uGoGirlFriday

A glimpse on being a kendo-ka

In 2005, I joined Manila Kendo Club with a mixture of curiosity, apprehension, and excitement. Kendo, a form of Japanese sword fighting, was recommended to me by one of my senseis in Aikido when I was in high school. And the fact that one of my favorite anime characters – Kenshin Himura- is skilled in the art of sword added more appeal to it. Well, there’s also the keiko scene in My Sassy Girl which made me want to have my own bogu (armor) set. I have always known that all forms of sport or activity, especially if it’s a martial art, will require a lot of dedication and patience to master it. But it was only when I joined Kendo that I learned how important patience is. One kendo-ka shared, “Kendo used to be based on actual killing techniques. It was based around the principle of trying to end the fight as quickly as possible. So if you sever the spine, cut off the head, or cut off the wrists, the fight’’s over.”

  To be able to achieve this type of skill, you need to concentrate on physical development, etiquette, mental development, and alertness. Nevertheless, Kendo’s ultimate goal is this: ki-ken-tai-ichi (spirit, sword and body as one). Cutting or slicing with your sword, no matter how efficient you perform it, is mediocre unless you slice and cut with your spirit, sword, and body in harmony with each other. It will take time to attain this level. In fact, even some Kendo practitioners in dan level admit to occasional lapses in achieving this. And this, my friend, is where patience comes in.