Shinai, a bamboo sward is flexible, bending

Shinai, a bamboo sward is Katana made of bamboo.
Covered with some skins of deer.
Used for hitting Men including part of head and throat(Tsuki), hand(Kote) and fuselage(Doh), it will be broken easily for hard practice. Since usually hit Men with upper fitting metal.

                            Tsuba attached                                   Tsuba and Tsuba fitting attached

As Ken-Do rule, every bamboo sward, Shinai should be with Tsuba, a stopping tool at the edge of handling deer skin.

A person is attacking on throat, Tsuki.

Men mask is not so heavy.

Men is a kind of protector for one's head.
In these years, duralumine or titan are used for face fitting metal. So it is not so heavy.

A new Men/Omen, this head mask is so hard that my both ears have been painful during practice. After practice, it will become heavy for being wet for perspiration.
We hit Men, this head mask many times with bamboo sword, and hitting part of bamboo sword will be broken. By hit, someone become to be excited. It means he is defeated when he lose his control.   

Bowing to Kamidana

Do-jo, that is gymnasium for Japanese martial arts, like Ken-do, Jyu-do, Karate and so on.
This picture is a Ken-do Do-jo in Tokyo.
Every person are to bob to Kamidana when they enter and exit there.

Whenever I bow to Kamidana in Do-jo, household Shito altar, I feel like I'm talking or greeting to God of Do-jo. Sometimes I even asked to be more stronger than last training day.
Needless to say, there is no answering from somebody to my asking in my mind. It is a kind of wondering to oneself with greeting to Do-jo.

There is a Kamidana, household Shinto altar in every Do-jo

Every Do-jo has Kamidana, a household Shinto altar.
Every time entering and exiting Do-jo, starting and finishing drill, all member in Do-jo  
We put both fists in the floor of Do-jo and hang down the head facing to Kamidana.
This bobbing a curtsy in sitting is a ceremony.
In my case, these bow to Kamidana makes me concentrated and some gratitude for training.

Over Yon-dan, 4th grade are called Sensei, an instructor of Ken-do

I was asked to instruct kids in Do-jo with masters belonging the Do-jo.
They are over Nana-dan, 7th grade of Ken-do.
Yes, they are true masters of Ken-do.

I could not instruct kids in the Do-jo for some reasons,
Firstly I should recall my skill of Ken-do and the way of thinking for Ken-do.
I was 3rd grade, San-dan at 2014, I did not worth instructing other person.
Basically I had no confidence to my skill and know-how to instruct kids.

All kids in Ken-do Do-jo want to take on gears. But they cannot put them on till they can do basic moving and handle their Shinai, sward of bamboo. 

There are many Ken-do Do-jos in Tochigi prefecture

I had retired former vocation at 55 years old, in 2014.
Before retiring, I had gotten new job where is a little bit far from my mouse.

New job was an office work in U city, where it takes two hours through highway from Tokyo.
For first months, I didn't feel like to do some sports here.

After getting used to new job environment, I found it is not uncommon to re-start Ken-do after middle age, 40's or 50's.

I asked myself some questions,
"Can I enjoy it?"
"Will I put my heart and soul overly?"
"Will I be vexed at training with young persons or instructors?"
 

I had practiced boxing in gyms

I also like boxing.

Watching professional boxing match is good leisure for me.
After recovering left Achilles', I didn't feel like do Ken-do again.

In boxing gym, I was trained basic boxing and studied some rules.
Training was hard, but I can say that to hit punching bag with own fists can get rid of all stress perfectly. It's a magic for putting off gloominess

Even now I want to hit the punching bug immediately when I found some one in gymnasium.
I recommend you it. Of course, with own globes.  
  

Ken-do has hierarchy system

When I was teens, and in University, I had belonged its Ken-do club. I was not good at sporting and I could not be regular member in University.

In middle high school, I had gotten Sho-dan, first qualification of Ken-do.
In high school, I'd gotten Ni-dan, second class qualification of Ken-do.
When I was 4th grade of University, I've gotten San-dan, third class of Ken-do.
To tell the truth, I'd missed this test at 3rd grade, that was second challenge for that San-dan.

When I was 36 years old, I had teared left Achilles tendon when I practiced as Ken-do team member for Ken-do&Ju-do meeting in its military region.

I had been quit Ken-do after that accident.
I sold all equipments and Shinai swards in auction sites.
That was about twenty years ago. 

Ken-do is a Japanese Martial Arts

I'd like to explain why I had started Ken-do again, a typical Japanese martial arts, playing with a sward, and why I continue this martial arts.


Two years has passed sine I re-stated Ken-do from June 2014 when I was 55 years old.

I had retired my job on May, 2014 and then I had gotten new job in another prefecture, like state in United States.