July 18, 2004
Kendo In Malaysia
I just had to do this. Comments from my kendo camp entry are piling up with enquiries, so being that nice bloke who never answers here's a little faq for some of you 'last samurai' inspired zealots :)
+++ ++ +
Location:
Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur, No 2, Jalan 1/86, Off Jalan Taman Seputeh, 58000, KL.
Training Schedule:
Wednesday - 1900hrs > 2100hrs (juniors and seniors)
Saturday - 1600hrs > 1800hrs (juniors) | 1800hrs > 2000hrs (seniors)
Intakes:
Every 3 months, next intake > October, 2004
Attire:
Track pants and t-shirt. Practice swords (shinai) will be provided for the first few classes, after which students will be advised to purchase one for their personal use. A shinai would roughly cost anywhere between RM90 to RM120, depending on quality.
Dojo Etiquettes:
A good, basic list can be found here.
+ ++ +++
Hope this helps!
Posted by kahjin at 01:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
September 08, 2003
Fightoh!
Spent my Merdeka weekend at the annual kendo camp in Seremban. Yeah it's a little late to be writing this, but I figure what the heck, there are pictures and videos to check out! :)
Camp was amazing, especially the jikeiko (free practice) I had with Toyoda sensei. I didn't have any armor on, so needless to say I had a few beatings here and there which resulted to bloodied knuckles, a mild headache, blisters and some torn skin on both sides of my thumb. But it was worth it :)
Like any other camps, the tendency to acquire new techniques or even pick up a few tips is inevitable. This may sound unusual, but crying out like a nutcase (tastefully!) before each strike did wonders! It's called Kiai, which literally means unleashing one's Ki vocally, like a battlecry. Mentally, it perked me up like an OD'd caffeine addict. But on top of it all, I got less tired, and i didn't find myself panting like a rabid mongrel after each jikeiko.
"Grrrrrrrrrooooaaaarrr..."
Of the three days at camp, the one I guess everyone was looking forward to was the last, when matches (shiai) were conducted. Man, it was furious, especially when the senseis got into the act! Check out the videos to see what I mean :)
Can't wait for the one next year!
Meanwhile, here are some snapshots taken in and out of the new place.
Posted by kahjin at 06:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)