Hey folks,

It’s been a while since I last posted, about two months if I’m right. Sorry about that, I have been quite busy with many things. Let’s recap a bit on what happened lately:

1. Members of AKC have been meeting regularly to improve life in the dojo and attract new members. As far as I can tell, there has been some hard work and thinking to get things on the right track. The new dojo has been opened for little more than a year. It is a beautiful facility but requires the fuel to run it. Any suggestion from members are welcomed.
2. We are pleased to count Katsu, a Japanese born living in Canada, within our ranks for a few months. He is a 4th Dan and his input in our KWC team’s training is beautiful. We also get to make fun of the girls practicing the rabbit jumping to strengthen their power leg. Yay!
3. NZ National Camp 2009with Morioka sensei. That was amazing. here is one astonishing 7th Dan, humorous and capable of teaching difficult concepts in the easiest fashion. Remember that name lads and ladies, Morioka sensei from Osaka.
4. We had a few events such as bowling, pool competition and all, thanks to the participants of those events, it’s always a lot of fun.

Before I can write more (I need to check out my notes for that), please have a look at that video about Sumi sensei on kiai:

Kyudo is fascinating me more and more. I find in Kendo that the challenge of hitting a moving target, hence a moving target that tries to hit you as well in hope (in old times anyway) to kill you, very difficult. But I can’t imagine being an archer (if that is how you call someone practicing archery, I have a doubt) and try to hit from the distance a moving target. Yes, you’ll say there is distance and the threat is smaller, but didn’t they also fight horseback, pasing through the ennmy lines while and firing at will there damn arrows? I think they did and that leaves me opened mouth.

However, coming back to more recent times, watching Kyudo is beautiful: the amount of concentration, the slow movements followed by the ‘fire’ of the arrows. I love it and can’t wait for a chance to try it.

Have a lot for yourself:

.

This video is a sample and I urge you to search for more by yourself. As for the exemple given, it comes from a great film company called empty minds. Please check out their website, it’s a great one. You will find documentaries about different aspects of the East. Sure, documentaries are for sell, but it isn’t free to make so it can’t be free to watch.

http://emptymindfilms.com

Hey lads and lasses,

It seems to me that every blog post I read lately starts by ‘lads and lasses’ so I thought that I would join the mood for once.

Here is a nice find from one of my endless kendo/youtube/internet wander. It is called Kendo Guide and took over what was once called Cyber Dojo. It is packed with teachings and other discussions about Kendo. You can also subscribe to a newsletter with all sorts of different subjects from shimpaning to a straight chudan. Please have a look and see if you find something you like.

www.kendo-guide.com

Hi everyone,

Auckland did good at the nationals:

• Hisashi: 1st at men individuals
• Il Soo: 1st at women individuals
• Akira: 2nd at men individuals
• AKC: 3rd at men teams
• AKC: 2nd at women teams
• Ken Wells sensei: 1st senior individuals

Well done all and congratulations. Let’s gather soon to have a congratulation’s party. Also, check out the link below to watch the documentary aired on TV3 about the nationals staring Hisashi and Il Soo:

http://www.3news.co.nz/Video/Sports/tabid/317/articleID/103448/cat/70/Default.aspx#video

The days keep their late summer warmth yet the night chill announces that winter is coming. It is then time to clean up a great deal of the bogu. Throughout the summer it endured sweat and atmospheric dempness. So I pulled apart my whole bogu tonight, gave it a bit of air and a bit of alcohol for the smell. Why alcohol? Because the smell is caused by the bacterias and killing the bacterias with strong alcohol kills the smell (thanks to Lia for those explanations! Bio-chemistry experts do help after all). Now that the big cleaning is done, let’s get into winter and warm up with some good keiko.

The full bogu set apart

Men, Himo and leather strings

Do, Do-chichikawa and Himo

Kote and Strings

Himo drying

Himo and Strings wash

Full set cleaned

While I was working today, this strange though flashed through my mind. For some reason, I imagined in a second what would samurais do if they lived in an era of technology likes ours. I saw a samurai coming back home from a battle, still wearing his armour, carrying his swords, blood on his face – his own and his opponents’ -. He would take off his shoes, come inside the house, face his wife, smile and bow, she would smile too and retain her tears of happiness to see him alive. He would then look at both his sons, he would smile to them too, they would bow. Then the warrior would walk passed them, giving a little fatherlike tap on both of their heads, and before taking off anything, he would sit at his computer. Life in the house would resume.

Welcome to facebook, please login.

He would type, slowly but surely, wiping the blood off his fingers from time to time. Then he would start to giggle, reading his mates, who just came back from war, status:

xxxxxxx has chopped a couple of arms but brought none home.

xxxxxxx has a sore elbow and wonders if he should get this 2 inches deep cut fixed.

xxxxxxx brought someone’s head home and got kicked out by his wife.

Then it makes me wonder if samurais would cominucate their pein more than they used to. My vision of a samurai is made of strong warriors who would never complain. If they had a medium like the internet, would they gather in a chat room and talk about political issues, would they ask each other where they got hit? Does it hurt? I don’t see them communicate their pain because they could isolate and meditate on their pain or solve it within themselves. Nowadays, everything is more exposed and everyone reveals more then they used to.

xxxxxxx doesn’t want to fight anymore.

xxxxxxx is missing the taste of milk which has been replaced by the taste of blood.

xxxxxxx is feeling sad, so sad.

Is it a good thing? To communicate and share is good but a certain extent. Does over communication makes us weaker?

So i leave my samurai in front of his computer, I leave him giggle while his wife is preparing tea and his kids are playing around. After all, he just comes back from war. Maybe a little moaning on facebook can’t hurt that much.

xxxxxx is home.

Hey guys and gals…. yea sorry, not my style…

Hi everyone!

Every first and third tuesday of the month is lady’s keiko practice open to women only. Please girls come along, greqt teaching and great fun!

First and third tuesday of each month!

In Kendo, it is possible, mostly for showing off, to disarm your opponent. How far should the shinai fly away to consider the efficiency of a disarment? I let you judge by yourself:

Hi everyone,

A quick reminder that a members’ meeting occurs every first wednesday of the month at the dojo. It is open to anyone who wishes to help improve the quality of AKC’s dojo. If you wish to participate, please get in touch with me through the blog or talk with any sensei before of after class.

The current meeting time is 7pm, every first wednesday of the month. Next meeting: wednesday 1st of April 2009.

Last saturday, two great events occured with the members of AKC. On midday, quite a few of us met in Marangi Bay, at Alicia’s place for a barbecue. Many showed up including some who don’t have much time for practice lately. We all had a few beers, some sausages and salads and then made our way to the beach. The weather was beautiful and the water nice and warm. In the evening, we had a big pot luck for Oscar, Ben and Michelle. It was good to see that many members show up, we enjoyed Usuki sensei’s presence as well as Alan sensei and Alicia and David from Christchurch. We had a great time at Hansan in Mt Wellington. Then we went to Miss Q, right next door, for few more beers and some pool games.

Lia and I are already brainstorming for nrext month event. Get ready because this next one might require some serious thinking! Here is a link to see pictures from saturday, hosted by our AKC facebook group and uploaded by Lia.