Nanseikan Kendo Club 剣道クラブ南西館

There are a lot more sellers of Kendo equipment online than there used to be! The Equipment Buying Guide on this site is by far our most visited page, with more than four times as  many visits as the next popular page (the "About & Contact" page). While most of the info there is still relevant I thought I'd write a quick overview of what's been happening recently and how that affects us. History If memory serves, Mike Ma's onlinekendo.com was the first true internet shopping site for Kendo equipment. Since starting it out of his flat in Carlton while a still a student at Melbourne Uni, Mike moved the business to China around 10 years ago, from where he was able to access the rapidly growing Chinese Kendo equipment manufacturing sector. Initially set up to supply the large Japanese companies, China now has its own substantial Kendo community who need equipment. Alibaba and Taobao regularly sell equipment at startlingly low prices. It...

Next Saturday 1 April after training we will be going to Malahang Reserve in Heidelberg West for a BBQ to celebrate the end of term 1. We will aim to get to the park by noon and have a good couple of hours of food, play and chatting! Location and information: https://www.banyule.vic.gov.au/Services/Parks-and-Facilities/Malahang-Reserve Feel free to bring your whole family. Food and drink can be left in the fridge in the kitchen at the dojo while we train. Alternatively there is an Aldi and an IGA supermarket on Bell St where you could easily buy supplies on your way from the dojo to the park.

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...

Only two more sleeps!

Akemashite omedetogozaimasu!  Happy New Year and wishing you all the best for a happy, fulfilling and injury-free 2017! This year let's train hard and be vigilant about keeping our Kendo from settling on what is easy. Let's always push to make a little better the new normal. Team App The VKR is now using TeamApp for all notifications. This is very handy because it means all VKR members, not just club administrators, can be aware of all upcoming events as soon as they are published. Information goes from the VKR Executive direct to all members who use the app. To find out what to do, go to the TeamApp page of our website .

Most of you know by now that I was finally successful at my 6th dan grading. As you can see from the photo below, I got a lot of invaluable, one-on-one help from Tajima Makoto sensei (Kyoshi 8 dan) who is kantoku (head instructor) of Shigakukan University in Kagoshima. Now back in Melbourne it's time to focus on ending the year well. We will be having our annual Shochugeiko on Saturday 17 December, from 9am to 5pm. As usual there will be refreshments available but lunch is BYO. This will be our last training for the year. Cost is free to Nanseikan members. $25 for non-members for the whole day.

The Monash University Kendo Club's 25th Anniversary Taikai is coming up!  All kendoka of any age and experience are welcome, as long as they are able to compete in full bogu. The taikai will be on the 27th of November, with registrations opening at 11am and opening ceremony at 12pm. We will be hosting a BBQ on Monash Campus for all attending 5:30pm-8pm for no extra charge. Guests (partners/children) are welcome - please include them on the sign-up sheet to help with catering numbers.   We are also calling for shinpan - please indicate on the registration form if you would like to volunteer! (3rd Dan and above.)  Date : Sunday 27th November  Time : Registrations open 11am Location : West Stadium Monash Sport, Clayton Campus 42 Scenic Boulevard Monash University Clayton VIC 3800 Cost : Free! Participants : Juniors (Under 16) Senior (16 and over) Kendoka of all grades will be accepted. The taikai format will be East vs West. Ea...

Just for one week we will be training at the Kenshikan, due to local government elections requiring our usual dojo become a polling booth. Please note training will start at 8.30am sharp and go until 10.30.

tadashii, utsukushii, tsuyoi: "correct, beautiful, effective" Saturday 8 October is start of term 4. Some dates to keep in mind: 22 October - local government elections, no training at St Pius. Alternative venue an option to be discussed. Sun 13 November - Victorian Junior Kendo Championships; open to everyone under the age of 16 no matter their experience level. Sat 19 and Sat 26 November - I will be in Japan; Soon, Sean and Ben will supervise training. Sat 3 December - Mumeishi 3s Taikai Sat 17 December - last training for 2014 and Shochugeiko (9am to 5om)

As I learned from Geoff Salmon sensei's blog , we lost a giant of the Kendo world last week. Chiba sensei had suffered significant health problems over the last few years which is why he stopped his visits to improve our Kendo. A whole cohort of kenshi came up through the ranks thinking it was normal to have regular visits from a hanshi hachidan, former All Japan champion and Tokyo Police shihan. Sadly we know now that we were spoiled by his tireless generosity. There are a lot of videos of his Kendo on the net, so we can still watch his technique. But what you can't see is his playful sense of humour*. My favourite teaching of sensei's was when he admonished everyone at one of his Kenshikan seminars. "Do you think I have good Kendo?" Silence. Everyone inside their own heads: "Is this a trick question?" "Don't you think my Kendo is any good?" Awkward shuffling and looking at the floor. "I...

Go to  http://www.kendo.org.au/p/2017-dates.html It also has the remainder of this year's dates too.

Aaargh!!! There's nothing more frustrating than seeing someone wrap up a tare like this! There are lots of ways you can pack up bogu, but at Nanseikan I would ask everyone who is using club bogu to follow the method I have detailed here, on our new "bogu pack-up" page. http://www.kendo.org.au/p/bogu-pack-up.html Please make a real effort to follow this method each and every time. It will not only save me time in sorting and repairs, it will save you time at the start of training.

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)

Next Saturday's training will be at the Kenshikan Dojo, 91-99 Rosslyn St West Melbourne. Training will start and end at the normal time. We will have a few extra people joining us... This will be the last training for the term. The first training for term 4 will be on 8 October.

For all our semester two beginners, don't forget there is an outline on the beginners' course you're currently undertaking here: http://www.kendo.org.au/p/beginners-course-outline_22.html and as I mentioned at the end of training last Saturday, a Beginners' Handbook with all the basic commands, terminology and lots of useful diagrams that you'll refer to over the next few years of your Kendo practice. http://www.kendo.org.au/p/nanseikan-2015-beginners-manual.html 頑張って下さい！ Ganbatte kudasai!

Last weekend saw the running of the 34th (!) Victorian Kendo Championships. Over the two days there were 10 separate competitions held, a massive organisational undertaking and superbly well run by Ballarat and Apollo Bay Kendo Clubs, and their volunteers. In my mind, these guys are the most important people of all those who attend. Our club had its best ever attendance. On Saturday, Quinn and Andrew competed in the Kyu individual event, a very difficult division because it contains such a wide range of skill levels. Well done to you both. Each shiai is like months of jigeiko disstilled into a few short minutes. There's lots to reflect on afterwards, but also lots of momentum and passion that can carry through into training as well. On the Sunday it was the teams' events: kyu and open. For the first time we had a team in each. Sadly I couldn't watch the kyu team in action because I had shinpan duties on the other court (note to self below!). But a look at th...

This is the suburi pattern I use every day. It helps me to keep count and the small amount of variety keeps my brain interested throughout the boredom of the repetition! Men uchi is the most important of the movements to practice, but kote and do are also important to ingrain as well. So the majority are men, but there are kote and do as well. The pattern is renzoku or double-time style: moving forwards and backwards using okuriashi footwork in time with the cut. 20 sho-men 20 kote 20 sho-men 20 kote-men 20 men-do You can start by having a rest between each 20. But pretty soon if you practice every day you should be able to do 100 non-stop. Then after a while, try 200 non-stop. Then, try with two shinai or a heavy suburito , and so on. Try my pattern and if you like it, great! If you hate it, make your own! courtesy of benotdefeatedbytherain

This is one of the great Kendo docos. Although filmed with a ham samwich, A Single Blow nonetheless deals with a lot of important aspects of Kendo competition: how to deal with a slump in your performance; the difficulty of maintaining the desire to win when the desire the win can be the very thing that slows you down; and the bigger picture of Japan facing Sth Korea's onslaught, and what it means to be the world's top Kendo nation.

Click here to download the following info in pdf format Victorian Kendo Championships 2016 13 – 14 August Venue: Victoria University, Footscray Park Campus, Ballarat Road Court 1, Level 1, Footscray Park Aquatic and Fitness Centre (Building L) Time: Registrations 8:00AM ~ 9:00AM Competition 9:00AM ~ 5:00PM Events: Day 1 – Saturday, 13 August 2016 1. Men’s kyu individuals 2. Women’s kyu individuals 3. Women’s dan individuals 4. Men’s dan individuals Day 2 – Sunday, 14 August 2016 5. Men’s kyu teams 6. Women’s kyu teams 7. Veteran’s individuals 8. Kata Pairs 9. Women’s open teams 10.Men’s open teams * Events and schedules are subject to change.