Greetings everyone. This is a quite lengthy, but thorough introduction of myself and my involvement in my martial art -- Kendo. I am living in Japan for one year as a foreign exchange student. I usually live in the U.S. When I got here I saw a Kendo competition on T.V. I was awestruck and decided to join my school's kendo club. Was held up from doing this for about a month due to my size in relation to the equipment (6', 220 lbs at the time). Eventually scraped together a set of new/used equipment to use. Didn't know what I was getting in to at the time, but if I had I would have seriously rethought my impulse decision.
After joining I found that my school's club was renown throughout the prefecture for how strong it is. While this was great, the practices and responsibilities that came along with this weren't. My club ended up winning the prefecture tournament and advancing to the best 8 of kyushu (the island we are located on). 3 and a half hour practices 6 days a week in 90 degree weather wearing the gear and 7 hour tournaments from 7 a.m. on Sundays. Then 4 hour practices 6 days a week during tempuratures in the 20's (winter was when we were doing our roughest preparation). I ended up losing 30 pounds and growing 1" from when I arrived to the end of winter break in mid January thanks to kendo and a case of food poisoning (though I still haven't gained back the 30 pounds). My club-mates became my best friends in the school seeing as they were the only ones I ever saw outside of school. Not much time to do anything at night when you get home after 9 p.m. due to practices. In Febuary I enjoyed the trip to Kagoshima to watch the best (High School) kendo on the entire island of kyushu and to be coo'ed over by cute kendo chicks. But I was quite dissapointed to find that after putting in so much work with the club that I would not be able to go to the National Tournament in March to cheer on my teammates due to hotel reservations.
Just 2 weeks ago I participated in my first actual tournament. I was placed in the first grade of high school when I arrived and have since moved up to second grade due to graduation. Most second graders in high school are at least at a ni-dan level some at san-dan and have been practicing kendo since the age of around 7. I had been practicing kendo for about 6 months and was quite nervous to be fighting in the city tournament. I went in and actually won in my first match on a hiki-men. Second match I was set agains the person who ended up winning the bracket I was in, but losing the second grade champion slot to someone in my club and I lost, though it was a close fight. My club walked away with the male and female team trophies and the first place male and female individual trophies for both second and third grade. Overall a good day for us, but especially for me. I look forward to advancing in kendo, I find it to be great and a good way to relieve stress, overcome depression (family history of clinical depression), and to force myself beyond the limits that I have become comfortable in. I am trying my best to get back to Japan for college and hopefully to come back after. Look forward to my stay on these boards/this site. Yoroshiku onegaitashimasu.
Joel
After joining I found that my school's club was renown throughout the prefecture for how strong it is. While this was great, the practices and responsibilities that came along with this weren't. My club ended up winning the prefecture tournament and advancing to the best 8 of kyushu (the island we are located on). 3 and a half hour practices 6 days a week in 90 degree weather wearing the gear and 7 hour tournaments from 7 a.m. on Sundays. Then 4 hour practices 6 days a week during tempuratures in the 20's (winter was when we were doing our roughest preparation). I ended up losing 30 pounds and growing 1" from when I arrived to the end of winter break in mid January thanks to kendo and a case of food poisoning (though I still haven't gained back the 30 pounds). My club-mates became my best friends in the school seeing as they were the only ones I ever saw outside of school. Not much time to do anything at night when you get home after 9 p.m. due to practices. In Febuary I enjoyed the trip to Kagoshima to watch the best (High School) kendo on the entire island of kyushu and to be coo'ed over by cute kendo chicks. But I was quite dissapointed to find that after putting in so much work with the club that I would not be able to go to the National Tournament in March to cheer on my teammates due to hotel reservations.
Just 2 weeks ago I participated in my first actual tournament. I was placed in the first grade of high school when I arrived and have since moved up to second grade due to graduation. Most second graders in high school are at least at a ni-dan level some at san-dan and have been practicing kendo since the age of around 7. I had been practicing kendo for about 6 months and was quite nervous to be fighting in the city tournament. I went in and actually won in my first match on a hiki-men. Second match I was set agains the person who ended up winning the bracket I was in, but losing the second grade champion slot to someone in my club and I lost, though it was a close fight. My club walked away with the male and female team trophies and the first place male and female individual trophies for both second and third grade. Overall a good day for us, but especially for me. I look forward to advancing in kendo, I find it to be great and a good way to relieve stress, overcome depression (family history of clinical depression), and to force myself beyond the limits that I have become comfortable in. I am trying my best to get back to Japan for college and hopefully to come back after. Look forward to my stay on these boards/this site. Yoroshiku onegaitashimasu.
Joel
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