Obligitory Kendo/Iaido Self-Reflection...2014 Edition

Overall, I felt that 2014 was a satisfying one for my growth, understanding and participation of Kendo and Iaido, despite some pretty interesting ups and downs.  I've been able to continue practicing between 3 - 5 days per week depending on the University of Cincinnati being in session.  I've also been able to make some new friends while vacationing in Hawaii and, of course, taking the opportunity to practice there and I've been able to catch up with some old ones by visiting Atlanta and practicing there.  There was one event that happened which will really test my ability to lead and organize though.

Earlier this year, I was given the keys to the Northern Kentucky Kendo Club because the previous leader had to move away for a job opportunity.  I've spent the past few years growing as a person by leading practices here in Cincinnati and offering advice where applicable, and I've been an officer for a few clubs in the past and with our regional Kendo federation, but I've never had the responsibility for running a club.

The good news is that the club is very small at the moment so there really isn't a lot of stuff to handle at the moment.  My goal right now is to try to structure the club a little better, gain more students and make the club more sustainable.  I know it's not going to be easy but I'm willing to stand in the face of this challenge.


One problem with the old club leader moving away is that now I'm without a sensei to teach me Iaido here in Cincinnati.  Of course, that doesn't mean that I will stop practicing.  I've still been able to work with my knowledge through practicing with him and attending seminars when I am able to.  My plan is to try to attend more seminars, gain rank and knowledge and try to grow Iaido membership.  Marketability is tough since Iaido doesn't have the screaming, hitting and stomping that Kendo has so it will be tough.  At least I've been able to do demos at our regional tournaments, so I guess that's a start.

There are two major events that I have to look forward to in 2015 that's Kendo related.

• I get to see the World Kendo Championship in Tokyo in May.  I've always thought about going for years because it would be a great opportunity to see some of the best Kendo that the world has to offer.  I will be going with a friend of mine who stayed over there for a few months a while back, so she has connections to a few of the dojos she practiced at.  Not only do I get to watch some good Kendo, I have a few opportunities to get some practice in for myself!
• I will be eligible to test for my 4th Dan in November.  I have been preparing for this moment ever since I passed my 3rd Dan, but I can't help but feel the pressure from the time crunch.  There's still a lot that I need to work on before the test date, but I feel optimistic that I will be able to use my short time to the fullest to prepare.

Other than that, all I can expect is to develop myself through more Kendo and Iaido practices while meeting new people and catching up with old ones.  

明けましておめでとうございます (Happy New Year)！

Public Speaking, One Of The World's Worst Fears.

Every year, the Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati, Ohio has a butterfly show where they release many kinds of butterflies in a building for the visitors to look and interact with.  If you're lucky enough, you might even get one to rest on your head, like the one in the hokey picture on the left.  In addition to that, the Japanese and American Student Society has their own set of demos outside of the main building showcasing several aspects of Japanese culture.  The UC Kendo Club was asked to do several demonstrations, which we were happy to oblige our time to show off the martial art we love so much.

In most demos, someone else in the club does all the talking and I just do my job to help make things go smoothly.  But, this time, I was the one doing the talking.  Overall, everything went well.  With the help of those in the club that were able to attend and a receptive crowd, I was able to hold onto my confidence level that tends to go south when having to present stuff in front of large groups of unknown people.

When it comes to presenting Kendo, my goal is to make explanations short and simple and visual examples action packed to make sure that people aren't falling asleep.  Of course, there are many things that I need to improve on which are mainly transitions and maybe a description of the overall history and descriptions that sound less like rambling and more like an authority figure sharing information.  I hope to really work on this as time goes on because I know that this won't be the last demo I will be giving in my Kendo career.

The demo itself consisted of introductions, brief history, description of equipment, basic attacks, kirikaeshi, ai-kakarigeiko and some jigeiko/mock shiai to explain the point system and what makes a hit.  To be honest, I feel that this format is more than sufficient to get the point across but some edits will most likely be made to fit the situation at hand, type of people in the crowd, time allotted and space available.  After that is kept in mind, then the rest should be pretty simple.  The rest is really up to the ability of the speaker to convey the information in a good way.

I've never really thought of myself as the model public speaker.  I tend to stutter and blank out as my confidence level drops.  One thing that seemed to help with that is being put in leadership positions in the clubs I attend, so I had to get used to talking in front of people whether I wanted to or not.  But hey, everything turned out better in the end since I seem to slowly but surely be getting out of that whole stage fright thing with small crowds.  Things might be different for larger crowds, but that is a bridge I will cross when I get to it.

In any case, as my experience level rises, more and more responsibilities will be laid upon me.  Thus, I need to take any opportunity to do what I can to prepare myself for any future situations that come my way.  Some of my goals is to not just be an instructor, but an effective instructor.  To be honest, I didn't think I would have to present myself so early in the game, but it was bound to happen and I come out of it better each time.