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May 27, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		To the Dutch kendoka
by: Ilija

Well, listening to your sensei is the single most important thing. If you already have pre set mind about your training you better drop out.

Yea. Drop out cos ull never be able to solve the Philosophy of Kendo.
The way it goes.

Your sensei started to practice Kendo under some other Sensei. Every student has its own Master.

The start of the road always begins with your Sensei. Sensei to me is holly man. Yeah, Holly Man. If sensei tells me jump i jump. If he demands life i give. If you cant make your self to trust him drop out.

You'll never be real kendoka unless you kill the ego image in your self before the start of the road. That was the first thing sensei told me and the first thing Japan sensei, the sensei of mine sensei told him.

You go to traning empty minded, MUSHIN. Only then you can listen memorize practice and master what's have been told to you. If u have pre set mind drop out.

No one was born with the knowledge and no one will ever be. So listening to your sensei is the holly bond between you and the Knowledge you seek. Thus your sensei is HOLLY man for you.

So when you use your mind!? After 50 years and 20 years of practice under your sensei.
That's the universal way Nature works.

The knowledge is being transfered like this from the beginning of time. Each human being has more potential than its parents. It's up to him how he will work on his experience and how he will surpass them, if he ever does.

So until your sensei runs out of knowledge to transfer to you, you must listen, listen good and give all you got in the exercises. And even you know something sensei doesn't, sensei knows better and in the end he knows.

The first step to gaining knowledge is by accepting how little you know, Socrates man. If you cant understand this try seeking help.

Kiai. I've been told it comes with the experience and stomach workouts. So I started doing abs workouts ever since I started kendo. In time you'll be able to hold your abbs tight, resulting with your true Kiai.

They said it takes years to master it so relax and give your best.

Kendo-Guide.Com: Thanks for your comment. You have very traditional perception about teacher-pupil relationship. That's exactly what I have with my sensei who lives in Japan.

Many think that they seek a place or dojo to do kendo. But the more important thing is to find a good teacher. That is the hardest thing to do.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Dec 10, 2009
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starstarstarstar 		Saving Energy
by: A Dutch kendoka

Having read the part on giving everything you have into every exercise, I would like to comment.

I have often struggled with the idea of having to put all my energy into every exercise, especially since some (most notably the currently reigning Dutch kendo champion) in my dojo also say you have to put everything you've got into every exercise.

But in the end I have found that it greatly diminishes the quality of the whole training (1.5 or 2 hours in my case). The reason for this is, and I am a beginner so that has some influence, that I will not be able to concentrate after a heavy exercise. i.e. I will lose my ability to understand/hear what the teacher is telling us etc.

My strikes and kamae will also, unconsciously, become sloppier as a result of lack of energy.

Therefore I have decided that it is best for me to control my energy, even hold back during the training and only put everything I have into the exercises towards the end of the training.

If I do it like this I will remain completely concentrated during the training so I will be in my best condition to learn new strikes and tactics, and in the end I can put all my effort into the exercises that summarise the training.

The point basically is, that the time in the dojo is so valuable that you can't afford losing any of it.

If you are practising at home then there is no reason whatsoever to hold back, as you are training for yourself in that case.

But in the dojo one has to learn new things and when those things are not understood correctly your teacher has to repeat those things again and again until you do understand.

So unless your concentration and attention is optimal your teacher will have a harder time, resulting in less being learned and more energy lost to futilities rather than quality training.

I understand that this might be very contradictory to what you said Imafuji sensei, but you did say that it was your personal view (even though it is shared by many).

Do you have any comments on my explanation of why it might be good to preserve your energy during the training?

Kendo-Guide.Com: Thank you for your post.

Many have their own views on kendo and their own way of training. Some people do kendo as a hobby and some call themselves professionals (Japanese police force and Japanese physical education teachers).

Besides, quite likely we have different age groups and their kendo levels are different. People have different jobs and work hours.

So I always tell my students to "challenge themselves". This is simply to challenge ourselves, right?

I give them training menu but they are the only people who know their own limits. So they should train as they gain something from kendo.

By putting everything into every cut is the concept of "budo", I think. But as I mentioned above, we are all different.

That is why, in my opinion, "challenging ourselves" is very important.
Dec 10, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		Training method
by: Anonymous

I appreciate your opinion very much and I'll do my best to follow your advices. Thanks a lot!

Kendo-Guide.Com: You're welcome!

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