Kendo

One activity that I like to do in my free time, it´s the free practice of "Kendo": the japanise martial art of the Katana (The japanese longsword).



The kendo (translated as "the way of the sword") is the modern version of the old "Kenjustsu" ("The tecnique of the sword"), studied today as a modern competition sport, equivalent to european fencing. The roots of this sport are very old, and was the main skill of those who now are legend to our days: The Samurai.



The basic combat´s skill curriculum of a samurai was the Ju-Jitsu (close quarter combat, it´s the father of the Judo), Kyudo (the way of the longbow), Horseback riding, Kenjutsu, and sometimes Iaijutsu (The use of the drawing as an attack).
Obviously, I don´t practice all those things in my leasure time, I only train in Kendo and iaido, but I also know a bit of Judo and Aikido (descendants of the Ju-jitsu), and just a bit of horseback riding (with only one hand, the idea is being able to use a sword while charging). Bowmanship it´s still something that I never make (still...)





At my appartment, I try to train three times per week at least, but I hang my sword and play everyday if I can. It´s not very easy, the lights, wallpaint, and my grandmother shake in fear when I draw my katana. In Valdivia was easier, I only went to the backyard or a near forest and practique my slices and cuts, and no one became bother.

I started with the Kendo nearly 6 years ago, when I followed my best friend (the daughter of my godmother) to training. I loved the japanise history and the martial arts even before that, but only at that moment my oportunity was real. For two entire years I trained (2004-2005) on the Dojo (the training place) (called "the dojo of the raining sword") first under my local master, and the second year under the teachings of a japanise master, a sixty years old man, with fifty five tears of experience on the samurai fencing. We made a very close master-student relation.
That year was full of challenges: a very hard training (four days per week, with nearly four hours per sesson), my studies of forest enginering and my job on the Pizza´s restaurant. But in the Kendo´s field we had two national championships, and I was with the region´s selection for both of them. After a whole day of intence fighting and endless duels, we finished with the fourth national place on the "masters" category, no so bad if you remember that I was only with one lone year of training, and my rivals with four or five. That was my last tournament too, because after that year I went to the army, and leave the sword to take the rifle.





I enjoy this art not only for the fighting, but for the precision, patience and concentration that requieres. The Katana is the most lethal martial weapon, but at the same time, requieres lots of physical, mental and spiritual training. Unlike other two handed weapons, the power of the katana don`t reside on the physical strenght; it´s the sharped edge, the quick mind and the force of will of the swordman. In a Katana`s duel you can´t think, I you take a second trying to think a strategy and don´t pay full atention to your opponent, you´re already dead. It´s adrenaline, a test against yourself, against your patience, and a large spiritual road to made your sword not a weapon, but a part of yourself.

If everything goes well, I will restart my formal training in the providencia´s dojo (the arch-enemy of my former dojo). My woodsword, Ironsword and the armor that once were of my best friend are ready and hunger of engage on combat, now playing a inofensive sport (because the armor), but remembering that the same tecniques, names and spirit of the old samurai´s wars are now with us, telling the story of more than one thousand years of honor, courage, dedication, and epic tales.