A Kendo Diary

Like my wordpress blog, but with extra memes.

[gentlekendoist]

But honestly the thought of going for godan this season is making my body nervous as if today was the day of the exam. Visit to the toilet and all…

[gentlekendoist]

I started the new season going to the dojo that's 40km away that I went to at the end of last season. They did a lot of events in the last few weeks, I skipped them all. I still don't have the energy to face the whole big social thing of kendo. Getting back into the social pressure, the norms, etc. Not ready for that but I'll do it. Slowly, but I'll do it, I promise. I'm gunning for a 5th dan first attempt next summer.

[gentlekendoist]

One year later, I did what I could but I can still feel that I am into kendo. The new season is starting and I’ve decided to take the 5th dan exam in 2025.

I am still not into involving myself in the federation’s stuff though. I don’t think I will care about such types of involvement for a long time. Sometimes I feel like starting kendo in my hometown again but the organization part of it can be a pain. I don’t want to do that anymore.

[gentlekendoist]

I started the new season going to the dojo that's 40km away that I went to at the end of last season. They did a lot of events in the last few weeks, I skipped them all. I still don't have the energy to face the whole big social thing of kendo. Getting back into the social pressure, the norms, etc. Not ready for that but I'll do it. Slowly, but I'll do it, I promise. I'm gunning for a 5th dan first attempt next summer.

[gentlekendoist]

News.

Okay guys.

Long story short :

Out of the first confinement, our dojo did well. We were training with masks but had a lot of people coming and participating.

Second confinement however, killed our practice almost completely. Lost almost all our bogu practitioners.

Since I've only kept practice running as I could, with a huge lack of motivation and feeling burnt out.

We took a difficult decision : after the end of this season in June, we're closing the dojo. Without a core of yudansha practitioners, I can't shoulder the day-to-day responsibilities. I can't lead the training sessions anymore. It feels like starting all over again and the truth is : I'm spent. I've held the dojo together for 11 years but the 2nd and 3rd confinement were my last straw and the final nail in the dojo's coffin.

So, after June, the couple kyusha that have bogus will transfer with me to the nearest dojo (with which we are on good terms and which has a similar spirit). We have removed one of the two days / week of practice at our dojo so that members can start the transfer process and get acquainted with the other dojo's members over the couple months that are left this season.

That's it.

For my part, regarding my kendo practice, it is a decision to fall back, to focus on myself. 5th dan is the next goal (shinsa in 15 months) and with my professional and family lives I don't have spoons for much : my weekends are always out of the question and I can only afford training once a week tops. This is my post-covid reality. I have nor the room nor the energy to give to other people in these conditions.

I learned a lot "teaching" and "leading" other practitioners for the past decade but now it's time for something else. But I won't quit helping others, as I'll be a senior member of the dojo I'm joining.

I'll still help and guide kyusha and lower-dan members but not in an official capacity. It will be natural, spontaneous.

No pressure. No crippling sense of duty.

I'm looking forward to this freedom. I hope that in time it will fill me with motivation again.

Slowly, I'm getting on the dô again.

[gentlekendoist]

Update: I actually ended up going on a hiatus for this season, not renewing my federation membership. I had no energy, no mental space and no time for kendo. I needed a buffer zone between being a dojo leader and a regular practitioner. I also have a lot on my plate in other areas and it is hard to keep up. I just started going to a dojo 40km away once every two weeks this month. I enjoy the good sensations of training and I'll leave it at that for now. I'll delay my 5th dan attempt to summer 2024. I still somewhat would like to pass 5th dan age 39-40 and not too much later. Doable? I don't know, we will see. Too far to really project myself there.

[carlas4nchez]

Little throwback to my life as a kenshi

I did Kendo for 13 years of my life, in 2015 Sensei Terry Holt from Mumeishi kendo club in London asked me to make a few illustrations for his latest Kendo Beginners guide and for the Mumeishi 3′s international tournament.

Holt Sensei was one of my best kendo friends in the UK, if not the best, so I was happy to make the cover illustrations for his book and event.

Shortly after the event he passed away suddenly, so this project is very close to my heart.

RIP Holt Sensei

[gentlekendoist]

News.

Okay guys.

Long story short :

Out of the first confinement, our dojo did well. We were training with masks but had a lot of people coming and participating.

Second confinement however, killed our practice almost completely. Lost almost all our bogu practitioners.

Since I've only kept practice running as I could, with a huge lack of motivation and feeling burnt out.

We took a difficult decision : after the end of this season in June, we're closing the dojo. Without a core of yudansha practitioners, I can't shoulder the day-to-day responsibilities. I can't lead the training sessions anymore. It feels like starting all over again and the truth is : I'm spent. I've held the dojo together for 11 years but the 2nd and 3rd confinement were my last straw and the final nail in the dojo's coffin.

So, after June, the couple kyusha that have bogus will transfer with me to the nearest dojo (with which we are on good terms and which has a similar spirit). We have removed one of the two days / week of practice at our dojo so that members can start the transfer process and get acquainted with the other dojo's members over the couple months that are left this season.

That's it.

For my part, regarding my kendo practice, it is a decision to fall back, to focus on myself. 5th dan is the next goal (shinsa in 15 months) and with my professional and family lives I don't have spoons for much : my weekends are always out of the question and I can only afford training once a week tops. This is my post-covid reality. I have nor the room nor the energy to give to other people in these conditions.

I learned a lot "teaching" and "leading" other practitioners for the past decade but now it's time for something else. But I won't quit helping others, as I'll be a senior member of the dojo I'm joining.

I'll still help and guide kyusha and lower-dan members but not in an official capacity. It will be natural, spontaneous.

No pressure. No crippling sense of duty.

I'm looking forward to this freedom. I hope that in time it will fill me with motivation again.

Slowly, I'm getting on the dô again.

[gentlekendoist]

I’ve decided to go for a home-training regimen since we don’t have much activity while quarantined. So here’s my menu :

At noon, 25 minutes of various flavours of suburi for a total of about a thousand followed by a 5 minute core workout routine. Then, shower and lunch.

On some days I might repeat it in the afternoon, especially on days where dinner is particularly rich, like today : japanese curry!

Faitô!

[gentlekendoist]

Due to Covid19 everthing has come to a grinding halt. What a time to live in!

Meanwhile, I’ll get a daily routine of empty-handed hayasuburi set up.

Like maybe 500 a day to start?

[gentlekendoist]

So happy with the attendance change! Best season in a long time!

[historicalfightingguide]

Exercises used in a high school kendo club, a lot of which are transferable to other forms of historical fencing.

Koryū Bujutsu 古流武術  For civilized discussion of any and all matters regarding classical Japanese martial arts

Gekiken: Japanese Historical Kendo Fencing For those interested in Japanese historical fencing A few websites useful to those interested in japanese swordsmanship.

And another great martial arts blog on the topic.

For more info on exercising for historical fencing check out this post and the links embedded within it.

[gentlekendoist]

These guys are real.

[gentlekendoist]

I dare. This is my favourite combination. I’ll try indigo on top and persimmon at the bottom just for the sake of testing but I’m pretty much convinced it won’t look good. And brown on brown just looks weird and strays too far from the norm.

[gentlekendoist]

Did 40 min jigeiko at home yesterday. I think it’s going to be the new regimen for monday practice.

I’m still juggling with ideas about my practice, the practice in general, my values as a practitioner, as an instructor, as a human being.

I’ll probably write articles about this, but the opinionated part of me still has a hard time understanding adept practitioners not willing to engage into hikitate geiko. Taking evey jigeiko they get into as a chance to become better at winning, despite of who might be standing in front of them, and feeling sorry for themselves for finding themselves in front of lower ranked and/or less able sparring partners. 

There’s a point in your evolution where you can’t just keep taking from others. Gotta get out of that student mentality and start giving back, you know?

Also, utter destruction as a teaching method, without any pointers whatsoever, is not the type of kendo I want to perpetuate.

[gentlekendoist]

So this happened tonight.  Usually shinai survive this but here you can see the shard of bamboo flying off. Also, don’t mind my kakishibuzome keikogi/hakama set.

[jamabushi]

[gentlekendoist]

Little update folks!

Life has obviously little time for my kendo at the moment and had a lot in store in other areas : my daughter’s birth, the toe I broke that didn’t heal well, a long-time coming ADHD diagnosis and finally a really bad lumbago.

Yeah there’s a lot to process that’s not kendo at the moment.

However I’ve been able to maintain a once-a-week presence in the dojo. Our club is doing better. Motivated newcomers eager to participate in federation activities, seniors with their own life-related delays and difficulties trying to come back and/or hold on to their practice...

Things are getting better.

I’ve obviously lost some of the “we-need-to-step-up” fire I had beginning of this season but well, c’est la vie.

[gentlekendoist]

Kendo at home.

[gentlekendoist]

TFW I’m coming up with a new way of explaining something on the fly.