some realizations

My sensei says that in everyone, kendo is supposed to be the same, but after a while I realized that everyone has a different style of kendo, and it totally depends on what kind of personality they have.

Harding sensei is quite honest and straight to the point. His style of kendo doesn't have much of trikery, just always going straight, do waza according to the reaction he got from his opponent: if opponent is too strong in center, he go kote, if his opponent is off center he go for men as fast as possible.

Kagami sensei's kendo is more trickery. he likes to flung his shinai in random motion, tricking his opponent into either defending or attacking, while his real trick is that he is moving forward slightly that you're distracted from seeing that he is because his shinai doesn't look like it is moving. he also likes to focus a lot on the center fighting with shinai tip, pushing or letting go slightly on such random motion that you can't predict what he is doing.

DK is the middle between the two senseis. He uses trickery, always doing a circular motion that distracts his opponent, yet his distraction isn't exactly just doing random thing, at different position of the circle, it is faster to do different waza, at lower end, he does nuki-do's or other nu-ki waza, at top he goes for iyu men and other faster and straight through waza. he circulates his shinai pretty fast so his opponent cannot predict the cycle easily.

I wonder what others think of my kendo, what personality I have from just seeing what i do.

Kelowna Gasshuku August 15 - 17

I guess being an only child, I was never used to having so many people around me all day. I don't even think I can stand it for over a few hours, in fact. Somehow I get the same feeling when I'm just alone when I'm in a large group. The noise, the constant laughter, it gives me an alien feeling and I'd rather not be part of it.

Sensei keeps on saying that kendo is also a community, and you're joining a community. But whenever I'm in any kendo gatherings, I don't exactly feel like I belong to the "pack", the group, the gang, or whatever you call it. I'm not Japanese, and I'm not exactly someone who worships the Japanese culture like a god. I just like kendo and what it stands for, and everything else that links to it just feels alien. Or is it just I don't really like the SFU club? there is some slight and subtle differences between the clubs, mainly due to the nature of sensei's.

with that set aside. it was quite eventful, and I'm glad I had sometime to be alone. I had shiai with Hiro and he was pretty damn good, beat me twice. I got a piece of broken glass caught into my foot, which was kinda bad. I broke my bogu case wheel and handle.

Kendo monday and tuesday this week August 13th

I haven't been written as much about my practice these days, partially because I wasn't exactly doing my best, and also I don't think there are many things significant to write about.

Monday practice at SFU is my last practice for the next 8 month. Sucks that I must go back to 2 times of practice a week again due to school. but I have also missed school greatly. I went to eat with the SFU people one last time afterwards. Won't see them for a long time to go.

Kagami sensei had some good points about my kendo on tuesday. my kitikaish needs to push by body but not my arms. and whenever i try to hit, my shinai whirls before the hit, which is a waste of energy. it must go straight. I still don't understand how that could happen, it would have been better if somebody film me doing kendo.

looking forward to Kelowna Gasshuku... and also having anxieity attacks about it...

kendo thursday july 31st

Harding is not able to make it to the practice today, and Zack had to lead the practice. being zack, the practice was pretty tough, tough enough to make Nicole to have breathing problem in the middle of the practice.

afterwards Len started telling me not to do tsuki too much in sfu, because I fake tsukied Ling and she keeps on blaming me even I have apologized.

Zack also points out that higher ranking people tend to do less pushing during tsuiba seriaki (sp), saving the energy for sudden attacks instead of keep on pushing around.