Jodan
This blog is also to allow for me to discuss some of the issues I have with Jodan no kamae and other technical applications to kendo. Most importantly to me is the ability to write about teaching kendo and the challenges and pleasures involved with doing so. To begin, I was taught the basics of jodan from my sensei when I was sho-dan and then put them aside for a long period of time. After gaining success with chudan, and after founding the club, I began to reconsider the kamae. When I attained san-dan I began to work on it myself and have been only using the kamae ever since. I have now reached yon-dan and am fairly comfortable with jodan but still feel like a beginner with the kamae. The biggest issue for me in all of my kendo has been maai. I constantly strive to develop the proper maai for myself. To me jodan changed this drastically. The beginning of my jodan career also found me rethinking all of the aspects of my kendo and my life. I strongly believe that my sensei guided me down the proper path and that this is the way for me. This is just the start to the many discussion based on jodan kamae that will appear in this blog along with discussions on eastern kendo. If anyone is reading this, cheers!
posted by eric | 3:40 PM
1 Comments:
Hello! I have researching plenty about jodan and found this blog in the process. It seems that it was written a couple years back, but I hope that I am not late to have a reply.
So, I wish to start jodan. I do not have an injury of any type (a common reason to start), but I do have a couple of strong reasons to start learning this particular kamae. The first of them emerged in me as I studied the concept of Fudoshin. Due to studying Fudoshin, I learned about the Fudo kami (Acala), and his importance as a symbol of self control and strong will. I found in that deity some inspiration to start a process of somehow depuration. Since the habits which I wish to get rid of are very deeply rooted, I know that it will be a challenging process. I want this process of change in my life to go along with my learning of jodan, as to have this two aspects of my life working and reinforcing each other.
Another reason is that my girlfriend is injured pretty badly from her feet. She was thinking about leaving kendo because of this, but we both have a hope of her to continue kendo through jodan. I wish to learn so I can help her do as well.
So this is why I start jodan. I am shodan, and that might be too early to start. But my jodan will not replace chudan, I shall just practice a little every day until maybe someday I decide to stay with it or not.
My greatest problem is that I do not have a sensei to teach me. I do have a very advanced sempai who has studied jodan himself plenty, but doesn't do keiko in that kamae often, even if you ask him to.
You learned the basics of jodan as a shodan, right? After time passed and you took on jodan again, who taught you? Did you find another sensei to guide you? The same one did? I would like to see how possible it is to get on jodan by watching videos and reading, but with little guidance from people around me. Something encouraging is that I am somewhat strong and tall, so perhaps it is good for me to try jodan.
Well, hope to hear from you sometime!
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