i ching

well, i know you guys are fans of any kinds of kendo practice or spritual books..and some funny animation as well.. lol:P
this book "i ching" may be somewhat unfamiliar to u, but i should recommend.
why's that? well it condenses very helpful info about the oriental philosophy!
i can hear ollie may blame at me" moana not theory, practicality!!" but this is not just only that. there you can find not only the you and your family..environment, world, universe/ how to make harmony, and progress with wise mind set and action shots in order. we have bad time-this time let us how to fold/ if you persist going stright forward, you overconsume your valuable qi which means energy.
this book is a kind of my life bible, but not only me, even the gentleman who first establish the Confucius had regret that he couldn't read this book more at the time he's dying.-one episode of, he'd read the book too many times, so the leather thread which binding had broken three times.

you may find this book pathfinder bookshop in city or internet or library..

Grading

On monday 29th of October took place the last grading of the year for the Auckland Kendo Club. It was quite intense and everyone did a very good job. Many of us graded and for those who didn't, next time will be better, it was not out of work but maybe not enought experience or just not the right day, who knows...

Let's start thinking about the next grading know and practice, practice, practice...

Mokuso

Have a look at that article and tell me what you think:

http://www.clevelandkendo.com/about/mokuso.html

The void related to kiai

Questions ask by Darrell Max Craig to Harutane Chiba sensei in the book 'The heart of Kendo':

CRAIG: Sensei, I find it hard to make a student understand the kiai's importance.
SENSEI: That's only natural. Most people think it comes from the brain, but in truth, if it is properly executed, it comes from the inner strenght of the stomach. This is called tanden in Japanese. The proper kiai can appear only if the mind is not activated to make improper movements of the body. The mind must be in a complete state of muga.
CRAIG: What is muga?
SENSEI: Here again is one of those Japanese words that has many definitions and is extremely hard to translate. I feel it is best explained by saying the mind is in a state of complete void or emptiness, a state of no ego... Are you following me, Craig Sensei?
CRAIG: Yes, I think so. You're saying when your practice becomes subconscious instead of conscious?
SENSEI: You are on the correct path. This muga is the state of mind all kendoists hope to obtain eventually but seldom do. When a student reaches this level in his practice he has no thought of defeat or victory. He s not afraid of death and there is no anger in his heart, only peace.


Later in the text it says:

[...] I have heard my father talk about samourai who developed such a strong kiai from the lower abdomen it would off-balanced their oponent in combat. A samourai of this stature would split a stalk of rice with a single stroke of his sword or cut down flies in midflight.


Well, I guess we all still have quite a bit of work to improve are kiai!!!

what will you wrap in your cloth?

there is a story of this..
the cloth you hav--what will you put in there?

once a upon a time, one guy when he went to a market and bought a scarf for his mom.
ya he was returning from the work overseas and made homeback after 3years. he chose a very nice shapped and tightly woven one, ya texture of cloth was just divine on the display with the nice seller's presentation. so he's happy bought it.
and back home, his mom was working as her routine, and suddeny she turned and they made the big happy moment. son made a vow in traditional way, and gave the cloth he purchased from the market for her. "see mom how shape and color are like?, gorgeous?" she said with cautious "dear son, my eyes're growing dim with age, but if you feel so, i accept this with your kindness" she brought it under her nose, and smiled. "dear son, this cloth was used to wrap for something unpleasant for a while, we can change how we see outside on surface but it's takes long to change the smell of inside. when you're wise enough, then you may sense of the cloth which wrap for perfumed things,or the opposite of bad."

as i always do leave you guys think, oki?!:-)

*c.f.
this story was on my korean text book in middle or elementary school.
umm.. i didn't feel of much at that time,
but with age, im getting to perceive the point the author may expose.

The void

Well, any comment???
Here is a concept I can't understand so far but it seams to be very important in Budo and Budo related martial arts. I also seemed to be important in the samourai's spirit.

Can ayone explain me "the void" concept?

How to find our middle ground

Here is a question asked by Regan and an interesting one indeed.

Well, the bad news is: there is no straight answer. The good news is: we can all find the answer by ourselves. But it is a long and difficult process. I'll try to explain as much as I can the way I am trying to find my middle ground and the zone of peacefullness that goes with it.

I think that the most interesting moments in one's life is when this person puts himself/herself in danger, out of the zone of comfort. It can be physical or spiritual. For instance, I found myself in danger when I was riding crazy horses in the australian bush while working in a cattle station: I've never felt so alive and living in the moment. I felt in danger when I tried (as everyone else did successfully) to jump of a 14 metres height cliff. I couldn't do it, it was above my spiritual strenght. I found myself in great discomfort when I started Kendo, especially on week ends and there again I got beaten: I stopped going on week ends until very recently; and now that I wear bogu on week ends, the challenge is very high!

The common point to all this moments is that we are true to ourselves, no cheating, no lies, we know what we feel because fear or alertness are very pure feelings. Therefore, if we can see ourselves as we are (we like it or not), we have more chances to take the right decision. This decision can be to become a better person or to keep going the same way or to change our lives, etc...

When we put ourselves where we cannot lie to ourselves, we can have a pick on our middle ground, our state of grace, we suddenly know what we want as well as what we don't want. It doesn't mean that we access it but it means that we can figure out what it is and then work towards it. Then again, it is not easy... It is NOT easy...

"Do you know that the hardest thing to do and the right thing to do are usually the same thing? Nothing that has meaning is easy. Easy doesn't enter into grown up life."
'The weather man' - Steven Conrad

The only answer I found for myself, well, the best one anyway, is Kendo.
I feel challenged all the time because I am not use to confront anyone. Being in a fight is very new for me and training to fight is even more of a challenge. I come from a very peaceful place and deciding to learn a martial art and apply its teaching in my everyday life is something that will give me some personnal work for many years to come.
Do I find peace? Well, no actually and I am far from it but I really want to find it, I want to know what it is to feel good with myself. Physical practice and spiritual awarness will hopefully help me on the way.

Do you want to know how far I want to push it? hahaha! here is a hint: I am planning to ride a bicycle around Japan for a year and visit as many Dojos as I can to be able to get a little closer to my middle ground. But shhhhhh... it is still in preparation. The question I ask myself the most is: will I have the guts to do it when the time comes?

"And yet the hardest thing is to always stay true to yourself... even when you are unsure of who you are."
Paolo coelho

Tranquillity of mind

"In kendo and especially in kendo kata, you must empty your mind of all preconceived ideas in order to see what is really there. You must be able to step from your mortal body to your spiritual mind; to move the mind into nonresistance. When one finds this path up the mountain trail, it is like going from walking to riding. The trail doesn't become easier; you just don't tire as quickly. You'll find a feeling of tranquility, of being at one with the sword and the spirit. This tranquillity will control the mind, and the mind will allow the body to move in a way only the masters know."

Darrell Max Craig - "The heart of kendo"

Our Dojo

Hi everyone,

Here is a bit of the combined practice intermediate/senior from last monday. It gives a good opportunity to see our Dojo and hear some screaming!

the anime for female kendoka

me found!!found!!
an anime for female kendoka!
me finished watching cd 1, and so great!!
the begining and the charater compositions..
and may all like bg, as well.
here you go, and find it out:P

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otogiz%C5%8Dshi_%28anime%29

the world gate of kendokas

here's is the gate through, meeting our kendokas all over the worlds.
whatever they do for living, whoever they look like, what kind of language they use,
it dosen't much a thing to us. coz we gather for the same purpose, yah!! we're bound to layer our practice up for the real swordmanship, right? so are you planning to travel the world someday? don't miss these points you're alread tightly connected,oki;)
p.s hope not hanging on "night clubs"instead of "kendo clubs" very silly joke.duh..
http://www.kendo-fik.org/english-page/english-top-page.html

the book note

#note from the book,
-kendo, the essential guide to mastering the art, 2004, written by jeff broderick

[the sword is the mind.
when the mind is right, the sword will be right.
when the mind is wrong, the sword will also be wrong.
those who wish to study kendo
must first study the mind.
*mind might just as well be translated as heart.*]

[distances
maai is a japanese term that refers to the distance between opponents. in the context of kendo there are three types of maai:toi maai(furthest away from each other), issoku itto no maai(at which most action takes place), and chikai maai(the closest).]

Samurai Champloo

started to watching some animation again, first choice for the shot is samurai champloo if you like dragon ball or pocket monster, you know how the format goes by each episodes. feel shame that i can't find a female character for the battle and the real swordsmanship-always make some cutie action or do attractive gesture for a guy:P me curious why even anime keep the conservative theory?! do female kendoka agree? hehe.
anyway return to the ani, so funny characters and the background music make your ears taste morden japanese song. so wanna know what's it?
see below the links

*see below the links*

http://www.samuraichamploodvd.com/
http://www.adultswim.com/shows/samuraichamploo/
http://www.coolhunting.com/images/SamuraiChamploo-Silhouettes.jpg
http://images.google.co.nz/images?q=samurai+champloo&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=images&ct=title

Irrasshaimase!!

welcome you guys!!
here are the links going to the kendo club info. in nz.
me made this room for the communications among kendokas in auckland.
hope don't shy to leave your foot stamp/step is too weak for us, right? ;P
and ur face and comments, oki!

http://www.aucklandkendoclub.co.nz/
http://www.kendo.org.nz/HTML/aboutus.html

*let's for the quick insight into some expression in japanese!
http://www.cnfj.navy.mil/phrases.html