Beginner's Night July - CANCELLED

Due to a number of factors we will NOT be holding a Beginner's Night on July 27th as previously indicated. We will decide later on whether to hold the next Beginner's Night as advertised on Wednesday October 26, 2011 or to bring it forward. Information will be here, on the forum and on the Beginners page as and when we know it.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Back to basics - the ebb and flow of a lesson

In preparation for tonight's class I hope everyone gets this latest news update and will think ahead about how they approach their training.

 

Training usually follows a similar set pattern:

 

warm-up > suburi > kihon/kiri-kaeshi > jigeiko

 

There is reason for this order, because each part supports and informs the next part. You do not undertake strenuous exercise without a proper warm up. Once you have done the warm up suburi will teach you tenouchi. By practicing without someone in front of you you should be able to see distinctly where you are cutting, to the correct height specified. Each and every cut should be made to this height and tenouchi, the tensing/wringing motion made with the hands at the point of impact, should stop your cut at this desired height.

 

Without suburi practice you do not undertake kihon practice, otherwise when you come to be hitting living human beings you will be treating them like tent pegs and pounding them into the ground. Understanding of tenouchi is essential to prevent inflicting pain on your practice partner and it is important that lessons learned in one exercise are carried forward into the next.

 

Similarly the skills learned in kihon practice are the exact same skills used in in jigeiko, free practice. Abandoning those areas you have just been practicing to deliver some sort of 'win at all costs' kendo is missing the point. You are only short changing yourself because those skills are not being translated to the real world scenario. Equally nerves and the stresses of free practice can rob you of the abilities you have been exploring. Take time to compose yourself and do good, basic, big cuts with tenouchi and strong kiai and zanshin.

 

Please try to focus hard on the instructions given tonight. We will be going through a period of consolidation of all the basics to form a good foundation for your future kendo. Please try to come with a ready spirit and willingness to improve, that's all we ask.

Referee Seminar - Stoke

It may be late in the day for some but there is a Referee Seminar in Stoke tomorrow. Time 10:00 - 17:00 Cost: £10 You may pay on the door. Seminar lead Mike Davis. This is an excellent opportunity to practice your referee skills with one of the best instructors. Please also note that this is also an opportunity for shiai practice.

The venue is:
Wallace Sport and Education Centre, Abbotts Road, Abbey Hulton, Stoke-on-Trent, ST2 8DU

We went on this course last year and it was extremely rewarding, you can read my review here:
http://kendo.org.uk/2010/06/23/referee-seminar-kagami-shin-kendo-club-stoke-19-06-10/

If you can make the effort to go then you won't be disappointed.

Status Update: Kendo on Facebook

Alan Thomson, GB Squad Member and the new BKA Events Officer has just created a Facebook Group for people doing kendo in the UK. He says that the BKA website will be undergoing an update and so if you want to be kept up-to-date with the most recent news to sign up. Any problems let me know and I'll 'add you' in.

And for those that didn't know Liverpool Kendo Club is also on Facebook some of you may check your status update every five minutes and this website, erm, never. However through some arcane jiggery-pokery I have linked this news blog and our Google Calendar RSS to the group. Every time we post anything here it is mirrored on the group so you can still keep in touch with what's going on if you join the Group.

'So DO IT! DO IT NOW!'

British Kendo Association Membership

A reminder that everybody should now be members of the British Kendo Association. Temporary membership is available to new starters in Kendo, Iaido and/or Jodo. This is intended as a cheap entry to cover you while you are deciding if this martial art is for you.

Temporary membership lasts 3 months and covers you for practice in your local dojo. It does not allow you to participate in seminars, taikai or gradings. At this stage in your kendo training you may have decided you're likely to be committed to the art and will be with us for a year, at least, so it may be wise to upgrade to full membership so we can grade you and get you into bogu. Fundamentally, your membership is your insurance to train. In a full contact martial art the importance of insurance coverage cannot be understimated.

We expect everyone to be members of the BKA if they wish to continue practicing at the dojo. You can find all the information regarding membership and online registration on the BKA's website here. Any questions, let us know either by the forum or at your next practice.

Bowden 2011 - POSTPONED

It's been confirmed that this years Sir Frank Bowden Taikai and Premiers Cup on Saturday and Sunday 4th/5th June has been postponed. I'll post more information as and when but early reports suggest it may be moved to September.