Categories
kendo shiai

Renshu-jiai

Over the past almost 9-years of being a high school kendo teacher (and the 5 years of teaching at junior high/elementary school level before that) I have been to quite a few shiai. Actually, I lie: I have been to about a million (if not that exact number then it certainly feels like it!). Behind […]

Categories
kendo media shiai

Kokutai Osaka preliminaries (2016)

The crème de la crème of the Osaka shiai-circuit were out in force today to take part in the Osaka preliminaries for the Kokutai taikai (“National athletic meet”). What that translates to exactly is young tokuren police professionals, jitsugyodan (semi-pro business teams), and teachers. The odd random person tried their luck to (but to little […]

Categories
updates

Time for a break / rethink

As long-time readers have probably noticed lately, my (written) output on kenshi 24/7 has been a little bit patchy. This is not due to lack of inspiration or because I am not thinking about and doing lots of keiko, but because I have little free time nowadays to spend writing long articles. This is partly […]

Categories
kendo kyototaikai media

Kyoto Taikai 2016

This year was my 13th or 14th straight year of attendance at the Kyoto taikai. I’ve written about it and shared photos and videos of the event many many times over the years (2015, 2014, 2011, 2009, 2008) as well as posted lots of information about the Butokuden as well, so if you want to […]

Categories
dojo eikenkai kendo

Eikenkai April 2016

Today’s Eikenkai session was held in what is almost certainly the oldest kendo related dojo by tradition in the Kansai area: Shubukan (older buildings include both the Nara and Kyoto Butokuden). The dojo started birth in 1786 as a place for studying kenjutsu and has been through a couple of name changes and rebuilds over […]

Categories
kendo media

Kendo Pics

I must apologise to kenshi 24/7 readers for not writing any articles recently: I’m currently crazy busy with work (and keiko of course!) at the moment and can’t find the time to read and write as usual. So, rather than not updating the site, I thought I’d share some of my pictures. I wrote briefly […]

Categories
equipment kendo

Improving tsuki waza

A couple of articles ago Stefan asked the following question in a comment: Hey George, where is the article on how to build a tsuki pad? In 2008 I published two articles detailing some DIY tsuki-pads I had made. The earliest of the pair was made over 10 years ago, way back in 2006, and […]

Categories
books kendo media

March book project #5: famous sensei’s books

All through this month I have been going through the mountain of kendo books one of my sempai gave me. The way I approached it was to put the really good books to the side and concentrate on the mass of general books in the pile… but, I must admit, I’ve started to tire of […]

Categories
books kendo media

March book project #4: kendo books for kids

The fourth instalment of my March book project will look at a handful of books that are primarily for children. I guess many kenshi 24/7 readers aren’t too interested in kids kendo books and, honestly, neither am I very much. However, when flicking though the books I realised one area that they can be of […]

Categories
books kendo media

March book project #3: kendo by pictures

For the third instalment of my March book project I chose four titles that have variations on a similar name/theme: Shashin de miru kendo (“Kendo by pictures”). One of the four is actually a revised and reprinted version of the other, so it’s really three books I’m looking at today. Kendo by pictures and diagrams […]