Or possibly some life truth

Hi everyone,

Please find the follow-up interview of Markus Frey sensei (Finnish 7 dan Jyoshi) regarding his second attempt at 8 dan shinsa in November 2023. He is talking about his preparation, mental state and feelings after the success in the 1st round and feeling in the second round.
https://hy-kendo.com/2024/04/24/if-you-fail-to-plan-you-plan-to-fail-trying-the-hachidan-shinsa-in-kendo-interview-with-markus-frey-part-2/
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Note from Merci sensei: Some of the readers may not know, but Finland – as well as most of the Nordic countries – is very casual and informal in most instances. This also means that we are not only fortunate to train with Markus Frey sensei, but we are also fortunate to have a free exchange of thoughts with him about kendo, and about things that would perhaps be unimaginable in many other countries and the kendo circles. We by no means take this for granted, and would therefore like to thank Markus for his openness to talk about this experience to all of us at the post-Keiko breakfast.
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You can keep our blog page in your favorite, we will be interviewing more sensei soon and there is always some fun post down there.

I’ve been told by my doctor to avoid high impact activities due to possible early onset of arthritis… what are the modifications that people do to their kendo to accommodate for this? I.e switch to suriashi and no fumikomi?

Hi all. I was diagnosed last year with autism and have been practicing Kendo for 10 months. A few times a month, the head sensei joins practice and always scolds the way I tye my himo and Tenugui. He says it's childish that after this amount of time, I'm still the slowest to get my bogu on in the group, even behind the little kids. I try to explain when practices are less formal (because I don't want to be rude) that the reason I take so long with that sort of thing is because of my poor coordination due to autism and other developmental setbacks that I don't wish to disclose because of trauma. He always gets mad and tells me it's not an excuse, even though I practice those aspects of the sport more often and still fall behind. I'm worried that it sets me off on a bad start with people who I am supposed to respect. Does anyone have any advice for this? It would be much appreciated

EDIT because people are mentioning practicing at home and using the origami hat tenugui method, I do both of those and have for quite a while, but I am still having these issues. Thanks, everyone, for the advice. It's very uplifting.

Hello all!

I'm a coach at my local dojo for our beginner's class and a few weeks ago we started with a new group. One participant is a young woman wearing a Hijab (muslim head scarf). While she is months away from wearing bogu, I wanted to do some research on how to approach that topic, above all regarding the tenugui. Wearing Hakama and Gi (although forearms are visible) is not a problem since you can easily wear a long sleeved shirt. But not wearing a Hijab is out of the question. I saw some pictures from (I think) Indonesia, where the girls/women wore long sleeved shirts under their Gi and a Hijab during practice. Unfortunatly they wore only Tare and Do in those pictures. Maybe I looked at the wrong videos but I wasn't able to spot if they wore a Tenugui over their Hijab.

TLDR: Are there any female/ muslim Kendoka here that can tell me if they wear Hijab plus Tenugui?

Thanks for listening reading!

Hi,

I am interested in starting kendo (currently waiting for my local club to open enrolment for their beginners class). I do, however, have concern about training barefoot. The club trains in a general-purpose sports hall, not a space built for kendo.

I've had plantar fascia issues and inflmation around the ball of my foot back when I was doing other sports. This makes me worry kendo footwork will cause these issues to flare up. Is it possible to do kendo in shoes? Or, are there other accepted ways in kendo to protect feet from injury?

Am unable to knock away menuchi blows to do oji waza. Is it about strength and timing? Am i hitting their shinai in the wrong part?

• La version française suit -

We are proud to announce that the 2nd Canadian Jukendo & Tankendo Seminar will be held in Montreal from Saturday May 25th to Sunday May 26th, 2024. The seminar will be led by Steve Kelsey sensei, 6th Dan in both Jukendo & Tankendo and President of the International Jukendo & Tankendo Committee. For beginners interested in participating, an initiation session will take place on Sunday, May 26th, 1:30 - 3:30 PM. Grading up to 1st Kyu will also be available on Sunday morning. For additional information, check the below link. * This event is approved by the "All Japan Jukendo Federation". *

Registration Form:

https://forms.gle/rY44gF3bwJ9jPukm8

Additional Information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/135ZAP13t7yim8ij53V2KexOEZhGZn6MJ/view?usp=drive_link

*** Registration deadline - May 15th, 2024 ***

Nous sommes fiers d'annoncer que le 2e séminaire canadien de Jukendo & Tankendo se tiendra à Montréal du samedi 25 mai au dimanche 26 mai 2024. Le séminaire sera dirigé par Steve Kelsey sensei, 6e Dan en Jukendo et Tankendo et Président du Comité international de Jukendo et de Tankendo. Pour les débutants intéressés à participer, une session d'initiation aura lieu le dimanche 26 mai de 13h30 à 15h30. Des passages de grades jusqu'au 1er Kyu seront également disponibles le dimanche matin. Pour plus d'informations, consultez le lien ci-dessous. * Cet événement est approuvé par la "All Japan Jukendo and Tankendo Federation". *

Formulaire d’Inscription :

https://forms.gle/rY44gF3bwJ9jPukm8

Information Supplémentaire: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MY4ALYTewYtr3RDUzPO9zjDqN6Yw8shs/view?usp=drive_link

*** Date limite d’inscription - 15 Mai 2024 ***

Hi everyone, as per title I am looking for some shooting tips for a Kendo demonstration. Briefly, I've been tasked to take some photos during this demonstration and since it is my first time in this context I was wondering if here I could find some advices to achieve good results. I know that I should ask these things in a photography dedicated subs but since I am trying to catch not only the dynamics but also the ceremonial side of this seminar, I really could use some technical helps on what angles or any related tips. Thanks in advance for the help and if it is not related to the sub I'm gonna deleted it if it is against the rules.

Hi everyone!

I have been practicing kendo for a short while and am slowly getting all the gear. Happy to join this group and hope I can learn from you all.

I was on a trip to Japan and got my first Bogu set (cery happy woth finally having one!), with help from the seller to get it measured. Sadly, upon returning and speaking with someone here, I was told the men is too small as the top pad isn't sitting as it should. Is this something that will get in the way /possibly hurt or can I manage with it for a while until I can afford a better size?

planning to go to Cyprus in June and would like to continue training while I'm there.

1st question: is this shop legit?

Link for your reference: https://www.bogushop.com/products.asp?cat=Bogu+Bag

2nd question: Why does Ski look so painful when executing it? Is it typical to get bruises around the area even with the padding?

Bonus question: Why is it that on Ebogu, the shipping costs are so high? For reference, the item I was looking at getting was a shipping cost of $23.97, & I'm in the States!

Hello everyone,

I had my shinsa for 2kyu oday, and looks like I passed, but I can feel the skill floor starting to rise. I was hoping to ask you guys for some criticism and for things to focus on for the next one.

Off the bat I realize my fumikomi is pretty weak. I also feel that I need to spend some time working on my zanshin. My sensei also was there and told me to stop twitching my shinai in the air since it doesn’t serve any purpose.

Anyways I was hoping you guys could help me by providing an outside perspective.

Thanks in advance.

Both of my matches will be linked in the comments, and I’m in the white keikogi.

The 20.04.2024 we co-hosted with the Finnish National Team the first shiai event (season 2) of Capital Region Kendo League. The event was hosted in our dojo in Porthania and thanks to our friends from the Finnish national team the event was the most popular so far. There were in Helsinki this Saturday afternoon, 35 competitors playing 136 shiais in two shiai-jo from 9 different clubs.
You can read a bout it here and see the temporary results:
https://hy-kendo.com/2024/04/20/we-kicked-off-the-season-2-of-the-capital-region-league/

Have been training in kenjutsu have been training in Kutsu for a while for a bit now.

I’d like to start upgrading my gear. Not sure where to start looking however. I know that I definitely want to get a new Hakama.
Looking to invest in something high quality. What are some brands / makes that you guys would considered to be at the pinnacle? Regards to Kenj. gear? (Ono-ha itto-ryu)

I got a more of an opinion questions for anyone who’s got one. So I’ve had the opportunity to learn under a 7dan for 2 ish years but as good as he is and as fantastic his teaching is I don’t mesh well with him. It’s more of a conflicting personality thing and believe me I understand respectful part of kendo but I don’t really like learning from him. So my question goes like this ‘Would you practice under a lower ranked Sensei (say 4th or 5th) if they made you actually enjoy kendo or would you stick under the 7dan even tho you don’t mesh well with the Sensei?’

Im kinda in this dilemma right now, realistically imo I would pick the lower ranked Sensei because you can’t really progress in something you hate and I personally believe that having a good environment and support even if they aren’t as high ranked is still much better. Also this is just another thing I’m throwing out there having a 7th Dan Sensei is extremely helpful for learning but I feel like if I’m going to learn something I want it to be from someone who’s better than me but not worlds apart. It’s the same way that senpai’s teach their kouhai.

Hi, I'm 30yo and have recently been feeling the need to do something new that improves my mental and physical health. I have no prior experience with kendo, but, I've always found it interesting, and even more so now that I've gone down the rabbit hole of watching and reading more on it. With all that said, I think it's something that I'd like to try and was curious if anyone knows of/recommends any dojos in the Fredericksburg Virginia area?

I know big men isn’t the most viable waza for keiko but just out of curiosity, what are some tips for executing big men quickly?

As the title suggests, I suffered a hamstring strain during practice yesterday and it still hurts a lot when i do suriashi or fumikomi. I’m really desperate right now and was wondering if there’s anything i can do at all to heal it fast, or just mitigate the pain within today as my shinsa is happening tomorrow. So far, I’ve taken ibuprofen and used other temporary pain reliever, and it’s gotten a little better however it’s still painful.

Thank you for the help in advance!

I've been doing kendo for quite a while now and have been wondering about how customizable shinai are. I like using oval grip shinai which usually just comes as is. Would there be a way to customize a shinai so it is oval grip with a Jissengata or Dobari type weight distribution? I know some might exist for men, but I haven't seen any sold like that in a women's 39 weight.

I’m currently an ikyu that has done kendo for a year and a half in the process of learning debana waza. Every time I look at the recordings of our sessions, i notice that i telegraph my attacks often, making it very predictable. I’ve been told by my sensei that debana waza is a very good waza to break the more predictable nature of a match in which the flow goes ‘one, two, hit’ over and over again.

My telegraphed attacks make it very difficult for me as I’m not the fastest nor tallest kendoka. Even when standing very still, i notice that the moment of my left foot pushes for a strike it is still very noticeable. I find this very important as my sensei states that the levels of predicting your opponent’s movement stems not only from their centre or upper body, but even their left foot.

My shinai tends to be telegraphed in a way that makes it move more upwards than forward making the travel time way longer than it needs to be. Following this, I also struggle in reducing the distance needed while still making it hit strong enough.

Aside from general practice to make my movements sharper and faster, is there anything else i can do to reduce the times I telegraph my attacks?

I vaguely remember watching a youtube documentary about a summer camp of something along the lines of "10,000" ippon challenge (might be 1000), but I cannot for the life of me, figure out what it was called. Does anyone have any idea of anything related to this?

Hi all,
For the past 15 years, in our student club we have the chance to have every Tuesday morning Markus Frey sensei, 7 dan Kyoshi. He was the first Finnish sensei to try Hashidan exam and we were lucky to hear his experience over breakfast (we usually do breakfast altogether after asageiko). He was kind enough to let us interview him so we can share his experience in the preparation to this very challenging and demanding exam.
This is the first part of the interview, we will let you know when we post the rest.
https://hy-kendo.com/2024/04/17/you-must-try-you-must-go-there-trying-the-hachidan-shinsa-in-kendo-interview-with-markus-frey-7th-dan-kyoshi-part-1/
.
On the next posts we will put the discussion around the preparation for the second attempt and the successful first round.

Hi, I'm an undergrad studying at U of I Champaign, and I've been practising kendo and preparing for being tested for 2-kyu. I'll return home in Delhi this summer and winter, and I'd be glad if I could practice with any local club/dojo in the area. Can't bring my bogu because of airline restrictions but I can definitely practice kata and basic moves, and I can also observe and learn. Let me know if any of you guys are doing kendo in the Delhi NCR area!

I’ll be in Tokyo for a 3-day business trip in the July. During this time I plan to get a set of bogu (off the shelf with minor changes to fit me better). From past posts in this subreddit, it seems unlikely for me to take the bogu home with me since my stay is too short. Could ppl please help me figure out which would be the best way to ship it back home?

1. Have the boguya ship to a friend’s place and have them ship it to US via JP Post or other mail services. (This means I need to pull some strings dating back to the last century tho lmao).
2. Go to some bogu shop that ships overseas (Tozando maybe? Do people have other suggestions?)

Any other options that you think may be more feasible? Thanks a lot!

I’ve been doing Kendo for two years now. And I love it, it’s an improvement part of my life that makes me very happy. However, I started out when I was 25, and a lot of the Senseis that I’ve met began earlier than that. It makes me anxious that I could’ve been better at Kendo had I started earlier

At what age did you start Kendo?

Have you met any inspiring Kendokas and Senseis who also began at an older age?

Do you know any famous Kendokas who also began at an older age?

Thank you greatly ahead of time!!!

I mean, since we got the French one already, why not, right?

Here's the official list, if anybody is interested:

Male team

1 - Ronaldo Omasa, 7dan

2 - Alberto Takayama, 7dan

3 - Celso Takayama, 6dan

4 - André Fukamizu, 6dan

5 - Adrian Yoneda, 6dan

6 - Paulo de Tarso Leite, 5dan

7 - Thomas Takayama, 5dan

Female team

1 - Cristiane Toida, 6dan

2 - Tábita Wenckstern Takayama, 6dan

3 - Carolina Morita Nakahara, 6dan

4 - Elina Onaka, 5dan

5 - Erina Nagaya Fukamizu, 5dan

6 - Manuela Carvalho, 4dan

7 - Monica Oka, 5dan

8 - Caroline Ueda, 4dan

https://preview.redd.it/2hfnjh3ma4vc1.png?width=1365&format=png&auto=webp&s=dde95b41e5901cc1afb1593ffeffda5cb7fb978e

Edit: Some dan ranks were outdated

Hello, I'm thinking of doing Kendo, this is not all my reasons, but I always loved anime such as demon slayer and everything and just liked the general things about sword fighting. I know Kendo has a lot of restrictions that is and I'm better off with Kenjutsu from my purpose, but I prefer learning something to fight or compete with other people such as kendo instead of cutting mats and practicing without probably ever gonna actually use those skills in actual battle in modern day. I know that flame breathing from demon slayer is highly inspired by kendo such as the breathing stances and stuff. I heard people say, it's not all about swordsmanship and such. Also after I learn the basics do I start choosing a style? because I want to mainly be the best at nito- ryu so I want to start learning like techniques and start training there, but I'm not sure if that's how it works.