Nerima-ku kendo renmei gashuku

This weekend was 練馬区剣道連盟合宿 (as the title says). It was my absolute privilege to see first-rate kendo. Recently, they have brought in bokuto kihon waza (木刀基本技), 9 fundamental kendo moves

men, ko-te, do, tsuki
ko-te -> men
harai men
tsuri age men
hi-ki men
nuki do
ko-te -> tsuri age men
depana ko-te
kaishi do
do -> ochi age men

In august we did this without bogu and no contact. On Saturday, full bogu and 思い切り打つ - er, strike with full force.

On Sunday kata renshu. Being only 2nd dan, I have only studied to 5hon-me. For gashuku, I read upto 7hon-me, but from pictures, text and DVD it's hard to get. A very kind 8th dan sensei led me through all 7 moves. Next year, I have to know them and the 3 kodachi moves. A challenge!

And then there was shinai kendo. My posture is still not good. Sometimes the feet are all over the place. I need to practice every day for consistancy. The really special thing was ai-men waza. At the very end of keiko on Saturday, we were doing just ai-men, it was getting faster. At the very end it was the fastest I've ever moved. Perception changed. There was almost God but I heard a voice call "Yame!" and I was't quite there. To put it in context I'm reading Takuan "The Unfetter Mind" and thinking about Zen. The older context is Ueshiba sensei's Budo - budo is the unifaction of the physical, mental and spiritual.

Keiko was quite short but the most intense I've done so far (Ueshiba-sensei's hell's dojo is my ambition!). I am very tired but I have very good motivation to continue. I am in their debt now.