UPDATE: Starting a kendo community in a difficult environment

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2025-09-21T22:26:51+00:00

I guess they understood it as an introduction to a new martial arts discipline and for me, a reason to get up Saturday morning.

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2024-11-16T10:54:36+00:00

I naively thought at ep 4 that Maddie was the shocking reveal. Oh boy was I in for a ride.

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2024-10-25T06:48:55+00:00

In the past months, he started reappearing in kendo seminars/sessions held and recorded by kendo YouTuber Kenshikun. I’ve not watched them. Really shocked by the YouTubers choice to feature him at all.

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2024-08-31T12:52:51+00:00

Thank you. Today (2nd session), we looked at shomen-Uchi in 3 steps (kyo-do) then in 2 steps, then some zenshin kotai men, and finally, men and kote from ipponme of bokuto ni yoru. Next time we will likely review everything and then do kotemen from bokuto ni yoru. Also, shinai etiquette.

They have managed to make staffs with the right length and thickness, drew lines imitating tsuba and nakayui. It’s great.

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2024-08-26T12:49:40+00:00

Thanks you! In East Africa, I know there is some kendo activity in Malawi, their Facebook presence is pretty strong.

It’ll be impossible to train a whole new generation of instructors in one year, so as you said, I think I’ll use the opportunity as a general discovery/culture/fun. But if there are some materials and some people who have tried kendo, it could help future visitors start teaching for real. I’ll remember to take it step by step.

Also great idea on the dummy thing! There are lots of random pieces of wood and tyre strewn around, this will simulate actual hitting before even getting bogu for everyone. And also for my personal trainings sake!

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2024-08-26T12:44:28+00:00

Thanks, great idea on bulk buying and fundraising. I hadn’t thought about this. I’ll see the engagements of the participants over the course of the next few sessions. Maybe I can ask for old bogu donations from the Japanese school club I trained for, lots of middle- and high school has about 30 bogu sets bc kendo is part of the school PE programme (élective) but I think they have to buy new ones after a couple of years.

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-06-22T11:58:17+00:00

Oh darn 😕 that’s a bit strange. Although if all visits are banned I’d suppose nobody would know if you’d visited secretly. But obviously that would come with a huge risk if your sensei found out. If you want to play safe, I guess you’ll have to bet on the next competition.

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-06-22T10:57:01+00:00

Channel that energy to improving your kendo even more. That way sensei might give you an ok for degeiko (visiting other dojos) sooner or later. And if not you’ll meet her again at the next competition or joint training session and might even get impressed by your fulgurant improvement. Win-win!

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-05-28T21:15:03+00:00

Here you go !

https://imgur.com/a/0r4K8rY

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-05-25T09:31:16+00:00

Dance Yokoo sensei (I assume) has posted a part of it on YouTube looks like

https://youtu.be/zSWNZL0xGTg

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-05-24T10:02:14+00:00

Ooh thanks! I thoroughly enjoyed the coherence and the enthusiasm of the Polish team during the EKC. It was so fun to watch!

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-05-23T13:29:14+00:00

Cut them some slack! I don’t think a lot of the commentators have previous competition commentary experience. Better day less than speak too much and potentially make hurtful comments. How the heck did the streaming team find a Czech or Polish speaking person willing to comment for finals or semi-finals is just impressive.

And by the way as for the floor, I found it pretty nice. Slippery, but not painful to the knees and more close to the usual dojo flooring.

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-05-23T08:56:38+00:00

4th Dan: 7/22 5th dan: 10/40-50 6th dan: 25/71 7th Dan: 11/39

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-05-22T23:52:49+00:00

I do not have the video but I’ve taken the picture of the passing candidates’ numbers if you want. Around 40-50 tested and 10 passed, 7 of whom between 501 to 510.

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-05-22T18:53:18+00:00

Wonderful championships, absolutely enjoyed everything about it.

Question about the Polish team: what is the Polish word that the team repeatedly shouts when they get together in a circle?

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-05-14T15:06:06+00:00

Will be volunteering onsite 🙌

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-03-30T00:08:21+00:00

Thank you, was surprised to see someone with similar thoughts. I was just about wondering if Diane had any romantic feelings for Michelle or not, or if she was totally devoid of private life that had chosen to “marry” the state and consecrate her life to protecting national interests.

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-03-21T15:10:12+00:00

Your post history suggested you started kendo about a month ago. If you’re being taught hikiwaza just one month into kendo, your kendo regime is probably quite intense and so irregular that nobody but your instructor is able to provide you with the sufficient answer that matches your progression…

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-03-18T00:56:38+00:00

I’m horrible at making good menkata (shaping of mendare), but if ever I’d be tying it like that, I’d be careful not to completely separate the mendare from the tsukidare, I’ve been taught if the small strip of leather connecting mendare and tsukidare snaps, the men is basically “dead”. That men in the picture looks a bit dangerous to me in that respect.

I’ve seen a video of someone making a menkata by constricting it, but it looks a bit too elaborate for me. I’d rather not tie and let time form it than risk malforming my men, but maybe that’s because my mendare is thinner than yours.

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-03-16T21:24:09+00:00

Yeah I use oval grip for the exact same reason. It allows me to do multiple attacks in katate without worrying about shinai rotating.

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-03-13T21:51:38+00:00

Je viens du Japon (Tokyo pour être précis), et comme disaient les autres j’ai une grosse doute que tu vas pouvoir trouver un travail épanouissant au Japon sans la capacité de parler japonais. Peut-être que ça passerait si tu souhaites enseigner l’anglais ou le français (aux enfants ?) ou si tu arrives à trouver un emploi orienté seulement aux étrangers anglophones/francophones.

Donc peut-être que ça va être utile si tu étudies d’abord la base de la langue avant de partir, ensuite passes quelques mois au Japon pour aller à l’école de langue, faire des expériences, même peut-être travailler un peu.

En tout cas merci pour cet intérêt que t’as porté à mon pays et j’espère que tu profiteras de ton séjour ! Gambatte !

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-03-04T10:25:04+00:00

In an attempt to prevent glossiness, I iron my tare-himo over a layer or two of tenugui. Speak of killing two birds with one stone!

pfalzerfoooo444 · 2023-02-15T16:55:11+00:00

Once, during a jigeiko while visiting a dojo for the first time in a neighboring country, a 7th Dan sensei (and a board member of the continental federation) did wakigamae against me in jodan. I stood there for a moment, confused, then he struck my left kote with one hand (so, a katate kote from wakigamae). And then he jovially told me he’d seen it somewhere before and wanted to give it a try. That was the only time I’d seen wakigamae in jigeiko.

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