Urban Samurai...

[Don Coyote]

...I just don't know.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Urban-Samurai/154421341248817

[Phox]

...I just don't know.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Urban-Samurai/154421341248817

[Don Coyote]

hxxp://www.urbansamurai.com/

Kendo is something I've read so much about. And talked so much about. And wrote so much about. The build-up was so great...what if I hated it? That was possible.   

I know this sounds cliché to say, but...he is wise. I wanted to hear the everything he said. It made me realize that when people serve a master, like I've read about, like I've seen in many movies, they don't do it out of obligation. They don't do it because they are bound to do it, like the picture was painted for me. They do it, to be around this certain person more, so that they can learn more from someone wiser than themselves. That was a cool and unexpected realization. He left me by saying...if you master this, everything you want will come to you. He speaks...like how I'd think an old samurai would. And that is awesome.

I learned that this dojo, as all kendo dojos, are non-profit. They cannot make money off of you. They can't even sell you swords or clothes...or anything. And there is something really cool about that. It doesn't cheapen the art. It doesn't lessen the experience.

I am going to ask someone I know who is in the know and see if that is true.

One of the guys had to piece me together a shinae (bamboo sword) and he did it so willingly.

As far as I know, kendo-ka don't build shinai from parts, they buy a full shinai. he also misspelled 'shinai'.

One guy comes over...I assume he is a sensei...but I honestly don't know. At the very least, he is superior to me, as everyone in the class and probably most of the world is at this point.

MY BRAIN!!!!!!

I am not a natural swordsman. There is so much to think about with feet, with hand positioning. With the cutting. With everything. And it's all at once. I learned so much last night that the sensei helping me said I'd forget it all. And he's probably right.

No one is a natural swordsman. That is why this shit is taught and has been taught.

The moves are all about cutting down and killing an opponent. To picture a person in front of you and carving into his head. His wrist. His throat. Or his side. Everything this art teaches you to do has that 'kill' in mind.

Bear in mind this is about kendo, which is build around competition, athleticism and/or spiritual development, not combat utility.

Dude leads an active fantasy life.  I dub him a LARPer.

[Phox]

hxxp://www.urbansamurai.com/

Kendo is something I've read so much about. And talked so much about. And wrote so much about. The build-up was so great...what if I hated it? That was possible.   

I know this sounds cliché to say, but...he is wise. I wanted to hear the everything he said. It made me realize that when people serve a master, like I've read about, like I've seen in many movies, they don't do it out of obligation. They don't do it because they are bound to do it, like the picture was painted for me. They do it, to be around this certain person more, so that they can learn more from someone wiser than themselves. That was a cool and unexpected realization. He left me by saying...if you master this, everything you want will come to you. He speaks...like how I'd think an old samurai would. And that is awesome.

I learned that this dojo, as all kendo dojos, are non-profit. They cannot make money off of you. They can't even sell you swords or clothes...or anything. And there is something really cool about that. It doesn't cheapen the art. It doesn't lessen the experience.

I am going to ask someone I know who is in the know and see if that is true.

One of the guys had to piece me together a shinae (bamboo sword) and he did it so willingly.

As far as I know, kendo-ka don't build shinai from parts, they buy a full shinai. he also misspelled 'shinai'.

One guy comes over...I assume he is a sensei...but I honestly don't know. At the very least, he is superior to me, as everyone in the class and probably most of the world is at this point.

MY BRAIN!!!!!!

I am not a natural swordsman. There is so much to think about with feet, with hand positioning. With the cutting. With everything. And it's all at once. I learned so much last night that the sensei helping me said I'd forget it all. And he's probably right.

No one is a natural swordsman. That is why this shit is taught and has been taught.

The moves are all about cutting down and killing an opponent. To picture a person in front of you and carving into his head. His wrist. His throat. Or his side. Everything this art teaches you to do has that 'kill' in mind.

Bear in mind this is about kendo, which is build around competition, athleticism and/or spiritual development, not combat utility.

Dude leads an active fantasy life.  I dub him a LARPer.

I read it. . Combat utility, it ain't. It is about at the level of fencing in that regard. Neither is particularly useful in a chaotic situation, since lateral movement is not a major part of either. To be fair, he COULD have had a shinai assembled for him. It just isn't likely.

[Telarus]

Most kendo dojos keep their shinai disassembled and oiled because they order in bulk.

[Don Coyote]

Most kendo dojos keep their shinai disassembled and oiled because they order in bulk.

HURRAY I LEARNED SOMETHING TODAY!!!!

I figured that the oiling thing was only done between training.

[Telarus]

Yeah, the PDX swordfight group had 90% of our shinai break during a 2 week period (last year) because we didn't know you shouldn't store them strung up between use, and you should oil them before first use, and unstring them if you're not using them for a while. Also, learn how they go together before mucking about with the parts, you can easily break shit and render one useless.

[Don Coyote]

Yeah, the PDX swordfight group had 90% of our shinai break during a 2 week period (last year) because we didn't know you shouldn't store them strung up between use, and you should oil them before first use, and unstring them if you're not using them for a while. Also, learn how they go together before mucking about with the mart, you can easily break shit and render one useless.

That's kinda odd. My highschool shinai group rarely had shinai break, and most of them didn't even break them down at all. We were also in a very very arid climate.

[Phox]

Most kendo dojos keep their shinai disassembled and oiled because they order in bulk.

HURRAY I LEARNED SOMETHING TODAY!!!!

I figured that the oiling thing was only done between training.

Now you know. And knowing is half the battle! 

[Don Coyote]

Most kendo dojos keep their shinai disassembled and oiled because they order in bulk.

HURRAY I LEARNED SOMETHING TODAY!!!!

I figured that the oiling thing was only done between training.

Now you know. And knowing is half the battle! 

I love saying that line.

[Phox]

Most kendo dojos keep their shinai disassembled and oiled because they order in bulk.

HURRAY I LEARNED SOMETHING TODAY!!!!

I figured that the oiling thing was only done between training.

Now you know. And knowing is half the battle! 

I love saying that line.

Me too. That was half of my childhood. 

[Don Coyote]

Most kendo dojos keep their shinai disassembled and oiled because they order in bulk.

HURRAY I LEARNED SOMETHING TODAY!!!!

I figured that the oiling thing was only done between training.

Now you know. And knowing is half the battle! 

I love saying that line.

Me too. That was half of my childhood. 

I didn't even really watch it that much. My mom was very much agaisnt violence while I was growing up. Ironic thing is she really wanted me to join the service.

[Phox]

Most kendo dojos keep their shinai disassembled and oiled because they order in bulk.

HURRAY I LEARNED SOMETHING TODAY!!!!

I figured that the oiling thing was only done between training.

Now you know. And knowing is half the battle! 

I love saying that line.

Me too. That was half of my childhood. 

I didn't even really watch it that much. My mom was very much agaisnt violence while I was growing up. Ironic thing is she really wanted me to join the service.

That was my brother's TV show. I had to watch it with him. Of course, he had to watch stuff like Rainbow Brite and Jem with me. At least we could share He-Man and She-Ra. 

[Don Coyote]

Guess what my mom let me watch. Jem and She-Ra.

[Phox]

Guess what my mom let me watch. Jem and She-Ra.