Nanseikan Kendo Club 南西館剣道クラブ

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Last Saturday, 3 December, saw the running of the 2005 Victorian Junior Kendo Taikai: the first official VKR junior competition in more than 10 years. Seventeen competitors from four clubs showed just how much they have learned in three age divisions: 11 and under, 13 and under, and 15 and under. The results were as follows: 11 & under 1st - Robert Kelso (Nanseikan) 2nd - Michael Marinelli (Nanseikan) Luke Marinelli (Nanseikan) Patrick Brown (Ballarat) 3rd - Luke Arambasic (Nanseikan) 13 & under 1st - Christopher Brown (Ballarat) 2nd - Thomas Marinelli (Nanseikan) 3rd - A. Bricknell (Ballarat) 15 & under 1st - Eli Robey (Nanseikan) 2nd - Michael Trott (Fudoshin) 3rd - Thomas Eames (Melbourne Budokai) Matthew O'Rourke (Fudoshin) Unfortunately on the day there was some confusion about the results for the 15 and under. The scorers made a mistake as to who came where which I only found out when I went back and checked the results. My apologies

Hi all, Sorry for the long break in posting. I've been very busy during the September school holidays. Also I went to Japan and Korea (woohoo!) and had a fantastic time, learning more about kendo and Japanese culture (and a little about Korean culture too - kamsamnida!) Nanseikan training will start for term 4 this Saturday morning 15th October. Tuesday night trainings will start the following Tuesday. This term we will be looking a shiai (competition), with a view to competing in the first Victorian junior kendo competition late in November. And a reminder to all parents, please forward your payment for this term's fees to Brunswick Neighbourhood House asap. Thanks! b :)

And we train every week until 3 September. *Yes, it's the same day as the Otsuka Championships, but they don't start until the afternoon. =] b

By popular demand (thanks Pei!) here are some more tenugui from my collection. I don't even know where this one is for, let alone what it says. The rope design is a common one in traditional Japanese culture. It represents the sacred rope used in Shinto to signify the presence of a deity or "kami-sama". This one is definitely a kendo tenugui and says "the Great Way with No Beginning". This one I can lay claim to myself, as I was asked to design it by Macak sensei for the 1997 National Champioships. The writing was done many, many times to get it "right"! The logo is the symbol for the Victorian Kendo Renmei which is based on the Southern Cross (Jap.- minami juji), the main component of the state coat of arms. I was very happy that this tenugui was made in Japan and so is "printed" on both sides. This one should be familiar to anyone who has visited the Kenshikan in Melbourne. It is the dojo joseki, and is by the late Nakakura sensei. It says

Here are some interesting tenugui designs. Not all of these are kendo tenugui, some were souvneirs of a particular place like we have souvenir tea-towels. This is definitely a kendo tenugui. It reads from right to left and says "sword heart/mind, bright way" meaning, I think that to develop a sharp mind like a sword makes your path in life clear and bright. I think this is beautiful shuji (calligraphy). This one was a souvenir from the famous Buddhist temple "Ryoanji" in Kyoto. The design depicts the reason the temple is so famous, its stone garden. This is the club tenugui of the Ryujokan dojo in Kumamoto. It was produced as a limited edition for the 1992 Australian Kendo Championships in Melbourne. It is based on the Ryujokan joseki, the character "ken" with a long 'tail'. Here it is sideways. This tenugui is a souvenir of Kagoshima in southern Kyushu. It has two of Kagoshima's most famous sons: Okubo Toshimichi and Takamori Saigo. Both men w

Since we've been practicing this during second term, I thought it might be good to have it in writing too. Yuko datotsu means having everything correct in order to score a point in kendo. As you know, cutting in kendo involves more than just hitting. It is not enough to hit your opponent any old how. You must do it correctly. 1) You must use the correct part of the sword: the top one third, between the kensen (tip) and the nakayui. 2) You must hit the correct part of your opponent's armour. 3) You must use correct hasuji (angle of the blade). So you must cut only with the side of the shinai opposite the tsuru or string. 4) You must have full spirit and correct posture, showing ki-ken-tai-no-ichi. 5) You must show zanshin (following-through spirit). Yuko datotsu comes from what was required to use a real sword properly. This is why there are so many things to get right! b :)

http://www6.big.or.jp/%7Ebudogu/manu/topm.html This is a free manual for how to wear and look after you kendo equipment. It has great illustrations and a very clear (although somtimes a little Japlish!) text. Some of you will recognise parts of this manual. I have often given chapters to give to people who just received shinai or hakama and kendogi. Check it out! If you have a good connection, download it and print it out. b :D edit note: I made this a live link so now you can just click on the address to go there. Yay!

In case there comes a time when YOU have to be dojo steward, here is a list of the different commands they have to give. Listen out for them next time at training. At the beginning of training: Seiretsu! - line up! Chakuza! - be seated! Ki o tsuke! - take care! look alive! (literally "switch on!") Mokuso! - meditation! (eyes half closed, straight back, hands in a "mudra" or circle in your lap, no thinking, just breathing naturally) Yame! (or clap) - finish! Joseki ni rei! - bow to joseki! (calligraphy on wall which means "kendo") Sensei ni rei! - bow to sensei! (all say "onegaishimasu!") men tsuke! - put on men! (and kote) At the end of training: Seiretsu! Chakuza! Men tore! - take off men! (and kote) Ki o tsuke! Mokuso! Yame (or clap)! Sensei ni rei! Jo seki ni rei! Otagai ni rei! - bow to each other and say "d

Just a couple of group pics from the Ballarat trip last week. I'll post some of the action shots Isobel took soon. :)

Training during term two 2005 will take place on the following Saturdays: 30/4 7/5 14/5(Ballarat) 21/5 28/5 4/6 11/6 18/6 Important dates for term three: *Otsuka Memorial Championship, Kenshikan, Sat 16 July *Chiba sensei visit, Kenshikan, 4-8 August * Victorian Kendo Championships, State Netball Centre, Sat 27 August *Kendo grading, Kenshikan, Sat 17 September

The main event for this term will be a special visit to Ballarat to join in one day of the University of Melbourne Kendo Club's annual winter training camp. UMKC have kindly allowed us to join their training which will include both experienced kendo players and recent beginners. Activities will include a kiri-kaeshi competition, shinai repair workshops and general training. Training will cost $5.00 for Nanseikan members, which includes morning tea and lunch, and is only open to those who are current VKR members (this is for insurance reasons). Transport will be by mini-bus and, if necessary, extra cars. The mini-bus will be a twelve seater, which means it can take 10 children, one parent and myself. Please let me know a.s.a.p. if you would like to come so I can work out numbers. Mini-bus hire will be subsidised by Brunswick Neighbourhood House and although the cost has not been finalised, it is likely to be around $10.00 per child. We will try to leave early, around 8.00am, in time

Congratulations to all who participated in the gradings at the Kenshikan last Sunday 13 March. I'm very pleased to say everyone passed! We had 11 members participate that day. I think this is a sign that the club is getting stronger all the time. The results: 4th kyu: Stephanie Kelso Amelia Kelso Jordan Dempster Thomas Marinelli 5th kyu: Daniel Candido Cy Crowe Luke Marinelli Michael Marinelli 6th kyu: Eli Robey Luke Arambasic Robert Kelso Now that you have been awarded that grade, you must set your sights on what you need to do so you can pass the next grading in September. You must start to do kendo like someone who is already at the next grade! Ganbatte kudasai! b ^_^

A bit late with some of the news, sorry! Thanks to Rob Arambasic for these pics of the very successful demonstration Nanseikan did at the 2005 Sydney Rd Street Party on 27 February. It was a beautiful day to be outside and I had a lot of people come up to me afterwards and say how "disciplined" everyone looked. I think coming from non-kendo people this is partly surprise at how careful we are about our movements. Nevertheless I think it is good feedback and means that we are able to communicate the "different-ness" of kendo to people who may not have seen it before. The people who had seen the last demo 2 years ago also commented to say how far everyone had come in that time. I agree too. I think we have come a long way. Next time I'll ask for a little more time on stage though -- 15 mins is a bit short! men tore! shizentai taito kirikaeshi! b :)

Here is what you need to do for your grading. Listed below are the requirements for rokkyu (6 kyu), gokyu (5 kyu) and yonkyu (4 kyu). Read well and think about them. On the day you might not be asked to all of the techniques/exercises listed below. You will certainly not be asked to anything that is not listed under the grading you are going for. Ganbatte kudasai! b ^_^ 2.3.5 Rokkyu Technical Requirements Kihon-waza to be executed with Motodachi, candidates wearing Tare and Do. • Correct Hakama & Keikogi • Correct Bogu • Rei and Sonkyo • Ashi-sabaki • Kihon Men • Kihon Kote • Kihon Do 2.3.6 Gokyu Grading Technical Requirements Kihon-waza to be executed with Motodachi, candidates wearing Tare and Do. • Correct Hakama & Keikogi • Correct Bogu • Rei and Sonkyo • Ashi-sabaki • Kihon Men • Kihon Kote • Kihon Do • Kiri-Kaeshi 2.3.7 Yonkyu Grading Technical Requirements Candidates wearing full Bogu and demonstrating against each other. • Correct Hakama & Keikogi • Correct Bogu •

Hi all, The time for the kendo demo at the Sydney Rd Street Party is 12.40pm, Sunday 27th February, on the Community Stage, which will be the big stage next to the Mechanics Institute in Glenlyon Rd on Sydney Rd corner. There will probably be, like last time, a tent behind for changing into kendo clothes and armour. So if we can meet behind the stage at 12.15, that should give us plenty of time. :) b

Hi all, Below is the application and grading procedure from the Secretary of the Victorian Kendo Renmei, Mr Tony Pickering. KENDO GRADING EXAMINATIONS—Sunday the 13th of March 2005 6th Kyu to 2nd Kyu Commencing 11:00 AM -Registrations from 10:30am Gradings will be held at the Kenshikan Dojo, 91 Rosslyn Street, West Melbourne. Dojo will be open from 8:00am - All 6th to 2nd Kyu members are requested to come in via the back door of the dojo. APPLICATION PROCEDURE Please follow this procedure: 1. Each applicant fills in an Individual Grading Application Form. 2. Each application is authorised by the head of the dojo/Sensei. 3. Each member of the club forwards the completed Individual Grading Application Form and full payment to Ben Sheppard. He will then consolidate and check all data and fees before forwarding to VKR. Please note that if a member is unable to attend the grading then the application component of their grading fee will be forfeited and the VKR will

...or as we say in English, "Happy New Year!" Nanseikan Kendo Club will start training again on Saturday 5 February (yipee!). Terms 1 & 2 dates are: Term 1 : 5 Feb - 2 April (no class on 26/3, i.e. Easter Sat) Term 2 : 30 April - 18 June Cost per term is $90.00 per student, to be paid to Brunswick Neighbourhood House as usual. I have been reminded by BNH Management please to make payment as promptly as possible. Some dates to look out for: * 27 Feb - demo at Sydney Rd Festival * 13 Mar - grading at Kenshikan * 15-18 Mar - Nittaidai students visit (trainings and demo at MSAC Albert Park of kendo, judo, karate, sumo, archery, dance and Japanese style Shaolin Kungfu) See you at training! b :))