yesterdays trainee was very disapointing for me: 4-5 weeks no kendo and my whole body and movement was just crap. damm it!
imaging what it means after 5 month? yeah, just start again from ground zero … and thinking about my bogu, no chance. very disappointing!
on the other hand its really great to see, that my mate marcel will start doing trainee with bogu on regulary basis from monday on. When i am back, he will have good seme, strong kamae and fighting skills – good on you, marcel!
one of my senseis is attending the famous hashidan-kendo-test in japan. wow! you find the documentary „Kendo’s Gruelling Challenge – The 120 second Test of Spirit (1997), National Geographics also at youtube.
every year, just 1% of the pass the test. there is no 9 or 10 grade above anymore. for hashidan-grade, you most be more then a kendoka; you need to be an extraordinary person, mentally and physically at the same time – i believe, he will make it: if not him, who else in Germany? There NO hashidan sensei in germany, afaik, only one hashidan-sensei in whole europe! unbelievable!
ps: dont get me wrong, graduating means „nothing“ in the form of, how good somebody is, in doing something, but to be hashidan outside europe is awesome.