1st post

I have so much to say that I thought a lot about my first topic. I don’t want to start this blog with the question “Being a woman in kendo” or something like that because I don’t want this to turn into a segregation blog between kenshi women and men. To me, when practicing kendo we are all in the same boat. All of us strive for continuous improvement. Obviously that there are differences between men and women, just like there are differences between men and between women. Every human being is unique.

So, my first topic will be about little things kendo is showing me slowly. 

How did I find kendo? One of my senpai use to say that kendo found me :). To tell you the truth, I’ve always loved the asian culture, particularly the japanese culture, but kendo was completely unknown to me. I was never an athletic person and I have some health issues. My doctor said that I should try Yoga or Tai Chi. I didn’t dislike the idea but it wasn’t interesting enough for me, either... So, I decided to look for something that always intrigued me on google. I remember I googled this words: “Martial arts with weapons” and the first result was the link to the page of the nearest kendo club (wich, by the way, is far from my home :)). I decided to try it and I was fascinated by the rigor, the discipline and the constant striving for perfection that kendo demands. At that moment I thought: “This is something that I can do for the rest of my life; this is something for which I’m willing to sacrifice myself.”. And that’s how I began to do kendo.  (I’m sorry if I disappointed you but there is no romance behind my motivations for kendo - all the passion I feel for it was only raised by the experience I had).

But, how did this affect my life till now? Well, I can say that I’m a little anxious and perfectionist. Thus, sometimes I get really frustrated when I realize that I can’t achieve excellent results quick. However, this is getting better since i started kendo practice. I find myself everyday thinking about the long road I have to walk and I get surprised by the fact that doesn’t seem to bother me (I think I’m becoming more patient). This is why kendo is a life style and not a sport - it is a constant learning and improvement of yourself as a kendoka and as a person. Everyday I remember there are to many things to learn. Due to this, I’m learning to deal with frustration, stress and pressure. I’m not aiming to be perfect anymore - Perfection doesn’t exist. Now, I just want to improve myself a little everyday. That’s it! And I love how simple it is (despite the fact that it is hard).

Every practice is a mixture of satisfaction and frustration. This is constantly happening and leads me to accept that things aren’t always like we would like them to be. But if I give up, then things won’t even come close to that. This tells me that the really important thing is to never give up. Ever!

I feel I’m progressively becoming more tolerant and motivated, and less anxious. I still have a long way to go but I will get there. One thing I’m sure about: with kendo practice I’ve won a new smile. A stronger and more confident smile. A smile capable of accepting new challenges! 

I know that I’m such a newbie! In fact, who am I to talk about kendo? No one. But this is the way I see it now.