First Impressions of Kendo
I started Kendo initially because it looked like a version of fencing with a Japanese background to it. The idea of developing your skills to ultimately face an opponent in armour appealed to me and so I decided to try it out for a month or so to see if I really liked it.
Boy was I pleasantly surprised! Kendo offered me a lot more than just competing against others in that it has such a rich culture behind it. I realized that the main focus was that of developing one’s character by continually applying mental and physical discipline in everything you do. Kendo has a way of placing you somewhat out of your comfort zone but in such a way as to encourage you to better yourself. This helped me a lot to develop confidence in myself as a person.
This one month “try-out” turned into a journey of almost a year now that was both challenging yet so rewarding. There is always something new to learn in the way of the sword and that is what keeps bringing me back.
