by Frances Harper
For reasons unknown, sports that find their origins in the blood and violence of sword fighting attract me. For the last five years, fencing consumed almost all of my free time and energy. I was worried that my passion for the sport would be put on hold during my time in Japan, but I successfully found another outlet for it: kendo.
Although the origins of both sports shared a common goal - to fight and kill the opponent - the modern sports show little similarity. In fact, much of the good fencing form that I spent five years perfecting is poor form in kendo. So, for the last month, I have found myself thrown back into basics. I have been learning basic kendo footwork, strikes, and terminology (all in Japanese of course!) My bi-weekly practices at the martial arts center and my daily drill of striking men (head) one hundred times is starting to pay off, and I will even try to earn ni kyuu (a grade for skill levels) in January.
Many people have mentioned an interest in trying kendo, but they were put off by some of the less attractive elements rumored to plague the sport. Perhaps my years of fencing helped me in that aspect. The most notorious, of course, is the smell. If you own your equipment, however, it is only your own smell you have to live with, and the sweatiest parts of the equipment CAN be washed. Honestly, it is a problem I haven't even noticed.
I understand that the bruises that come with any contact sport can also be rather unappealing. But, I am no stranger to bruises! As painful as they may look, thanks to the adrenaline rush, you never notice them as they are being formed. The bruises on my knees from simply sitting (Japanese style) are a little new to me, and the ever-present blisters on the bottom of my feet are a pain, literally.
None of that, though, is enough to make me want to quit. After making the financial commitment of purchasing my own equipment, there's no turning back. Besides, I am hooked!