by Mark Kawabe | Oct 11, 2011 | Uncategorized
I listened to a CBC show this evening that discussed the prevalence of cheating in post-secondary institutions. Apparently 53% of Canadian undergraduates admit to cheating. In the United States, closer to 70% admit to doing so. What does this mean to us as a society?...
by Mark Kawabe | Oct 11, 2011 | Uncategorized
I am thankful for: My students, who I learn from every class. The many Sensei I train with who push me to improve. Other kendoka who train with me, allowing me to demonstrate my strengths while they point out my weaknesses. The parents of my junior students, who bring...
by Mark Kawabe | Sep 20, 2011 | Uncategorized
For practicing basics. Duh. The problem: people practice their basics poorly so they don’t actually improve. When you watch a video of yourself doing basics, are you in awe of how great you look? Probably not. You wouldn’t tell a beginner to do things the...
by Mark Kawabe | Sep 17, 2011 | Uncategorized
. . . to say “thank you for advice”, according to one Sensei I met, is to actually implement the advice. After correcting a student’s technique, explaining to them what they’re doing wrong and how they can do it properly, it’s always...
by Mark Kawabe | Sep 15, 2011 | Uncategorized
For those of you who are thinking of buying new bogu, here are a few observations on the “new bogu experience”. 1) It’s probably going to be stiff. For me, this has meant more pressure on my ears. The first class I had to take my men off to give my...
