Finding the Way of the Living Sword

thought

2004-10-21T22:07:00.000+08:00

sometimes you think that you have found the solution to your problems and you think that you are doing it in the best interests of yourself and the people around you. but when someone else points out otherwise you start to realise that hmm maybe i'm not right after all. a dilemma strikes and i think i found the solution but a few lines from my teacher and they are simple lines that totally makes you doubt your earlier choice.

"You are more than able to carry on your training in the regular class.As the current beginner class need the full attention of their teacher,i am not going to approve your request.You are not thinking for the benefit of others or for the matter, your dojo."

Thank you teacher, you have made me really think about it this time.

reflections

2004-10-21T22:06:00.000+08:00

Dear Osman,

You have already finish beginner class.
You are more than able to carry on your training in the regular class.

As the current beginner class need the full attention of their teacher,
i am not going to approve your request.

You are not thinking for the benefit of others or for the matter, your dojo.

Peter Ong

reflections

2004-10-21T22:04:00.000+08:00

Dear Peter Sensei,
Hi Osman here. Its been two weeks since I've been to training due to my rushing through to complete my work as the exams are just round the corner. During that period of time, I've also feel guilty for neglecting my training. I've also spent the time reflecting on almost everything that is important to me and Kendo is definitely one of them.
After much thinking, I have decided that if it were possible for me to join the current beginner class once they are in their gi and hakama. This will allow me time to complete my work, still be able to spend ample time with my family and of course to not neglect the dojo. I hope that you would give your approval if I were to rejoin the beginner class. I personally feel that my kihon needs tonnes of work and with my two week absence it has probably not gotten any better. I also do not want to hold the senior class back because they have to explain or reteach some things that I have missed out.
I sincerely hope that you will grant my request as I think this is what I need to relook, relearn, and reexperience the beginning of the course so that I can truly improve my Kendo. Thank You.

Warmest Regards,
Osman

オスマン

2004-09-24T17:29:00.000+08:00

we went through an hour of testing. it was the test which would decide if we graduated on to the next class or if we were to repeat an entire new 6 months of the beginner course. our suburi, footwork, kiai, reiho and several basic waza were scrutinised and graded. at the end of the day everyone made it through. feedback was given by peter sensei on our areas which we needed to work on. we were relieved, the six months were not wasted. i am happy to move on but apart of me wished that we would be together a bit longer. we will be together for another two more training sessions before we are thrown into unfamiliar territory. we have to make real good use of the remaining two sessions that we have.

gikeiko

2004-09-15T22:40:00.000+08:00

it gets harder harder as time progresses. kendo truly is a test of mental and physical endurance. tonight during training, was our first combined session with the seniors. it was a totally different experience as we wore our men all the way from the beginning of the training session till the end. at the same time we had a lot of gikeiko sessions with them. i had a session with one of the japanese sensei. it was truly a jaw dropping and humbling experience every time i went for a men. he would immediately take my kote followed by men. at one point i was so astounded at his speed that i was stunned and he took kote and men 3 times consecutively non stop. a truly humbling experience indeed.

waza

2004-09-01T23:39:00.000+08:00

with all that has been going on this past few days i have had no time to really write, think, and reflect about the training sessions for the past week. we are now at the critical period of our training. four more weeks before our test. whether we move on to the advance class or fail and repeat the beginners course again depends on our performance during the test. we have so many things to learn, so many waza, example men nuki do. with the asean championships coming up this weekend we will have no training this sunday. so a rest day on sunday, finally after so many weeks.

on a lighter note, we gave peter sensei a happy teachers day card today. he said that with his hard teaching style he wasn't expecting it. he appreciated our gesture but that doesn't mean that everyone automatically passes... we have to work hard for that.

shinkokyu

2004-08-20T11:00:00.000+08:00

i'm now facing a lot hurdles in my life. my grandmother recently had a fall. she is now bedridden and unable to walk. for the past few weeks i've been juggling work, kendo, family, and personal relationships 24 hrs a day 7 days a week. i have not had a decent breather ever since the family emergency. i try my best and in this trouble times i remember the basic principle of kendo, which is kiai. with an enormous spirit you are able to overcome any difficulty and clear all hurdles. it is true now what my sensei has said. you bring kendo outside of the dojo and make use of what you have gained in the dojo to assist you in troubled times.

bogu

2004-08-05T14:12:00.000+08:00

we have started wearing our bogu. usually before we asked to put on our men, we have to do some compulsory suburi. with the tare and do on, it is definitely not easy. with our men and kote on, we totally have to relearn and adapt on how to strike a simple men. at the end of the session i feel totally exhausted and fatigued. but the feeling of being able to withstand the hardship during the training at the end is totally tremendous. as for my condition, my left feet has been numb for the past week. i have a medical appointment with the hospital specialist next wednesday so i have to wait till then to find out what going on with me.

2004-07-26T18:36:00.000+08:00

the feeling of sen is tremendous to be able to avoid men and then take kote. outstanding
copyright @katsumoto moritsugui

2004-07-26T18:35:00.001+08:00

an unlikely shiai
copyright @katsumoto moritsugui

2004-07-26T18:35:00.000+08:00

hajime!!
copyright @katsumoto moritsugui

2004-07-26T18:34:00.000+08:00

10th singapore east west kendo chanpionship
copyright @katsumoto moritsugui

kurushimi

2004-07-26T18:06:00.000+08:00

my return to training has not been an easy one. i've lost the stamina that i had before the accident, my suburi is a total mess and i'm feeling the after effects of the accident every day. i'm physically slower, easily confused and light -headed frequently. i tried to keep up during last wednesday's training. despite the fact that it was easier, i was panting away. i need to get back into shape fast. maybe absolution is the key. during this sunday's east west tournament i totally disappointed myself and my team with my lacklustre suburi which was a random mess of poor coordination and bad tenouichi. i have to try harder.

seiza

2004-07-18T20:41:00.000+08:00

watching kendo is not fun. for the past two weeks i've been at the dojo for every training session. with my injuries i could not join the class eventhough i wanted so much to be with them. i still cannot sit in seiza position and sonkyo is very painful. i've made my mind to start on wednesday and peter sensei was kind enough to allow me to seat cross legged during seiza. i will be with them wednesday and my kiai will echo in the dojo once again.

waza

2004-07-09T10:54:00.000+08:00

i met with a motorcycle accident on monday last. i was with my fiancee at that time.thank god, we escaped with abrasions from road burns. my bike was totalled...gone... and will need at least 10000 dollars in repair.i went down to kendo training with my injuries on wednesday and was given the green light from peter sensei to sit down and rest. my fiance was with me throughout the training session. she looks interested and she said she is confident in being able to do what the other female kendokas are doing. she thinks she might give it a try. well who knows i might be training with her soon? (the accident reminds me of director "beat takeshi", who had a motorcycle accident too. director/actor zatoichi.)

waza

2004-07-04T21:39:00.000+08:00

i had comments from fellow kendokas from around the world. they gave me some ggod advice about how to cope with practicing suburi in low ceiling conditions. if not a shinai would have been sacrificed to a saw. thanks a million. we practised our fundamentals today. i enjoyed myself becauase training was hard. my kiai personally has also improved. i really think the way of the living sword is for me. with all this hardship, we learn humility, friendship, honor and most important respect for others and oneself. i will give it my all and not look back.

tenouichi

2004-06-30T13:34:00.000+08:00

i have practice today. deep down in me i know that twice a week of training is inadequate. i need to train at home, but the low ceiling is a hindrance. i cannot even do men at home. i've asked the seniors for help, they advised me to cut a shinai so that it is adequate to clear my ceiling. i only have one shinai...i guess i need to get another. my target is my next pay day but i have a lot to save for and i hope i can squeeze my budget for an additional 40 dollars for a new shinai.

gi hakama

2004-06-20T18:44:00.000+08:00

i wore the gi and hakama for the first time today. heavy and tight at the chest area. but very free at the legs. surprisingly it gave me very good posture and i felt more control in my suburi. well that is until before fatigue sets in. needs to strengthen my body and mind. well no more procrastinating my goal is to lose excess weight so that i can tie a bow knot at the back instead of a reef knot. tomorrow is day one of exercise and diet regime.

gi hakama

2004-06-10T20:47:00.002+08:00

peter sensei returned after a two session hiatus. we have also two students who are singaporeans studying in australia. they have been doing kendo since january so they are slightly ahead of us. with peter sensei back, training sessions are now back to normal. disciplined, and very challenging. this is something which i prefer. traditional kendo is what i'm trying to find. ultimately before the end of this life i'll be able to find a sensei who is able to teach kenjutsu. anyway we have been given the go ahead to wear the gi and hakama the next session. unfortunately for me i'll be on an educational trip next session so i'll have to miss that training session though. will read up on how to wear it in ozawa's book, "kendo the definitive guide". i also did some maintenance on my shinai. it was becoming lose so i dismantled it, looked up shinai maintenance on the net and then followed the instructions.

1) Shinai Maintenance homepage

sensei

2004-06-04T11:16:00.000+08:00

peter sensei was absent today. michael sensei took over. he has a totally different teaching style and he was more forgiving than peter sensei. we hit actual men cuts on the advanced class today. finally getting the feeling of actually cutting an opponent wearing bogu. training was not that tiring. somehow or rather when peter sensei is around, we are pushed to our limits more. hopefully we will see him on sunday, no matter how dreadful our training session might end up.

shiai

2004-05-31T12:43:00.000+08:00

the third singapore kendo championships was held on sunday. i was tasked as an announcer for the competitors. the highlight of the event was the men's senior. never have i seen such spirit in people. their determination to win was amazing. in a year's time i hope that will be me.

shiai

2004-05-31T12:39:00.000+08:00

i managed to survive wednesday's training despite me feeling the effects of the flu. i couldn't feel my arms as me muscles were already beyong fatigue. peter sensei gave us fifty jogeburi, shomenuchi, sayumen followed immediately with 200 hayasaburi without any break. i survived and was able to continue with the next portion of the training. miracalously the symptoms disappeared and i felt energized. kendo does wonderful things to the mind and also the body.

sepupuku?

2004-05-26T18:12:00.000+08:00

i'm down with flu today. actually it started on monday. the pain was like being on a rack. i took some aspirin and the pain subsided for a day. today the pain is back. i'm still going to training because there'll be a briefing on our duties for the competition on sunday but i still intend to train tonight. am i trying for sepupuku? will just have to see later how much my mental toughness can push my physical self.

san dan waza

2004-05-23T13:05:00.000+08:00

we learnt san dan waza today. combination of
1)kote,men,men
2)men,men,men
3)kote,men,kote
training as always is very tiring but the feeling at the end is satisfying. however today i felt as if we were not pushed as hard as wednesday and that is kind of unsatisfying. contradicting my statements aren't i. i have decided on a physical training system which will supplement my learning of kendo. hopefully at the end of a month, i will be fitter and will want more torturing session from peter sansei.

fire

2004-05-21T14:40:00.000+08:00

training was a killer today. we moved our training sessions to the court upstairs. knowing the humidity and heat, i was sweating buckets. one point during training i had to stop, ask peter sansei for permission to leave the dojo to vomit. he once said that training would be hard and if we needed to vomit we should do it outside the dojo. it would be a hassle and also disrespectful to do it in the dojo. i did exactly that, felt guilty of leaving the class momentarily.i vomited and then asked permission to join the class again. i felt better after relievinng myself so i joined in again and suffered more horrendous torture after that.

Bogu

2004-05-17T07:02:00.000+08:00

a group of us have been given the go ahead to purchase our bogu. we had to earn it. 100 jogeburi, 100 shomenuchi, 100 sayumen and 150 hayasuburi. our forms were scrutinised and those who met the criteria were allowed to order the bogu. the sweat and sore arms was definitely worth it.

waza

2004-05-14T22:54:00.000+08:00

sunday is training day. will have to learn several commands as i'm up for duty for the singapore national kendo championships. maybe i'll try to get a video camera so that i can have a personal copy of the event. will be very exciting. still waiting for the say sansei starts the nihonkendokata.

waza

2004-05-12T22:25:00.000+08:00

i felt very foreign with my shinai. must be the fact that i've not picked it up since sunday. read about a blog by a guy whose main goal is to do 1000 suburi every two days for a week. maybe i should try that. training was ok tiring but manageble. we practised men cuts with partners "motodachi" no "shidachi" as we are all beginners. will need to practise my kihon to perfect my shomenuchi jogeburi.

kirikaishi

2004-05-11T08:55:00.000+08:00

i've started pair work. hitting shinai's is much different than hitting air. almost missed my fellow kendoka's shinai. need more practise on this.

haya suburi

2004-05-11T08:52:00.000+08:00

haya suburi can make you see stars. exactly what i experienced three training sessions ago. almost fainted, almost gave up, but i endured, ego not letting me do so. i will endure and make kendo an essential part or my life. good news, i've been given the ok to buy my bokken. nihonkendokata will be starting in another two or three weeks. only 6 so far out of 27 have been given the ok. i'm very proud of myself.

keiko

2004-05-11T08:48:00.000+08:00

a month filled with kihon. footwork is essential. suburi is essential. all building blocks of life long kendo. as peter sansei would say "when you step into the dojo, leave everything outside, instead after training take what you have learned out with you and make it part of your life."

selection

2004-05-11T08:40:00.000+08:00

i had to go through a selection process. kiai was very critical to passing the selection. in the beginning i thought that race gender and physical conditioning would tip the balance of the selection and i would not get in. but peter sansei proved me wrong. the skc proved me wrong. it was one of those days that you were happy that you were wrong for once.

finding the way

2004-05-11T08:23:00.000+08:00

it has been exactly one month since i began my journey. the art of the living sword first took me in believe or not from a hollywood movie. the character played by ken watanabe was so powerful. a great man, an excellent actor. the potrayal of the culture of the people practising the art of the living sword was very well done. that movie made me look for it.