For a while now I've been considering taking up a martial art as something I could do with Nathan and I think I've found a good fit. My son's life's ambition for quite some time now has been to become a Jedi Knight... this is in spite of my admonitions that as there are no such things as 'The Force" or light sabers, it would be difficult to actually become a Jedi. I've been reading a bit about Kendo (the art of Japanese sword fighting) and also discovered through a friend that there is a local Kendo dojo that is actually free! They practice outdoors (referred to as an aozora 'blue sky' dojo) in a park in Overland Park twice a week.
I am going to visit a couple of the practice sessions when we get a little nearer Spring and speak with the sensei (to see how he feels about a seven year old starting in his dojo). This will also give me time to save up a little for the equipment investment (bokken - wooden sword used for kata $20, shinai - split bamboo practice sword $20, keikogi/hakama - uniform $60, and then eventually when we get good... the bogu which is the Kendo armor $300!... all times 2... sword fighting with my kid - priceless).
kckendo.com
7 comments:
Sweet. As a kid, kendo was always the one that interested me. I mean, the other martial arts had you using knees, fists, bare feet, the palm of your hand...my view was, screw that, give me a nice long pole with which to thwack the opponent soundly about the face and neck.
For some reason I am associating this with Dwight Schrute. No offense intended whatsoever, as when it comes to Dwight-alikes, it's definitely a case of "of whom I am chief". Although I may be confused because a web search turns up no The Office references to kendo.
But I've been watching no end of Kurosawa samurai films from the 50s, so that sounds like a lot of fun. Much less froo-froo in appearance than traditional Western fencing. Is froo-froo a word? Regardless I have surely offended a fencing master somewhere who will seek to smite me soundly with his radio-antenna-with-a-handle.
I think Dwight would more likely be seen LARPing than studying Kendo - http://youtube.com/watch?v=ardP-x3DgO0
"Lightning bolt!"
"Lightning bolt!"
"Lightning bolt!"
That is wonderful. Now I have been introduced to LARPing, I can die a happy man.
The girl clapping at the end is what kills me... I think her boyfriend must have been the wizard. If they ever get married, odds are they go to New Zealand and follow the trail to Mordor.
(OK... yes I am merely a shade of grey from their level of nerdiness because I know that Lord of the Rings was shot in New Zealand, but I would never honeymoon there alright!!)
I have a strong sense of fondness for New Zealand predating the movies, my uncle used to live there, and it is enormously beautiful, but I would avoid a trip there simply because of the movie, to avoid the assumption that I am more interested in the fake Rohan than the actual scenery of the North and South islands.
And yes, it usually takes a bit of nerdliness to be able to really laugh at such pure, distilled, unmitigated Nerd-dom.
>(OK... yes I am merely a shade of grey from their level of nerdiness because I know that Lord of the Rings was shot in New Zealand, but I would never honeymoon there alright!!)<
My son, in fact, just told me the other day that he would like to honeymoon in New Zealand because the landscape is so beautiful (and yes, he knows that LOTR was filmed there). Honeymoon? Why is he thinking about marriage at 9 years of age? hhhhh
hahaha!! Well I would go there just for the landscape... I guess what I was saying is that I wouldn't go with a map showing where each location was shot and thus "follow the trail to Mordor". oooh honey look at that bluff over there... The King of Rohan once drank from his golden mead cup right there!!! RIGHT THERE!!!
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