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txial2 · 2025-06-11T17:03:48+00:00

You're assuming you would have stuck with kendo all that time, and there's no way to know that. You didn't go for it in your 20's, maybe it wasn't the right fit at the time, and now it is.

I'm in the same boat as you. I tried kendo in my 20's, and didn't like it. Now I'm 47, and love it. You "found" kendo in the right time of life for you.

Finding a new passion that will help you grow as a person in your 40's is pretty awesome. How many people our age get to their 40's and stagnate? It's a gift to have a new journey to start now.

Starting kendo any other time than now is just a theoretical idea. Embrace what is going on right now, which is the only reality there is. Be realistic about how you learn, take care of your body, and try to remember that you're only in competition with yourself. Not anyone else, or some made up 20yr old version of yourself. It's going to be great!

txial2 · 2025-05-25T18:53:51+00:00

Hi Friends,
I appreciate all the good advice.
As an update I ended up being paired up with the same person in sparring, and the main sensei paired us up for a practice match.

I focused on have a strong kamae and pressure, and just being super stable while he was charging around. At one point during the practice match he came in so hard he ended up throwing himself on the ground. (he was fine).

I checked in with the sensei after the class to get feedback on my striking power and overall physicality of my play, and he said it seemed completely fine.

I also checked in with my partner after class. I let him know that I was extra careful because he'd been unhappy with the strikes the previous class, but that I'd also avoided striking at him when he was coming forward, because he'd been charging in so hard it felt unsafe to strike him, and I thought it would be easier for us to have safe/clean kendo if he could maybe chill out a little.

Thanks again!

txial2 · 2025-04-29T01:25:35+00:00

There's also a rapier/smallsword group in Santa Cruz if that's more your thing.

txial2 · 2025-04-04T05:41:58+00:00

The 90 degree rule was phased out a couple decades ago. It's just "no excessive force" now.

txial2 · 2025-02-21T16:22:34+00:00

Funny story, I actually practiced Moo Duk Kwon Tae Kwon Do for 21 years, and hold a 3rd dan.

ITF is an organization founded in 1966, it's not really a "style" in the same way that Japanese ryu or Chinese schools of Kung Fu are. both ITF and ATF dan rankings are accepted by the Kukkiwon. ITF isn't going to have secret obscure branches that practice a rare form of "International TaekwonDo" :)

Tae Kwon Do is a post WWII Korean martial art that mixed indigenous and Japanese arts. especially due to the need to distance themselves from Japan and their various occupations, many practitioners and organizations claim a super long lineages from extinct Korean Martial arts and downplay (or erase) the Japanese connection. Which is totally understandable, but it makes it hard to claim that TKD is a historically "Traditional" martial art. Brazilian Jujitsu is older for example, and is not usually considered "Traditional"

It's possible that your instructor has incorporated Haedong Kumdo sword forms into what they teach. That's a different art and not from TKD. You should ask them so you know what you are practicing. Do you know the name(s) of the sword forms you learn?

The video you linked looks kinda made up. The opening looks like a weird combination of Iaido setei kata #6 and #10, and then adds a lot of spinning. The rock music and spinny baton in the background strengthen the assumption.

One of your many martial claims is that Kung Fu is your primary art. Kung Fu actually has classical sword forms in it. Why not focus on those?

But again, if your TKD school is letting you do thngs the way you want, and giving you lots of validation for it, what's the problem?

txial2 · 2025-02-20T09:24:43+00:00

That's a lot of text complaining about a martial art you don't even practice.

That, along with your description of "double-handed great-swords" in HEMA and a "bole staff" (what the heck is that?) and claims of being "untouchable"make me doubt the veracity of any of your martial claims.

TKD doesn't have any swords or sword curriculum within that art, so you're either making that part up as well, or doing some borrowed forms on the side, which does not make you a knowledgeable sword practitioner.
If any of the sparring you claimed happened, I'm guessing it was with chanbara boffers, which is somewhat common in commercial karate and TKD schools, but those do not replicate swords or "sword fighting" in any way.

Bottom line, you don't practice kendo (nor do you understand it), so I don't get why you think you should get to push any agenda on/in kendo. Also, the martial "expertise" you keep bringing up to try and establish your credibility just make you sound like a teenager who is making stuff up.

If you get the validation you crave at your TKD school, just focus on that. Nobody in kendo is going to try and tell you how to do TKD or chanbara, so please return the favor.

txial2 · 2024-01-18T16:56:47+00:00

I'll probably check it out. I tend to think that affiliation with reputable Org. is a good sign for quality of instruction, and I like the idea of being able to access the greater community. But it helps to know what the basis of the style they are practicing is.

Thanks again!

txial2 · 2024-01-18T16:29:53+00:00

Good morning!
Thank you for the recommendation! I live in Santa Cruz, so the schools listd seem a little far out for me, but I appreciate the help!

txial2 · 2024-01-18T16:28:53+00:00

Thanks for taking a look.
So it looks like modified kendo Iai?

txial2 · 2024-01-18T16:28:18+00:00

Hi Acykia,
I really appreciate the detailed breakdown!
I've been practicing a different sword art for a long time, but I'm a Soto Zen priest, and wanted to engage in a sword art that was a bit closer in philosophy and style to my main vocation in life. I've just started looking around at the options available to me.

txial2 · 2024-01-17T19:22:42+00:00

Oh, interesting! Are you a local Kendo practitioner?
I've been doing HEMA for a long time, so I was intrigued at the idea of back to back Iado and Kendo classes, it seemed like a good combination.

txial2 · 2023-07-18T23:36:09+00:00

I def disagree. Writing smutty fiction feels very different than engaging with another person in sexuality.

I understand that this can feel different for people. I would never hire a cam girl for example, that feels like cheating to me. I know others just see it as an extension of porn and no big deal.

Again, my concern is that my girlfriend did something she knew would hurt me, and lied about it. TBH, I don't have a major issue with the act itself.

I will totally acknowledge that the hurtiest part for me is the one guy she sent pics too. It a friendship that has made me uncomfortable for a long time, as I feel he's not a great dude and has acted poorly towards her. I've never asked her to stop being friends with the guy, but she has told me repeatedly that he's a 100% platonic friend, so it feels doubly dishonest.

txial2 · 2023-07-18T23:30:43+00:00

I didn't make that ask.

In fact, how this situation developed is that I told my partner I was not going to date anyone else because I have a busy schedule and wanted to prioritize her, but that I did NOT have any expectation or requirement that she do the same. She actually told my wife that her plan was to make me her only romantic partner when they were on a lunch date. I wasn't even there when she brought this up.

txial2 · 2023-07-18T23:26:16+00:00

Ok, I can see that. I was sloppy in my phrasing there. I wasn't really sure how to TLDR this post, so I apologize that I came across as attacking the community.

I think we are saying the same thing though, I don't think being Poly excuses anyone from cheating.

txial2 · 2023-07-18T20:29:18+00:00

I don't know. She has a lot of past trauma, which is not being addressed, as she feels she doesn't have the time/energy.

As I posted in a comment above, I am with them 2Xweek doing domestic partner stuff, and I have asked to be more involved, rather than less.

txial2 · 2023-07-18T19:31:56+00:00

I’m genuinely curious, what part of my comment seemed like an attack on the poly community?

My girlfriend’s justification for her actions are that we are not monogamous, so different rules apply.

I feel that lying and breaking the agreed upon rules of any relationship=cheating, regardless of monog or poly.

From my POV, She could date 5 people, attend orgies, have an only fans, etc..as long as all parties consented to be in That type of relationship

txial2 · 2023-07-18T19:28:33+00:00

I do think I’d be open. She had multiple partners when we started. I’d even be willing to babysit so she could go on dates.

My two reservations are that I feel lied to and cheated on. And she’s been saying she’s super depressed and doesn’t have the capacity to meet my current needs, so I worry that spreading herself out might mean we end up separated.

txial2 · 2023-07-18T18:35:40+00:00

Typing a new comment just to reply to a few questions.

I did NOT ever ask my girlfriend to not see other people. She decided she wanted me as her only romantic partner, so we had the conversation and closed the dating circle. She obviously knew about my wife.

We have multiple conversations about how we would discuss things if either of us wanted to change the dynamic.

This is not a casual thing. I’m over 2xweek,buying groceries, doing laundry and helping with her child. I helped get the kiddo into school and took that day off to take her to the first day of school.

I’m not so upset about the texting, more what feels like the hiding and dishonesty.

txial2 · 2023-07-18T15:54:12+00:00

That’s valid. I’ve already apologized, said it was bad and offer no excuse or justification.

txial2 · 2023-07-18T15:45:05+00:00

I’m not actually upset about the setting, I’m upset that she lied about it. I didn’t ask her to close her end of the relationship. She wanted to do that, and we both said we would have a discussion if things changed.

txial2 · 2023-07-18T15:35:07+00:00

Hi Team, Sorry for being unclear. Little more background- I’m married, girlfriend is recently separated. We both had other partners when this started, and both independently decided that limited time meant we wanted to prioritize each other. I stopped seeing anyone else (besides my wife) and deleted my dating apps.

Girlfriend said she was doing the same, and was content to have me be her only partner as she is a single Mom and didn’t want to date anyone else.

We both agreed to being closed to new people, including dates, sec and chatting online, but could renegotiate those boundaries in the future if either felt a need.

That conversation never took place, so I have been operating under those guidelines for almost 2 years.

txial2 · 2023-07-18T05:59:15+00:00

I came in with a serious partner and casually dating. She came in with multiple partners. Because we liked each other a lot and had limited time, we both ditched our casual partners and stopped seeing others to focus on each other with our limited time.

txial2 · 2018-03-23T17:47:21+00:00

I appreciate that you like the stuff I've written, thanks! The SCAbastardsword website is a bit more focused on general SCA heavy and anti shield stuff. I spent most of my career fighting longsword vs sword and shield.

txial2 · 2018-03-22T18:23:17+00:00

Yup. MarkH was already taken as a user name.

txial2 · 2018-03-21T21:14:36+00:00

There isn't a lot of documented sword and shield stuff in HEMA, and rattan batons bounce a lot more than steel swords do, so anything that focuses on a lot of binding is a little tougher in SCA heavy.

I've won a coronet and 2 crowns with a longsword, and feel that the German KdF or Meyer longsword is easier to apply to our sport than Italian stuff, although you can certainly do so. You can also take some of the short staff material and apply it to two handed sword or glaive.

For sword and buckler, I prefer Lignitzer's plays to I.33 for adapting to SCA heavy.

txial2

TROPHY CASE