Nanseikan Kendo Club 南西館剣道クラブ

We have a "new version of the club polar vest available, this time in olive green. The vests are a bit higher quality than last time so they are a bit more expensive: $75.00. I will bring in a medium and large for people to try on next week.

Some goodies arrived today — zekken for many of our members. What's more it seems that Sankei got all the names right.  You can see who's got one when we start back on the 26th. 

Last week I gave out the new badges. These are to be sewn onto the left arm at a point about half way between the top of the shoulder and the elbow. As you can see from the pic, the crease from where you fold your kendogi serves as a centre line. The badge's backing has a glue that is activated by heat. When you get the right placement, iron the badge down. It is not a permanent bond but will hold well enough to allow you to sew it in place. Take care with the heat setting so as not to melt the embroidery! Please take care and do a good job. Otherwise I might have to get the unpicker onto it; I'm not joking!

   Wrinkled tenugui look terrible. That's just how it is. Not only that, they become harder and harder to wear the more wrinkly they get. Solution? Simple. Iron it!      Fill the iron with water and switch on steam function. Set heat to "cotton".       Usually there will be a deep wrinkle along each long edge. Start there.    Make sure the iron gets in and really flattens that wrinkle out.  Go right along the edge. Do the same along both edges. Don't worry about the middle for now.   Next, fold it in half.   Now iron the middle.   Fold it in half again.   ...and again. Iron both sides...   Now your tenugui is done. It will be easier to wear, and it will look better when draped over your men . Ironing your tenugui is definitely sensei no waza ! This post is a not-so-subtle hint that I want all Nanseikan members to have ironed tenugui at training!

Here is the Victorian State Kendo squad versus members of the Osaka Fudai team starting their friendly team shiai last Saturday at the North Melbourne Sports Centre in Arden St. Members of the VKR and Osaka Fudai delegation pose for a photo after training at the first dojo and before training at the second dojo (a.k.a. the Great Northern Hotel in Rathdowne St) Last Thursday's giant training at MUKEN with close to 150 people; 50 of those being MUKEN's new beginners' course members. You can see the Osaka Fudai students' men all lined up on the left with matching tenugui. Special thanks to MUKEN's Sugimoto sensei who did the lion's share of the organising and chaperoning. Thanks to him the visit was a great success, and all Victorian Kenshi now have a welcome extended to them whenever they are in Osaka.