Nanseikan Kendo Club 剣道クラブ南西館

Yesterday saw a group of 26 kenshi turn up for our 2014 Kangeiko at Nanseikan. That meant that there was so little floorspace during keiko that people had to use the storeroom for adjusting their bogu! As well as Nanseikan members, there were people from MBK, MUKEN, Monash Uni, Mumeishi and Fudoshin represented. The focus of the day was on tokuiwaza . We spent a great deal of time practicing all the various shikake and oji waza, trying to work out which might become the one that is our 'best' or 'singular' technique. The afternoon was spent in shiai, testing out those waza. Many thanks to Daniel Jeong sensei for attending and giving his time to coach the yudansha participants. This meant I could concentrate on helping the kyu grade and recent beginner kenshi and definitely meant the day was more rewarding for all concerned. And of course thanks to all who attended. It is great that our little club's tradition h...

It is membership renewal time again. Until such time as the VKR devises an user-operated online membership portal, I have to submit all memberships manually. Each year I have the same problem about what to do with people I haven't seen at training for a while. So, if you not currently not training, but you: imagine you will return to training soon, or have no specific return date for training but wish to maintain membership for other reasons (e.g. retaining your grade, supporting the organisation, etc) ...you need to email me a.s.a.p. to let me know your intentions.  I will only renew your membership if you are currently training, or if you get in touch with me in the next 5 days.  NOTE 1: it is not necessary to send any money at this stage. The VKR will invoice me for the total amount when they process the application. NOTE 2: it is possible to submit membership after the due date. However please keep in mind that all Kendo administrators work voluntar...

  "Sword of Desperation" ( Hisshinken Torisashi ) is another samurai film or jidaigeki currently on SBS onDemand until 18 June. "Hisshin" literally means "must die", which is significant when you watch the film! Kangeiko Our annual winter training will be taking place on the last training of term 2, Saturday 28 June. As usual it will be from 9am til 5pm. It promises to be not-very-cold. This year we will be looking at the concept of tokui-waza , one's ideal or favourite technique. The morning will be looking at how to find it and practice it, the afternoon we will set up two small shiaijo and run practice shiai for beginners and advanced kenshi. Cost for NSK members $10 (on top of term fees). BYO lunch but morning tea and snacks provided. Otsuka and Nagae Taikai These taikai are coming up in July. See Paul Bserani of MBK's information below. The day is a week before we start back for term 3. Nagae & Ots...

As mentioned at training yesterday, SBS on Demand has this movie available for streaming until 11 June. It is part of a trilogy of samurai films by the director Yoji Yamamoto: Tasogare Seibei (Twilight Samurai; 2002), Oni no Tsume (The Hidden Blade, 2004), and Bushi no Ichibun (Love and Honour, 2006). The films are all linked by their themes of life as a middle-to-low ranking samurai in late-Edo period Japan. The locations and costumes are all immaculately put together to give a very realistic look into what life would have been like. Even language and customs are accurately portrayed: think of them as similar to a BBC period adaptation of Jane Austen. And the swordsmanship is not terrible.