About this blog..

This is a blog that I started in April 2006, just after I first put on my bogu (kendo armour). It collects the advices given by more experienced kendo practitioners as well as those from my own experiences. Both technical and the mental aspects of kendo are written in the blog. I hope someone will find them useful or interesting at least!

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Simple and Beautiful


The scenary on my way back to Dresden


Ok, so I wrote so much. What have I learned? This is to write a short summay about the things I've learned.

Kihon:
  • Use the shoulders to lift the shinai when doing men-strike.
  • Breathing of Kirikaeshi, and men-uchi.
  • Posture. Back straight. Ki-ken-tai-ichi.
  • Reiho. Especially for sonkyo.
Jigeiko:
  • Keep kensen in the centre.
  • Becareful of oji-waza, like suriage-men.
  • Keep the pressure on the opponent. Do not fear.

One week after the seminar the memory is still vivid in my head. The people: the Senseis, and the friends I made; the kendo: the points I made, and the points I lost. The tournament was a great experience for me. My performance was much better than in the Leipzig Championship, and I clearly knew when I was in control. How I lost showed what I should work hard on. This is the best of kendo. One doesn't just improve on ones own, through the others one learns about his or her weaknesses. The new barrier therefore appears; a higher mountain therefore rises. One should always be pateint and determined, at the same time be humble, always anticipating an even greater challange.


Of all I miss the most is Ozawa-Sensei. I hope I will be able to make the trip to Japan next year and train at Kobukan (his dojo). Meanwhile, I have to improve my kendo and build on what I have learned from him and from the other senseis.


Meguro-Sensei, me and Ozawa-Sensei



Ozawa-Sensei's Autograph. It means: all except me are my teachers.

2 comments:

Vivian Yung said...

I was just catching up on all the entries you posted in the past week about the seminar. Wow, sounds like a very very good seminar, and a lot of opportunities to keiko with people from all over Europe. How nice!

Thank you for posting them up. Good luck with improving your kendo.

Unknown said...

Yep the seminar was very good indeed. Now it's up to me if I could keep my standard up!