geiko. Such vanity should be severely admonished. From the viewpoint of showing responsibility as a senior, you have a responsibility to develop the juniors’ skills by making them realise their weak points, by striking them in that weak moment, but also by letting their strong points come through and striking you during the Ji-geiko. This type of Keiko is called Hikitate-geiko (All Japan Kendo Federation, 2000) and is one of the most difficult Keiko to do in Kendo. Juniors will lose their enthusiasm and concentration if seniors just keep on striking them for their own satisfaction or if the opportunity to strike is too obvious. To enable the junior to improve, a senior is expected to perform as though their skill level was 0.5 dan higher than the junior and to concentrate 100 percent when facing them. The senior should counterattack when the junior makes an attack without first making an effective Seme and when there was no appropriate opportunity, but let them strike when they come to attack after making a good Seme and when there is a good opportunity. The senior should encourage the junior to grasp and understand the correct opportunity to strike though this Hikitate-geiko.

Seniors are also expected to encourage juniors to understand the importance of maintaining concentration by attacking if the junior is careless after their attack.
There is a saying that explains how a senior should approach Ji-geiko with a junior: “Ware igai mina shi nari (everyone is one’s teacher)”. That is, there is always something to learn through Ji-geiko no matter who one does it with. One quite often hears, “I am the highest grade in my Dojo and I have no one to teach me.” This is not true. It depends on the way you think. Keep in mind that you can learn a great deal from whoever you do Ji-geiko with.

It is often taken for granted that seniors can strike juniors easily in Ji-geiko , so for your further improvement, you should not just focus on striking but tackle Ji-geiko with a clear task(s) or by giving yourself a handicap in this Ji-geiko with juniors. However, you must not stick to a form of Ji-geiko whereby you only focus on cutting Men for instance, as even if you try to focus on cutting Men, you need to have a clear idea such as: from what distance to cut Men and on how to make an opportunity. As to giving yourself a handicap, it is also important to explore how to perform under adverse conditions. For example, dare to fence in Chika-ma during Ji-geiko with someone smaller than yourself and to watch for a chance of doing Debana-waza (instead of waiting you should try to lure your opponent into attacking the target you want them to strike!).
I would like to repeat the point that seniors must not lapse into Ji-geiko where the aim is to obtain satisfaction, just by striking more times than their opponent has.

3. Ji-geiko with Someone of the Same Level
Ji-geiko with someone of the same level gives you a good opportunity to reflect upon your progress and the fruits of your efforts. This is even better if you are both about the same age. It is very important for you to know someone of the same level and of a similar age and to do Ji-geiko with them. It’s quite normal not to want to be struck by your rival, but it is quite important to have an attitude whereby you try to show your best Kendo no matter what happens. After they are struck, people also tend to try to return the attack before making enough Seme. It is important to control this feeling and try to start again with the taking and re-taking of the Chu-shin. By doing Ji-geiko with someone of the same level, you should compare how your Seme and Waza, [which worked against juniors], works against someone of the same level and whether there is anything your rival has and you do not have and vice versa. It is expected that all people of the same level will try to train harder in order to improve in a spirit of cooperation and friendly in the way of Shugyo in Kendo.

5. Men Doing Ji-geiko with Women
In the case of men doing Ji-geiko with women, Tai-atari and the use of Waza that rely too much on physical power should also be restrained. Men should not fall into the habit of being afraid of being struck by a women or getting frustrated when you cannot strike as you wish. This causes you to strike, ignoring opportunities, differences in physique and physical strength. This is the worst type of Kendo, because it shows no respect for your opponent and creates nothing between you, even if you are able strike your opponent by doing such Kendo in the Ji-geiko . Your opponent is not an enemy to destroy, rather that you are partners, who should help each other to improve by working hard together in Shugyo. It can quite often be the case that you are much the taller when doing Ji-geiko with women and juniors. This is a good opportunity to do Ji-geiko in Chika-ma. [if there is a difference of height between two Kendo-ka, the one who is taller normally feels cramped and uncomfortable playing in this close distance]. Men should realise that having Ji-geiko with women is a good opportunity to learn how to play (without relying too much on physical strength) by fencing in Chika-ma. Moreover, through Ji-geiko with women, men can also practise how to acquire the timing of Debana-waza that catches the moment when your opponent comes to move into Chika-ma.

6. Women Doing Ji-geiko with Men
It is often thought that most women find it difficult to do Ji-geiko as they would like to with men who are bulkier and taller. Just the thought of powerful attacks from well-built men may be scary. However, everyone has a weak point, for instance: maybe a distance which they find uncomfortable fighting in or a type of opponent which they find awkward to fight. This applies not only to women but to all Kendo-ka. To keep avoiding practising with people who are hard for you to deal with in Ji-geiko is not a solution. It will remain your problem. If they are hard to deal with in Ji-geiko, it is suggested that you should try to do Ji-geiko with them more than with anyone else and try to overcome this weak point through being struck again and again and by trying to find a solution.

If you find such people who are difficult to handle, then they are the ones who you need to do Ji-geiko more with, in order to overcome your fear and problem. Generally tall people are not good at playing in Chika-ma because it is too close for them to kick the floor hard with their left foot and they feel cramped in this position The important point is therefore how to reach Chika-ma, as that is an advantageous distance for you. If you try to reach Chika-ma by merely stepping forward, your opponent will try to do a Debana-attack. It is important therefore to devise various ways of reaching Chika-ma from different directions. In the case when your opponent comes to attack before you do, you will be knocked over if you just check their attack and Tai-atari. It is important therefore, to acquire Ashi-sabaki and Tai-sabaki that enables you to avoid direct strong physical contact [using body movement]

I would like to add one piece of advice here. One sometimes hears, unfortunately, that there are some men who behave in Ji-geiko as if they are trying to hurt women. As well as this bad attitude in the Ji-geiko, there is nothing to be learnt from such people. It is strongly recommended that you stop Ji-geiko immediately if you discover your opponent is one of these types, or that you refuse to do Ji-geiko with them if you are asked.

7. Last words
What should be expected of all Kendo-ka when doing Ji-geiko, is that you make your opponents feel that they want to have Ji-geiko with you again. It will give me great pleasure if this and the previous article, which re-examined the relationship between Kihon-geiko, Kata-geiko and Ji-geiko and how Ji-geiko should be approached, give you something useful in your Kendo Shugyo now and in the future.

Honda-sensei of British Kendo speaks on Ji-geiko (Part 1)

2005-12-06T09:58:00.000-06:00

http://www.kendo.org.uk/articles/jigeiko/01/

A FABULOUS article!!

I've supplied the link to give proper credit where it's due, but I think a couple points need to be reproduced here as well.
____________________________________________

Ji-geiko is the core part of Keiko in Kendo. In Ji-geiko, we (Kendo-ka) can try to use Waza(techniques) in unrestricted situations. We can also learn and acquire what we need to do before we attack (Seme) or how to react to an opponent’s Seme (intention and attack). Through Ji-geiko, moreover, we can recognise what Waza we are, or are not good at and one Ji-geiko can lead us to the next Kihon-geiko and Ji-geiko and what we need to work on for our technical progression. It also gives us ways to developing our skills and spirit as proper Kendo-ka.
If we approach Ji-geiko in the wrong way such as focusing only on beating an opponent, we cannot expect real development as proper Kendo-ka in the future. It is important, therefore, to engage in Ji-geiko with the correct understanding.

Therefore the purpose of this article (part 1) is to re-examine what Ji-geiko should be and to present some useful material for Kendo-ka in future Keiko. It starts with an examination of the relationship between Kihon-geiko, Kata-geiko and Ji-geiko followed by an examination of how Ji-geiko should be practised.

1.The Relationship between Kihon-geiko, Kata-geiko and Ji-geiko
As well as Ji-geiko, Kihon-geiko and Kata-geiko are important main elements of Keiko.
In Kihon-geiko, the same practice is repeated again and again under pre-determined situations so that we become proficient in striking and thrusting correctly, with full Ki-ai and good posture (Ki-Ken-Tai no Itchi).

Kata-geiko places more emphasis on being aware of the use of the sword than Kihon-geiko, [as kata-geiko is also usually practiced with boken]. Kata-geiko is also where we learn how to breathe (abdominal breathing) properly.

These Kihon-geiko, Kata-geiko and Ji-geiko do not exist separately. They are supposed to be connected fundamentally. However there are some people who can perform beautifully in Kihon-geiko and Kata-geiko, but lose posture and co-ordination between their arms and legs in Ji-geiko. There is no real problem, if these people are setting themselves task(s) in order to overcome their inabilities in the Ji-geiko. There are other people, however, who focus only on beating opponents and striking more times than their opponent has. This sort of attitude in Ji-geiko reflects an attitude that is concerned only with winning at that precise moment in time. In contrast, there are other people who focus only on their posture and form and pay less attention to the exchanging of taking Chu-shin and Seme-ai. (control of the centre) This is also ok, if these people are doing intentionally in order to overcome their problems (i.e. trying to keep their back straight when they attack). If they are not trying to overcome their various problems however, then all such attitudes degrade Ji-geiko into just a performance and therefore we cannot experience the real pleasure of Ji-geiko through this failing.

2. What Ji-geiko Should Be
There should not be an imbalance of preference between Kihon-geiko, Kata-geiko and Ji-geiko. It is important to tackle Ji-geiko while we are considering how to use Waza acquired in Kihon-geiko and Kata-geiko. By doing so, we can grasp the meaning and purpose of each Keiko and become more interested each time we practice any Keiko. As mentioned earlier, Ji-geiko is aimed at giving us opportunities to grasp our abilities under unrestricted situations. In addition to this, Tomiki (1991) points out that the purpose of Ji-geiko in modern Kendo is allow us to grasp the strict spiritual aspects of Kendo as Budo. In the past, Bujutsu-ka could grasp their abilities only by beating their opponents and surviving life or death situations. The place of battle for life or death in the past has been converted to a competitive place where everyone is protected with Bogu and one can attack and defend safely. In modern Kendo, the Kendo-ka is expected to try to control emotional conflict in competitive situations. Thus, developing our skills and spirit as proper Kendo-ka, it is essential then to understand how to undertake Ji-geiko and do it properly. The way of approaching Ji-geiko is not the same for everyone. At the beginners’ stage, there is a way for them to engage in Ji-geiko according to their level. Likewise there is also a way for seniors to approach Ji-geiko according to their level. Moreover, the application of Ji-geiko changes according to what a person tries to acquire and improve through Ji-geiko and also who we have Ji-geiko with (i.e. with Kohai, Sempai, someone older, women and so on).

The remainder of this article explains how to tackle Ji-geiko according to one’s stage of development.

3. How to Tackle Ji-geiko in Each development Stage.
3-1. Kyu Grade
Firstly, the most important point for Kendo-ka of this level to keep in mind is: to try to use Waza (Shikake-waza) on your own initiative. It should not be just Men and Kote, but you should use all Waza you have learnt in Kihon-geiko and Kata-geiko. You should not be afraid of failing and being defeated. It is expected that you will gradually grasp the timing of using each Waza whilst you try to attack using your own initiative. Another important point is that you should not stop your movement after striking and thrusting, but try to complete your attack and quickly prepare yourself for the next action. It is quite often seen in beginners’ Ji-geiko that they loose their attention and guard as soon as they finish their first attack and that they walk back to where they were before attacking. It is important to always maintain concentration wherever you are and to prepare for the next action as soon as you have finished your first attack.
Secondly, it is usual that most beginners have not learnt, at this stage, how to defend. It is also quite often the case that beginners do not properly know what to do and they are just absent-mindedly standing without doing anything, closing their eyes and tensing their shoulders, moving back or running away in case their opponent attacks before them. It is also be reasonable to assume, that they may feel fear at someone’s attack. What is important here is to have a proper understanding of Ko-bo-itchi and Ken-tai-itchi. These terms illustrate the importance of always being mentally and physically ready to defend against the opponent’s counterattack whilst attacking, and ready to counterattack while defending (All Japan Kendo Federation, 2000, p. 47). There is no defence just for the sake of defence, in Kendo. Defence is done for the next attack or counterattack. Using a proper defence enables you to immediately attack after defending, but you should not just be standing and defending by using only your Shinai, you should keep your knees relaxed and defend by using both your Shinai and your footwork. As you gain more experience, you come to acquire a wider variety of Waza and better timing. What you are encouraged to do for your progression at this stage is to use big techniques involving all of your body and not relying on small techniques or trying to strike more times than your opponent has.

If you form bad habits on the way you attack and defend at this stage, it will take a long time to get rid of them in the future. It is important to reflect how you have been tackling Ji-geiko by listening to your Sempai and Sensei’s advice and by self-examination.

What's the deal with rank in kendo? (updated July 2010)

2005-12-05T15:26:00.002-06:00

If you've ever wondered about rank in kendo, the general bottom line is that (achieving) rank is not the ultimate goal of kendo. The ultimate goal is just to get better at kendo. Perhaps you've noticed that no one in kendo wears any outward sign to denote their rank. Why?

When you go to practice, things like rank, age, sex, weight have no true meaning because in kendo, technique will determine the winner in a match. By way of illustration, at the U.S. National Tournament in Las Vegas (1999), I saw a 5'2, 100 lb girl defeat a 6'+, 200 lb man in the team competition by scoring a beautiful men. Technique is the variable which makes all kendoka "equal".

That said, rank (and achieving rank) can be a positive thing in kendo. It can give us a sense of where we are (in terms of kendo ability/knowledge) and where we're headed or what we can look forward to. In our goal-driven society, rank can be a source of encouragement as well.

In the past, the Memphis dojo has not held any in-house promotionals. The primary reason for this is that we haven't had enough people in class with enough rank to sit on a panel of judgment. The International Kendo Federation has recently laid out new laws governing the guidelines for kyu-rank promotionals. In former years, all that was required for a grading panel up to 1.kyu (the level immediately below 1.dan) was three 3.dan+. The FIK changed their own rules to require a minimum of five 4.dan. The AUSKF changed their own policy to be in line with FIK regulations and this has now filtered down to the individual regions which make up the AUSKF.
As of 2008, Memphis Kendo Club now has four active 4.dan in class which gets us closer to the AUSKF requirement. The SEUSKF has also created "sub-regionals," placing Memphis in the SEUSKF Western Region along with Nashville and Knoxville. We will continue to plan joint shinsa with those two groups, which will typically mean at least one 7.dan (Yazaki-sensei of Nashville) and one 6.dan (Hyun-sensei of Knoxville) to sit on a grading panel.

Having said that, it is also perhaps noteworthy to mention that it is neither necessary nor required that adult kenshi "start" at the lowest kyu rank and progress one step at a time as they approach 1.dan. All kenshi start with NO rank and then are generally placed at a certain kyu level after their first shinsa (testing). After that, a person can easily skip kyu-levels based on the award of a testing's grading panel, with the following exception: By SEUSKF regulations, NO person may test for 1.kyu as his first rank, which is to say, everyone MUST pass some kyu-level shinsa prior to being eligible to test for 1.kyu. Obviously, this means, too, that no one may test for 1.dan before first passing 1.kyu, even if it means you've been doing kendo for 20 years. Also, if you hold, for example, the rank of 3.kyu, you may -- with your instructor's permission -- challenge for the rank of 1.kyu, however, if you fail the exam, you will remain at your current rank (i.e., there is no longer the idea of "auto-promoting" above your current level, just short of 1.kyu).

The following link provides more information about general expectations at a promotional examination: http://beginningkendo.blogspot.com/2010/07/shinsa-rank-testing-expectations.html

So... should you worry about testing? The first testing can be a bit stressful because you want to do well. You know what the judges expect you to be able to do, but you may not know how well the judges expect you to do it! In the end, it's nothing to get worked up over. Some of you who may have experience in other martial arts may have heard, witnessed, or even participated in rank testings which have lasted several hours. This is simply not the case with kendo. At best, you may be on the floor in front of the panel for 5 or 10 minutes total. The jigeiko portion of your exam is supposed to last a total of 180 seconds (90 seconds per match). This obviously may add to your stress as you feel you don't have enough time to fully demonstrate what you can do. Promotional panels have a lot of experience, though, and have the ability to see your potential even when you're not "picture perfect". So, when you go in for testing, simply do what you know how to do and let the judges do their thing. No sense in worrying about it! Whether you hold a rank of 4.kyu or shodan, you'll always find yourself practicing and sparring people with more experience and higher rank. Anyone, of any rank, can score a point or win a match against anyone else on any given day.

Regardless of rank, kendo is an ongoing learning experience. You might consider using promotionals as an encouragement to better your kendo, but ultimately, rank is not the end-all/be-all of kendo.

Something to keep in mind....

General Kendo Terminology

2005-11-29T09:31:00.003-06:00

The Memphis Kendo Club has been blessed to have so many new people take up kendo, and more importantly --- stick with it.

The purpose of this post is to help those who are still relatively new to Kendo.

Etiquette:
Reigi (respect/manners/etiquette) is vitally important in kendo. Respect is demanded when entering/leaving the dojo and throughout practice. This means that when instruction is being given, we need to be attentive and cut out the side chatter. While practice can be fun, it needs to be conducted and received with a manner of respect and seriousness. Remember to bow to the front of the dojo any time you enter or leave the dojo. Take full part in practice -- even in warm-ups with good energy and loud voice. ALWAYS walk BEHIND other kendoka whenever possible, and if it's not possible, acknowledge the person you're walking in front of with a slight bow and extension of the hand. AVOID stepping over someone's bogu or shinai. Before starting practice with a partner (kihon or jigeiko), bow and say "onegashimasu" (oh-nay-gosh-ee-mahs). Excercising more etiquette will make practice much more serious and fulfilling.

Terminology:
A few terms which you have heard in class but may be unsure of...

GENERAL:
Shugo! or Seretsu! -- the command for everyone to line up
Seiza! -- the command to adopt a kneeling/sitting-on-the-heels posture
Mokuso! -- meditation/"quietude"
Kiotsuke! -- attention!
Shomen ni rei! -- bow to the front
Sensei ni rei! -- bow to the sensei
Otagai ni rei! -- bow to each other

Onegashimasu! -- "Please practice with (teach) me!" or generally, "Let's please begin!"
Domo (arigato gozaimashita) -- "Thank you very much"
Sonkyo -- a crouching posture (noticeably used prior to beginning free fight with a partner)
Osameto -- to put away the sword (or to sheath the sword) following practice/excercise
Sumimasen (or) Gomen nasai -- "Sorry!"
Hajime! -- start or begin
Yame! -- stop or end

PARTS OF BOGU (Kendo Armor):
Men - the head
Kote - the wrist
Dou - the trunk/body
Tsuki - literally, "thrust," but it typically is used to refer to the throat
Tare - the hip protecting skirt

DIRECTIONS:
Mai - forward
Ushiro - backward
Migi - right
Hidari - left

DISTANCE:
Ma-ai -- the distance between opponents
Issoku-itto-no-maai -- the distance at which you can strike the opponent by taking one step forward
To-ma -- far distance, i.e., a distance greater than issoku-itto-no-maai
Chika-ma -- close distance, i.e., a distance shorter/closer than issoku-itto-no-maai
Yokote-no-maai -- the distance at which the tip of your shinai and the tip of your opponent's shinai are just crossing.

SPARRING/FIGHTING/BASICS:
Kihon - basics
Ai-te - opponent, generally during shiai-geiko or jigeiko.
Kakarite - attacker
Motodachi - the person who acts as a receiver to kakarite's attacks, typically during kihon practice
Sho-men(-uchi) -- the center of the men; to strike the center of the men
Sayu-men -- to strike the men at (approx.) a 70-degree angle
Taiatari -- body contact/crash after an attack
Kiri kaeishi -- practice with a partner where the attacker strikes the men, performs taiatari, then proceeds to strike sayu-men four times forward then five times backwards.
Kikari-geiko -- attacking-without-pausing practice
Ai-kikari-geiko -- kikarigeiko practiced by both partners at the same time
Ji-geiko -- free practice/free sparring
Shiai-geiko -- tournament sparring
Ippon-shobu -- in jigeiko, this refers to "last point" (before stopping)

TECHNIQUE (WAZA):
Waza is divided into two categories: Shikake waza (attacking technique) and Oji-waza (defensive/counterattacking technique). While this is not meant to be an exhaustive list...

Shikake waza can be sub-divided into:
Harai waza - technique of striking the opponent's shinai off center to create an opening for attack
Debana waza - technique of using seme to force the opponent to move to attack, then attacking first (debana kote is very common)
Hiki waza - striking while moving backwards

Oji waza can be sub-divided into:
Suriage waza - warding off the opponent's shinai as it attacks with a sweeping, upward movement
Uchiotoshi waza - striking the opponent's shinai downwards
Nuki waza - technique of luring an opponent to strike, then dodging it and following up with an attack
Kaeishi waza - technique of receiving an opponent's strike on your shinai and using that energy to launch your own attack.

FOOTWORK (Ashi-sabaki):
Suri-ashi -- "rubbing feet"; the process of moving, without crossing, the feet. This is standard "kendo footwork"
Ayumi-ashi -- alternate stepping (crossing of the feet)
Fumikomi-ashi -- attack stepping (the "foot stomp" when attacking)
Hiraki-ashi -- "crossing" footwork

CONCEPTS:
Ki-ken-tai-ichi -- literally "Spirit-sword-body-as one" ... where the movement of your body, your spirit, and your strike culminate to strike the opponent's target at one point simultaneously.

Seme -- "Pressure". A difficult concept to define. There are different types of seme which are developed at different levels of kendo. In abstract terms, there can be physical seme or mental seme or a combination of both. When starting out, physical seme is most often used. Generally, it is the idea of pressuring by physically moving toward the opponent and pushing in with the kensen (the tip of the shinai), to cause the opponent to lose the center position or to break his kamae, thus creating an opening or opportunity for attack. Developing good seme is vital for success and is a never-ending process.

Zanshin -- "Resolute will". Another very difficult term to define. In simplistic terms, it is the physical and mental disposition and preparedness you exhibit after striking the opponent.

Detroit Kendo Club Sensei Passes Hachi-dan (8.dan) Exam!

2005-11-28T17:19:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Tagawa-sensei of the Detroit Kendo Club who successfully passed the Hachi-dan examination in Japan.

Of the 1357 candidates for 8.Dan, only 12 passed. The success rate for the November 2005 exam was 0.9%. The examination is held twice a year in Japan.

This is an incredibly MAJOR accomplishment and a very good thing for kendo in the United States.

Memphis Kendoka success at 2005 SEUSKF Tournament/Promotion

2005-11-10T12:18:00.000-06:00

Results of the 2005 Southeast Kendo Federation Tournament will be forthcoming..

In the meantime, congratulations are in order for Mr. Don Crittendon who successfully passed his Nidan examination. Additionally, Robin Oh(?) -- who went into the testing with no rank -- was awarded ni-kyu (two steps below Shodan).

With Don's promotion, the Memphis dojo now has seven dan-holders in regular attendance at class (one 4.dan, two 3.dan, two 2.dan, two 1.dan)

In addition, Don placed 3rd in the tournament's shodan-nidan division. In recent years, the Memphis group has done very well in this division, capturing 1st place once, 2nd place once, and third place twice.

Congrats again to Don and Robin on their achievements!

2005-07-15T15:11:00.000-05:00

SEUSKF group at the US Nationals

2005-07-15T15:10:00.000-05:00

SEUS Kendo Team Sr. Youth 3rd place win

2005-07-15T15:07:00.002-05:00

SEUSKF, Women's Team 3rd place win! (first time in history of SEUSKF)

Commercial Appeal article ~ May 2005 (Part 1)

2005-06-01T23:24:00.001-05:00

Commercial Appeal article ~ May 2005 (Part 2)

2005-06-01T23:23:00.001-05:00

Commerical Appeal article ~ May 2005 (Part 3)

2005-06-01T23:21:00.001-05:00

>Bill Holt: Father of Kendo in the South

2005-05-05T11:50:00.000-05:00

Arata Takiwara, Ken Strawn, Bill Holt, Harry Watanabe

The first Kendo dojo south of the Mason-Dixon line (with the possible exception of the Houston dojo started by Darell Craig) began in Atlanta in 1977 with Bill Holt, shodan, as the first instructor, and Harry Watanabe as his assistant. William Charles Holt was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1938. The family moved to Decatur, Georgia where Bill was a standout on the Decatur High School Football team. He would later play semi-pro football when he was stationed in Southern California. Bill joined the marines after graduating from high school and would spend ten of the next twenty years in the far east. While stationed in Japan, he began Judo, eventually becoming All-Marine Corps Champion five times. In July of 1959, Bill married Sayoko Takaki. While in the Marine Corps, Bill took undergraduate degrees in psychology and related areas from the University of Hawaii and the University of Maryland. In 1974, Bill broke his arm doing Judo and his Judo sensei recommended that he take up Kendo to strengthen his arm. He began Kendo in the Shobukan Dojo in Hiroshima, Japan under Nomura Sensei (7-Dan). Upon retirement from the Marines in 1977, Bill entered West Georgia College (now the State University of West Georgia) in Carrollton, Georgia to work on his Masters Degree in Psychology. While there, he established the college Judo club. Searching for Judo supplies, he entered a martial arts supply shop owned and operated by Haruhide Harry Watanabe in Smyrna, Georgia. In the course of their conversation, Bill mentioned he was a shodan in Kendo and the following conversation ensued: Harry: Would you like to join our Kendo club? Bill: Oh, there is a Kendo club in Atlanta? Harry: There is now and you're the teacher. Thus began the first Kendo practice in the Southeast, initially called the Shobukan Kendo Dojo and later renamed the Georgia Kendo Alliance to include the practices at Peachtree City and a children's practice at the Atlanta's Georgia Japanese Language School.

Bill finished his Master's Degree and went on to receive a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law. Georgia Kendo Alliance joined the Eastern United States Kendo Federation, centered in New York City. Bill and Harry participated in the first United States National Championships in Los Angeles in 1978 as members of EUSKF. At the Second US National Championships in Chicago in 1981, Bills nephew David, who had moved in with Bill and Sayoko three years earlier, placed third in the Youth group. GKA also hosted the very first Eastern US Kendo Championship Tournament in 1979. The problems of administering a dojo 850 miles from the rest of the Federation led Bill to envision a Southern Kendo Federation. Eventually there were enough Kendo clubs in the South to justify a separate federation. At the meeting of the National Board of Directors preceding the Fourth United States National Championship Tournament in New York City, Bill, with the full support of the EUSKF, applied for the Southeastern United States Kendo Federation to become the ninth regional federation of the Kendo Federation of the United States of America (KFUSA) and was accepted, effective January 1, 1988. Shortly afterward, Bill and Sayoko returned to Japan where Bill accepted a position to teach at Kumamoto Kodai Gakku, a private high school. Someday Bill will return to Georgia and be greatly surprised by the growth of the small federation he founded. ###

Article published in the SEUSKF NEWS, December 2001, volume 4, Number 3.
More Info: www.georgiakendo.com

Commercial Appeal covers MKC back in 1996 (Part 1)

2005-05-02T12:12:00.001-05:00

Almost 10 years ago in Aug. 1996 The Commercial Appeal did the story on Memphis Kendo Club and Harry Dach.

Commercial Appeal covers MKC back in 1996 (part 2)

2005-05-02T12:10:00.002-05:00

National Kendo Tournament 2005 (info)

2005-04-30T11:03:00.000-05:00

To all SEUSKF Members,

Please distribute the following information to all kenshi, especially those on the SEUSKF Team.

1. The following list is the final team that was sent to AUSKF. No further additions or changes can be made. Please check spellings of the last name and notify me immediately if there are any mistakes. I will need to order Name covers/NaFuda very soon. Congradulations to the SEUSKF team members.

Men's Individual & Team
Hara, Kentaro
Nieves, Frank
Hyun, Jin-Kee
Komaki, Yoshiyuki
Yoshida, Kotaro
Quinn, Michael
Vulfson, Valera

Women's Individual & Team
DeSouza, Reiko
DeSouza, Yoshimi
Hoang, Yatsuki
Lane, Satomi
Nieves, Katalin
Takeyama, Yuka
Vas, Karina

Senior Youth Individual & Team
DeSouza, Yuki
Park, Ginpei
Hara, Akira
Nishi, Katsuhisa
Sekita, Nobuhiro

Junior Youth Individual & Team
Park, Gindai
Komaki, Ami
Felton-Curtis, Eamon

Senior Division - Individual
Arai, Kunitoshi
Parker, James
Meade, Mike
Murphy, Lew

Goodwill-Individual
Oh, Chang
Kim, Daniel
Uehara, Sai

2. All individual & team members must have their own MEJIRUSHI (Tasuki) red and white. I will bring all that I have which will cover about 20 people.

3. If you want Bento on Saturday and/or Sunday the cost is $10.00 for each day. I must have the order for o-bento placed no later than June 1st. The AUSKF will not accept individual orders. Please compile a list of those wanting bento and send checks made out to the "SEUSKF" to me ASAP.

4. Farewell Party is Sunday, July 3rd at Kensington Court Hotel at 6:00pm. I must have a list of those desiring to attend this party to AUSKF by June 1st. Cost $50 per person, $30 per person 4-10 years old, Free 0-3 years old. Again, the AUSKF will not accept individual orders only from the SEUSKF. Send your list and a check covering the cost made out to SEUSKF and send to me ASAP.

5. Hotels recommended by the AUSKF - discount rate will apply if requested number of rooms are booked prior to Jun 1st.

Kensington Court Hotel Ann Arbor (Tournament Headquarters)
610 Hilton Blvd, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108
1-800-344-7829
fax 1-734-995-1085
e-mail eboeve@kcourtaa.com
Rates $69.00 (per room, per night) + 8% tax

Holiday Inn Express (next to Kensington Court Hotel)
610 Hilton Blvd, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108
1-800-344-7829 (same number as above)
rate: $59.00 (per room, per night) + 8% tax

Transportation: 30 minutes from Detroit International Airport to the above hotels - on your own.

Hotel to University of Michigan Central Campus Recreation Building - Shuttle Bus-schedules posted at the hotel.

6. Schedules
July 1st 10:00am-4:00pm Open Practice Tappan Middle School
4:00pm-6:00pm Shinpan Seminar, Tappan Middle School
4:00pm-6:00pm Manager's/Coach's Meeting, Kensington Court
Hotel
July 2nd 7:00am-8:00am Shinai-keiryo (length & weight inspection)
These lines get long fast-so be early. This is
each individual's responsibility.
8:00am Open Ceremony, Demonstration
10:00am-5:00pm Individual Championships. There will be about
6 courts running at one time with all divisions
going at one time. The team manager and
coach will try to help get people to the right
courts, but ultimately Each person is
responsible to get to their own court.

July 3rd 8:00 Pre-Ceremony Assembly
8:30 Entrance of Teams
9:00 Team Championship, Goodwill Tournament
4:00pm Closing Ceremony
7. Shinai weights and measurements: Must comply with AUSKF specificagtions

Junior Youth
Length: <114>440 gm, Female >400 gm
Kensaki width: Male >25mm, Female >24mm
Senior Youth
Length: <117>480gm, Kensaki width: >26mm
All others:
Length: <120>510gm, Female >440gm
Kensaki Width: Male > 26mm, Female >25mm

Sakigawa Length must be longer than 50mm.
Tsuba Diameter must be less than 9 cm diameter.

8. Basic Rules

a. Junior Youth can not us Jo-dan or use Tsuki.
b. Individuals matches
1) Preliminary league round: 4 minutes - no encho - no hantei
2) Medal round: 4 minutes - unlimited encho - no hantei
3) Semifinal and Final: 5 minutes - unlimited encho - no hantei
c. Team Matches: 4 minutes - no encho (except play offs)
Semifinal and Final: 5 minutes - no encho (except play offs)
d. Goodwill Matches: 4 minutes - 2 minute encho - Hantei
semifinal and final: 4 minutes - unlimited encho

e. Preliminary contests to determine ranking for medal rounds
Junior Youth, Senior Youth, Women, and Men's Divisions - also for teams.
No preliminary contests for Goodwill or Senior Divisions.

9. Shinpan: bring own set of Shinpan-ki
Uniform: Plain, dark blue jacket; plain, gray trousers; plain, white shirt;
plain deep red necktie; plain dark blue socks.

10. Special note: Yoshimi DeSouza successfully made it through the second round of team selection (in the top 20) for the AUSKF team for the world championships. Congradulations!!!

James Parker
President, SEUSKF

>Uchida Sensei comments during the practice

2005-04-18T12:09:00.000-05:00

1. Voice - Your voice (kiai) should be twice as loud as the voice of your opponent. Practice strong voice, it very important.
2. Foot work- do not cross your feet right before a strike. Other words do not use Ayumi-ashi steps, very bad habit. Always use Suri-ashi (sliding step with leading right foot). Learn how to strike from comfortable distance for your body to avoid crossing your feet.
3. Kirikaeshi - Do not do body check (Taiatari) every time during kirikaeshi, sometimes just do Men and skip Taitari. This is specially good for beginners, so the body posture remains nice and proper.

>Kendo Hanshi OKUZONO KUNIYOSHI (8th Dan) Says…

2005-04-17T23:11:00.000-05:00

Don’t strike with your hands, strike with your feet.
Don’t strike with your feet, strike with your hips.
Don’t strike with your hips, strike with your heart.

When I struck a wall trying to pass 7th dan, one sensei told me to “try and swing a light bokuto as heavily as possible.” I complied with this advice, but found it very difficult to do. I didn’t really understand the point. Instead, I thought that it would be far more beneficial to swing a heavy bokuto as if it were light, and this is precisely what I did. However, after about 6 months of training with a heavy bokuto, I sustained an injuty to my shoulder.I decided to try the light bokuto again, but still couldn’t grasp the point of swinging a light bokuto as if it were heavy. I started thinking about this while I practiced my suburi every day. I started to realize that if I swung the bokuto with my hande it felt very light. However, it felt a lot heavier when I concentrated on striking with my hips. At last I was striking to understand what he meant. However, if there was even the slightest element of confusion in my heart, no matter how much I tried to concentrate on striking from my hips, the kensen would wobble, and it would feel light again. I realized that to swing a light bokuto as if it were heavy required a balance of body an mind, and this was connected to the concept of heijoshin (placid or calm state of mind.) If you are able to maintain heijoshin, you will be able to react accordingly to anything that comes your way. This taught me the importance of the most fundamental concept in Kendo, kokoro (heart or soirit). Of course, this is easily put into words, but it has to be more then just understood on an intellectual level. In other words, it is extremely important that you make every effort to try and understand these concerts through mastery of technique.

OKUZONO KUNIYOSHI (8th Dan)

Kendo World Magazine- Vol 3. NO 1. 2004 (pg19)
www.kendo-world.com

>The Heart of Kendo

2005-03-17T00:30:00.000-06:00

The aim of Kendo, and all Japanese martial arts ( Budo ), is not the perfection of a physical technique but the development of a flowing, flexible mind – a mind that is able to react to anything it confronts, instinctively, fearlessly, and without hesitation, regardless of the situation.

Harutane Chiba Sensei ( Hokushin Itto Ryu ) had a parable about water as it relates to training. “When you practice kata (forms) or shiai (free fight), the mind should always be the same: calm as a pond of water. Still water is like a mirror: it gives a picture of everything that is around it. But when the pound is disturbed, it reflects only the turmoil within its depts. One should always approach shiai with a composure like the reflection on water in a pond, so the mind is relaxed, ready to see the slightest movment of your opponent.”

To understand Budo properly you must coordinate your mental spirit with your physical body. The smallest movement in Kendo requires this coordination of body and mind. The body has no feeling without the five senses of the mind, yet the mind cannot exist without the presence of the physical body. If you do not coordinate these two elements, it would be like one hand trying to clap. Only when you both palms together will you produce the sound you seek. Only when you learn, through constant practice, to coordinate the body and the mind will you be able to realize their true function.

“The Heart of Kendo”
-Darrell Max Craig with /qv. of Chiba Sensei
http://www.shambhala.com/

Breath Control in Kendo

2005-03-11T00:44:00.001-06:00

Originally printed Kendo World Magazine, Vol. 1 Issue 1, 2001.
by Steven Harwood.

So what is different about breathing in kendo? In kendo you are sometimes taught to breathe through your `belly' or to use abdominal breathing a term used widely to denote a method of breathing that utilises the abdominal muscles (largely the diaphragm) in contrast to typical chest-based breathing in which the main respiratory muscles are the intercostal muscles. However, the abdominal breathing taught in kendo is rather different to conventional abdominal breathing. For instance, in conventional abdominal breathing your abdomen swells out when you breathe in and `deflates' when you breathe out. However, in Kendo you are taught always to keep some tension in your lower abdomen with the result that the abdomen never `deflates' during exhalation and some kendo teachers advocate `reverse abdominal breathing' in which the lower abdomen actually swells during exhalation. Kendo's abdominal breathing has aims that go beyond simple respiratory gas exchange and is intrinsically connected with kendo's transfer of emphasis, not only physically but also psychologically, from the upper body to the lower body a holistic transfer of centre downwards.

The traditional oriental link between psychological state and breathing is now well documented and supported by scientific research. When you are in a calm psychological state your breathing is, of course, controlled and regular. It also tends to be deep abdominal breathing. When you are stressed and panicked your breathing will tend to `rise' becoming shallow and rapid, the extreme being hyperventilation. This idea of stability being `low' ("calm down") and excitement being `high' ("temper rises") is present in the West also, but the relationship between psyche and breathing is two-way. Breathing is affected by psychological state but can also effect a change in psychological state. Although breathing usually functions unconsciously it is one of the few such bodily functions that can be adjusted consciously resulting in the concept of breath control. This has long been utilised in the East where meditation technique usually attempts to replicate the breathing pattern of calmness, i.e. abdominal breathing, to attain a calm psychological state.

Indeed, that most Japanese of ascetic training, Zen, posits training of body (posture), breathing and mind as its essential elements. This extended essay will not attempt to explain kendo in terms of Zen Buddhism. I intend to keep the focus for the large part on breath control in actual technique. However, the principles of Kendo as laid down by the All-Japan Kendo Federation stipulate that its aim should be, through training in the techniques of kendo, to change you as a person. Kendo is said to be comprised of three types of training: physical; mental and ethical; it is a path, a michi, which should transform you not only physically but also lead to a different way of being psychologically, this is its stated purpose.

Therefore, as breath control seemed to be an important element in other Japanese ascetic training methods, it seemed to me that it might be equally important in kendo. If it were, then a study of it would reveal much not only about technique, the so-called physical aspect of the art, but also about the psychological content needed to attain the very highest levels. At the same time, if, through the medium of breath control, technique functioned simultaneously on both physical and psychological levels, it would shed light, in very concrete terms, on the oriental concept of mind-body unity, and lend credence to the martial arts' claims to be something more than physical exercise.

Over the next few issues I will examine how abdominal breathing is manifested in kendo starting from basic posture and clothing; footwork, basic striking actions and training patterns such as kiri-kaeshi and kakari-geiko. I will look at the relationship between abdominal breathing and ki-ai (vocalisation). I will consider its role in seme-ai (mutual probing for weaknesses prior to the strike); and look at how it can be taught in kata (form practice). Finally I will look at how some very senior kendo practitioners use it to enhance their training and consider its function at the very top level of the art.

The Sword Is the Person

2005-03-09T10:48:00.001-06:00

Always remember that your style and behavior in Kendo will accurately reflect your personality. A quick-tempered player will produce quick-tempered Kendo. Likewise, a casual attitude will produce a casual style of Kendo. It goes without saying that you must have a large-scale personality to practice large-scale Kendo. One who performs particularly splendid Kendo will be the product of everything that he has lived and experienced. Your experiences and your life will inevitably affect your Kendo. You must cultivate both your mind and your body if you are to grasp the true essence of Kendo.

Enthusiasm and single-mindedness are the two most important qualities required for successful Kendo. In his Academic Learning as Work, Max Weber writes: “People who do not have the enthusiasm which enables them to feel no regret over the thought of spending a whole lifetime investigating one missing letter from an old moth-eater manuscript are unsuited to academic learning.” In Kendo, too, there are people who say “I perform keiko in order to strike just one perfect men.” The idea behind this is fundamental to Kendo, and shows that if the purpose is not to achieve fame, neither is to boast. A single-minded enthusiasm, with no expectation of material reward, is vital.

“The definitive guide of Kendo”
-Hiroshi Ozawa

Tournament and Promotional Results

2004-11-17T10:22:00.000-06:00

We had a great time at the tournament and are sorry for those who wanted to make the trip, but couldn't.

There were over 140 players and 20 teams that competed at this tournament, which may prove to be the largest contingency in SEUSKF tournament history.

Here are the final results of each division. Congrats to all!
(note: Kanto Sho is the "Fighting Spirit" award)

Junior Youth (up to 13 years):
1st - Eamon Felton-Curtice (TMG)
2nd - Eun Park (GKA)
3rd - Hayato DeSouza (GKA)
3rd - Ah ???? (Koryo - Richmond, VA)

Senior Youth (14-17 yr olds)
1st - Yuki DeSouza (GKA)
2nd - Eric A. Gaddis (Karate Int. - Raleigh, NC)
3rd - Justin Moon (Washington)
3rd - G. Park (GKA)
Kanto Sho - Skaura Matsushita

Mudansha (18 & up, under Black Belt)
1st - Jason Lane (Charlotte)
2nd - Daryl Weade (Koryo)
3rd - Yasuhiro Yokote (Charlotte)
3rd - Tae Young Park (GKA)
Kanto Sho - Karina Vas (Orlando)

Shodan-Nidan
1st - Valera Vulfson (Memphis Kendo Club)
2nd - Chang Suk Oh (GKA)
3rd - Sekita ??? (TMG)
3rd - Herman Sai Perez Uehara (Triangle)
Kanto Sho - Katalin Nieves (South Florida)

Sandan and above
1st - Masaru Shimada (Charlotte Kendo Club)
2nd - Shinobu Maeda (TMG)
3rd - Frank Nieves (South Florida)
3rd - William Collazo (Shidogakuin Miami)
Kanto Sho - Royoko Barr (GKA)

Teams
1st - Charlotte Kendo Club
2nd - Triangle Kendo Club
3rd - TMG
3rd - Charleston Kendo Club

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Would also like to congratulate those from our dojo who passed their promotional:
Rogers Gossett - 3rd dan
Don Crittendon - 1st dan
Walter White - 1st dan

Welcome to the Memphis Kendo Club Blog!

2004-07-24T19:00:00.000-05:00

This is the official blog of the Memphis Kendo Club. We practice the martial art of kendo, which is based on the principles of the katana (sword). It is a fascinating art and a challenging sport. We are based in Memphis, Tennessee and have approximately 30 members. Come join us!