Author: Bert Heeren

A guest from Aruba

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Next Saturday Renshinjuku kendo dojo will host a special guest from Aruba: Sergio Valesquez-sensei. Velasquez-sensei teaches at Bun Bu Ichi dojo and has been a friend of Heeren-sensei for over thirty years. They took part in many international competitions together and they were room mates as members of the dutch national team.

Velasquez-sensei was European champion and Heeren-sensei brought the Aruban national team to the world championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

Velasquez-sensei is a talented kendoka and your really have to meet him in jigeiko or kihon keiko at least once! Please make sure to join us next Saturday!

Kind regards,
Bert-sensei

The goal of kirikaeshi

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At Renshinjuku we pay a lot of attention to Kiri Kaeshi. Some of our kendoka have undoubtedly experienced that Kiri Kaeshi is not just meant to tire them out, but that it has clear and tangible goals in improving your kendo.

I composed the following list of ten benefits of Kiri Kaeshi:

  1. Your techniques becomes faster and fiercer
  2. The power of your strikes increases
  3. Your physical condition will improve
  4. Movement of arms becomes more fluid
  5. Movement of the the body becomes lighter and you acquire souplesse
  6. Your handling of the sword becomes more efficient
  7. Balance in the body improves
  8. Your perception and sight become keener
  9. Your perception of depth (maai) improves
  10. Te no uchi becomes stronger

To begin further study of the various forms of Kiri Kaeshi I suggest the following YouTube video (shown below).

Greetings from Japan 1

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Hello everyone,

I hope you are doing well and trying hard to keep yourself challenged and push yourself to the limit.

I have been training for three weeks now at the Kendo-bu of Tsukuba Univerity. It took me a while to get used to the new environment, especially because of the hot weather when I arrived. It is already a lot cooler and I feel I can keep up with the training now, which is step 1 in my opinion.

The students are all very strong players. I can honestly say that every single one of them have a lot to teach me. So there is constant material for me to study and work on. I am practicing 5 mornings and 4 afternoons a week. I will maybe add an extra night keikolater on. With all the time I can spend on kendo and this great environment I will try to do everything I can to develop my kendo. I just started with this step 2.I hope that I will face all of refined and stronger Renshinjuku members next year, I won’t lose to you!!!

Push yourself to the limit!

Jouke

Fumetsu Cup 2012

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The Fumetsu Cup is the yearly held surprise tournament in which all participants are randomly divided into teams of three persons. With their team they will compete for the cup. Teams will be captained by an experienced kendoka. Attached to this e-mail you will find more precise information.

This year the Cup will be held on sunday the 30th of September. If you would like to enroll, please inform Heeren-sensei or Loyer-sensei.

All details for the tourney (address, directions, convocation and enrollment instructions) can be found on our brandnew website: Fumetsu Cup 2012 info.