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  • Subject: My Kendo Experience, Session One (A True Story)
Subject: My Kendo Experience, Session One (A True Story)

With B.B. gone, the passion of Bungie.net has lessened.

So this weekend I went to a town called Barrie (just north of Toronto, Ontario) for a Kendo Camp that was being held there. Not being in the best of shape (although I wouldn't say I'm fat), I was sort of scared to go. Hell, the schedule of this thing would scare anybody!

So I got there with my sensei, my mother (aww, that's sweet, ain't it? Going to a camp with your mommy...), and another student from my dojo. We checked into the dorm-hotel at the campus the Camp was being held at... Nice hotel. It even has a fridge! After going out to eat, we got back, changed into the formal Kendo atire, and went to the first Taiso (rather heavy-duty warm-ups) and Open Keiko (fighting with anyone) session that lasted from 8 pm to 10 pm. There were about 50 people there, and I was kinda shy to fight with people out of my dojo. But I managed it. I even summoned up the courage to fight with head-sensei. Ok, so I didn't really fight with him, since he knew I was low rank and had absolutely no chance. Instead, we did more of a Takari Keiko (he shows me what area to hit (head, wrists, or body), and I have to hit it as fast as I can (which isn't that fast)). One rather gross thing about fighting with him: He cut his toes on the gym floor's volleyball net casings (round metal things), and there was blood all over.... And I had to step through it several times... Although I considered it somewhat of an honor to have his blood (of all people) on my feet.

So after those two hours, I went back to my room, and didn't get to bed until after 2 am (I don't sleep well).

The next session:

6 am: Running and Taiso (tires you out, makes you all hurty, but I liked it... It made me want to start running more... or so I had thought)
7: Breakfast!
9-12: Taiso, Group practice, Takari Keiko, Wasa, and Open Keiko (by the end, you think sleep is heaven)
12:30: Lunch!
2:30-6 pm: More Tiaso, Group Practice, Takari Keiko, Wasa (basics), and Open Keiko (sleep sounds more heavenly, and you wish you had pain-killers). But we also got to do Kendo-no-kata (kinda like dances... but not really. You're paired with another person, and you use bokans (wooden swords) rather than shinais (bamboo sword-sticks). You do NOT hit eachother with them...), so that was a bit of a plus.
6:30: Dinner!
8: Seminar on Miyamoto Musashi and how people who know about him shouldn't make him out to be a demigod, because he wasn't really a very good person, and wasn't all that intelligent. (good seminar, but sleep sounds better).
1:30 am : I got to sleep.

So that session was very fun. I got to practice kendo with more people I didn't know. And although I get very tired, I tried my best. I felt a little... inferior at the end of the day, since I didn't have the stamina to keep going and going, as I saw others were capable of. But I didn't let that stop me... I managed to put the pain in the back of my mind to help prepare me for the toughness of the next day...

I'll type up Sessions 2 and 3 later, when I get the money.

  • 08.03.2004 5:27 PM PDT

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That sounds like it was a great experience Shai...

  • 08.03.2004 5:33 PM PDT
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That sounds more tiring than crew camp and more exciting than driving school. All in all, sounds like you had a good time. Even if you were staying up late playing Halo. ;)

  • 08.03.2004 5:37 PM PDT
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wtf is a dojo and all that other crap

[Edited on 8/3/2004 5:39:50 PM]

  • 08.03.2004 5:39 PM PDT
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Great story man. I loved the part were you fought the dragon to save the princess from the evil goblin.

  • 08.03.2004 5:40 PM PDT

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Posted by: mithrandir1
wtf is a dojo and all that other crap

Assuming you are being serious - a DoJo or Dojang, is a place of study, usually for the Martial Arts, but not necessarily so. As for the others, I'm not sure what specifically you mean - but PM me with specifics, and I will answer accordingly.

  • 08.03.2004 5:46 PM PDT
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hey im not hindu so how should i know

  • 08.03.2004 5:49 PM PDT

With B.B. gone, the passion of Bungie.net has lessened.

Posted by: mithrandir1
hey im not hindu so how should i know


If you're not Hindu, then thats more reason why you should know.... since its Japanese, not Hindu...

  • 08.04.2004 6:37 AM PDT
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One time me and my brother fought and I kicked off the wall and kicked him in the chest...it was so awesome!

  • 08.04.2004 7:57 AM PDT
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that's great man. i've also had experience with kendo. i used to go to visit my relatives in japan nearly every summer. once i got old enough, my mother started enrolling me in school over there (some summer vacation, eh?). part of the curriculum involves participation in an after school club/activity/program. i chose kendo. got to do it for three summers in a row, and enjoyed every minute of it. well, everything except having to clean the dojo after every practice. so, i guess it made it worth having to go to school during my vacation.

  • 08.04.2004 10:24 AM PDT

Well, I now know that Shai could kick my ass with a sword.

But I would kick his ass with a gun.

;-)

  • 08.04.2004 10:26 AM PDT
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Hmm... Shai since you have done this and i really wish to get into Kendo always have studied and apprecated ancient japan and the honour system. How does someone start kendo?

[Edited on 8/4/2004 11:42:54 AM]

  • 08.04.2004 11:05 AM PDT
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Posted by: Fallen Seraph
Hmm... Shai since you have done this and i really wish to get into Kendo always have studied and apprecated ancient japan and the honour system. How does someone start kendo.

USE A "?" MARK NEXT TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • 08.04.2004 11:41 AM PDT

With B.B. gone, the passion of Bungie.net has lessened.

Posted by: Banshee Barron
Well, I now know that Shai could kick my ass with a sword.

But I would kick his ass with a gun.

;-)



The main reason I want XBL when Halo 2 comes out is just to fight you, Barron. Man, that would be a fun "test," wouldn't it?

  • 08.04.2004 12:53 PM PDT

With B.B. gone, the passion of Bungie.net has lessened.

Posted by: Fallen Seraph
Hmm... Shai since you have done this and i really wish to get into Kendo always have studied and apprecated ancient japan and the honour system. How does someone start kendo.


Find a Kendo dojo. They're not the most common of things, and I think they're mostly located in cities (in the US, anyway). You just have to look carefully. Sometimes they're run through colleges, like the one I go to is.

  • 08.04.2004 12:55 PM PDT
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hmm... i will check at the university near to where i live they do the fecning that i take there so they may also have kendo.

  • 08.04.2004 1:16 PM PDT

Posted by: Shai Hulud
Posted by: Banshee Barron
Well, I now know that Shai could kick my ass with a sword.

But I would kick his ass with a gun.

;-)



The main reason I want XBL when Halo 2 comes out is just to fight you, Barron. Man, that would be a fun "test," wouldn't it?


Indeed it would.

  • 08.04.2004 2:48 PM PDT
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Posted by: Banshee Barron
Posted by: Shai Hulud
Posted by: Banshee Barron
Well, I now know that Shai could kick my ass with a sword.

But I would kick his ass with a gun.

;-)



The main reason I want XBL when Halo 2 comes out is just to fight you, Barron. Man, that would be a fun "test," wouldn't it?


Indeed it would.


hey we wont need to play on live barron i will come over to your house!

  • 08.04.2004 2:49 PM PDT