Where is My Attention?

Jacarandas in bloom in San Diego, CA, May 2020.

Life and the mind seems to be in one of two states.  Being under water mostly for me and periodically coming up, out of the water, for air.  Or being asleep mostly and waking-up

Bottled Rice – a Home-Made Bokuto to Help Develop Tenouchi

A compact home-made bokuto.

A beginner asked for suggestions on exercises he could do between practices some time ago.  Given the current COVID-19 situation and the shelter-at-home order in many places worldwide, I thought an article on this could be useful.

Yamaoka Tesshu – the Swordsman, Calligrapher and Zen Teacher

Thanks to a fellow kendo dojo member, I recently started reading the life story of Yamaoka Tesshu (山岡 鉄舟, 1836-1888), a master swordsman, calligrapher and Zen

Teaching Kids – Boundaries, Models and the Child Whisperer

Drawing by Ophie, Jan 2020.

At a local community center, I came across a sports teacher who seems to have a way with little kids (pre-kindergarten usually).  I call him the “Child Whisperer.”*  Whenever

The “Whispered Ah” – for Calmness, Muscle Relaxation and the Posture

I was recently reminded of an Alexander Technique known as the Whispered Ah – developed primarily for those in the performing arts [Josefsberg Breathing] [Dias WhisperedAh, p. 4] [Breaking WhisperedAh].   It is a very simple technique that initiates,

Shinsa (Promotional Exam) Resources

Here are resources on promotional grading in kendo referred to as shinsa (審査) and organized as follows:

Self-Inquiry and “Who Am I?” – Quotes and Resources

“Who am I?”  Poway, CA, Mar 2020.

This is a companion article to [KendoNotes_Awareness] on “awareness.”  It is a compilation of quotes and resources on an approach to awakening, heijoushin (平常心),