Poetry for kendoka.....

Wrote this in Literature class while Ms. Caroline wasn't looking. Haha....

In the future I'll be a hachidan,

That would be really great and so much fun.

I will also enter lots of shiai,

And scare others with my awesome kiai.



But for now, I am still only 5th Kyu,

Still struggling to hit yuko-datotsu.

Everyday I do ninety suburi,

I still cannot achieve ki-ken-tai-chi.



"Do not worry, it's okay," my friend says,

"One day, we will jigeiko like sensei!

"So be you neither worrried nor afraid,

"Let us train until both of us drop dead!"

Best jigeiko ever just now

Wow. Training lasted for four hours just now.

After basic beginner training for two hours, it was then time for bogu prac!!! Today we were extremely lucky, got five of us: Marcus, Hakim, Syrille, Mark, and myself.

Unfortunately hakim came late and Mark had to go. So it was four of us then. I was really happy when Hakim came to me and said "Izzaz! Hit me whereever u can!"

Onegaishimasu, sonkyo, and hajime.

I've been practicing parries at home with an imaginary opponent, and it seems to work for a while, until Hakim took out all his "feints". He really makes it seem as if he wanted to strike men, but then he deviated in mid-air to strike my open do. And then, whenever I counter-attack him to strike men, he just moves his head to the side, and I would miss altogether. All because of a few inches.

Note: Learn to move head to dodge men cuts. Might come in handy one day.

But there came a time when I was really proud of myself. MY FIRST IPPON WITH HAKIM!!!!

He snapped his wriststo strike my kote. I deflected it downwards and attempted to strike his men. But before I could strike him he brought his shinai around to strike my left do while moving backwards. I instinctively shoved my shinai to the left, and his shinai hit my tsuka. As he was moving backwards at the time, I took one great leap forwards with fumikomi-ashi and landed a snap cut on his men, at the same time when my foot landed on the ground. Kiai was there, and zanshin was inserted. IPPPON!!!!!!

Then he entered Jodan-no-kamae. It was my first time fighting anyone in jodan. Mostly strikes were concentrated on my kote and men. He managed to land a few solid blows.

Note: When fighting jodan, keep kamae strong so he may not move forwards.

Next up Syrille. Since it was his third time in bogu, I could practice my nidan wazas, mainly kote-men.

And finally Marcus. The great MARCUS. He was good, but I can feel myself catching up to his standard. I look forward to the day when I can finally contend with him as an equal. Very much like our previous Sunday trainings..... Except for we were both POOPED. I'm still having headaches due to heat exhaustion.

Note: I;m getting better and better!!!!!

This blog is not dead....... being revived

Well, I went through an emotional roller-coaster ride. Enough said, I don't wanna look back to the past now.

What I want to do NOW is to keep on posting good stuff about Kendo again.

Deeply sorry that I left this blog. Was in depression. But that's all taken care of. What's important is that things are finally starting to be bright again.

I'm posting my next post now.

Cheers,

Izzaz

Training 2.5.09. Might be my last training for another two more months

Its been three whole weeks since I last did Kendo, and I almost forgot how it feels like to rush out of the door in the morning to get to training. I miss training so so much, and I haven't touched my shinai for two weeks because of the emotional roller coaster that I experienced two weeks ago. I lost all ability to do anything, even Kendo. I didn't have the mood for it. But after that depression stage was over, everything's okay again.

Hakim handled practice today. Mind you he's very funny. All of the juniors like him, because of the way he teaches and because of his jokes. Did I mention he's funny cos of his pervert-ness? During training there was this so-called hot girl outside the dojo. And then Hakim called me over to the dojo entrance to show off some of his amazing do strikes. Perasan betul, ingat orang nak tengok dia ke.

Hakim emphasized more on ashisabaki today, which is good, i think, because the newbies' ashisabaki were like ________ (fill in the blank yourself). There was an improvement in overall performance at the end of the two hours. After the ashisabaki, there was katate suburi. All the katate suburi that I did in my bedroom during those nights after studying really showed today. My suburi was fast, and tenouchi was alright, better than last time.

At the end of everything, I asked Hakim for a bout of jigeiko. But he said no, he has to go tuition. But, being the kind brother and all, he spent a few minutes to teach me do-suburi. I have basic do-suburi knowledge Marcus taught me, but Hakim built upon those foundations by emphasizing the oomph of a do cut. In order for a do cut to appear effective, the strike must be made hard. Again, willpower comes in. You must strike firmly with the cutting edge. To know that a do-suburi is proper, the shinai must not bounce off and must make a distinct sound. All of these can be attained through proper practice.

And that was it. After that I went for lunch with Michelle to spend a few hours of quality time together. Was really sweet, the next time I'm seeing her is on sunday next week. What a pain. We have never spent more than 7 days not seeing each otherever since we got together 7 months ago. Looks like we're gonna have to break the record, to 8 days. Why? Well haven't you heard? I'm no longer a Sunway University College student...... I'm going to study pre-medicine in Universiti Putra Malaysia for 10 weeks until July.... They;ve got exams every saturday 9-11 am and I have to live there. That sucks. But that is nothing compared to the 9 months of separation that we have to endure when October comes..... I'm going overseas, and only coming back June next year. Come October again, and another 9 months.... the cycle repeats for 6 years. 

Sometimes life does throw a brick at you. But what can we do. Nothing. Instead of asking for a lighter burden, ask instead for larger shoulders.

Rare jodan video clip

Chiba sensei fighting in Jodan-no-kamae.

Jodan is called the kamae of fire, or hi-no-kamae. It is a kamae where a strong, attacking spirit is plainly shown. The disadvantage of jodan is that it opens up the tsuki, do, kote, and therefore is a stance full of suki (openings for attacks). When assuming a jodan-no-kamae, it is important to attack with strong kigurai, and with the feeling of "Come and strike me wherever you like!"

How do you defeat a person who never slows down?

Marcus, I tell you, never shows any sign of slowing down. Me, on the other hand, gets terribly exhausted every time I keiko with him. I still don't understand why. I haven't consumed any soft drinks for two whole days. And I still felt the same weariness that I felt when keiko-ing with him two weeks ago.

Maybe it's because I don't practice enough in bogu..... especially the men. It gets heavier over time, and I have difficulty breathing in it. Especially after kakari-geiko or something strenous, I can hear my heart thumping in my ears. Anyways, next time, I'm gonna go thru prac wearing the men the whole time.

So. Marcus came late. Arrived when it was raining. He parked the car like this:

(to be uploaded soon =P)

I was rendered speechless. Monday ppl are gonna find out that there's a hole in the hall.

Alright. Warmups and moku-so done, we proceeded on towards basic suburi practice. It's kinda difficult to concentrate when you got people shooting an ad for HO-HO-HO-HORLICKS running around. Started off with kirikaeshi waza. I broke a milestone today..... I can finally do Kirikaeshi in one breath!!!! I just gave it my all, poured all heart and soul and spirit, as if it's gonna be the last time I'm gonna do this, then wham-wham-wham-wham (change direction) wham-wham-wham-wham-wham (wait for a while) and a final WHAM.

Under extreme stress, like when doing kirikaeshi with the little oxygen you have, actually makes my cuts go faster. This is why many sensei would recommend kirikaeshi as a staple food in our training menus.

Marcus taught me how to do do-suburi. Keep both arms extended as if going for a men cut, but twist the wrists a bit, and make sure the left hand stays at the centerline. After that tenouchi must be inserted, and follow through. The trajectory of the shinai should graze the opponents' elbow slightly.

Do suburi finished, we did kakari-geiko, and finally jigeiko. By this time, we had only practiced for an hour or so, but I was already out of breath. I remember thinknging as I gasped for breath, "Woah. Marcus is like flooding me with his ki energy and draining my stamina away". And yet, it didn't seem as if the fella was slowing down. Whenever I leapt in to strike he would always have a counterattack ready. I strike men, he would push in, enter tsubazeriai (a position where the two Kendoka are locked against each other) and hiki-men or kote. Heck, he even has counterattacks against MY counterattacks.

It seems as if every time I grow stronger, he grows stronger as well. Or maybe his full strength hasn't been shown to me yet, and he's merely toying with me, offering little bouts of skill bit by bit. He is not someone to be underestimated. I have to be able to overcome him in order to achieve my goal: to be able to best Hakim in a three-point match. First him, then Arif, then Davis, then Pang, Mark, and whomever else that will help me improve. Then I'll be able to be Hakim's equal.

We did nippon shobu just now.

First bout:

I loosed a kiai from my dry and parched throat. Muscles ready to move, I planned to leap forward and strike kote-men. But before I could do that, Marcus brushed my shinai aside, and deftly manipulated his wrists to strike a clean men. Men-ari. Come to think of it, Marcus, it was a lot like a debana-waza to me.

2nd bout:

Tsubazeriai position. Marcus pushed hard, so I pushed harder. Marcus was heavier than me, and was using his weight as an advantage. I stepped back half a step and brought down my raised shinai as hard as I could (hiki-men). Men-ari.

3rd bout:

I had my hands raised, about to strike an opening which I saw on Marcus's do. Maybe it was due to fatigue, or lack of concentration, but I was too slow. Marcus struck my left kote. Kote-ari.

I resolved to do better in the future.

After that we took off our bogu and practiced kata, from the 1st form to the 5th form. We had to look at the book that I bought (KENDO: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE, written by HIROSHI OZAWA) for the fifth form kata. You know, the one with the suriage-men (omote) in it.....

Doing kata after keiko is nice way to cool down a body still high on adrenaline. It also helps us to remember that Kendo was not developed in a day, but through centuries of warfare in Japan. We must also not forget that men died to bring us the techniques that we use today. So, kata to me is to honor those who have developed this art throughout the centuries. And since kata is more of a mental and spiritual activity rather than a physical one, it seems fitting that kata should be practiced every time after keiko, the more physical activity.

I'm off to bed now. My legs are aching. Still, the ache feels good. At least I use my legs. During weekdays I just sit on my buttocks the whole day. Sheesh. Oyasuminasai people. Good night.

izzaz

Niten Ichiryu Musashi Kai

While waiting for the video to load, maybe all of you can read this.

Traditional Kendo is not a sport, but rather a mental discipline conditioning one's self to face a life or death confrontation. Kendo is a martial art; in order to defeat an apponent (who is also a disciplined swordsman) one must concentrate and focus their mind to defend an attack with innate skills that have been developed through daily practice.

Musashi-kai kendo was started in 1600 by Miyamoto Musashi, however, is still taught and practiced today. Kendo is not merely the knowledge of swordsmanship but it is how we should develop ourselves to be more human in our hearts, spirits and mental attitude in our every-day living.

A lapse in concentration, fear, or a moment of doubt can bring a swift defeat. A true swordsman is one who does not think of survival but rather has prepared themselves for death. If the swordsman's thoughts were of self-preservation, then they will be distracted. Therefore, kendo or the art of swordsmanship, is not a physical activity, but rather it is a mental discipline.

--Sasaki Hirotsugu--

Wise words from Sasaki Hirotsugu, master swordsman. The video is about the Niten Ichiryu Musashi Kai school of Kendo. Musashi Kai has inherited Miyamoto Musashi's style of dual swordsmanship and has applied it practically for Kendo. It is after watching this video that I have been doing katate suburi non stop for these past few nights before sleeping.

There are a few benefits of doing katate suburi. It helps strengthen your left hand, for one. As you grow accustomed to doing tenouchi without any support your tenouchi with both hands would be better. It will also be good for your overall Kendo, because 70% of the strength of a suburi comes from the left hand. The right hand merely guides the shinai to the target, acting like a stabilizer fin on an X-Wing fighter.

Plus, If you would observe the jodan players, katate suburi has great range over normal suburi. This would be a great asset for all Kendoka to put in their arsenal. If launched successfully, they can be really effective, able to hit opponents from a large distance. You don't even need to be in issoku-itto-no ma for that.

However, if unsuccessful, it could be a major pain. One handed suburi takes up more energy to pull back after a strike, and during that split second gap your opponent will have struck you with his lightning fast wrist snaps.

I have always been fascinated about nito ryu kendoka. It takes a lot of concentration just to even handle one sword, not to mention two. Niten Ichiryu Musashi Kai has direct links to the legendary Miyamoto Musashi himself, but unlike Hyoho Niten Ichiryu, Musashi Kai deals only with Kendo. Very good Kendo, in fact. Musashi Kai has a dojo in Tokyo if I'm not mistaken, and they meet up twice a month, every second and fourth Saturday. But their trainings are like from noon til midnight!

The shihan (Head Sensei) of Musashi Kai now is Nakamura Tenshin. According to Kendo World forums he is a very nice person. He welcomes all Kendoka, whether young or old, beginner or experienced, Japanese or foreigner, to come train with them on those Saturdays. The only condition is that you have to notify them in advance. Log on to musashikai.jp to contact them.

Nakamura teaches nito based on the fighting techniques developed by the Kensei Miyamoto Musashi. Musashi, in his Book of Five Rings, tells us that fighting with two swords is the way to go in combat. A warrior must make full use of his weaponry, and it is false to sacrifice his life with a weapon still undrawn. When you hold a sword with both hands, it is difficult to wield it left and right. When running it is easier to run with two swords in either hand. When fighting many men it is better to have two swords rather than one to cover all directions.

One day, after i get my go-dan or above, I'm gonna get trained in nito.... haha.

Now I'm off to practice my katate suburis again.....

Izzaz. P/S: The Musashi Kai Kendoka are the ones in white keikogi and hakama

Different approaches to jigeiko

Have a look at this. Nito-ryu vs. jodan. There's also a woman Kendoka who fights using jodan 90% of the time in another video, but i'll post that up later.

HOMG THIS IS SOOOOOOO FUNNY!!!!! Ballon keiko!!!!

damn funny weyh...... I was left in stitches!!!!

Tribute to Michelle..... be prepared for another emo post

Was listening to this song the other day on the radio. Its sung by Richard Marx, "Right Here Waiting for You."

Then my thoughts drifted off far far away.... to that person whom I hold so dearly in my heart.

michelle's the one in the middle.

Our first encounter was because of Kendo. Yeah, surprised me too. I didn't notice her back then. It was an afternoon after one Kendo meeting I conducted for new students who wished to join the club. She was late for the meeting, and when everyone left the class, only then did she show up. By that time, I was leaving for home already. Saw her in the corridor. No one else was there. She asked me, "Is this where the Kendo meeting is held?"

I replied curtly with "Meeting's over. Everyone has gone home."

So we left, and didn't exchange another word. However, it was not long until we crossed paths again. She attended the prefects interview, and passed. So she came for a prefect's briefing on duties. I was there, as her senior. She couldn't understand what my friend Mustafa was explaining so she asked me for clarification. That was the day when I first knew her name: Michelle Anne Yoong.

On the 2nd of September 2008 she came to school with her long hair cut shoulder length. I found it to be very attractive, so everytime I saw her I would say that she looks nice. She was very happy to hear that. So from that day before school started we'd sit at the bench in the school compund talking to each other.

On the 13th of October 2008 she had to take her blazer measurement. She dragged me along to go with her, since she's scared of navigating the form 5 block alone. We talked and talked and talked, and it was at that time when I first noticed those EYES. Argh. I can just stare into them all day..... So memukau one. Before leaving school we said goodbye to each other. Since then we say goodbye to each other everyday after school hours ended.

We started messaging...... one hour at least 5 times. =)

Ah yes. We didn't know we had developed feelings for each other until it was too late. I think the first time I fell for her was when she grabbed my hand and squeezed it when she had abdominal cramps due to period pain. Her touch was electric I tell you. I could've melted to the ground then and there.

celebrating her 18th birthday.

Never has someone treated me the way she has done to me. Forever so caring. She planned one super-fantastic surprise for my birthday. She came all the way from her house in Cheras to Sunway (ALONE, which I do not like) just to visit me after class. She would wipe my sweat for me with a towel and put plaster on my blisters after Kendo trainings. Sometimes she would be there at the side of the dojo, watching me keiko. She would gasp everytime I get hit... so cute.

She also knitted a teddy bear ALL BY HERSELF!!! Made from scratch just for me! She spent many nights staying up late and sleeping only two hours for that. I was so touched she'd do something like that for me I nearly cried. Now I put little Michelle (the bear's name) beside me whenever I sleep.

That's little michelle. Love you so much.....

I miss her so much as time passes by. Everytime I close my eyes I see her, as if her perfect image is ingrained on the insides of my eyelids. My life now consists of waiting for the moment to see her again. I cannot stand not being able to see her for more than a week.

I really can't. Which is why I'm studying real hard now, so that I can get a place in either IMU (International Medical University) in BukitJalil or Monash Medical faculty in Sunway. I need AAA for this. If I don't meet the grades, I might not be able to medicine here. I might have to go overseas, and my parents are planning to send me to Australia to do a basic degree. I can't stay away from her. She just stole my heart and then I have to go..... I don't want that to happen.

The more we want to stay close to each other, the more people will attempt to pull us apart. Like her grandfather for instance... He doesn't like me because I'm a Malay. He said to her "You still haven't woken up is it? Don't you know being with people like him is no good? All the other Chinese guys in the world die already is it until you have to go find Malay?"

And her mother as well. She told her "If you two still stay together, and get married, he can get up to four wives! Do you want to share a husband?"

That hurt. A lot. It's not my fault that my religion allows polygamy. Heck, I think that polygamy should be abolished at this era of globalization. And besides, we're not gonna get married now. And I don't wanna have more than one in my life. Please stop generalizing. You barely even know me and you're making assumptions. And you're also upsetting your daughter. She cries in the toilet all alone because of your stinging words.

Nevertheless, I'm not giving up. Sayang if you're reading this I just wanna say I love you..... I won't give up on you ever. Don't be so stressed because of STPM because, as Marcus says in his oh-so-girly-voice, YOU CAN DO IT!!!

This is a book that she gave me on my birthday. It turns out that she has been keeping a diary, and she writes in it after every time we see each other. From day One until now, the story still continues. That's why I could give you the dates just when when we took blazer measurements and when we first met. Its kinda good actually, keeping a love diary... if anything happens to you, like you lose your memory for example, have a read of the book and youwon't miss out on the sweet memories you shared together with your dearly beloved.

P/S: I met her because of Kendo. Another reason why Kendo is such a good influence in my life.

izzaz

Willpower and Kendo

Abul told me that, in order to be able to score an ippon at university level, the Kendoka must not only just strike, stamp and kiai at the same time, but must also take into consideration other factors as well.

One is zanshin. Zanshin means awareness to an opponent's movements. In other words, zanshin means to anticipate and always be ready for another attack by your opponent.

And the next, most important of all, is the spirit. Good spirit manifests in not only a loud kiai, but also in how you react after striking. The spirit of defeating your enemy without fear of being struck. Keiko must always be carried out in this type of mindset. I will try to manifest good spirit and the mentioned mindset this Sunday as I keiko one-on-one with Marcus.

During the little free time I have, I like to go on the internet to search for any Kendo related stuff so that I might improve myself. And while during my research for spirit, I stumbled across a very insightful video called "the Way of the Warrior". It's a forty-minute documentary made by the BBC, about Otaki-sensei leading the oldest surviving school of kenjutsu in Japan: Kashima Katori Ryu. I'll post the video whenever I can, now I have no time (sorry guys).

Otaki-sensei says that the cuts and strikes of his blade have to have strong willpower behind them in order to be effective. With willpower, spirit will naturally come.

There is an old story about a young couple who were lovers. The young girl was attacked by a man-eating tiger and seriously injured. No matter what her lover tried to do for her, it was hopeless, and she died. From the depths of his sorrow, he determined to seek revenge on this tiger for killing his beloved. So he took his bow and arrow and went into the jungle day after day, searching for the tiger.

He searched daily, until finally, he saw a sleeping tiger in the distance, and he thought that this was the tiger which had killed his love. He drew his bow, took careful aim and released the arrow, which pierced the tiger's body very deeply. He approached slowly to confirm the kill only to find his arrow stuck into a striped stone which happpened to ressemble the form of a sleeping tiger. 

After this event every was talking about how he was so strong that he could pierce a stone with an arrow. People were determined to test him. But though he tried again and again, the arrows just bounced off one by one. This was because he now realised it was a stone. Before, his wish for revenge was so strong that he was able to pierce even a stone with his arrow. This story is the basis of the saying: "A strong will can pierce a stone."

Basically, if there is a will, there is a way.

Goals:

1. During keiko, I must want to strike my opponent more than anything. I must want my shinai to land on my opponent more than anything else, in order to develop the willpower, spirit, and determination that Kendo requires of us.

Izzaz

Breaking in to new bogu

I just picked up my new bogu from my dad's office just now! I'm really excited! Marcus warned me to not get TOO excited though.... well, I'll try to NOT sleep in it tonight.... it's so beautiful....

So i upgraded from this

to....

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THIS!!!!!

Can you guys spot the difference?

Everything is new except for the zekken (nameplate). Even the shinai is new.... my first one had a lot of splints, starting to get very dangerous already. So I also ordered a fighting shinai.... haha.

Let's start with the men. Very nice fit, and definitely less heavy than the school's one. A lot less dustier too. It's still hard, and feels somewhat starchy, so I need to break the men-dare (the flaps) after this. Tie them up with the flaps facing front and upwards, leave it in the bag until Saturday, and we're good to go.

nice, classy finish.

Check out the cute floral patterns on the inside.

Next up is the kote. It felt like heaven to put on kote that did not have holes in them!!! They're still hard, but overall, much better than what I'm used to wearing. I paid more for the kote, since I was told that kote are worth investing in, since they're the fastest to wear out. And plus, I don't wanna wear holed kote again.

See? No holes... FINALLY!!!

Right up is the tare. And my zekken that Abul ordered for me from Japan. The tare is very nice, longer than what I used to wear. Makes the wearer look more elegant.

The red sewn-lines are a nice touch.

And finally, we have the do. Frankly, this is the reason why I got the bogu set today. Because of the color :-)

Iridescent orange that flows into black. The embroidery on the mune reminds me of Abul.

I really cannot wait for Saturday to come...

Oh yeah, and Kendoshop.com includes a bag as well. Mine is exactly the same as Marcus'. 

Awesome. The front pocket can be used to put in your tenugi or other miscellaneous stuff.

I would recommend ANY KENDO ENTHUSIAST to order from Kendoshop.com. Not only they're cheap, the quality is quite good as well, and the service is fast. Everytime I order I get a free keychain, complimentary. The goods are shipped from Korea, which are cheaper than their Japanese counterparts, but the same thing nontheless. Plus, they give you "Mileage Points". Every time you purchase from them, they give you points that will result in discounts for your next order. A bit like Bonuslink.

Now I'm off to admire my (repeat, MY) bogu. Maybe I'll sleep in it tonight after all.

Hesitation part 2

I stand corrected. Last week wasn't the best ever training session in my whole life. This week was.

Not many people came because of the school holidays, and partially because Arif (the Club President) announced that there would be no practice. Frankly, Arif is such a lazy bum when it comes to practice, I wonder why I picked him as the President in the first place. When I was President I LIVED and BREATHED KENDO. Even if the school authorities didn't allow us to train, we did illegal practice sessions! We were that dedicated in those days!

There were only five of us this morning: Me, Christopher (a form 5 guy), a small Form One kid named Vincent, a Form Two named Viknes and finally the ever-truly-wonderful-and-sublime-Marcus-Tan Eng Soon. Marcus arrived quite late, around 9.00. So the three juniors were there, waiting for something to happen. To "entertain" them, I led them through several basic cuts that we did a couple of hundred times.

Alright. So that was the boring part of the day. After Marcus arrived and teached the juniors about stamping and ki-ken-tai-ichi, he gave us a small talk about the mindset of Kendo to us.

To summarize what he said, in Kendo, and also in real life, no one can actually change you besides yourself. Your sensei or senior might tell you that your kamae is wrong, ashisabaki not correct, etc... but in the end, YOU yourself must strive to erase those mistakes and emerge as a better Kendoka. Isn't this one of the most basic and fundamental principle of Kendo? To cultivate oneself and to attain self-perfection? In short, we must always improve on our mistakes, and this is how we gradually mature both physically and mentally.

Next up, bogu on. I learned a lot from Marcus today. A LOT. We started off with basic kirikaeshi-waza, men-uchi and kote-men-uchi. But when it came to jigeiko, it dawned upon me that in Kendo, we must not have hesitation. I read Marcus' post about the subject, and only now I really understood it to a deeper extent. In keiko, I learnt that I must not be afraid to get hit. I must just go do it. Like the Nike ad, JUST DO IT. Shut out any external distractions and just go for it. Kendo requires more of the mind rather than the body, and a perturbed mind leads to a haphazard Kendo. A clear mind leads to good quality Kendo.

Another thing I've learnt is to not think as we are sparring. Thinking, as we define it too be, only slows us down. The reason that technique is practiced so assiduously in Kendo is to make movements almost instinctive. Trying to plan a response to your opponent's action is as effective as carrying water over two hundred metres with jugs full of holes. If you anticipate acting in such a way against a technique and the opponent does not execute that technique, your plan has failed; leaving you wide open against a volley of attacks.

I have done slight research on this matter, and I found out that the famous Zen monk Takuan, wrote a famous essay about this state where the minds slows down due to excessive thinking. He calls the effect "sticking". His essay was addressed to the famous swordsman Yagyu Munenori on the relation between the sword and the mind. As a Zen priest, Takuan was interested in showinghow our mental processes sometime interfere with our direct perception of reality. Munenori, while interested in Zen, was also a master swordsman fascinated by the ways in which Zen could help his sword technique. He came to the conclusion that mizu-no-kokoro, or "mind like water", could assist swordsmen. Since in this state the mind is unfettered with fear or anticipation, it creates no advance plans of response and is not even consciously involved in the swordsman's actions. The opponent moves, and you respond. Much like water. When it is still, it is like a mirror, very calm. When you throw something at it, it reacts.

There is not intervening process, and therefore the technique has the celerity needed for free fighting.

So I let go of whatever that came to mind this morning. Actions were based on impulse. And I surprised myself that I could do a kote-men cut AND score ippon! My very first ippon in my whole life. Scored against Marcus when he was anticipating me to do a men strike. But I didn't. I did kote men. Marcus' mind was "sticking", therefore provided me with the oppurtunity to attack.

You know that feeling of accomplishment that comes after a sudden realisation? Well I achieved it today. I always thought that I needed to work harder on my strokes and cuts. Of course, that is important, but the most important thing in Kendo is the mindset, and the state of mind. Mind like water, remember. Only when we realize this can we truly progress.

Lessons learnt today:

1. Mizu-no-kokoro is the way to go in keiko and in everyday life.

2. The ability of the kote-men attack.

3. Basic thing in Kendo: IMPROVE YOURSELF.

Goals for next training:

1. Apply mizu-no-kokoro technique again.

2. Create less open areas of attack for opponent.

3. Work on IMPROVING ONESELF

4. Do more ki-ken-tai-ichi whenever got spare time and practice snap cuts.

5. Improve kote-men-uchi.

Thats all for today then. Ouch my legs hurt.... no pain no gain! I tell you, if this life were a video game, you'd see me "level up" already by a few levels.

Oh yeah, just now.... about the ippon thing..... I did it in less than five seconds! Awesome! Be confident in everything you do and you might surprise yourself at what you're truly capable of.

Why did you pick up Kendo amongst all other martial arts and sports in the world?

Why did you pick up Kendo instead of something else? Asked my uncle. "Why the sword, of all arts?"

It was just yesterday. He came over to have dinner at my place. Like me, he's a martial arts enthusiast. He goes to the local gym for bozing lessons and used to learn Muay Thai, the brutal art that was developed during Siam's tumultuous history.

That question really did stop to make me think. Why did I pick up Kendo in the first place?

The answer goes back to when I was thirteen, still in Form One. I was looking for a uniform body that didn't involve marching in line. I hated marching. So my only option was the martial arts groups in school. They were silat, Shito-Ryu Karate-do, taekwondo, fencing, and finally, Kendo. At that time the club was mainly composed of very very few people, and only a small percentage of the school knew about it's existence. I overheard my friend complaining that he had used up all of his energy after a Kendo practice in the dojo. Curious, I decided to check it out myself.

Mainly, I just joined the club because I wanted to fill in my co-curricular marks. Nevertheless, I bought myself a shinai, the very same shinai that I'm still using now, but I never was really serious about it. I was still very actively involved with the taekwondo club near my house. I was only a blue belt, but able to compete with the red and black belters. I thought that taekwondo was the art for me.

When I was in Form Two I only attended Kendo practices for like, once every two months like that. I began to lose interest. However cool and Star Wars-like Kendo may be, it proved to be very difficult for me to get up at 0630 on Saturdays just to go to school again

And the years passed by. In form Three I think in the whole year I attended prac only twice or thrice. My excuse: busy with PMR. My shinai lay in my room, begging to be used.

But it was also in Form Three that I stopped practicing taekwondo because of my PMR. And after PMR, I never bothered to continue again. Maybe it was my changing brain, or maturity, I don't know, but I lost interest totally i taekwondo. I found out that I no longer liked beating up people using techniques that people have died to pass on. So I didn't do any Kendo nor taekwondo.

No exercise results in a weak body. When I was in Form Four I realized I needed to do something to maintain my fitness level. A healthy mind resides in a healthy body after all. So on one night my gaze fel upon my shinai. So I decided; why not? Why not resume Kendo? My basics, like ashisabaki and kamae, are still somewhere in my subconscious. Alright. So with my friends, Danson and Weng Seng, later to become my best friends (my kanashimi brothers) went for Kendo practice every week.

My life changed. I met people who would become the closest people in my life, like Hakim and Davis and Zul. Every week I grew more and more in love with the art of Kendo. It is very interesting, how we must arrange our slippers facing outside; how we must bow before entering the dojo, how we must seiza to drink water... I started to enjoy Kendo. I began to covet it. Danson and Weng Seng and I came every week. And after that we went for makan. I did not just gain skills in Kendo, I gained valuable friends.

Towards the end of Form Four, Hakim nominated me as Club President. I was really honored. Everyone agreed to it, and the EXCOs were later chosen. That's when I really got obsessed with Kendo. I finally bought a hakama and gi, after four years of Kendo. I found out that I could manage a Club with the aid of good people. I got to learn lots of things and mature in the process.

Enter Form Five. My number one obsession was KENDO!!! My slogan became subete wa kendo no tameni: everything I do is for Kendo. Sometimes for no reason, I entered kamae in public. In class I would use my pen to mimic the movements of a shinai as the teachers were teaching in front. I accustomed myself to sitting in seiza posture for long periods. I saw Kendo in everything and I saw everything in Kendo. 

I went for my first grading in July 2008, and saw how awesome the Japan Club Kendoka were. I thought I could get 7th Kyu but  I only reached 8th. Never mind. Resolve burning brighter than ever, I trained even harder for my next one in January 2009 (I got 7th Kyu). Even one week before SPM I would go for training. Heck, DURING SPM ALSO I WENT!

And here I am now, waiting for my bogu to arrive after being ordered from Kendoshop.com, stronger, and wiser than before I took up Kendo.

So why did I pick up Kendo? It's because Kendo matures the body and mind at the same time. Because of Kendo's centuries old tradition. Because of its unique etiquette.

Irregardless of why all of you do Kendo in the first place, we should all strive to do our best in this art. We must be all that we can be, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Kendo changed my life. Has it changed yours?

Training.... and also a surprise party for my birthday. 14.03.09

That was the best training session I had in my entire life. Really. Two special guests came to train with us, and they were Aimi and Nurlin, both 2nd Dan. In addition to that, Abul also came; so that makes 4 2nd dans in one training session! I have never experienced this before.

On the left is Nurlin and the right is Aimi.

Oh yes, they are GOOD with a capital G. I'll upload the video I took about Aimi's match against Hakim. Vicious.

We did the usual cuts again and again and again. Well, practice makes perfect. Then we practiced in pairs, hitting and receiving strikes. We alternated partners, so we had a chance to practice with everyone else, and not just one person. I remember gawking at the speed and synchronization of Aimi and Nurlin's haya-suburi. Eye candy for me. Davis however, warned me not to try to copy their speed. Must always do at your own speed, and the speed will develop as you practice. Must always learn to walk first before u run.

Then came the best part. Bogu prac! I put on my tenegui the same time as Nurlin did, but once I finished wrapping it around my head, she had already finished tying the men....

Okay. Since my brand new bogu is expected to arrive next week, God's willing, this would be the last week I train with the school's crappy bogu. Bogu training starts. First we did three sets of continuous haya-suburi, sayu-men style, while going forwards and backwards. I still remember it was then that my super-huge blister on my foot burst, and leaked blood. But we had only started wearing the bogu for half a minute, so no time for complaining now.

Ouch.

Aimi taught me how to do taiatari-hiki-men. When in tsubazerai position, keep applying pressure on the opponent. When ready to strike, push the opponent UP. He or she will react instinctively by lowering shinai, giving you the oppurtunity to strike men. I need more practice for this one.

Next up was feinting. I'd have to say the four 2nd Dans are really good at feinting. I'd swear that they were gonna attack men, theen suddenly change to do. Aih. How they do that also I don't understand.

Foot stinging, I braced myself for the worst; whoever scores a point first ends the bout. I went up against Hakim and Aimi twice, and Nurlin once. I just lasted under a minute. No sweat. Must improve more.

Candid photo. Dunno why its senget.

Anyways, after training was over, Aimi went up against Hakim for a round of nippon shobu. Aimi scored two ippon, one nice gyakudo and the other was a bit hard to see cos it was a tad too fast. Seeing those two in action cemented my resolve to be better, and faster, and stronger than ever. Makes me love the world of Kendo even more.

Oh yeah and Michelle threw a surprise for me. She asked Foo Yen to give me something. It was a heart-shaped note telling me to go to the concourse. I limped to the concourse. There, some other girl gave me ANOTHER note. This time to go to the Form 3 corridor. Limped there again. Then met Peng Mun. Another note asking me to find Kevin and Hema at the guard house. Found Kevin and Hema, must go to canteen, find Ming Key. Found Ming Key, FINALLY must go to the Form 6 block. Arrived there, everyone from the previous stations jumped out and sang Happy Birthday!

What a nice surprise. Thanks a lot, love you......

So! Recap:

TRAIN HARDER AND WORK ON CONFIDENCE!!! Marcus says I don't have enough confidence. It's quite true really.

Aishite iru!!!!

HOMG!!!! I got 10A 2B!!!!

I can finally order bogu! In fact, i already did! 5 mm machine stitched bogu, do color is orange.....

NOOOOO!!!!!! I'M SO NERVOUS!!!!

TMRW SPM RESULTS COMING OUT AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!! I'M SOO SCARED ALREADY!!!!!!!

SJI dojo training 28.02.09

I always wonder why Arif really likes to think of himself as "the Kendoka who trains mentally. Mental training? For those of you who have read my last post (about Sasaki-sensei), it is stated that Kendo is a mental pursuit instead of a physical one. Arif is one guy who likes to read suff like the Book of Five Rings and the Life Giving Sword. He studies them deeply in order to absorb what he has learnt in his body.

I'm not trying to be rude or trying to belittle him or whatsoever, but how come he did very badly during the recent grading? If Kendo is a mental pursuit, then how come someone so obsessed with the philosophy of Kendo can do very badly in a simple 4th Kyu grading examination?

This has led me to believe that us, as beginners, should train in the physical sense as much as possible. Do as many cuts as possible, stamping, ashisabaki, until all those things become second nature to us. Until our body strengthens and becomes accustomed to moving like that. Once we reach a certain point where it seems as if we can't improve in our Kendo no matter how hard we try, then only we delve into this philosophy and stuff.

So. About training. The grandpa of the dojo was around! Abul! He introduced a couple of new exercises on our training menu that he had learnt during his time in Japan. One involved doing haya-suburi, but jumping on the same spot. Bring shinai up, and as u bring it down to cut, jump up using the calf muscles.

Really worksout the calves, you guys should try it out sometime.

Then after the usual warmups, class was divided into two. Hakim handled the so called "veterans" and Abul handled the newbies. Oh yea, and today we had a sensei-ni-rei. For the three senseis in front: Hakim abul and Marcus.

Hakim drilled us all through the usual. Joge-suburi, men-suburi. Nothing eventful happened. Except for the stamping training he had in mind for us. Left foot planted firmly on the ground, our right foot was supposed to go very far forward, so far until our left knees almost touched the ground. After a few times, I think I tore a tendon. Walking has then become difficult. It really strengthens the thigh muscles, for faster movement.

Another point worth noting. Most beginners would concentrate on developing the strength in their arms. But the legs too must be equally developped. What is the point of being able to launch super-quick cuts but not being able to move in fast enough to strike?

At a certain point in training I had the extreme delight in having the oppurtunity to ask Abul: "What is your best piece of advice that you would give to any Kendoka?"

His reply went something like this:

"Try your best. Give it your all. Because in Kendo, what you need to do is to give it your all. Lose yourself in the world of the Way of the Sword. Always pay attention. There will come a time when you feel as though you can never improve your Kendo, and that you will feel like quitting, but keep on searching for ways to train. There is always room for improvement in Kendo."

Basically Kendo is like an infinite sphere grid where you can choose to upgrade whatever you want. (If you wanna know what a sphere grid is, then play Final Fantasy X)

I didn't stay until the end, had to leave for my sister's sports day in SK CBN. Michelle was kind enough to accompany me. I was wearing hakama gi plus tare and zekken some more! All the parents were looking at me, shouting for my sis to run faster. haha it was good promo of Kendo. MKA shud be proud of me.

Kendo is not what you can learn to do. It's what you can learn to be.

A lapse in concentration, fear, or a moment of doubt can bring a swift defeat. A true swordsman is one who does not think of survival but rather has prepared themselves for death. If the swordsman's thoughts were of self-preservation, then they will be distracted. Therefore, Kendo or the art of swordsmanship, is not a physical activity, but rather it is a mental discipline.

--Sasaki Hirotsugu

See last post...... this is completely the opposite

Sorry for the last post. I was having a really bad day and I just let everything out in words. Once i blew all the hatred and anger and frustration away, my heart was hollow.... the anger had left me with nothing.

Then something else came to occupy the space... It was..... enlightenment. 

No, that's not the word.

It was love.

1. I love watching the sun rise as I cruise along the New Pantai Expressway (NPE)
2. I love listening to my playlist which includes Thinking of You and great songs such as As Time Goes By.
3. I love the feeling of arriving at home safely when there are so many people out there involved in accidents that endanger lives.
4. I love talking to Michelle on the phone under the bedsheets at night, and quickly hiding the phone when my parents come in.
5. I love Kendo trainings.
6. I love seeing Michelle again, and hugging her as if it's going to be the last time we do that.
7. I love waking up to a hot mug of Horlicks.
8. I love the pain that my body feels after a grueling session of Kendo. It makes me feel proud that I have accomplished something.
9. I love going to bed at night knowing that nothing can hurt me in my sleep.
10. I love waking up in the middle of the night realizing that I still have a few more hours of sleep left.
11. I love posting new posts on this blog.
12. And finally I love the fact that, even though I have to cope with the 8 horrendous things mentioned before, I still have the strength to go face them everyday.

Well, I could say that I've learnt a few things from my very emotional evening. First, is that the things that you really despise will stumble upon the Path that is your life very often. There is nothing you can do prevent those from happening. Nothing. But the best thing we CAN do is to feel proud of ourselves.... that we have the strength to go through hardship everyday and emerge victorious. Life is a grueling battle; we only lose when we give up. 

Today is a victory against yourself of yesterday, and tomorrow is a victory over lesser men. (Miyamoto Musashi)

Daily gripes

Alright everyone. Be prepared for an angry post. I'm gonna list down the things I hate to face each day:

1. Traffic jams in the morning. We got so many highways and still got traffic jams! I get stuck one hour every morning and one hour every evening!
2. My classes. They start at 0830 and end at 5.00! Only friday end at 1230. Only one hour break each day, babi betul.
3. Homework. Too much la!!! When do I get to do the things I like???
4. Chemistry. I do SOOOOO HATE IT SO MUCH!!!! How come everything in Chem is so easy to everyone and yet so difficult to me??? Why do I have to input three times more hours than others to understand the same thing???
5. Not being able to go Kendo on Saturdays. I tell my parents so many times my saturday mornings aren't free!!! They still think that Kendo is something untuk main main! I LIVE AND BREATHE KENDO OKAY!!
6. My classmates! They are so freaking smart! They cepat serap macam span, leaving me behind feeling like the stupidest person in class!
7. the stupid one-year express class A-levels! I mean, what is wrong with me deciding to pursue normal one and a half years course? Why do I have to torture myself mummy? FYI, I am not that smart! My talents do not LIE ACADEMICALLY! I wanted to do Form 6, cheaper for u, but then send me to college!
8. The cekik darah parking rates around KL!!!

I do not like these 8 things above! I wish that I can wish them away! 

SJI dojo training, 21.02.09

My whole body hurts. A lot.

Initially, training yesterday was rather disappointing. It was all so kelam-kabut and all, as Marcus said. We did warmups, which for the newbies were rather easy. But then after that we did the continuous series of cuts. Arif led us to do joge-suburi, men-suburi, and even sayu-men! I mean, of course i could do those, but to all the beginners? As marcus said, sayu-men hancur lama lama jadi sayur masam.

Okay, and to add matters worse, Mr. David, a school teacher, entered the dojo and gave us utterly shocking news. There will be an exam in the school hall at 9 o'clock, so cannot use the dojo since its so close.

And then Arif said practice will end at 9 o'clock. No bogu prac today.

I was on the brink of tears already. Call me a wuss but that was what I felt. I mean, I waited TWO WHOLE WEEKS (last week no prac) for a chance to train and suddenly kaboom. No training.

I tak puas hati. I saw Marcus grabbing his men and kote and brought it outside to the school concourse, a nice flat area usually reserved for Wushu and Silat. I immediately followed him. So Marcus managed to get a few girls who really wanted to train as well and trained them in kirikaeshi. I joined as well.

In on the receiving end, holding the shinai above my head.

And then Hakim arrived. SO LATE@!!!!!

We continued doing the kirikaeshi exercises with those six girls. I finally concluded that what makes a good instructor isn't his or her prowess in jigeiko; it's how you present your teaching to your students. The way Marcus taught those ungraded Kendoka was very systematic. He started out with teaching them sayu-men. Left hand swings up and down vertically like ringing a bell, and only the right hand guides the shinai in a slight angle aimed at your opponent's head. Then he proceeded on to doing it while moving. Then it was 5 cuts forward and 5 cuts back. He did that until everyone felt comfortable with the idea of alternating strikes to the left and right while moving forward and backward. Then he pieced all the steps together, and voila, kirikaeshi for beginners.

I gotta admit, Marcus got style..... and a way with girls =D

Once those girls were dismissed, then the REAL TRAINING had begun. Hakim........ has...... arrived.......

Bogu on, Hakim ledMarcus and I through various exercises that were completely new to me. There was this geiko, i forgot the name, where u had to simultaneously hit the other person's men. Until a person scores a clean cut, or an ippon. It is so much more difficult that in theory! I kena hantam dari Hakim and Marcus punyala berapa banyak kali! FElt so beginner-ish. But, really, I am nothing but a beginner, and life must go on. Must always taste bitter before taste sweet. Must walk the thousand mile journey step by step. I will train harder after this.

After that, we did men-hiki-do, if I'm not mistaken (someone pls correct me if I'm wrong!). Opponent strikes men and you have to block it aside and strike do. I had lots of trouble for this one. Somehow, my shinai kept getting heavier and heavier, and sweat was blinding my eyes. Also, my overworn kote were doing more damage than help either. I can't grip my shinai properly! I NEED TEN A IN SPM TO GET new BOGU!!!!

Hakim later told me that I tended to bend my back too much. It was Star wars style... whoomph. Cannot. As a result, Marcus' shinai kept striking my left shoulder. And it still hurts until now.

Lessons learnt:

1. Anticipate the timing of your opponent's attack. Timing is very crucial in Kendo and in everyday life. Victory or defeat lies in a few milliseconds. Music would lose all its glory without the gift of timing.

2. Keep back straight when launching attacks. Remember, stick to the basics.

3. Aim properly. I kena Marcus' leg so many times..... Sorry ya!

Things to do:

1. Learn to do snap cuts, like Hakim, but at the same time not neglecting the full men cuts.

2. Get new kote.

3. Train harder. In trainings, must push myself to my very limits to be stronger and faster than before. Only then will I achieve enlightenment.

Izzaz.

p/s: I think marcus will post his own view about the training session....

SJI KENDO ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!

THERE WILL BE A TRAINING SESSION THIS SATURDAY, 21ST FEBRUARY 2009 AT SJI DOJO. PLEASE DO NOT MISS THIS CHANCE TO ATTEND THE TRAINING AS THE GRANDFATHER OF THE DOJO IS MOST LIKELY TO COME ON THAT DAY TO GIVE U ALL THE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE THAT HE HAS. ALSO, COME EARLY COS ITS AN OFFICIAL TRAINING!

IZZAZ

BAGI PIHAK ARIF FAUZAN DAN HAKIM ROM

P/S: MARCUS PLS COME!!!!

Kissing!!! Go try one!!

The history of kissing has been officially documented as far back as 1500 B.C. Some say that kissing originated in prehistoric times, where babies were fed a pre-chewed meal so as to avoid choking. This mouth-to-mouth feeding became a sign of trust, dependence and affection between mother and child, a comforting habit carried on into adulthood.

Putting history aside, one thing for certain, kissing plays a very important role in keeping the fires burning in a relationship. Your partner needs to feel appreciated and your partner needs your love and affection. A kiss can express all that and more. Unfortunately, too many couples are caught up in the “busy-ness of life” and the kiss has turned into a fleeting peck on the cheek, if anything at all. 

Here’s some straight from the heart advice from your kenshin Izzaz: Wake up and shape up! I’ll assume you’ve all heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Here’s another one: “A kiss a day keeps others away.” Sadly, loneliness is often the underlying reason for having a love affair. Plain and simple, relationships require work. Anyone who says otherwise hasn’t much experience in living a real relationship. Just like you don’t sit idly by on your job (let’s hope you don’t), the same is required in your relationship with that special someone in your life. You made the effort at the beginning of your relationship, why not now? Kissing is a fun place to start.

Think back to those first few kisses with your sweetheart. Remember the passion the two of you felt each time your lips met. Surely that brought back some wonderful feelings! So, why is it that we wouldn’t want to keep that same feeling with us today and everyday? Kissing creates and maintains intimacy. It enables you to bond with your partner. Kissing also makes you feel good about yourself, not to mention the many health benefits it awards you:

1. Kissing is very good for the teeth. Those of you who aren’t overly fond of dentists will be encouraged to know that research has found kissing to help prevent plaque build-up. Hopefully this means fewer visits to the dentist for some of us.
2. Kissing is good for the heart, as it creates an adrenaline which causes your heart to pump more blood around your body. Sometimes, you'll feel as if your heart would beat so hard it would stop altogether. But that's normal!
3. Studies have indicated that those who kiss their partner goodbye each morning live five years longer than those who don’t.
4. Kissing is great for the self-esteem. It makes you feel appreciated.
5. Kissing can aid in slowing the ageing process. For example, a fairly passionate kiss exercises as much as 29 muscles in the cheek and jaw, not to mention the esthetic benefits it brings to the colour and fullness of your lips. It's a bit like doing suburis... the more you do it, your muscles will look nicer.
6. Kissing burns calories, from 6-12 calories in a gentle kiss to as much as 300 in a lovemaking session! 
7. Kissing is known to be a stress-reliever, triggering the release of oxytocin, the “feel-good-all-over” hormone. 

So, go ahead, be healthy and celebrate each day with a kiss. Give your honey a big smooch and reap all the benefits! Oh, why stop at just one kiss? If both you and your sayang feel comfortable with each other, then why not "upgrade" to...... ahem..... ahem ahem....

izzaz

NOT KENDO RELATED! but awesome nontheless

All you Kingdom Hearts 2 players! Shame on you if you don't watch this video! Sora at his best!

Check out the control that player has on the character..... awesome. 7 stars!!!!!

Izzaz

Hesitation.

Hi all. This would probably be the first ever recollection of a kendo practice at the Japan Club of KL of mine.. Its late and im zonked (from working as gamemaster in a CIMB telematch in Bangi, 9am-4pm, getting sunburned, meeting at MAPAAC at Astaka field for paintball, then to 2nd session kendo), so ill make it brief. :-)

This was the FIRST time i actually attended senior class and STAYED till the end. LOL. Now feeling dam bangga ady at myself. (Duno can keep up this track record onot.. haha)

Anyway, it was a nice, and fun learning experience. There were only a bunch of us, so we kinda had ample space to train with -- unlike junior class, where you've got tonnes of noobs, crowding the dojo. :-P

We started with Nurlin's drilling warm ups -- We did a CONTINUOUS cycle of joge suburi, sayu joge suburi, one step men, continous men, and sayu men. And that's like 50> times taw! Whats more, after all that, we did haya suburi like for 100> times, because they were about 10 of us in the circle. =_="

Still, i survived. =) Then the usual practice with kirikaeshi, men uchi, kote men uchi, and men-kote men-men-taaitari-men-men cycle. Whoa best, i tell you! :-P However, it wasnt as best as gi geiko, free practice. I was waiting up for Ishii sensei when Arif got me to partner him. Always tried to hit men, but never run through. A BIG NO NO!! T_T
(Arif often inaccurately misses my right kote, so it landed on my arm, most of the time. and did i mention i had sunburned skin? OMG!!!)
Finally, i got to spar with Chua sensei. In fact, it was he who actually pulled me into it! Like fwah kan! You must know that besides having the utmost respect for him, i am absolutely petrified and intimidated of who he is! haha..

Ji geiko-ing with him taught me NOT TO HESITATE. When there is a open chance to strike a target, you go for it, irregardless of whether or not, the opponent hits you. Nevertheless, i left the ji geiko with him feeling better than before, despite all the hentaming i got from him, because i managed to kote-men Chua sensei and score a point!

Heck, even I was surprised myself! =P

But we must never let our vistories get to our heads -- that the fastest (and bestest) way to loose yourself. Remember that humility defeats all pride.

Lesson Learnt:
#1. Leave no room for hesitation in kendo.
Solution: training your hands and wrists to snap snap snap at open targets, provided by your friend. Repeat on either sides.

#2. Make it a point run through after every cut, successful or not.
Solution: form a mental picture in your mind where ever you train that after every cut, run through, run through, run through!! OR, you could also use more kakari-geiko, like Abul says. :-)

maRCus