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Gan-Soku-Tan-Riki the 4 Key Elements of Kendo

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Gan-Soku-Tan-Riki the 4 Key Elements of Kendo • What is kendo • What will you learn from kendo • Purpose of kendo • Types of kendo • Kendo fights • Kendo equipment • What do you need as a beginner • Kendo grades • Competitions and seminars • Kendo in South Africa • Mushin kendo dojo: committee and achievements • General etiquette • General administrative rules as set out during the AGM What is kendo 剣道 • Kendo means: The way of the sword • It is a martial art based on japanese sword fighting, we do not use real swords ever • In kendo you are taught how to think and act like a samurai • The sport was developed by Master Nakanishi Chuzo in order to minimise the danger of injury faced by students practicing the original Samurai art of Kenjutsu • Kendo is a full contact sport • In kendo it is not just about brute strength, it is about using what talents and skills you have to overcome your opponent and any challenges you might face What will you learn from kendo? Kyo Ku Gi Waku Gan-Soku-Tan-Riki The 4 things you must conquer: The 4 key elements of kendo • Kyo (surprise) : do not be startled or • Gan (sight) : to see your opponents, not taken by surprise. only physically, but also their character, • Ku (fear) : do not let awe of your feelings, intentions opponent or fear of failure overcome • Soku (footwork) : movement of the body. you. • Ta ourage : oes spirit ad attitude • Gi (doubt) : do not hesitate or enter toard oes self ad fello hua into half-hearted action. beings. • Waku (confusion) : do not let your • Riki (power) : the ability to put into mind wander and become disordered. practise ki-ken-tai no ichi to produce powerful strikes and a powerful presence Purpose of kendo • To mould the mind and body • To cultivate a vigorous spirit And through correct and rigorous training • You strive for the improvement of your own Kendo • You learn to value a loss and to respect your opponent • You learn to associate with others with sincerity. • And to forever pursue the refinement of yourself Types of kendo Shiai kendo Kata kendo • This is the main form of kendo • This is a principle based kendo - • Practised with a shinai and or slo otio kedo armour • Practised with a bokken • You learn different techniques • Here you learn the mentality and how to fight behind why you react the way you do in a fight • This is the sport/competition aspect of kendo • It trains your mind on how to act in a battle scenario Kendo fights • A fight is called a shiai • There are 6 possible targets to attack • To score a point a cut has to comply with a list of requirements • The first opponent to score two out of three points, wins the match Kendo equipment • Shinai • Bokken/ Boktou • Kendogi and hakama • Bogu • All equipment can be bought from Anesu (dojo armourer), Michael Grice (SAKF armourer) or with a group dojo order (from UK or Japan) • You cannot buy kendo equipment in South Africa, it has to be imported • Some shops do stock kendo equipment (shinai, bokken), but we recommend that you use the dojo armourer until you are advanced enough to judge quality stock in shops What do you need as a beginner? • No grade up to 6th kyu : shinai (bamboo sword) • 6th kyu – 5th kyu : bokken (wooden sword), kendogi (top) and hakama (pants) • 4th kyu and upwards : bogu (armour) • Shinais last for about 2-3 years if you take proper care of them • If you enjoy kendo and want to continue you will have to buy appropriate attire to be able to grade further • Buying bogu is a serious commitment to kendo. It is very expensive and should only be done if you plan on practising kendo for many years Kendo grades • You start without a grade 8th dan • As you progress in kendo you grade at seminars and competitions to advance 7th dan Each grade has its own requirements which 6th dan • Japan include equipment, techniques, kata and th 5 dan sometimes a written exam to pass th 4 dan • Kyu levels are beginner levels and focus mainly on 3rd dan all the different techniques used in kendo 2nd dan • Dan level and up you are not seen as a beginner 1st dan anymore, and your main goals are to learn to 1st kyu improve your fighting skills and understanding of 2nd kyu the complex principles that centre in kendo 3rd kyu • If you are committed and attend kendo every day Seminar gradings st 4th kyu you can reach your shodan 1 dan ithi 3 years General gradings Thereafter there are minimal waiting periods 5th kyu • before you can grade again, this can vary from 1 6th kyu year to 6 years between gradings 7th kyu • At kyu level you are allowed to grade every 3 th 8 kyu months Competitions and seminars • Every year each dojo hosts an interdojo competition which includes a beginners competition for kendoka not in armour, a team/individual senior competition and sometimes a grading opportunity • There are 2 seminars each year - An annual SAKF seminar sometime from Feb – April - A Summer seminar in September/ October * This is the most important seminar and if you have to attend only one, this will be it Kendo in SA • Buster Sefor • Tony Hughes • Rei Flemming • 8 dojos registered with the SAKF - San Kawa: Johannesburg - Ken Yu Kai: Johannesburg - Rivonia: Johannesburg - Mushin: Pretoria - Niji no senshi: Witbank - Maties: Stellenbosch - Shishigashira: Cape Town - Kenshin: Cape Town Mushin dojo • President: Andre Coetzer • Secretary: Ronel van Zyl • Treasurer: Simone Basson • MAD member: Mientjie Nortje • Armourer: Anesu Shamu • Web site manager: Simone Basson Mushin achievements • Andre has been part of the South African kendo team for 2 years in 2013 Hungary and 2014 France • Mitchell Kyle is the youngest kendoka in SA to achieve his 5th dan, he has also represented South Africa at numerous Kendo World Championships and European Kendo Championships • Mushin started the tradition of hosting a beginners competition in 2012 and has since then always received medals. • 2014 was the first year that South Africa had sent a team to compete in the Tengu Cup in Frankfurt Germany. Both Marcas and Simone were part of that team • Marcas was selected for the South African Kendo team and represented the sountry at the 2015 WKC in Tokyo, Japan • Anesu has recently made it into the South African Kendo team and represented the country at the 2016 EKC in Skopje, Macedonia • Mushin is the only dojo that caters for the entire Pretoria area, and we are a self- taught dojo, ith oasioal isits fro eighourig dojos senseis. General etiquette • No shoes allowed on the dojo floor. Take them off as you enter and place them neatly in a row by the door • Alays rei o 15⁰ he you eter ad leae the dojo • Handle your shinai with care and respect. That goes for all your kendo equipment • Neer touh aother persos bogu arour ithout perissio, it is considered disrespectful • Never step over, kick or step on a shinai lying on the floor • Do not lean against the walls if you are tired or waiting, always maintain proper posture and interest • Address seniors as senpai and Andre, Mitch or Rei as sensei • Do not talk amongst yourselves when a senior is teaching you something • Remember we are here to have fun, but we are also serious about improving our kendo General administrative rules as set out during the AGM • Class fees must be paid by the 15th of each month • You have to pay class fees even when you do not attend class that month: rent still needs to be paid and SAKF levies • You will not be allowed to grade if you have any outstanding fees towards the dojo or if you did not have satisfactory attendance (>75%) • All ordered items remain the property of the dojo until proof of payment has been sent to either Simone or Ronel • If you have a groupon for 3 months: it includes your first grading registration fee. You still need to pay your SAKF affiliation fee to be able to grade. • We hope that you will enjoy kendo and that you will soon become a permanent member of the kendo community here in South Africa. .
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