Kendo and Life in Japan

Last Days: Monday and Tuesday

2008-09-08T10:02:00.004+09:00

Well, last day in Japan. Kotomi took the day off work (she didn't ask, she just said "I'm taking the day off."). We left the house at about 2pm (or 3?), Kotomi played a last song on the piano (which I have a video of, but the internet is so slow here I can't upload it) while the taxi was waiting outside.

Kotomi brushing her teeth before we leave... she's so kawaii :)
Trainstation. Lots of luggage. Running up and down stairs to catch the train. Head to Kashiwa and then towards Ueno. Kotomi though she heard the train diver saying the train would stop for 5 minutes and got out to buy a drink... the drain left with me on it... I got out at the next stop with all the luggage and waited. (The train actually stopped here for 5 minutes). The next train came with Kotomi on it, we were laughing so hard. Took a fast and expensive train to Narita. Checked in, luggage was 2 kgs over, but the nice lady at the counter let it through anyway. Shinai were no problem. We went and ate something, bought a little Buddha statue for 600 yen (something I couldn't find anywhere in Japan). Then we sat down and cried lots.

Said our goodbyes, through security, waiting at boarding gate for a while, get on plane, take off, fall asleep, wake up to yucky food, sleep, land, walk around Sydney airport for a short time, take a bus to another terminal, ask if my luggage is on the proper plane, it was, get on plane, take off, watch shitty movie, eat yucky food, land, through customs, bamboo swords are no problem, meet brother, drive to Hamilton, walk around uni for a while, go to kendo.

It was really nice coming back to Waikato dojo. Brings back memories. We did lots of warmup, something which I was totaly not used to. Lots of kakarikeiko, jikeiko, a small competition, more jikeiko (Sam sensei beat me up, man he's fast >.>). Ari broke a tsuba, I broke a shinai. I was pretty amped up because I wanted to get as much practise in as possible. Haha, go go go. Clement did insane kakarikeiko with me, he was almost falling over and then went again and again. It really impressed me. All in all I had a great time. Was even thinking of ways to move back to Hamilton so I could go back to regular training.

My brother had to sit there for 3+ hours, I think he was a bit pissed off because I told him it would only be 1 hour... haha. I have a few short videos he took, but I can't upload them yet because of the internet here. Will do soon. We drove up to Auckland, and then decided to drive home at 12 at night. Arrived home at 3:10am, went to sleep. End.

Last Days: Sunday

2008-09-08T09:30:00.008+09:00

Wake up. Breakfast. Bike to Shimpukan to watch Funny sensei's morning class (for high school students). We also got to take some photos of the dojo.

Some older photos which I haven't uploaded before:
Then home again and off to Shinmaikan for my last kendo session. There's happy guy on the right.

Kotomi and Totoro sensei:
Kotomi drinking some cherry juice:
A group photo:
Kotomi and me:We handed out presents at the end. Sensei sensei got framed photos and a tenagui with 'great teaching', Totoro sensei got a stuffed totoro toy (about 20cm high) which we gave to him in private so not to embaress him (he knows we really like totoro, but the others don't), happy guy got a tenagui with 'happiness' and Hirai sensei got a bottle of plum sake (which Kotomi made), a bottle of normal sake and a tenagui with 'noblity' (like noble kendo), he was as cool as ever and showed no emotion. Totoro sensei gave me a really nice cup. We had tea and watermelon on the floor of the dojo, and then we left with lots of goodbye and see you again.

Some other stuff I forgot to mention. Grmpy sensei's son gave me a shinai on the last practise (we gave him a tenagui with 'tradition' and some sake) and we were going to give Book sensei some plum sake and normal sake and a tenagui with 'great kindness', and his wife an expensive box of chocolates, but we didn't see them again, so Kotomi will give it to them next time she sees them.

Last Days: Saturday

2008-09-08T08:45:00.008+09:00

Ok, I've been back in NZ for a few days now, got everything sorted, and have time to write the last few entries in this blog.

What happened first? Well, on Saturday the 30th it was my leaving party for Shimpukan. Kimura san set everything up and asked all my favourite sensei to come. Before that we had wrapped all the presents, a bottle of sake and a hand written tenagui. Some examples:

It was raining very hard that night, the roads were flooded and taxies were not running. Kotomi and I decided to walk barefoot (it was really hot still) with our umbrellas, something Japanese people would never do. We actually met a few people on the way to the restaurant who were trapped on the side of the flooded road. Kotomi told them to take their shoes off and walk through, but they said they would rather wait....

We get to the restaurant and find out it's a traditional raw fish joint. Thankfully it didn't smell like fish, but it meant that Kotomi and I couldn't eat anything there. The owners were really nice and let us order a pizza from down the road. Everyone got really drunk. We found out that Yamazaki sensei had always wanted to come to NZ, and he showed us all these old brochures he had saved.

Then the drama started. We had presents for most of the sensei there, but not for two which I didn't really know or like (one of them was the really old guy). Kotomi said that could be a problem, but that I should do what I wanted. We asked Kimura san and she agreed with Kotomi, she said that the people who got presents would feel bad if some others didn't. I was pretty angry at this because we (ok, Kotomi) had worked so hard on these presents, and now we couldn't hand them out because of these two people who I didn't even know.

Tough sensei decided, half drunk, to go to shimpukan to practise and when he came back he said there were only 6 people there >.> He then said he would leave again, so we went out the door with him and gave him his present. I think he was really happy. I told him that when I get better I want to be just like him. His kanji was 'strength'.

A fellow student on the left (he's a high school teacher) and Toyonaga sensei on the right:

Left to right, Tough sensei, Kimura san and Funny sensei:

Well, eventually everything died down, and we all went up the road to a karaoke bar. Possibly the worst experience in Japan for me :( Dark, dingy, full of smoke, some fat woman and an old man singing horribly and dancing together... But actually, Yamasaki sensei was really really good at singing haha.

Anyway, Kotomi and me wanted to leave and we still hadn't given out the presents. So we kept asking Kimura san until she agreed. I think that these tenagui, although not expensive, were probably one of the more personal presents that the sensei had ever gotten. I mean, before handing them out we told them that 'when I first came here I couldn't read your name bags or remember your names, so I invented nicknames based on your personality. Now we have written these in kanji on a tenagui for you.' Imagine someone saying that, and now you had to open it and see how this person saw you. In the end I think they were really really happy.

Yamazaki sensei - Spirit
Tough sensei - Strength
Funny sensei - Joyous life
Kimura san - Friendship
Toyonaga sensei - Great Teaching

When we left someone handed me a traditional Japanese umbrella (which they stole from the fish shop haha) and said it was a presento. Funny sensei invited us to the morning practise the next day.

Omotesando Dojo

2008-08-30T17:09:00.003+09:00

A meet up for keiko was planned on the kendo world forums for the 26th at a dojo in Omotesando (I don't think I ever caught the name of the place). Two other people showed up, a friendly Swede who spoke fluent Japanese (I gather he practises regularly at this dojo), and a polite American who teaches kendo back in the states. They both had far more Japan experience than me, and were also far better at kendo, so I think I was lucky to meet them.

The dojo itself was rather tiny, but still very nice. There was lots of bogu stored in the wall (see photo), the floor was solid but still had some spring to it, the changing room set up was different (as I'm so used to just changing in the dojo), and there were minor differences in rei. We did some kihon and then keiko. I got beaten up as usual, but did one kaishi do that I'm really proud of. The sensei was really nice, he always smiled and laughed whenever I laughed when he got a hit on me (which was all the time, he was super fast!). I also met a Spaniard who works in Japan as a professional photographer, and Kotomi and me talked to him a bit after practise was over.

It was a nice experience and I had fun.

Presents

2008-08-25T11:56:00.005+09:00

For Sensei sensei -

And the stack of tenagui Kotomi has yet to start on (which will be hard work for her) -

Grading

2008-08-25T10:47:00.006+09:00

Ok, I passed Ikkyu. Should have done it ages ago. Thank god I finally got it over with.

So, story time.

A really nice woman at Shimpukan, Kimura San, said last week that she would drive us to the grading in Saitama (about 2 hours by train, ouch). She seems to get on really well with Kotomi, and they talk a lot about kendo and the dojo and so on. We were really grateful for her offer. So on Saturday I was to practice with Book-sensei (I don't want to use the real names of some of the teachers here), as he had set the whole thing up for me. He is 7th dan in kendo, 6th dan in Iaido and either 8th dan or 6th dan (can't remember) in Jodo. He used to be a police man and now trains the Metropolitan police force in arresting techniques, and is sent around the world by the AJKF to teach kendo.... wow, what a guy! Anyway, I practised with him for all of two minutes and he said "no problem, just do this tomorrow."

However. Here we go, you knew it was coming. Grumpy had somehow gotten word that I was going to a grading. Remember that he was the one that said grading was out-of-the-question. While we were sitting down talking to someone he told us to go over to Book-sensei and thank him, which we had already done before and which I was going to do again anyway (I like thanking people). So Grumpy pretty much forces us to go over and interrupt Book-sensei's conversation, he tells us to bow to Book-sensi and then bowed with us and said in very proper Japanese (all serious sounding) something like "thank you for giving Benji this opportunity." I was so utterly pissed off. I was being forced to do something which I wanted to do properly, in my own way, later on. And it was obvious that this was Grumpy's way of getting involved.

So anyway, it seems Grumpy told Book-sensei to drive me to the grading (even though Kimura san already said she would), and because, somehow, Grumpy is the leader of the dojo, Book-sensei said he would. To top it off, at the end of the practice Grumpy went up to Book sensei, and in a loud voice so that everyone could hear said "Benji is a vegetarian and doesn't drink alcohol." Thank you Grumpy. He also told Kotomi that we should have applied to the Noda kendo federation to see if I was even allowed to grade... You should have heard Kotomi swearing on the way back home.

Anyway. Turns out that Kimura san would come with us anyway, so she picked us up in the morning (6:45) and drove us out of Noda to where Book sensei was waiting with his wife (who was coming too), she is 6th dan in kendo. His car was like a brand new spaceship lol. He told us he can actually speak English but doesn't because he's Japanese. Utter coolness. We drove for perhaps an hour and a half, and thanks to the state-of-the-art navigation system that every Japanese car seems to have, we arrived at the dojo, which was huge and on the third floor of a sports complex. Kotomi told me that Book-sensei reminds her of a child who constantly has to remind himself that he is an adult and needs to act appropriately. I really like him, he acts very serious, but you can always catch him grinning when no one is watching.

The grading was for junior-highschool students. I think that's about 10-15 years old maybe. The only foreigner there, and obviously not in junior-high. Also by far the tallest, even among the parents watching on. Sigh.

The grading went fine. I was nervous as hell, but more about falling over in sankyo than about my kendo. Once the keiko started I just went at it. I fought against two pretty tall kids, but it was obvious they were scared of me. Then kata afterwards. And 20 minutes of standing listening to the grading panel talk about kendo. In Japanese. But it was pretty cool seeing an old guy in a suit get up and grab a shinai and do a perfect men cut so that the hall shook. When they told us we could leave you could hear the kids swearing under their breath (making kids stand and listen to lectures isn't going to keep them interested in kendo). They posted the numbers of those who had passed on the wall (very traditional in Japan), and it was hilarious to see the little kids run up and scream and cheer. They seemed really happy. I was handed my certificate (which usually takes 2 weeks) because they knew I was leaving soon. The Japanese certificates are far nicer than the New Zealand ones... something should be done about that. I also went up to the two kids who had done keiko with me and apologised. They thought it was pretty funny. I hope I didn't hit them to hard.

I packed up and we left. Sensei said we should eat to celebrate, so we went and had some pasts and pizza. He rang Grumpy from his phone to tell him I had passed, and said "thanks to your amazing teaching Benji has passed Ikkyu" with a grin, and Kotomi and Kimura san could hardly contain their laughter. It turn out everyone thinks Grumpy is a little strange, but everyone has to stay on his good side because he sort of controls the dojo. I don't quite get all of it. Sensei and his wife refused our money when we tried to pay for the food. Then Sensei gave me a shinai, which he had set up himself, and which was like the ones he always uses (probably super expensive). Then his wife gave me a traditional piece of cloth used to wrap gi and hakama in, and two tenagui. I was bowing and saying arigato over and over. I should be the one giving presents >.> When they dropped us off we gave them money for the petrol, which they at first refused, but took when we insisted quite strongly.

And then we drove home with Kimura san, talking about all sorts of stuff. A good day I think.

Here are the videos. I did almost everything wrong, but oh well. Learn from your mistakes, and from slow motion frame-by-frame replays lol.

Japan

2008-08-25T10:24:00.003+09:00

The other day on our way to the dojo we were about to cross a road when we saw a man lying on his side next to an overturned bicycle a few meters down the footpath. A woman had stopped her car and was getting out, so it looked like she had hit him. We went over to see if we could help (and because of the underlying inquisitive nature all humans seem to posses). The man was very old, and was bleeding from his head. He was talking in Japanese, but it sounded pretty incoherent, and was making strange movements. The woman was trying to console him, while I took off my hoody and put it under his head, and Kotomi called an ambulance. Several other people stopped their cars and came over, some got towels and other got umbrellas to hold over the man, as it was raining. Another woman spoke to me in pretty good English, she sounded a bit panicky, so I told her to keep the old man awake until the ambulance arrived and to talk softly so not to scare him.

Kotomi told me to go to kendo, as I was supposed to come early to meet with a sensei. So I left. She came to the dojo about 15 minutes after me. Apparently the old man had been drunk and had tried to ride his bicycle home. He had fallen off about 20 meters from his house and knocked his head pretty hard. He wasn't aware that he was bleeding, and didn't know why there were people crowding around him. When someone told him an ambulance was coming he got scared and said he didn't want that in case his son found out. Maybe he wasn't supposed to be drinking?

Anyway. I've heard that rubbernecking, the act of crowding around accidents, is quite common in Japan. If there's a crash on the motorway, people will slow down and take photos as they pass. And even Kotomi's dad, when he heard there had been a house fire in Noda, walked to the site just to have a look.

But in this one incident I saw a lot of very kind and helpful Japanese people who's intentions were to help someone in need. I wonder if people would act this way in New Zealand?

Dojo Drama

2008-08-25T10:17:00.002+09:00

So I mentioned that Grumpy seems to hate the Shinmeikan dojo. A little light has been shed onto why that is. Apparently quite some time ago there were 4 leaders of Shimpukan, but they were getting on in their years, so someone (perhaps Grumpy) relived them of their leadership roles. They weren't kicked out of the dojo, but 3 of them, apparently to keep their pride, refused to come back. These three are now teaching at Shinmeikan. I don't know if they started the dojo, or if they just joined up. The fourth one still comes to Shimpukan, but I've heard several people say that he does "funny" kendo, which is a mixture of old age and the "traditional" kendo which he was taught when he was young.

Shinai

2008-08-25T10:05:00.003+09:00

No idea why I'm building this shinai. It's the one I wrote about a while ago, the one I got for half-price. Bought a nice tsuba for it today. Don't think I'll ever use it for keiko though... would almost be a shame.

Also bought two more shinai to take back to New Zealand, super big grip. I've always had a bad feeling about the shop we go to: they never seem to care for their customers, and when we ask questions (like 'which shinai has the biggest grip?' or 'do you have this shinai bag in a green colour?') they don't seem to know the answer and look around stupidly.

I only found out at home that they had put a 38" tsukagawa (grip) on one of them (a 39" shinai). We rang them up and asked them to send us a proper grip. They agreed but said they always put those grips on the larger shinai... yea right, not on any of the 5 shinai I've bought there so far. I'm happy that I won't be going back to that shop any more.

Grading and Kendo Attitude

2008-08-22T09:18:00.004+09:00

Firstly, it seems I will be attending a grading in Japan. In two days in fact. I'm nervous.

I initially asked some teachers at the dojo if I could attend a grading somewhere, because, well, I have to get ikkyu some day anyway, and I might as well get it over with. They all said they did not know of any dojos that were grading in August, and Grumpy, of course, flat out said that I can't grade in Japan.

However, Kotomi found a dojo in a neighbouring prefecture which was holding an ikkyu grading, but for children. She mentioned this to one of the nice sensei at shimpukan, and he said he knew the dojo leader and would talk to him. Apparently he convinced him to let me attend. So on Sunday it's grading time. I'm scared.

I have only ever attended one grading before, and it was a disaster. I was pretty much a complete beginner. I didn't have my shinai, so I had to borrow someone else's, which felt really tiny in my hands. They asked us to do stuff I had never done before, and I got 6th kyu, the grade everyone starts on any way.

Oh well, I'll just think of Michael Phelps. What would Michael Phelps do? He wouldn't be this nervous, right?

Anyway.

A female member of shimpukan told Kotomi (they talk a lot in the changing rooms) that Grumpy got drunk one night and started talking about us. He said "who the fuck took them to shinmeikan?!?" (The Sunday dojo). Apparently he really hates the dojo. Also he complained about the fact that we are going to both dojos, and that this is not acceptable. It seems people should only attend one dojo, and have one sensei, and going to two or more at the same time is rude or disrespectful. Well, no one ever told us. And Hirai sensei teaches at both. And even if someone had told us, I would have pointed out to them that I'm just visiting, and that I just want to do kendo, and that they can stick their tradition wherever they want. If there is no class on Sunday, or any other day, then I'll bloody well go practice kendo somewhere else. Oh, and Grumpy is pissed of that Kotomi's name bag says 'Noda' instead of 'Shinpukan'.

Even worse, he has been getting on Kotomi's nerves lately. First he wanted to give her all the bogu he had lent her, which is strange. Then he said he would get better bogu for her soon, which she never asked for. When she said she was going to buy her own he offered to take her to a certain shop where he could get her big discounts. Normally this sort of thing would be great coming from a nice sensei, but somehow coming from him it is unnerving. Sometimes he makes inappropriate comments, like saying "I missed you" when Kotomi didn't show up to practice. And when she practices with other teachers (which she enjoys) he always manages to criticize something, sometimes even saying "your kendo was horrible today."

Yesterday, after mokuso, he suddenly told some young kid (about 16) sitting next to me to go to the end of the line, so he had to pick up his shinai and bogu, get up, walk all the way to the end past the beginners and sit down again. And why? Well, we have no idea. He only comes every now and then, so perhaps because he is a visitor? But other visitors are not forced to sit behind the beginners (he was pretty good too). I think it was just because Grumpy just wanted to assert some authority, because no one else seems to recognise it.

I think Grumpy's kendo attitude is bad. And I think it shows in his kendo. He seems arrogant, and bent over and twitchy like an old wrinkly man. When I compare him to Hirai sensei, the calm and polite teacher, it is obvious who is the greater person. His kendo is also not very good: he has no ki-ken-tai ichi, he leans to his left all the time, his kirikashi looks like he's butchering something. He thinks of himself as the best, and is blind to his own mistakes. And no one would ever dare to tell him otherwise. A few days ago Tough sensei beat the shit out of him, and god did he look angry afterwards (but I think Tough sensei was being a bit arrogant, he wasn't even trying very hard haha).

I think all this is a good experience, it shows me how not to act and how not to treat people. But I do wish Kotomi had started at another dojo, or at least with another teacher.

Books and Photos

2008-08-19T17:43:00.010+09:00

While sitting down drinking tea after kendo last Sunday, I came across a collection of old books. They appear to be an encyclopaedia on Japanese martial arts, such as Kyudo, Ninjitsu (lol), Judo, Karate and so on. Most of each book consists of writing (in Japanese) and some black and white newsprint type photos.

But at the start of each book there are several pages of glossy full-page photography. Absolutely beautiful photography.

I asked Sensei sensei if I could borrow some of them, and he happily let me. I have tried to scan as best I can some of the kendo related photos, below. Click on the images to enlarge them. Enjoy. (Also, if anyone knows how to get rid of the light patches everywhere, please let me know.)

Sunday

2008-08-18T17:48:00.005+09:00

I was sick since last Monday. It's always Monday night that gets me sick. Might have something to do with the way grumpy (it obviously makes him happy tat he's the only teacher for once) always explains things so tediously, while everyone else is standing there in the cold draft, saying hai. After he's finished we get to practice something, maybe 5 hits, then he starts talking again. I really don't think kendo should be taught like this.

Anyway. Come Sunday I felt well enough to go to kendo again. We did like 20 laps of the dojo to start with, then sensei sensei's gruelling exercise regime which involves push-ups, sit-ups, tonnes of squats and so on. And I had just gotten out of the house for the first time in a week; I was dead tired and we hadn't even started kendo yet :(

Still, after practice I felt pain in all the right places, which I guess means I've been using the right muscles.

Some photos. Kotomi and sensei sensei:

Me hitting men on Happy guy:

Sodo Yokoyama and Keikoen Park

2008-08-11T10:32:00.008+09:00

Sodo Yokoyama was a Zen monk who lived in Komoro, Nagano. Every day of the year he would come to Kaikoen park to sit zazen, serve people tea, write calligraphy and play the leaf flute. I first read about him in Arthur Braverman's book Living and Dying in Zazen. I have uploaded the first few pages on Yokoyama below. After you have read them you will probably understand why I felt an instant affection for this childish and playful monk (or Zen master). He reminded me of a passage in Shunryu Suzuki's book Not Always So which I have always held close to me:

"Whatever happens, whether you think it is good or bad, study closely and see what you can find out. This is the fundamental attitude. Sometimes you will do things without much reason, like a child who draws pictures whether they are good or bad. If that is difficult for you, you are not actually ready to practise zazen."

Sadly Yokoyama died in 1980. Braverman recently wrote a short article about visiting the park again, and talking to Yokoyama's only deciple. After reading it I decided that I had to visit the park myself, and I was overjoyed to find that it was only 2 hours drive from where I live.

The park itself is very beautiful. Below is a video I made with photos of the park and a recording of Yokoyama's leaf music which played from a small electronic box where he used to sit (something which he would probably find very amusing). Go to the youtube site to see it in better quality.

The only sad thing about the park was a horrible animal zoo adjoined to it. The zoo was in a devastated condition, it smelt like shit because the cages had not been cleaned for a while (there was shit in some of the animal's drinking water, and it's summer now in Japan), the cages themselves were far too small and completely bare. I decided not to take any photos. Kotomi and I released a small squirrel that was locked up in a 30cm square cage out in the sun with no shade. I hope it survives. I felt really depressed after leaving that place.

Grading

2008-08-07T07:42:00.003+09:00

Well, seems like I won't be getting to a grading in Japan. Kotomi has been ringing all the neighbouring prefectures asking if they will have a grading in August. Most won't be, some are only for children, and some insist that the person grading has to actually live in the prefecture. And this is even before we tell them that I'm a foreigner who understands very little Japanese, who can't write Japanese, and who's probably going to make grading difficult for any opponent (because of hight, although I'm sure people won't care much).

Kotomi is still waiting on a few replies, and the teachers at my dojo have said they will make inquiries, but it doesn't seem likely.

I've been told that the grading system has changed. It used to be that if you had enough high level sensei at a dojo you could set up grading at any time. If they said you were shodan, you were shodan. But now (although I probably misunderstood) there are very strict rules about grading, and everything has to be organised through the federations.

Hirai sensei said to me, "If I could give you shodan I would, but I can't." He also said that grading is not important, that I should practice more instead. Perhaps some day I will be able to share this sentiment... when I am 7th dan too ^^

Shinmeikan (Sunday Dojo) Leaving Dinner

2008-08-03T19:17:00.004+09:00

I should write about this while it's still fresh in my head.

Today we had a leaving dinner. Most of the people from the Sunday dojo came.

So. Happy guy is standing in the blue t-shirt on the left. Sensei sensei is at the back with a red shirt. I'm the obvious gajin. I'm sorry for not being photogenic. Not my fault :( Kotomi is behind me. Totoro sensei is the big guy. Hits-too-hard guy is in the white shirt in front of him. Hirai sensei is the guy with the glasses. The others I have hardly met as they don't come often.

Sensei sensei and Totoro sensei (he just got 6th dan).

Happy guy and Musasi (because his last name is Miyamoto. He's not in the first picture for some reason) talk about footwork.

Sensei sensei and me.

Everyone again. Me trying to be short.

Anyway. The food was not so nice, but it didn't matter because everyone got drunk and we all talked about lost of stuff. Kotomi got really confused sometimes because she had to translate everything (she even started talking to me in Japanese once or twice). I had in-depth kendo discussions with Hirai sensei (7th dan koshi). He also teaches at Shimpukan (my other dojo) and teaches little kids 3 times a week AND practices with a hachidan twice a month. He was on the cover of a Japan kendo magazine this year, so I'll try and find it. He said he would really like to come to New Zealand (and he actually meant it, not just drunk talk). We talked about the difference between sport kendo and "correct" kendo, and he made me promise to always practice correct kendo. I said I fully agree with what he says, but then he said to me, and this is important, "that might be so, but I see that when you actually practice kendo you forget this." He is so right.

Sensei sensei got really really drunk and started hugging everyone. He actually cried and said he was worried I would forget him. I had to reassure him like 10 times that I wouldn't. He said I should take what I have learnt in Japan and spread Japanese kendo in New Zealand (actually, I think my NZ senseis already do really good Japanese kendo??). I mentioned that I want to build a dojo one day (wood and land is cheap in NZ) and mentioned that if he ever rips the floor out of his dojo (which he is planning to do) that he should send me some of it. He said it was an awesome idea haha.

Ummm. Everyone made little speeches. I said thank you for letting me hit you. Thank you for teaching me. And please stop crying sensei I'm still here for another month :(

Kotomi and me also came up with a good idea for presents. For Sensei sensei I'll give him one of the photos in a frame, and also a tenagui with Kotomi's calligraphy on it. Just one kanji: teaching (or something like that) because he likes to teach so much. So we'll do this for all my sensei, give them tenagui with a kanji related to their nicknames or personalities. Hirai sensei will have "noble", Yamazaki sensei will have "spirit", Tough sensei will have "strength" and so on. But for Grumpy sensei... well, perhaps we could write "happiness" and hope he wears it?

Anyway. I had a great time today, and I know I will seriously miss everyone here.

Fixed Kote

2008-08-01T15:08:00.002+09:00

He did a pretty good job of it. Hope it lasts.

Leaving Dinner

2008-07-30T09:53:00.003+09:00

Some people at the Sunday dojo have set up a leaving dinner for me. I think its very nice of them :)

However, I feel a little bad about it too. They asked everyone else (apart from me and Kotomi) to pay 4000 yen... which is like NZ$55. I really don't want to make anyone pay that much just because I'm leaving. And somehow they booked it at.... a Chinese restaurant. In Japan. Kotomi and I both don't like Chinese food :(

I subtly suggested that we should just set up some tables in the dojo and I'd bring lots of fruit and pom juice, but they would hear nothing of it. They thought I was just being polite when I actually ment it.

Oh well.

Actually, many people in Japan have been really nice to me. I feel really indebted to them. I already have two copies of the English/Japanese dictionary, and almost got a third one but thankfully that person asked me beforehand. I have a large stack of various tenagui, key chains and other trinkets.

What could I give people in return for being so nice to me, and teaching me kendo for almost 6 months?!?

Egoism

2008-07-29T21:34:00.004+09:00

The dojo smelled like a sewer today. Maybe there's a sewage leak somewhere close by, or maybe some stagnant water.

I practised with a certain sensei for the first time. From watching him I could tell he wasn't very good, or at least not in comparison to the other sensei. His tactic was basically to hit kote all the time, which I countered easily. From my point of view when I pretty much beat him up. And that was why the egoism started. Oh my god, I'm winning against a teacher. Oh yea, how do you like that men cut? Yea, take that. Wow you suck. I'm so much better than you. Hahahahaha.

It makes me sick. I have no idea where that crap comes from. Perhaps it's a good thing that I constantly practise with people who are far better than me. If I were to fight people below me I think my ego would take over pretty quickly. Or perhaps its a bad thing? Perhaps I need to train with more people who I can beat, so that I become accustomed to it?

Well, at least I can see it, and I can try to change it.

Nihon Kendo Magazine article on Shimpukan dojo

2008-07-29T08:31:00.004+09:00

The dojo I attend was in the latest (2008:9) Japan Kendo magazine. Unfortunately it's in Japanese (duh), but Kotomi tells me that the article is about saving old dojos (probably in regard to the demolishing of Noma dojo last year).

You can see a photo of the petition to save the dojo... all my teachers' names are on it :)

I have been told by one of the older sensei that the dojo (which is 90 years old) is a bit of a holy place for kendo travellers.

Click on the images to make them larger.

A Day

2008-07-26T20:48:00.004+09:00

Practised with Happy sensei, he's really old and always smiling and laughing. I try to hit him as softly as possible. He must be 90 years old.

Someone else hit me really hard under my arm. If it had been anyone else he would have hit them in the side of the head. Worst do cut I have ever seen. Painful as hell. He told me to toughen up, didn't even apologise. But its ok, some people are just like that.

Broke another shinai.

Did really tough kakarikeiko with ___ sensei. I need to come up with a new nickname for him. We used to call him molester sensei because he always used to play slightly inappropriately with this one teenage girl after class (not in a bad way though, she always went up to him on her own). I've since noticed that he is probably the toughest sensei in the whole dojo, and he is also the tallest too. Keeps calling me Panik san haha. Kotomi says he likes me. And practice with him is always super tough.

Going out to get watermelon now. And pom juice. Crave pom juice.

Video

2008-07-25T15:12:00.001+09:00

Me doing (slow) kakarikeiko with Hirai sensei. He's one of the older teachers I mentioned who make me feel really self-concious.

Broken Kote

2008-07-25T11:05:00.002+09:00

I have a bit of a problem. One of my kote has small holes in the leather, and they are slowly getting bigger. I've been told that I can get some patches put over them, but it would take 2 weeks to fix. And that means 2 weeks without kendo. Or I can buy a new pair of kote.... oh yay. I don't have the money. Or, I do, but I don't know if I want to buy a second pair of kote :(

Dammit

View

2008-07-24T13:00:00.000+09:00

The viewless view: outside of the view, there is no view. Only from inside of the view can we have a view.

Old Teachers

2008-07-23T08:10:00.002+09:00

I really struggle while practising with older teachers. I tend to feel as if everything I am doing is wrong, and that I suck even more than normal. I become very self conscious of all my mistakes. And I also become aware of how little effort they put into beating me up. Sometimes I lose my concentration, and once I tripped on my hakama twice within a minute, so I said I felt dizzy and sat down. But I think it had more to do with the teachers overpowering kendo...

I generally don't feel these things with the younger teachers. I'm sure they fight hard with me... perhaps not as if they were in a shiai, but still, they generally don't give away hits. With younger teachers I feel on top (probably because I'm taller) and I'm not scared of them, I try my best to beat them... but with some older teachers I feel like I want to hide in a hole somewhere.

Strange.

Starting Over

2008-07-19T21:38:00.007+09:00

I've decided I need to start over. Learn kendo from the beginning again.

First, kendo is all about cutting with your feet. I know that if you teach this in a beginner class you probably won't have many students left. But still, this is important. If you don't get the feet right, then it doesn't matter how beautiful the arms and wrists are, it won't matter. Of course, as a beginner all you see is the shinai, and how it is used to wack someone over the head... but now I'm beginning to regret not concentrating enough on my feet.

Today I fully noticed how weak my left leg is. Left hand, left arm, all that, it doesn't matter if the left foot isn't there. I'm going to start training right now.
So my exercises are stretches, and straight leg lifts while lying on my stomach, and ankle raises while standing on something (like a small ledge). This will train the two muscle groups indicated in red, above.

The inset photo is of me (I had to flip it around, so I'm moving with the opposite foot), as you can see my muscles are weak and I'm leaning forward. Right, lets get to work and fix it.

Edit: found another exercise. Stand on right foot and kick left leg behind you as far as you can go (keeping your back and legs straight) and also contract your calf muscle so that the ankle kicks out (as per the picture above). If you can do this well then all you need to do is change feet (left toes ground, lift right foot) and you'll be able to do stamping.

Update: American Ninja in Japan Edition

2008-07-17T20:51:00.008+09:00

I tried not to laugh. I swear. I tried to stop myself from smirking. But I think they noticed that my words were saturated with sarcasm.

Grumpy called me over. Please talk to these foreigners. Some fat Americans. Ok, chubby, not fat. Three guys, one girl. Kotomi had been translating for grumpy. I say hi, I'm the resident gajin here. [Joke, haha]. Oh hello. [American English is so painful to listen to] We're visiting Noda, and we saw the dojo and thought we'd have a look. Oh, so you do kendo? Um no. So what do you do? We do [incomprehensible Japanese]. Oh yea, and what's that? Oh... that's [quietly] ninjitsu. Oh, and what's ninjitsu? [Acting dumb. Sarcasm, remember? I could tell what they were right from the start]. Oh... umm, ninja... stuff. Oh. Smirk. So, ah, yea, we're here in Noda, visiting the sensei of my sensei. [Aparently Noda is famous for ninja. Actually, Noda has pretty damn good ninja; I haven't seen a single one yet]. He says, I run a ninja dojo at home in [nasal American English] Co-lo-radoooo Sp-rrri-nnnngssss. Oh, that's nice. [Thinking of excuses to leave.... damn, none coming to mind]. We really like Noda. Kotomi and me look at each other, try not to laugh. Smirk. Oh really? What do you like about Noda? [The soy sauce factory? The run-down shops? The small railway station?] Oh, you know, it's so great here. We're staying for two weeks. Oh, well... er, that's nice... I have to... er... go pack up my stuff. Bye.

I think they were pretty relieved when I left them.

Life

2008-07-13T13:52:00.004+09:00

Yesterday, torrential rain, thunderstorms so loud I covered my ears whenever I saw lighting (the thunder hurt!). Today, the clearest blue sky, so bright outside it hurts to look at at anything out of the shade, and the fan can't seem to keep up with the heat.

And two days of tough kendo.

Sunday dojo is always worse, because it's 3 hours starting at 10am... the worst possible time. It's hot hot hot. My hakama was a mess, fully soaked. I could actually squeeze the sweat out of my new summer gi (which is a lot better than my 'winter-gi').

At the end some sensei set up a mock shodan examination for me. Although I was dead tired they said I would pass easily. And a while ago grumpy-sensei's son said I would only fail shodan if I didn't turn up.

Kotomi is going to ask some of the sensei if they could plead with the Japan kendo federation to let me take shodan without having ikkyu, because I'll be leaving soon, and grading and training is a lot more scarce in new Zealand (for me anyway).

I hope they let me :(

Also. There's a guy at the Sunday dojo who I didn't like at first. He sometimes would try to teach me stuff, and I would resent that (we are even in skill). But even after I gave pretty strong hints that he should stop, he continued. I have now realised that he does this completely from his heart, so to speak. He is never cynical, or negative, always smiling and talking to me, being really nice. I sometimes disagree with what he is telling me, but now I know he is only trying to help, in a real way, not just "I am better than you, listen to me".

It reminds me of a saying I heard somewhere: "You should accept criticism and teaching from wherever it comes, because when people stop criticising you, or stop teaching you, it means they have given up on you".

I get ippon

2008-07-13T09:15:00.002+09:00

Kotomi filmed me for a little bit yesterday. I managed to get a good ippon in ji-keiko on one of my teachers. He's pretty hard to fight: he either obviously lets me get a point, or doesn't... so this is one of the first times that I've actually managed to get one where he wasn't going to let me.

Idiocy

2008-07-11T13:53:00.005+09:00

I'll try not to write how I feel about this, so make up your own minds:

In some parts (perhaps all) of Japan there are efforts under way to fight terrorism. For example:

They have sealed off the vending machines at the Noda and Kashiwa train stations. (Noda, in case you are wondering, is a tiny station. In fact, there is almost no station: it just has a few ticket machines, and 3 ticket gates... no shops or anything.)
They have sealed off all the coin lockers.
They have sealed off the few remaining rubbish bins.
There are people walking around with arm bands who look at you in a strange way.
There is a huge banner in Kashiwa that says in big letters "FIGHT TERRORISM".
There are posters everywhere which ask people to please call the police if they see anything suspicious. There are images of masked robbers on these posters, which are labelled "terrorists".

And this is all because some world leaders are gathering in Hokkaido. On a fortified island. A thousand kilometres away. Who runs this country?

Hight and Distance

2008-07-11T13:27:00.006+09:00

Some teachers emphasise that my ma-ai (distance between me and opponent) should be far back. I think they base this on the fact that I'm tall, and that supposedly I have further reach. Well, ok, that might be true, but I feel that now I disagree strongly with the idea:

Being back further does not help me attack better, or give me any advantage: it takes longer to attack, and my opponent has more time to defend because they see it coming, and when I hit men we will be the same distance apart anyway, so there is no advantage at all.
Other people's ma-ai will not be so big, so they will move in closer to attack. What is the point for me trying to stand back so far?
When we are at the "normal" ma-ai I have a disadvantage because I have not practised attacking from there, or closer. I actually had to learn anew how to do small stamping cuts when I came here.

Grumpy sensei is teaching the beginners to do small fumikomi first, he says that they can practice the long distance later. It's like long-jumping... you start small and practice going further when you get better (balance etc.).

Being short in kendo may be a disadvantage, but being tall is more a hindrance than anything else. Being "normal" size is the real advantage. People who are of average size can have strong kendo.

Heat

2008-07-11T13:20:00.002+09:00

It's all I can think about right now. It's HOT.

Thankfully I bought a summer kendogi yesterday. There is a guy that comes to the dojo about once a week, and most people buy kendo things from him. He sold me the gi for 4000 yen, and said it was normally 8000 yen. So I feel pretty lucky. It smells of new shoes... reminds me of years past, hanging out in skateboarding shops :)

One thing that amuses me: when we finish kendo practice most people just stay in their shorts without a t-shirt while folding hakamas and putting away gear. (Woman have their own room, but men get changed in the main dojo). Apart from one or two people, no-one is muscular or "fit", in fact most of us are a little chubby, or just normal. Just an observation.

People tell me the heat gets worse in August.

Atsui Neko

2008-07-05T15:20:00.008+09:00

All the doors and windows in the house are open. The fan is on. And it's 34 degrees.

I'm sitting in my boxer shorts, no t-shirt, sweating.

Last night it was 31 degrees at 10 o'clock. (That's 10pm.)

Today I am like a cat.

Sleeping, now here, now there.

Seemingly drowsy. Ambling from spot to spot. From shade to sun and back again. Dreaming.

But I know.

As soon as I enter that dojo. As soon as I begin.

Like the cat. Alert. Ready. Waiting.

Update

Maybe not.

Oh yes, very alert, very ready, and always waiting.... but always while I get beaten up. Need to go faster, not just stand there and take it.

I hope my gear dries before kendo tomorrow. 10am start. Was sweating waterfalls tonight. Everyone was.

God

2008-07-04T08:15:00.004+09:00

Or someone very much like him. A guy came to practice yesterday. No one could lay a finger on him. My jaw was on the ground. The absolute control he had over other people. Kotomi thinks she overheard someone saying he was 8th dan, but he looked pretty young (but still with a few grey hairs). He also wasn't presumptuous: he would line up with the teachers now on the far left, now in the middle, or anywhere. This is something I greatly respect: when teachers just practice wherever they fit in and don't worry about the grade of the person to either side of them (which is something all my favourite teachers do, the lining up anywhere thing I mean). He also had the fattest grip on his shinai... seriously, it was twice the size of mine.

He pointed out some mistakes on my small men cuts, and I practised these points with all the other teachers. Squashi chisai men onegashimas haha.

Another important thing I learnt recently: Grumpy sensei's son pointed out that my left leg is always a little bent, and that when I cut I tend to straighten it before moving forward, which is a sign that I'm about to move, and takes time. He said I should have my left leg straight all the time. I've never really considered this... I was under the impression that I needed to have my leg bent so that I could jump forward. But he said that with my hight and reach I shouldn't worry about the distance, and instead concentrate on speed and correctness, and keeping my body straight.

Sigh... it's hard to remember all these points when you're actually there fighting, which shows how important it is to learn everything right the first time. Having to change something after you've done it a thousand times is a little difficult.

I tried drawing it here (I couldn't find a side-on image online, but I hope to find a better one soon):

So, the power comes from the ankle and hip working together, and that same power is used for small men cut (which is not in the image of course). It's great realising things that didn't make much sense to me before.

A short video of the Dojo

2008-07-02T19:03:00.003+09:00

My camera is small, and it's late at night. The Dojo is 90 years old, and constructed without nails (for the most part). I think it's absolutely great, apart from the low lights (I haven't killed one yet, but close a few times).

Wooop! and other things

2008-07-02T18:45:00.005+09:00

Haha, I knew the Japanese were great with fireworks, but I didn't know you could find them at the 100 yen store. We bought a few packs of those fireworks that fly up into the air and explode (do they have a name?). I only remember playing with them as a child as they were banned in New Zealand several years ago. The restrictions on fireworks in New Zealand are quite strict, with shops only being allowed to sell them on the 5 days before guy fawkes day (5th November) and at no other time. One of the best memories I have: I was young and had saved up a lot of money to buy smoke bombs, and when I carried a huge storage box (containing something like 30 small boxes) of them to the check-out I was only charged for one small box. I felt like a million birthdays had come at once.

In other news, Kotomi has started her new job. Apparently its going well, so I'm happy for her. She is going to a woman-only kendo session on Sunday, no men allowed :( Oh well.

I had a long talk with one of the sensei about something that's been bothering me. When I strike and move forward I tend to slow down and lift my hands high. I believe I do this because I fear hurting the other person: I've already knocked one guy on his back. I'm 2 meters tall and weigh close to 90kgs, and when I get going, especially after a men cut, with my arms in front of me (at the hight of other peoples faces) I could probably really hurt someone. However, the sensei said not to worry, especially with teachers. I should just steam right at them. But if it's older people I should be more gentle. I'm going to give it a try next time. It seems to fit in with my resolution to become 'more aggressive'.

Footwork

2008-07-01T08:01:00.004+09:00

At Waikato dojo we were taught, as beginners, lift the shinai up first and then move forward as we cut down. I distinctly heard someone say that I should never move my right foot before my shinai starts to come down, and that instead we should lean forward a bit before we stamp. This has stuck with me for quite a while, and it has caused confusion here in Japan when Grumpy sensei said I should move my right foot forward as I lift up my shinai. He has also told Kotomi to do this even though she is a complete beginner, so I merely put it down to different kendo style.

However, there is an interesting discussion here about this difference in stamping.

Beginners: lift the shinai up and then moving forward as you cut
Intermediate: lift the shinai up as you're moving forward with your right foot
Advanced: move forward with your right foot and then lift your shinai up and cut

This improve coordination and timing, as you have to improve your arms' speed to achieve the third stage

And I think this makes a lot of sense. Perhaps Grumpy just starts off with the intermediate stage?

My big men cut has gotten faster so that now my body cannot keep up, and I've started trying out the second way of doing it. My ki-ken-tai-ichi is really good, but I have found that I tend to bend my body a little when I cut, perhaps because of lack of body strength. I have to work on that now.

Strange

2008-06-29T18:34:00.004+09:00

Oh man, I feel strange. At the Sunday dojo there are some really old men, all 7th dan, who come to teach sometimes. Today, after practice, we all sat down (there was only one of the old men present) and had tea. He started talking about Siberian prison camps, and it turns out he was sentenced to 12 years in prison after the second world war.

Now, I've read up a little on the history, and it seems you had to have done something really bad to be sentenced for that long. To be fair, perhaps he was just following orders, or it wasn't his fault, or something. I don't know what he did, and I don't want to find out. The fact is, I'm really fucking freaked out by it. I mean, I think about all the horrible things that happen during wars, the death, the torture, the massacring of innocent civilians, and I feel really sorry for the people involved. But I am always far away in my warm house eating nice food when I feel sorry. But to actually come in contact with someone who may or may not have caused the suffering or death of many people... I mean, that scares the shit out of me. A lot.

And now I've read that a lot of Japanese soldiers had katanas, and that they would routinely murder people with them. So what does it mean to do kendo with this guy? Perhaps I'm just being stupid; I don't actually know what he did. But still.

Visit to Totoro's Forest

2008-06-26T17:02:00.012+09:00

Yesterday we visited Totoro's Forest, which is located between Tokyo and Saitama about 2 hours away. We decided to get up really early (4:30am) and catch the first trains to try to get past Tokyo before morning rush hour.

Unfortunately our plan failed, and I got a first hand experience at what sardines must feel like. I cannot believe that millions of people put up with this every day! Luckily the sardine experience only lasted about 20 minutes, and after that we were able to get seats. The last train was the best, in which we got the entire carriage to ourselves.

From the last train station we walked about two kilometres through what the Japanese consider farmland (houses a few meters apart with fields in-between). After a while we came to Totoro's Forest.

There were tea plantations everywhere.

And signs I couldn't read.

And really long walkways to climb up.

And beautiful paths to walk along.

And small farms.

And more tea plantations.

And a temple.

And a lake (although not technically in the forest).

We also encountered, in no particular order: giant mosquitoes (which we squished), killer hornets (which we promptly ran away from), a frog in a hole (which we talked to), a funny dog (which we smiled at), swooping birds on the lake (which we composed haikus about) and all sorts of other interesting things.

We came back home and fell asleep.

Happenings in Japan

2008-06-26T09:50:00.003+09:00

Recycling is a big thing in Japan. Once a month, at least in the area where I live, everyone gets together and sorts their collected recyclable rubbish into neat, orderly piles ready for collection. At 7 in the morning. And they enjoy doing it, as you can see.

But I feel this is all somewhat wrong. Recycling should not be promoted. If it is then people get the feeling that they are doing something good, and that producing all this rubbish is acceptable. Instead I feel that the initial consumerism which causes all the rubbish should be discouraged. Especially in Japan, where people seemingly cannot buy anything if it is not wrapped in several layers of plastic.

Also, the other day I sent a huge package back home to New Zealand. About 30kg of books. I opted to buy insurance, and estimated the value of the books at $2000 (yea right, but hey, if it gets lost I'll be rich). The insurance cost me about NZ$10, which is pretty cheap. Then, today, there's a knock on the door and the postman is returning the package. He says that the maximum insurance for New Zealand is only about $1500, and that because of this (the mistake the post office made) I now have to hold onto the package until they refund all my money, including the initial postage, into a bank account (which can take a week, and means Kotomi has to go to the bank to get money back, etc.). Then I can send it again. And this is all over NZ$2.50. I seriously wanted to throw the box at the postman.

Shinai and Kotomi's Bogu

2008-06-17T11:28:00.004+09:00

We went to Tokyo yesterday to buy some more shinai for me (I've been breaking a lot lately). I am going to start oiling them so that they are not so brittle, should have done that right from the start.

So, two new big grip shinai at about $65 (only bamboo), and a nice grip and black string (and everything else) for the expensive shinai we bought the other day (wrapped in plastic now). I'm thinking that it would be a nice present to give to someone. Is it appropriate to give a teacher a shinai to say thank you? Hmm, it's so nice that I actually want to keep it :(

We went to practice yesterday. I did kata with everyone else and kotomi did suburi. Grumpy sensei seems very happy that she is so dedicated to kendo. He has now even given her (or maybe lent her) an entire set of bogu! And it looks almost brand new. This is in addition to the two shinai, shinai bag, and gi and hakama he gave her. Kotomi thinks this could be a problem, because in Japan this would be seen as a huge gift, and she is now indebted to him. In a way she has to listen to everything he says and learn his kind of kendo (which is a little strange at times) so as not to offend him. Oh well, we'll see. Maybe he is just happy that someone is listening to him.

So far Kotomi has spent a grand total of $20 on kendo ($8 on train tickets to buy a new grip for one of the shinai, and $12 for the grip itself). I am a little jealous :)

Totoro Sensei and the Small Shinai Shop

2008-06-15T18:29:00.005+09:00

After every Sunday dojo practice we all sit together in a little room and eat biscuits, rice crackers and fruit, and drink lots of Japanese tea. Today I asked Hirai sensei some questions, and he was really happy and answered with pretty long explanations. Once he left (the older sensei seem to leave earlier) I was told that 10 years ago Hirai sensei was completely different than he is now (i.e. happy and smiling). Apparently 10 years ago he was really nasty, mean and grumpy all the time, hardly talking to anyone. Once he was gone someone showed me how he would hit away a persons shinai so that they lost their grip on it. I'm glad that he's really nice now.

The fat sensei (meant affectionately) that I wrote about a while ago said he would show us a little kendo shop, and that I should buy a few new shinais there (I told him that I had broken some). He has a tiny little red car, which he has driven for 15 years, and which he won in a lottery. He is always smiling and laughing, and talking in broken English about anything. We drove back to our house first to get some money, and I gave him a bottle of fruit juice as a present. He thought it was funny.

Anyway. I have no idea what the sensei's name is (Japanese names are hard to remember). So when we were driving to the shop we noticed that he had a Totoro keychain on his mobile phone. We told him that we love Totoro (and all studio Ghibli films) and that we just went to the Ghibli museum a few weeks ago. He told us that his wife loves Totoro too, and that she says he looks like Totoro when he sleeps, and snores like him too. So we instantly decided his name would be Totoro sensei :) (but we never use the nicknames we give to senseis here)

I made this when we came home, it looks like him a bit:

At the shop we found out that they didn't sell the same shinais as I use (cheep, and big grip). But she asked us how much I had paid for them (about 5000yen, or NZ$65). She went over and took down one of the expensive display shinais with family crests and signatures on them (they look really nice, and are more than 10,000yen) and said it had a bigger grip and that I could have it for 5000yen. I was a bit hesitant, because if it broke I wouldn't be able to repair it with bamboo from my other shinais, but in the end I bought it anyway. Hey, every kendoist needs a flashy smoked shinai which he never uses, right? I might give it to someone as a present someday.

Argh!

2008-06-15T16:02:00.003+09:00

There are some real assholes in the dojos here. Yesterday I was so over the top angry.

At Shimpukan I was getting ready to practice when I noticed that my shinai had a huge crack in it. That's ok, I've got another one. I had a quick look at that one too, and oh wow, one of the bamboo blades was split right down the centre. So I quickly sat down and started taking them apart to make a good shinai out of parts from both broken shinai (it really sucks that I need the big handled shinai, otherwise I'd just borrow one).

So as I was taking the second shinai apart the leather grip wouldn't quite come off (the last 1cm or so), and after trying for 5 minutes to get it off, I asked Grumpy sensei (practice hadn't started yet) if he had a tool at the dojo to take it off (like pliers). For some unknown reason he got really angry, took the shinai out of my hands, sat down, and started trying to take the grip off himself, in exactly the same way as I had just done. This went on for a while, someone else asked if they could try, and Grumpy pretty much just growled at him. Then he got up and took my shinai somewhere, and put water on the handle to make it wet.

All that did was make it even harder to take off, as the leather seemed to shrink. All this time he was glaring at people and grumbling. And Kotomi was looking quite worried. He eventually managed to get the grip off, which he then put on the ground to go and do something else. I then went about getting the good bamboo blades from both shinai together and started setting it up... when Grumpy apprears again and literally grabs it out of my hands and starts trying to set it up himself. Now, I can fix shinais very well. I've broken a few in Japan now, and every time I've fixed them well.

So I'm sitting there fuming and angry. He's making a mess of it and taking way too long, talking (grumbling) in Japanese. Eventually, somehow, he went of to do some training, and I was able to fix the shinai myself. I wanted to hit someone.

And this sort of thing happens a lot, not just with Grumpy, but with other people too. At one point the strings on my men got tangled and I unthreaded them from the top of the men to set it up properly when someone came along and grabed my men and did it for me, as if I was completely stupid. Same with my hakama, Grumpy once grabbed it off me as I was folding it and proceeded to make a complete mess of it trying to show me how to fold it (he completely missed the folds that were already there, and I had to take it apart at home to refold it).

I think some people see me as a baka gajin (stupid foreigner).

And then there are people EVERYWHERE who tell me what I should do, or change, in my kendo. Don't stamp... you're not stamping enough. Move forward more... don't move forward. Hit harder... don't hit so hard. I don't mind this coming from teachers. All I say is "hai" and try to do what they told me. But when it comes from people who are at my level (or lower even), and when it conflicts with what I was taught in New Zealand, and by teachers here, I get really pissed.

But of course I'm polite about it. There is no easy way to tell people to shut up and go away in Japan. Or anywhere else for that matter.

I'm sorry if I've ever done any of these things to other people.

Being Tall in Kendo

2008-06-14T11:03:00.002+09:00

I've heard it many times: "You are so lucky to be tall. Kendo must be so easy for you" Well, not really... actually I think it's a bit harder in some ways. Yes, I can reach very far, but you see, being tall creates a dilemma. On the one hand if I hit men without moving forward much I have no forward momentum, and as anyone who is tall will tell you, suddenly creating forward momentum from a stationary position is very very hard: I can't just suddenly move forward (thus I tend to lean forward a little before attacking, which I am unlearning right now). This means that even if I get a clean hit on the opponent I tend to have ugly zanshin, I stop after the hit and then start moving forward again, slowly. Then on the other hand I can try to create lots of forward momentum right at the start of my cut, which is great when I'm practising with an opponent who doesn't move, but simply does not work when we are both moving forward (as is generally the case). When both of us are moving forward there is no room for me to hit men (or kote) without holding my arms closer to my body (not stretched out) which is bad.

I tend to do the first thing mostly: good cutting but bad movement.

I am by no means slow at cutting, I can get some pretty good points on the 7th dan teachers at my dojo when we do jikeiko. But they say: "great, you cut me, why are you just standing there?"

And then there are the problems with do cuts. In order to cut do I have to lower my shinai under horizontal, which makes me twist my right shoulder, which hurts. There is no other way for me to cut do.

I remember that Sam once told me, awkwardly (as if he wasn't sure he should be telling me yet), that I should learn to cut kote really well, as everyone will be expecting men cuts from me. I think, in addition to this, kote is really good for me because I can reach it without putting myself in danger: there have been a few surprised teachers who stepped in to make a cut only to find that my shinai could already reach their kote. But again, there is the problem of moving forward.

Sigh. Being tall isn't that great. I think I look like a penguin sometimes. Standing tall, but waddling with no grace.

Shinai Care

2008-06-11T19:52:00.001+09:00

Books in Japan

2008-06-11T17:52:00.002+09:00

One thing that really impresses me about Japan is the book publishing.

I'm not sure about the exact numbers, but Japan has a population of about 120 million people, out of 6.5 billion global population. This isn't exactly a very large proportion of the world. The point is that the Japanese are the only people in the world who can read Japanese, and when you walk into a Japanese book store the sheer number of books seems disproportionate to the number of people who can actually read Japanese.

Maybe they just really like reading. Or maybe the fact that most Japanese can't, or won't, read books in other languages makes publishing in Japanese a lucrative business.

Just today we visited a book shop in a not so large city, and they had an entire shelf dedicated, and I'm not joking here, to kendo literature. All in Japanese of course (cry). And, almost like a library, the store only carried one or two copies of each book which made it even more impressive.

Needles to say, I bought one (with lost of big pictures and a DVD).

Next I'm going to look for a book on dojo construction. I haven't found anything in English, so maybe there will be something in Japanese.

Slow Motion Kendo

2008-06-11T13:26:00.001+09:00

I think this video of slow motion kendo is really really beautiful.

Unconnected Thoughts

2008-06-10T10:20:00.006+09:00

It's getting hot in Japan. Really hot. I think I'll have to buy a summer gi and hakama just to survive.

Someone I haven't seen before has started coming to the Sunday dojo. He is huge, like, seriously fat. I don't know how he found a do to fit him. When he is in kamai he has to stretch both his arms out in front of him, and the end of his shinai rests on his do. He is 6th dan, and hits like lightning, but doesn't move much. He's also one of the nicest people I have met in Japan. He can speak English, and always brings fruit for everyone to eat at the end of practice. He told me with a grin that his wife cooks very good food.

Kotomi and I went to Grumpy sensei's son's house for dinner. He is 6th dan, and does very very strong kendo (he's grading for 7th dan in November). Although he is a very nice person (he always talks to us at the dojo) I think he's inherited the seriousness about kendo that radiates from Grumpy sensei. He had a little too much to drink (apparently all good sensei drink a lot) and started talking about the people he doesn't like at the dojo. These were generally the people that I do like, because they are carefree, happy, and not serious all the time, and take the time to practice with me. But perhaps for some people this kind of attitude is not an admirable thing. He also mentioned that he does not like the teacher at the Sunday dojo (Sensei sensei) because he does not do good kendo. I think there might be a little rivalry, or something like that, between the two dojos. Some people at the Sunday dojo do not speak well of Shimpukan. Oh well. I like them both. Some people can be a little too serious at times.

Teachers

2008-06-03T17:02:00.003+09:00

Kotomi seems to be really enjoying kendo. She has admitted that one of the reasons for starting was that "all the kendo people look so young and happy." I laughed and suggested it might have something to do with all the yelling and hitting people.

But there is one thing that is really annoying her, and it is a point that I have taken into consideration as it relates to myself too. It seems that everyone wants to teach her kendo, and everyone has different ideas about how best to do kendo. Sometimes, within half an hour, several different people will tell her to do completely conflicting things: swing your arms back, no, don't swing your arms back, hit softer, hit harder, cut forward, cut downward, and so on. She's getting really pissed off.

I now see how important it is to start kendo under the instruction of a single competent teacher, in a dojo with an organised class schedule. (The dojo I started at had two teachers, but they agreed, at least I think they did, so that is basically the same).

I think that some of the people who come to offer advice to Kotomi are not very good at kendo, and tell her wrong things, but Japanese etiquette requires that she listens politely, which in turn makes the person think that they are being good teachers. If she asks me afterwards whether what they said was correct I just tell her to ask one of the senior teachers (Grumpy, Hirai or Sensei-Sensei). And in any case, I tell her, I don't think there is one best way to learn kendo, and if there is then it is not that important to follow it: you just simply listen to what people have to say, think about it, ask someone who knows for sure, and then continue on with "practice, practice, practice."

But all this reminds me of when I was a beginner (which I still am, but just a little less so). I went around telling people they were doing things wrong, how to correct it, how to think about things correctly, and so on. Even though I was right in most cases, and I knew how to do things correctly, I had no right to try to teach. Simply repeating what your teacher said, or what you read in books, because it makes some sense to you does not mean that you understand it or are able to practice it correctly, and even when you can do it correctly, you still need to go a lot further before you are tell others how to do things. Because of all this I realised the need to shut up, leave things as they are, and let people learn at their own pace, and in their own way: I realised it is not up to me to teach anyone, or change anything. This, of course, would be different if I am ever a teacher of anything, but until then I hope to accept things as they are.

Teaching

2008-05-30T15:18:00.004+09:00

How many people can claim to have started kendo under the enthusiastic guidance of a dojo full of 7th dan teachers? And she's getting really good too :)

I've been sick for more than a week with a bad fever. I'm better now and am looking forward to practice on Saturday.

Kotomi Starts Kendo

2008-05-27T10:16:00.007+09:00

Yay, Kotomi has started kendo. Grumpy sensei has agreed to teach her the basics before every class, and she just practices by herself while the rest of us fight. I didn't even have to coerce her into it; one day she just said she wanted to start ^^ I think it will be great when we are both better. (Grumpy sensei even gave her the gi and hakama she's wearing.... she is the same size as him).

Suburi Research

2008-05-22T17:06:00.007+09:00

Found a very interesting research project on different suburi swings.

At Waikato dojo we were taught to swing our shoulders as far back as possible, so that the kensen hit us in the back. This was to teach us to use our shoulders for power, not our elbows, and I think this is very logical for learning to do kendo properly. However, now when I'm doing warm-up suburi at Shimpukan I get told off for doing it this way (yes, by Grumpy sensei), and he tells me to never drop my kensen below 45% above my head. Ever.

As I see it, even if this is the correct way to swing in kendo (never drop it), I think that if we start as beginners like this then we will end up using only our elbows and not our shoulders. But the trouble is that if you start with swinging the shinai all the way back you will adopt a bad habit (dropping your shinai), which is very bad (and something I still haven't unlearnt).

So I dono, both ways have their good and bad aspects. But I believe that once you've done kendo for a while you should really concentrate on only raising your shinai to 45% and never dropping it, something which I now have to do.

New Name Bag

2008-05-22T16:08:00.003+09:00

Arrived today. I'm keeping my old one (although I took the kanji off it). This one says Noda, then my last name in katakana.

Dispelling Myths about Japanese Kendo

2008-05-19T13:04:00.005+09:00

When I first started kendo, and for a long time after that, Japan seemed like the infallible overbearing authority for everything kendo related. For example, Japanese people bow perfectly, they are extremely polite and respectful, they take everything serious, they respect their gear, they treat shinai as if it were worth a million dollars, they move perfectly, they hit men perfectly, and so on.

Now that I've had a little bit of experience with Japanese kendo I can tell you that most of these things are completely untrue.

Some people fold their hakama properly, but others just hang them up. Some people place their men on their kote, while others just dump them on the ground. Some people place their shinai against the wall with the handle on the ground, while others place them with the tip down. Some bow correctly and politely, while others are already in sonkyo before you have even finished bowing. In general, Japanese people only give and take things with both hands if the situation calls for politeness, but in the dojo everyone is friendly with one another, and people give and take with one hand (unless it's money).

Not everyone who practices kendo in Japan is good. In fact, the majority of people see it as a hobby or weekend sport, and never dedicate much time to it. One guy told me he was 40 years old, and had been doing kendo since he was 10, and I thought he was really really bad.

When I first came here I tried to do everything exactly how my teachers in New Zealand had taught me, but the first thing I was told to do by a Japanese teacher was to RELAX, not to take things so seriously. Of course, when actually doing kendo, be very very serious. And there are times when doing what I was taught (being polite, not walking in front of a sensei etc.) was admired and praised. But when you're sitting down after practice, and someone asks to look at your shinai, you don't have to hand it to them with both hands.

It is important to strike a balance between seriousness and relaxedness, and to know which is appropriate in which situation. Thus knowing how to do things correctly is good, and will get you praise in Japan, but always doing things properly is bordering on fanaticism, and people will think you are strange.

Kendo Practice

2008-05-19T11:33:00.003+09:00

Monday 5:30pm - Kata + ji-keiko Shimpukan dojo
Tuesday 7:00pm - Shimpukan dojo
Thursday 7:00pm - Shimpukan dojo
Saturday 7:00pm - Shimpukan dojo
Sunday 10:00am - Shinmeikan dojo, warm up, fitness training (70 press-ups haha), basics of kendo, continuous kirikaishi, then at 12pm high level teachers come and we do ji-keiko with them.

My head hurts.

Nodashi Kendo Meeting

2008-05-18T17:47:00.007+09:00

I was invited to attend a Nodashi Kendo meeting which was held today. I didn't know what it was about but Grumpy sensei suggested I sign up.

When Kotomi and me went there today we learnt that it was an all day teachers conference.... yea, and here's me, a beginner, sitting in with all the teachers from around Nodashi, being lectured by three 7th dan teachers. In Japanese.

But it was great fun. For the first half of the day (9-12) everyone went through kata, and Grumpy sensei took me through kata 5 to 10. Even though I did really badly he was happy and said I learn fast.

After a lunch break we all went through how to do warm ups and basic practice. Then we put on our men and did more basic practice, followed by 1 minute ji-keiko with everyone in quick succession. I was so tired (after standing for 5 hours), and it was really hot, and I just wanted to go to sleep :(

A great and tiring day.

Will maybe post a video that Kotomi took if I figure out how to get it off the camera.

Things that get on my nerves in Japan

2008-05-14T18:00:00.002+09:00

I've been in Japan for more than 2 months now (a little late with the blog) and I've been feeling a bit strange towards everything. Perhaps I'm starting to get sick of it. I no longer use chopsticks (spoon and fork are simply better) and I no longer shower sitting down (as is traditional). The trains are getting on my nerves, and I now hate being around the teeming masses of people I once loved observing.

There are so many little things that just get to me here:

Why aren't there any rubbish bins anywhere? I mean, if Japan is so obsessed with materialism, and with packaging everything in a hundred layers of plastic, and with having everything come in tiny portions, then it is inconceivable to me why there are no rubbish bins anywhere.

In the main centres there's always a sea of people rushing about. At first I thought it was a novel situation, a little funny perhaps; but now I hate it, and can't stand to be anywhere near Japanese crowds. And when you have to get on a crowded train and you know the next one will be just as crowded it gets worse.

The noise and the colours. Almost everything has to be 10 decibels too loud and in the brightest shade of pink imaginable. Turn on the TV and someone is yelling at you, walk through a city centre and there are giant TVs yelling at you, showing images of people moving really fast. Walk into a fucking supermarket and the workers yell at you (something like "WELCOME!!!! PLEASE SHOP WITH US!!!!!). And this is everywhere.

Then there are the bigger things that annoy me:

I absolutely hate the way Japanese people obsess over objects and ways of doing things (traditions, almost). For example, the obsession with always wearing shoes outside, and having a perfect barrier between the inside and outside world. Now, I agree that people should take their shoes off when they go inside a house, and that bare feet should be washed if it is dirty outside, but the extent that Japanese people obsess about this is just phenomenal. Public toilets sometimes have special slippers which you have to wear while in the room (always 5 sizes too small) and Kotomi's father told me I have to wear special shoes (again way too small for me) when I want to go onto the balcony.

There are also the cultural objects which are overvalued, such as the Japanese toilet. Why would anyone want to use these horrible relics? And why would anyone want to install them in brand new train stations? They are annoying to use, and compared to the western toilet they are idiotic devices. Perhaps nationalism has something to do with it?

There are more things, but I'll stop here.

I'm thankful Kotomi isn't a typical Japanese, and she agrees with me on most things.

Labels

2008-05-14T11:43:00.002+09:00

I'm the only non-japanese in both of the dojos I attend, and am also the only one with English on my name bag. As everyone else's names are in kanji it can be a bit of a problem sometimes.... because I can't read kanji. Sometimes the kanji are easy to identify, such as Yamazaki or Otake, but most of the time they are extremely complex and written in a curved script which adds to the problem.

What I tend to do is remember things about the people instead. Are they tall, or fat, or do they have easily identifiable bogu and so on. In this way I have come to see all my teachers by how they look and act, and not by what they say (language barrier, remember?).

Hirai sensei - easy, he's always at the far right of the dojo because he's the highest ranked teacher (7th dan hanshi). He's a really nice old man who always smiles. I can always identify him even when he has his back turned by the way he holds himself, and by the way he doesn't move much. He generally beats the crap out of most people, but you can tell his age is getting to him :(

Grumpy sensei - he's next from the right, 7th dan koshi. I can never remember his name, but I'm trying. He is the one who always criticizes me: you're doing it wrong, no, like this, stop, let me show you, no, no, no (thus his name, which is meant affectionately). He also has a strange tendency to lean to one side, I think it's because his hip hurts.

Yamazaki sensei - has bright grey hair and dazzling white teeth. A little bit taller than the average Japanese person. He also has a yellow do, so I can find him easily (plus 'yama' is an easy kanji to spot). He's very aggressive, always gnashing his teeth and yelling. He's also very nice, he even invited me to go drinking haha.

Book sensei - I have no idea what his name is, but he gave me an English/Japanese kendo dictionary and ever since then I've thought of him as book-sensei. He's really cool, and I can spot him because he's a bit debu.

Sensei sensei - He's my teacher at the Sunday dojo. Quite tall and skinny, wears very old bogu and glasses. He is very nice and polite and smiles a lot, and always tries to teach me, thus his name.

And so on, will add more soon.

Sporadic Kendo Tips

2008-05-14T11:29:00.001+09:00

For a long time I didn't understand what teachers wanted me to do when they said kakari-geiko or ji-geiko. I even sat down with a 7th dan teacher and asked him to explain, but I think the language barrier meant I didn't fully understand. He ended up saying 'you'll learn'.

Now I've had the chance to read up on the terms, and ask around, and I think I understand:

Kakari-geiko is "charging practice" which means just charge at your opponent without stopping, without regard for personal safety and without concern for winning or losing. Winning and losing do not exist in kakari-geiko. You throw everything you have at your opponent as fast as you can until you fall over, or stop just before.

Ji-geiko is "fighting practice" which is where you take your time and utilise everything you have ever learnt to try to get an ippon. Don't use any trickery here, just try to do things as correctly as possible.

Sound of the Dojo

2008-05-14T08:59:00.000+09:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to just sit and listen to the sounds in the dojo. I had exhausted all my energy about 5 minutes before we finished and felt the need to sit down so as not to fall over.
So I sat and watched, and listened. There was an almost rhythmic flow to the stamping and shouting. Sometimes everyone would be fighting all at once, and then, suddenly, silence would descend for a brief period.

I have also noticed that at both dojos no one ever speaks aloud to everyone, no instructions, no commands, no endless talking. The only time anyone talks is when we are all lined up and someone has an important notice to share, which I can never understand anyway.

Everyone simply practices kendo, and the teachers sometimes tell the student what can be improved upon.

We learn by doing kendo, not by talking about it.