by Mark Kawabe | Mar 29, 2018 | Unwritten Rules of Kendo
This is one of those “unwritten rules of kendo”. Don’t ask your instructor for permission to grade. There. I said it. Just don’t do it. If you have to ask, you’re probably not ready. If you’re ready, your instructor will let you...
by Mark Kawabe | Jan 15, 2018 | Uncategorized
Kendo is combat. It’s highly stylized, even ritualized combat, but it’s combat nevertheless. For all of its simplicity, it’s not easy. Most people can hit someone in the head with a stick. You don’t need to have any particular skill to...
by Mark Kawabe | Oct 31, 2017 | Uncategorized
I think trick-or-treating is a crock of you-know-what. Kids dress up in costumes that aren’t all that warm to wander around in the cold (and sometimes rain) to get tons of free candy and chocolate, which compromises their immune systems which are already...
by Mark Kawabe | Sep 25, 2017 | Uncategorized
No matter how good you are at something, chances are you can probably improve your performance. What’s it going to take? One word: Practice. What that one word doesn’t tell you is HOW to practice. Showing up at the dojo and doing the same as you’ve...
by Mark Kawabe | Sep 13, 2017 | Uncategorized
Every summer and winter, there are kendo gradings held in Toronto for the ranks of 1st kyu and up. We also hold our own in-house gradings for ranks up to 2nd kyu. I am hoping there will be a few people ready to challenge for 1st kyu, 1st dan and 2nd dan this year. I...
by Mark Kawabe | Jun 29, 2017 | Uncategorized
It’s that time of year again. High school graduation. Congratulations to our students Sam and Liam who graduated this week! I’m excited to see students transition to a new phase in their lives. My hope as a teacher is that they apply the lessons they...
by Mark Kawabe | Feb 27, 2017 | Uncategorized
You have a choice: Stay down or get back up. If you stay down, your opponent will try to hit you. If you get back up, your opponent will try to hit you. If you stay down, you can’t strike back. Better to get back up. Any...
by Mark Kawabe | Feb 15, 2017 | Uncategorized
I came across a quote from 13th century Japanese Buddhist monk Nichiren Daishonin. “Iron, when heated in the flames and pounded, becomes a fine sword.” Nice. What’s that got to do with you and your kendo? Just a reminder that when you started your...
by Mark Kawabe | Feb 10, 2017 | Uncategorized
Every now and then, someone asks when they’ll be ready to grade, or when they’ll be ready to wear bogu. To date, I have tended to answer these questions with questions. “Do you think you’re ready?” Not a very satisfying answer, although...
by Mark Kawabe | Jan 31, 2017 | Uncategorized
There will be no kendo class this evening as I am ill. This is the 2nd time in the history of the club that I’ve cancelled class due to illness. Not bad 🙂 Classes will resume on Thursday unless you hear otherwise. Sensei Mark
