Chasing that Ippon : Part II

I'm going to be very frank here.





There was a few reasons why I started kendo in the first place. I, like many current kendoka have always been a samurai wannabe. Or as I dig in deeper into my memory, I've always wanted to be a knight/samurai/jedi/ninja/muppet.

So yes, I started kendo in the wonderful year of 2007. Expecting twirly fancy movements with a hint of discipline ( as I expect from a MA ), I slowly came to realise that kendo was all about being straight. No, not straight as in sexual orientation, but as in effeciency. Instead of cutting in a squiggly line, make that cut run straight.

So yes, I continued to labour on, some days there were ups, some days there were downs. Some days, you get the feeling that everything is going on perfectly, that your cuts have been decent, and you got through training with 110% effort and didnt waste that 2 hours. On some days, you just cant get anything right. It could be that I was distracted, or my will power wasnt strong enough, or the plain fact that I skipped lunch and bonked very early in the training session. When you feel the need for beer after a training, chances are, you probably threw all you had for that 2 hours, and that feeling, is called Euphoria.

So people ask me :
"Why continue kendo? Why participate in something that involves you getting injured. Why participate in something that leaves your feet with blisters? "

The answer, is complex. On some days, I go for training because I've been looking forward to it. Its because I've had a rough day, a tiring day in the lab, and nothing would please me more then screaming away, and getting awesome satisfaction from a good training; On some days, kendo is my drug, my alcohol, my antidepressant. It helps me forget things that have been bothering me. People who have been derailing my train of thoughts. Events that have been using up my brain space which could have been used to solve Hyperbolic functions. While it would certain be wiser to confront the situation, sometimes you arent in the right place, and a nice wall to block those things out would be utterly sweet.

But most of the time, if not all the time. I go because I want to improve. Because I enjoy the feeling of a proper men cut. The feeling in your arms as the strike lends, the melody in your ear as the shinai makes that sharp "pop", the surge in your body as you fumikomi, and the feeling of time slowing down as you push through with good zanshin. Its those things that give me my fix, and make me come back for more. Because I as long as I continue working hard, those actions that I enjoy will only happen with more intensity, and more frequently.

And particularly, I continue training, because I want to improve. Because when I get to cross swords with someone I've trained with before, I want to see that there is a definative difference in my skill. And that the training will be worthwhile.

I'm sure everyone out there has something they enjoy doing. So dont judge me with that excessive scutinizing mind of yours. I find peace in kendo, and thats my excuse for waking up at 6.15am every Friday to make it for morning trainings.