Skip to content
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Table of Contents
    • A Table of Contents (Map of All Articles)
    • Body Maintenance & Development
    • For Beginners, For Kids
    • For Higher Levels
      • How to Strike (a Hit or Ippon)
      • Seme
    • Mechanics
      • Fumikomi
      • Gripping the Shinai
    • Mind Management
      • Managing Habits
      • Meditation, Mindfulness
      • Mushin, Flow-State
      • Wisdom, Quotes
    • Shinsa/Shiai
    • Stories
    • External Sites and Articles
      • Translations by Imoto Sensei
      • External – English Books, Articles and Sites on Kendo
      • External – Videos
      • External – Japanese Articles and Sites on Kendo (日本語での議事などのリンク)

KendoNotes

To Help Develop the Mind and Body

Stories

A Story on Releasing Tension from the Shoulder to Produce Crisp Strikes

April 16, 2022April 18, 2022kiaiLeave a comment

I saw first hand this week the potency of releasing the tension in the shoulders for striking.

Continue reading →

Managing Habits, Stories

A Story on the Transformational Power of Kirikaeshi (切り返し)

March 20, 2022March 23, 2022kiaiLeave a comment

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to attend the early morning practices at the Tokyo Police keishicho (警視庁) tokuren (特練) dojo at Shinkiba (新木場) as a visitor.*  I remember the day that I first saw a new Continue reading →

For Beginners, For Kids, Stories

The Paradox of Efforting and Non-Efforting

July 18, 2021May 27, 2022kiai2 Comments

Here’s some stories related to the paradox of efforting (trying) and non-efforting (the absence of trying) in kendo and life.  On how efforting can sometimes lead to so called failure and how non-efforting, to unintended success.  It is also Continue reading →

Mushin, Flow-State, Stories

Progressive Relaxation: “Mother Knows Best”

December 27, 2020January 10, 2021kiai3 Comments

This is a short story serving as an introduction to Progressive Relaxation (also referred to as Progressive Muscle Relaxation) and a reminder of the adage:  “Mother knows best.” 

Continue reading →

Mushin, Flow-State, Stories

Han Seok-Bong (韓石峯) – Tenacity, Practice and a Tiger Mom

November 27, 2020November 28, 2020kiaiLeave a comment

My father loves telling stories from folklore and real life. One is about a famous Korean calligrapher named Han Seok-Bong (한석봉 韓石峯 1543~1605). Continue reading →

Stories

Mushotoku (無所得), “The Cat’s Martial Arts Assembly” and Path to 10th Dan ;-)

August 2, 2020October 11, 2020kiaiLeave a comment

During a discussion on meditation today, a person mentioned the term  “Mushotoku” (無所得) which I had never heard of before.  It refers to a state of “not seeking anything” Continue reading →

Mushin, Flow-State, Stories

Beginning Nito-ryu Kendo – An Experience Report

February 16, 2020February 17, 2020Patrick SchultheisLeave a comment

This is a guest article by Patrick Schultheis with the San Diego Kendo Bu and UCSD Iaido Club.

Continue reading →

Stories

Yamaoka Tesshu – the Swordsman, Calligrapher and Zen Teacher

January 14, 2020September 6, 2020kiaiLeave a comment

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 Continue reading →

StoriesCulture, Inspiration, Story

A Furry Three-Legged Trooper Named Duke and Heijoushin (平常心)

July 8, 2019November 3, 2019kiaiLeave a comment

Duke_Standing
The cool “Duke”.

I met and walked a three-legged dog named Duke with a friend a few evenings ago.  He is a cool “dude.”  He had lost Continue reading →

StoriesHeijoushin, Inspiration, Story, Suffering
Previous Articles

Categories

  • A Table of Contents (Map of All Articles) (1)
  • Body Maintenance & Development (13)
  • External Sites and Articles (5)
    • Translations by Imoto Sensei (1)
  • For Beginners, For Kids (14)
  • For Higher Levels (22)
    • How to Strike (a Hit or Ippon) (8)
    • Seme (14)
  • Mechanics (19)
    • Fumikomi (6)
    • Gripping the Shinai (7)
    • Techniques, Exercises (6)
  • Mind Management (51)
    • Managing Habits (13)
    • Meditation, Mindfulness (9)
    • Mushin, Flow-State (17)
    • Wisdom, Quotes (10)
  • Shinsa/Shiai (10)
  • Stories (15)

Recent Posts

  • Striking with the Legs and Near-Instant Hikitsuke (引き付け) for Sharp Strikes – Yamauchi Sensei
  • Sequential Breakdown of the Small Men-Uchi (小さい面打ち)
  • Games for Kids Big and Small Learning Kendo
  • A Story on Releasing Tension from the Shoulder to Produce Crisp Strikes
  • A Reminder to Myself: Chew, Chew, Chew, . . .
  • A Story on the Transformational Power of Kirikaeshi (切り返し)
  • Ten Habits for Health (健康十訓)
  • The Alexander Technique – Quotes and Resources
  • The Kensaki as a Floating Log (浮木)

Tags

Attention Awareness Beginners Body Development Body Maintenance Children Conditioning Consciousness Culture Death Eating Eiga Naoki Flow Footwork Fumikomi Getting Unstuck Grip Habits Hands Health Heijoushin Hikidasu Hikitsuke Inspiration Intuitive Eating John Yamamoto Kamae Kamei Toru Kiai Kids Kirikaeshi Kyudo Loss Massage Therapy Mechanics Meditation Mindfulness Mirror Mushin Nakaumura Sensei Open Focus Performance Posture Preparation Presence Programming Progresssive Relaxation Quotes Reflections Resource Resources Seeing Self-Inquiry Seme Setbacks Shiai Shikai Shinsa Slowing Down Sociology Soft Eyes Story Strike Opportunity Suffering Suri-Ashi Teachers Teaching Thesis Thinking Tips Transformation Translation Videos Waza Wisdom

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.
KendoNotes
Blog at WordPress.com.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • KendoNotes
    • Join 50 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • KendoNotes
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...