Nanseikan Kendo Club 剣道クラブ南西館

 As mentioned at training it is now official. All gradings have been put on hold until further notice. This also includes the online training for officials. Please see the VKR President's message below. Also, there are no fees due for term 3 training as yet. When we return to train in the dojo we will collect fees only for the remaining number of weeks of the term. ____________________________________________________________________________ Dear all,    As everyone would be aware, COVID cases have continued to increase in Melbourne and as of today (Saturday), Regional Victoria is now back in lockdown.    While the lockdown is due to end on 2 September, it seems likely that this will be extended or at least it is uncertain when indoor training and events will be possible.    Accordingly, following discussions between the VKR and VKTC this week, and considering the current COVID situation and the need for clubs to have returned to training prior to any p...

  For those who are practising kata at home, perhaps with a view to grading next March, here is the perfect video to watch all ten kata, made by the AJKF.   Click "Show More" underneath the uploader's caption and it has links to further explanations of each kata, and detailed demonstrations of important points. The top comment has time links to the start of each kata in the original video for easy reference.  Watch the detailed videos to help you with your practice, especially if you are by yourself.  For feedback on your performance your reflection in a window is best. Points to watch for and practice: Correct actions, i.e. kamae, waza, footwork, so that the grading panel can see you know the kata. If you do enough practice it will shine through even if you make a small mistake on the day, and this is what they are looking for. Posture: make sure your kamae and movement looks like these sensei: big, accurate and straight. Rhythm: watch carefully when to start, ...

AED and First Aid The club has just received a Samaritan PAD 360p AED (Automatic External Defibrillator). The individual or organisation who donated it wishes to remain anonymous but they have our  heart felt thanks! Defibrillators are devices that restore a normal heartbeat by sending an electric pulse or shock to the heart. They are used to prevent or correct an arrhythmia, a heartbeat that is uneven or that is too slow or too fast. Defibrillators can also restore the heart’s beating if the heart suddenly stops.   Different types of defibrillators work in different ways. Automated external defibrillators (AEDs), which are in many public spaces, were developed to save the lives of people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. Even untrained bystanders can use these devices in an emergency.   https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/defibrillators https://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/community/education/restart-a-heart-day/ In the time I have been doing Kendo (~3...

Sunday 25 August at the Kenshikan.  Sunday 8 September (Applications due by 25 Aug.) Registration on the day: 12.30 Start 1.00pm Confirm with me your availability via email or at training this Saturday.

Well done to everyone who passed their grading last Sunday, especially those whose first grading it was. Commiserations to those who didn't pass but as they say in Japanese 七転び八起き "Knocked down seven times, get up eight." (Thanks to Anna for the great pic!) Also, for Jordan in particular but everyone in general, this: https://shugo-nanseikan.blogspot.com/2017/02/lessons-from-hokkaido-police.html

The results of the two March gradings reflected the difficulty of the gradings themselves. Of all the Nanseikan members who graded this March, all but one passed! Congratulations! The one who didn't pass was the person who was going for the highest grade. As you go up through the ranks, what you are asked to do for each grading doesn't change, but the quality of how you do it must. It is more and more likely that you will fail the higher you go, right up to 8-dan where your chances of failing are consistently >99%. To Chie who did not pass her 3-dan grading, I offer commiserations and encouragement. Unlike in Western culture where failure is often seen as an indication to try a different path ("stop flogging a dead horse") in Kendo, the only failure is giving up altogether. Failure can be painful, but it is also an excellent teaching tool and we should embrace it, not run away from it. When you fail your grading. What to do next. End of B...

The Victorian Kendo Technical Committee reminds all VKR members of the importance of confidentiality in regards to gradings. Please see the statement from Macak sensei below. The gist of it is that grading panels members do not know how other members vote. It is completely inappropriate to try and find out which panel member may have given you a failing grade. If you inadvertently find out, please keep the information to yourself and also let the VKR know how this information came to be in your possession, so procedure can be tightened preventing this happening again. Panel members are approachable for general feedback from their point of view. They may or may not choose to tell you which way they voted, however by asking them directly you put them in an invidious position. Better to just seek feedback on what aspects of your Kendo need work before the next grading. While it is hugely disappointing and frustrating to fail, you should remember that in Kendo there is no limit to the...

Congratulations to all those who graded on Sunday! It was a huge grading, and there was a great feeling of how well Kendo is developing in Victoria. It was especially great to see so many kids from the Monash club. In the end the pass rate was 100%. For low kyu grades, this is as it should be. No-one should be arriving at their grading under-prepared, so it means both candidates and their clubs' instructors are doing their jobs. I was very impressed by our kids' performances. They all did their best-ever Kendo. This too, is as it should be. I'm sorry I didn't get a photo of everyone with their certificates; one of the problems of having my attention split between so many different areas. But this pic I think shows how busy it was in the Kenshikan. The day went very smoothly. Everyone got to watch the other other gradings too, so you all know what you will have to do for your next one! See you at training.

Our first training will be this Wednesday 19th July, followed by our first Saturday morning training on 22nd. Dates and events to keep in mind: Beginners' course starts 12 August -  Ben Fletcher to instruct Victorian Kendo Championships 12 & 13 August - all members to be available either as competitors or volunteers Interhigh Gasshuku 2 & 3 September - NSK training will relocate to Kenshikan for Saturday morning; volunteer helpers needed, please let me know if you can. Kyu grading 3 September - all eligible members to be preparing for their next grading Dan grading 17 September - eligible members to be discussing their readiness with me.

Here are the kyu grading requirements in list form. For a more narrative, EI version, try this article on Shugo-Nanseikan . 2.3.5  6 kyu  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  5 kyu  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  4 kyu  Grading Technical Requirements Candidates wearing full Bogu and demonstrating against each other. • Correct Hakama & Keikogi • Correct Bogu • Kihon Men • Kihon Kote • Kihon Do • Nidan-waza • Kihon Kote-Men • Kihon Kote-Do • Kiri-Kaeshi • Kiri-Kaeshi as Uchidachi 2.3.8  3 kyu  Grading Technical Requirements Candidates wearing full Bogu and demon...

Well done to everyone for a great training last Saturday. I hope you all had a great time at the Kenshikan. Thanks also to Fiona and the members of the Victorian Naginata Renmei for giving up their training time to teach us a little naginata. What an awesome weapon! And of course on Sunday there were many who graded and everyone passed. Congratulations! Especially to Alex, who showed great perseverance comprehensively conquered his demons. Well done mate, you're now a shining example to others. We're now on break for the September holidays, but we will be back for term 4 on Saturday 8 October. Other dates to keep in mind: Victorian Junior Kendo Championships (open to all under 16s) Sunday 13 November Mumeishi 3's Saturday 3 December Shochugeiko and last training for the year Saturday 17 December (9am - 5pm)

Yesterday the March 6th kyu to 2nd kyu grading was held at the Kenshikan. Congratulations to Chris and Andre for both receiving their 6th kyu. Commiserations to Alex for being unsuccessful at 2nd kyu. As a grading panel member I learned the following: sometimes they will include kakarigeiko! most junior kyu grade candidates have poor tenouchi as a result, most strike the mengane (grill), and not the datotsubui (scoring section) of the men so you can  really  stand out from the crowd if you have flexible wrists when you cut kiai is generally too quiet left heel resting on the ground is a mistake that's very easy for the grading panel to see many people judge distance poorly, or fail to match their technique to their motodachi's distance, especially when doing multiple cuts most of my attention as a judge was not on whether people would pass or fail, but whether there was someone who deserved to be promoted to try for the next grade above (th...

front entrance of the Kenshikan in West Melbourne It's grading time again. Below is the relevant info. Kendo 6 Kyu - 2 Kyu  Grading When: Sunday 6 March 12:30pm registrations, 1pm start Where: Kenshikan Dojo, 91 Rosslyn Street, West Melbourne Kendo 1 Kyu - 3 Dan  Grading When: Sunday 20 March 12:30pm registrations, 1pm start Where: Kenshikan Dojo, 91 Rosslyn Street, West Melbourne For Nanseikan's approach to gradings (and competition), please read this. To apply for grading, just speak to me at training and I submit your application. Fees are paid after the grading is completed and the VKR sends an invoice. Dan grading questions, and the form on which they need to be submitted can be downloaded by clicking this link to Google drive . For a description of what it feels like to go for the different grades, see this older article from Shugo-Nanseikan. For the actual technical descriptions of requ...

For those of you who haven't seen this yet, it is one of the best documentaries for explaining to non-Kendo people just why it is that we do Kendo. For a long time there were only very poor quality versions on Youtube (one reddit user described them as looking like they were filmed with a ham sandwich). This is a copy from the last time it was broadcast on TV. It is VHS quality but cleaned up as much as I could. I have searched around and cannot find anywhere that this version in English is available for purchase. Since the doco is almost 20 years old now, I would guess that Miyamoto sensei is no longer with us. However Ishida sensei has visited Australia in the intervening years, although to Sydney only, not Melbourne. All who have met him say that he is as warm and humble in person as he comes across in this documentary. Considering what he has been through, the man has an amazing smile. He is a walking advertisement for the virtues of Kendo!

Congratulations to those who passed their kyu gradings last Sunday. There was a huge group, 97 people in all, making it quite a long afternoon. As usual the biggest group was 6th kyu and the smallest was the last group, 2nd kyu. Next term starts on 10 October. It will be the day we first use our new joseki , which I'm very excited about. Ever since the club first started I've wanted the joseki to be a piece by Ishihara sensei.  The second thing I'm very excited about is related to this, but won't be ready for the start of term. Yes, it's our very own NSK tenugui. The club has needed one of these too, for a long time, but cost and not having a suitable design got in the way. Now that we have a suitable design, the cost was surmountable. Couldn't order as many as I would have liked, but hopefully enough for now. It is being produced by Zen Sankei. Cain Lee was a great help at every step. They are highly recommended for...

The September gradings are approaching. The first is 6 kyu to 2 kyu and is on Sunday 13th. The next is 1 kyu to 3 dan and it's Sunday 20th. Both are in the afternoon, registrations 12.30 for a 1pm start. Candidates for 6 and 5 kyu wear do and tare. All others wear full bogu. Be prepared to double-grade. Always stay to watch the gradings above you: that will be you next time. Make sure you are wearing everything correctly. If you're not sure, ask! Ganbatte kudasai!

Akemashite omedetougozaimasu! Some of this year's date have now been entered here . Specifically the dates for kyu gradings are: Sunday 9 March and Sunday 14 September . Please put these dates in your diary and make it a focus of your training to reach the next grade. We should also enter this year's competitions, such as the MUKEN Taikai (May), Otsuka Memorial Cup (July) and the Mumeishi 3's (December). I hope we all have great year of training and success in Kendo this year.

Congratulations to all those who graded last weekend. Everyone was successful. Max, Patrick, Quinn, Ben, Alex and Nick all graded to 6th kyu. Sean graded to 5th kyu, Jerry graded to 4th kyu and Alvin graded to 3rd kyu. Grading fees are now due. They are $15 for Max, Quinn and Alex, and $35 for everyone else. If you want to do a bank transfer, just shoot me a quick email, otherwise you can pay at training next Saturday.

Congratulations to all those who graded last Sunday. I believe everyone passed. Now, on to the benenfits of membership and grading!: the ANU Kendo Club, has extended an invitation to all VKR kenshi to attend their 2013 seminar and Taikai. More details here: http://anukendo.org/events.htm Also, there is a new artilce on " Shugo-Nanseikan " about the Kenshikan Dojo, which may be of interest to those who were visiting it for the first time on Sunday. http://shugo-nanseikan.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/the-kenshikan-melbourne.html

grading at Kenshikan when it had the old floor Upcoming grading dates below.  If you are grading please make sure you take either your own, or club bogu with you.  6th kyu will only need to wear do and tare. 5th kyu and above wears full bogu. If you are grading please take full bogu and tenugui!  (shinai as well, of course!) It sometimes happens that people get asked to double grade, in which case you need to have everything there just in case. Grading for 6th Kyu - 2 Kyu: Date:  September 8, 2013 Time:  12.30 registration for 1 pm start Location:   Kenshikan Dojo, 91 Rosslyn Street West Melbourne VICTORIA 3003 Grading for 1st Kyu   - 3 or 4 Dan:   Date:  September 22, 2013 Time:   12.30 registration for 1 pm start Location:   Kenshikan Dojo, 91 Rosslyn Street West Melbourne VICTORIA 3003 Grading fees are $35 for kyu grades , payable after you pass. The VKR will...