I'm not sure who wrote this, but I found this quote among some old kendo learning literature on "Mei-kyo-shisui" my dad kept from decades ago. "The moon reflects on the water, and the water mirrors the moon. The moon and the water are void of thought, and so one can see the present clearly. Similarly, persevere through repeated practice, striving to reach the goal of a mind void of thought so the opponent's spirit reflects on you bright and clear like a stainless mirror." Las

It's been great to see the growth in the dojo and all the various kendo experiences that we've shared in the past year. A lot of those new (to some) experiences are taikai. For a number of us, we've even competed now in Junior Nationals and Nationals! Whether you're fresh into your first few taikai or have been seasoned like me, here are three basic times to attack in your shiai that you should remember and practice getting your timing for to be even more successful: 1) Strik

Kendo 101: Kiai refers more to our "spirit" where as kakegoe is actually the yell. I'm not sure why sensei scream "KIAI!" to tell students to yell louder. But actually, kakegoe is the expression of kiai. Kakegoe is like what a basketball player does after he 360 degree, behind the back, under the leg, slam dunk over Lebron James at the buzzer to win the NBA Championships. He's yelling and pounding his chest like the alpha gorilla on the court because internally he feels like