Categories
miscellaneous

Dragon into Snake

Happy new year everyone! 2024 ended without my usual end of year review post because, well, it was a rather quiet year article-wise: only 16 posts, 7 or so about events. I also had a lingering cold at the end of the year that sucked energy from me, thankfully that is gone now. I am […]

Categories
kendo

Shogo

Almost exactly 15 years ago I wrote an article entitled “A brief investigation into the shogo system” in which I discussed not only the shogo system itself, but the history behind the dan-i (normal grades) we use as well. The article was indeed brief and didn’t really go into detail about how to acquire the […]

Categories
kendo

Tokyo mini musha-shugyo

This is a follow-post, check out part 1 here. I just came back from a crazy long-overdue (and too-short) kendo trip to Tokyo. Well, more kendo-related actually, as the main purpose was to visit a friend (more about that below).  Living in Japan, you might think it’s relatively easy to hop on the Shinkansen and travel to […]

Categories
kendo

Tameshi-ai and combating complacency

In less than three month’s time I will turn 50. How I got to this age so fast I have no idea: I certainly don’t feel 50 (I look about 70 though!!!). It also feels like I arrived in Japan only a moment ago when, actually,  I’m in my 22nd year here. Something that does feel […]

Categories
eikenkai kendo

Eikenkai (Sept.2024)

The latest Eikenkai (and last for this year) was held last weekend, on Saturday the 28th of September. A bunch of friends were visiting Japan from Manchester Kendo Club which provided just the excuse I needed to host a session! All in all, joining myself and the 11 kenshi from Manchester we had another 30 […]

Categories
kendo media shiai

All Japan Inter-prefectural competition (kids)

Earlier today I (again) took part in the All Japan inter-prefectural competition (kids) here in Osaka. It is the third year I’ve helped out in this competition. The first time I took part I wrote a detailed report, so please check that out if you are interested. Today was pretty much the same as last […]

Categories
edinburghkendoseminar kendo

Edinburgh Kendo Seminar (2024)

Over the last 16 years, this was the 9th seminar I’ve instructed at my home dojo of Edinburgh Kendo Club. For two years running, for a total of three times, Yano Nobuhiro, kyoshi hachidan, also came with me. Last year we had so much interest that we capped participation at just over 90 because we […]

Categories
eikenkai kendo

Eikenkai (July 2024)

Life/work has been totally crazy over the past while, and next week I am heading to Edinburgh for the summer kendo seminar… despite all this busyness I decided to cram a full day of kendo in yesterday. In the morning I hosted a five-school renshujiai. As I was running it and some of the schools […]

Categories
kendo updates

Ri – time to go

When I started putting this article together I was a bit unsure how it would end as I was in the throes of deciding whether I would leave a dojo I’ve been a member of for two decades. In the end I did decide to leave and I feel better for doing so. [ Places […]

Categories
kendo shiai

Awesome kendo weekend

Last Saturday, like this time last year, my students and I spent most of the day working at one of the highest level shiai in Osaka prefecture: the preliminaries for the National Athletic Meet. What we did during the shiai was exactly the same as the year before, so please check out the article linked […]