Yesterday the Cambridge Kendo Club hosted the Hamilton and Hayakawa Kendo Clubs (and 1 each from the University of Waterloo and York University Kendo Clubs) for a multi-club practice. 20 people on the floor may not seem like many when compared to larger clubs, but when you’re in a small club, it’s a lot of people. The nice thing of course, is the ability to practice with kendoka with a variety of styles and abilities.
Hogi Sensei led us through basics for the first part, then we had mawari-geiko for the last half of the practice. As an instructor, it’s always a treat for me to see how other instructors explain techniques and approaches. Even though I “know” everything that was taught, I am always grateful for the opportunity to see how things are explained by more experienced sensei. Their explanations help me shape my own approaches to instruction.
We also had the opportunity to go out for lunch afterward. I’d love to know how the restauranteurs decided upon the name “Pho Shizzle” for their restaurant. If you’re in the Cambridge area and looking for Pho, you’d do well to visit. Social gatherings after kendo are pretty normal and are often referred to as “beer keiko”. I think of the socializing after kendo as valuable for several reasons. The retelling of stories from class and the opportunity to ask sensei questions in an informal environment foster stronger bonds between kendoka. Getting together with folks from a variety of clubs is great to help foster stronger ties. The kendo community can feel small when you’re not in a large club, so knowing there are other small clubs where people experience similar challenges is beneficial.
A hearty thank you to the Cambridge Kendo Club for hosting this event and for their generosity at lunch. Perhaps this may be the beginning of more multi-club practices in the coming months.