Nanseikan Kendo Club 剣道クラブ南西館

See  http://www.kendo.org.au/p/training-dates-2015.html For explanation of the different formats of these competitions, see here: http://www.kendo.org.au/p/grading-and-competition.html

Red Bubble is an art marketplace where you can upload your designs and then people can choose to purchase them in different forms. I've created a shop with some Kendo-related designs such as this one that says "Nanseikan" (南西館). As you can see this is an iPhone 6 case, but you can also choose it as a t-shirt, tote bag, hoodie, etc, etc. Here's another one: At the moment there are four designs. I'll upload more as I come up with them. Check it out. Maybe you need a new hoodie for winter...? http://www.redbubble.com/shop/nanseikan PS - Term 2 starts next Saturday

Good news! Michi Martial Arts are back, and with a very cool looking new site. Please consider them for your next purchase. http://www.michimartialarts.com.au/ Thanks to reader Marc for alerting me.

Recently there have been a few changes in the online (and offline) Kendo equipment world: Tan's Martial Arts in Lygon St has closed Michi Martial Arts' website is no longer up So here is an updated list of some newer sites worth checking out. Kendo Kids.com This site is run by All Japan Budogu so the standards of service are very high and their products are excellent. I've ordered some small bogu and they're well made and very flexible. The biggest sizes they make would fit up to a small 12 year old. Free shipping like all AJB sites, but prices are set in US dollars so currently we lose out on the exchange rate. All Japan Budogu Started by Andy Fisher and run from Kumamoto, AJB have created a small revolution in online equipment retailing. Their quality is high, their shipping is free and their service is fast and excellent. It was Andy who sourced Nanseikan's hitting dummy when it was not even a product they offered. They are good fo...

Here are some relevant dates from the VKR Calendar. Please read and consider which events might be appropriate for you, as well as your availability. Gradings 6 kyu - 2 kyu.............................................Sunday 8 March 1 kyu - 4 dan.............................................Sunday 22 March 6 kyu - 2 kyu.............................................Sunday 13 September 1 kyu - 4 dan.............................................Sunday 27 September Meetings VKR AGM................................................Sunday 29 March AKR AGM................................................Friday 3 April VKR Delegates' meetings..........................Sunday 17 May                                                                     Sunday 9 August               ...

あけましておめでとうございます！ Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu! I hope everyone has a healthy and rewarding 2015. First training is on 31 January. Term one at Nanseikan sees a new beginners' course starting on 21 Feb and gradings in March. During the Easter break also sees the Australian Kendo Championships , to be held the weekend of Easter Saturday and Sunday at MSAC, Albert Park. There will be a great need for volunteers to help set-up, run, and pack up the event. Please have a think about your availability over that weekend and let me know. Our focus this term will be footwork , not just the different forms of footwork but also timing, rhythm and distance.

Our last training for the year will be on Saturday 13 Dec. Training starts at 8.30am and goes until 5pm. There is no extra cost for current Nanseikan members. VKR/AKR members are $20. Concession $15. After 3pm (jigeiko only) $5. BYO lunch, other refreshments provided.

Well I was unsuccessful in my third attempt at sixth dan. But along the way I have learned a great deal and so I am looking forward to my next attempt. When that will be is another matter... Here are a few pictures from the trip.

This is where I'll be on the 25th. Interruptions Training will be taken by our senior students over the next two Saturdays (15/11, 22/11). Remember that Saturday 29/11 there will be no training due to the Victorian State Elections. Mumeishi 3s Competition Saturday December 6 th 2014 Beaconhills College Human Movement Centre 30-34 Toomuc Valley Road Pakenham, Victoria 3810 Melways Ref: 317 A4 All Kendo Clubs affiliated to the Australian Kendo Renmei are invited to compete in this year's  Mumeishi Three's Kendo Club Championships. Doors open for registration/warm-up 8:30am.  Opening ceremony will commence at 9:30am. First match will commence at 10:00am Clubs may register two teams (A and B). Competitors are to be registered on the separate registration form. Teams are to be comprised of 3 kendoka with at least 1 kyu grade per team. Cost of entry is $40 per team payable at the door on the day. Please see Sean if interested...

click on this picture of a dragon fly to see it even bigger. Dragonflies are called either tonbo or katsumushi and are a favourite symbol of Japanese swordsmen throughout history Term 4 starts next Saturday 11 October. We will train until 13 December. The Victorian State Elections are currently scheduled for 29 November , which means on that day there will be no training as the hall will be used as a polling booth. Also, I will be in Japan from 15/11 to 29/11 so I will miss three trainings (15/11, 22/11 and 29/11). In that case I will nominate one or more of the senior students to open and close the the dojo, and to run training. Saturday 13 December will be our annual shochugeiko ; our all-day summer training and farewell to 2014. It will go from 9am until 5pm.

After being back at home today, Nanseikan will once again relocate to the Kenshikan next Saturday 13 Sept. Training time will be a little different to usual. Kendo will take place from 9.00am until 10.00am or thereabouts. This will be with students attending the 2nd annual Interhigh Gasshuku as well as other VKR kenshi. Then there will be an introduction to Naginata from 10.30am until 12.30pm which Nanseikan members are welcome to join. So if you can stay a bit longer you get to try a 'new' martial art! The following week, Sat 20 September will be our last training for term 3. Term 4 training starts on 11 October.

Three things will be interrupting our usual training in the coming weeks. Beginners especially, please take note! The first thing:   Because of St Pius X Primary School's 60th anniversary preparations, we will be training at the Kenshikan on Saturday 23rd August for one week only. The Kenshikan is located at 91-99 Rosslyn St West Melbourne . This means that if you need to borrow bogu, to take it home with you after this Saturday's training. Training will be from 9am til 11am as usual. Please make sure you get there with time to get ready so we start on time at 9am sharp. The Naginata group has kindly moved back their training to 11am instead of their usual 10.30am start to accommodate us and let you sleep in a little longer! The second thing:   Following the week where we train at the Kenshikan, the Victorian Kendo Championships will take place on both Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st August . For this weekend there will be no NSK training. However all NSK members...

As mentioned at training today.

Everyone who has been training recently knows that we have a new format for kirikaeshi at Nanseikan. For those who haven't been at training, it goes like this: men cut following through past the motodachi men cut following through past the motodachi back the other way men cut follwing through but motodachi retreats to maintain distance nine times sayu-men (four forwards and five backwards) men cut following though past the motodachi The great advantage of this format is we can practice kiri-kaeshi and kihon at the same time. However... Our members still need to know how to do 'standard' kirikaeshi for the purpose of gradings. So in order to distinguish between 'standard' and 'Nanseikan kirikaeshi', from now on we will refer to Nanseikan kirikaeshi as: kihon uchikaeshi This reflects the fact that we can change the format of this kirikaeshi to have kote or do instead of men . When performing kihon uchikaeshi, we will start by using the ...

One of the most popular search terms that leads people to this blog is "hitting dummy" or "how to make a hitting dummy". James has sent through pictures of one he made himself, simply by putting a men onto a free-standing punching bag. A great solution! Adjustable height, heavy base. Everything you need really. And much cheaper than a 'real' one like Bob. Thanks for the idea James. I'm going to be checking my stats regularly to see how many hits this idea gets!