Categories
kendo shiai

Rule changes for the better

In 2009 I wrote a post called TSUBAZERIA RULE CHANGES IN HIGH SCHOOL KENDO that looked at new rules that were being implemented for high school kendo competitions here in Japan. Just over 4 years later and I can say without a doubt that the flow of shiai has improved drastically due to this simple […]

Categories
history kendo

The Sword of the Samurai in the Hands of Americans

“Another new fad has come to New York – Japanese fencing. If you hear the clash of armor and clang of steel as you saunter through the brown stone districts uptown it’s wealthy young men taking lessons in palace stables and studios where the famous two handed swords to the samurai are at work. The weapon always has […]

Categories
eikenkai kendo

Eikenkai December 2013

Yesterday the last Eikenkai session of the year was held in the usual place: Sumiyoshi Budokan. Although it was a little bit chilly, the weather was fantastic, so spirits were high and the practise was dynamic! In attendance were 17 kenshi, mostly from around the Kansai area but we were visited by two friends from […]

Categories
equipment kendo

Leather Tsuba

A few months ago I was roaming around the internet looking for some interesting stuff and by accident I landed on the facebook page of a gentleman that hand makes tsuba – mainly for bokuto, but also for shinai. I love this sort of handmade product and posted a link on the kenshi 24/7 page. […]

Categories
kendo theory

Applied theory

In the last post on the site I discussed about what the term ji-ri-itchi means to me personally on a more macro level, and now I want to discuss a particular example of a theory applied to physical practise. Ken-chu-tai, tai-chu-ken AFAIK the first reference to the teaching of Ken-Tai appears in Yagyu-shinkage ryu’s Hyoho […]