Kodokan Kendo Dojo

The Dojo

Dojo is the Japanese word that means training hall or "place of the way". Originally in Japan, this place was part of a shrine or a large annexe to the house of the guiding teacher. For this reason it is customary when entering the dojo to bow in the direction of the joseki, generally a small shrine or banner.

Sensei
Sensei means teacher and is used as respectful form of address for instructors and Kendoka of very high rank. They generally sit on the joseki side. Whatever he/she says overrules any other prescribed regulations. It is for this reason that when visiting another dojo it is courteous and part of customary etiquette to follow the directions of the sensei regardless of what you have been told somewhere else. This does not infringe upon your rights and beliefs, indeed you are considered as one of his/her guests.

Sempai
Sempai generally indicates the senior member who sits first in the line opposite to the teacher. You should always be listening for what he/she says as he often shouts out most of the commands. In reality sempai means "senior/elder" and indicates anybody with more experience than you. You will be kohai (junior) to some people and sempai to others. This apparently rigid hierarchy is often misunderstood and some people take advantage of it to dominate others. These individuals show very little understanding of kendo and command very little respect from the kendo community. To be sempai does not mean you command automatic respect, but places great responsibilities upon you and requires patience, maturity, knowledge and discipline. Indeed the sempai is a leading example, he is required to show the basics and it is his duty to take care of the kohai and their safety. Therefore, if you feel you can learn from somebody sit further away from the joseki than him or her as a pure form of respect, they will not fail to notice and soon they will pay particular attention to you. The sooner you start to respect others the greater will be your achievements.

Kohai
As already mentioned kohai is anybody with less experience than you, literally it means " junior." Please help anybody who seeks your attention, not with the manner of someone who knows more and arrogantly lectures, but as an example, with the simplicity and modesty of one who is passing on some knowledge he acquired through real work, hardship and strife. Remember, however high in grade you will be one day, there will always be someone higher than you. It shows good disposition and attitude to behave as a learner on any occasion.

Reigi-saho (Etiquette)

Etiquette in the dojo is not designed to give airs and graces to senior members. Nor it is designed to contribute to the mystique of the martial arts. Etiquette is common sense, discipline and manners on the whole, and is an integral requirement for self-awareness and development. If the procedures outlined below are not conducted with the reverence they require and deserve, you cannot hope to gain respect by your actions.

A Kendoka should:
1] Bow respectfully when entering or leaving the dojo. Bow from the waist. placing hands on the front of the thighs, eyes looking to the floor, facing joseki.
2] Enter the dojo with bare feet. Place personal belongings in a neat pile where one is advised and check equipment thoroughly.
3] If one is late, request permission to join the practice to the senior member in charge, rei in seiza and warm up before joining the session. Similarly if you have to be excused before the end of the practise. However these should be rare occasions. A zarei (bow from sitting position) is performed if the sensei is in seiza position, ritsurei (standing bow) if sensei is standing.
4] Do not allow your attention to wander during instruction. Do not chat with other students. Make the most of every practice.
5] Stand in shimoza (opposite of joseki), holding the shinai in yasume or rest position when in line waiting for your turn or when a senior grade is instructing.
6] It is customary etiquette to walk behind a Kendoka wearing armour and standing in position. If for any reason the contrary is unavoidable stretch your right arm in front of you, bow slightly and excuse yourself while passing.
7] While in seiza you are instructed:
"men (wo) tsuke" have your men and kote on before your sensei.
"men (wo) tore" wait for the sensei to take off his men and kote before you do. Remember if you are slow everyone will have to wait for you to finish.
8] If at any time you wish to take off your men and kote while practising, request permission from the sensei first.
9] While instruction is being given by the sempai or visiting teachers, do not contradict or be uncooperative.
10] After final rei, if you wish to give special thanks to your opponent, a senior member or the sensei, do not shout from position, but rise to your feet, walk to the person, sit in seiza and rei.
11] Generally shoshinsha (beginner) or Kendoka of lower rank will sit or stand opposite the yudansha or to their left. The senior of the two will take the joseki side. A Kendoka should rei to this opponent or teacher before and at the end of each practice.
12] Never sit or rest without permission. Do not lean against the wall or on a shinai, using it as a cane. The shinai represents your sword, be proud of it and handle it as a precious possession. Also do not smoke in the dojo, or wear a hat, or speak loudly, or use abusive language.
13] Never step on or hit a shinai, the men or the kote with your feet when placed next to a seated Kendoka but treat them with respect.
14] Never touch part of the bogu or equipment of another Kendoka unless requested or invited to do so.
15] Help your fellow fencers before and after the practice. Assist in the cleaning of the dojo.
16] Always bow respectfully to your opponent and to the joseki before and after a keiko or a shiai contest. It is customary etiquette to say loudly and clearly, "onegaishimasu" while bowing before engaging for practise and "arigato gozaimashita" at the final bow.
17] If your armour becomes loose or untied, raise your right arm to signal you need to stop, after you do osame to, return to your position or to the closest available place to the entrance, re-tie your armour, then start again with a standing bow. It is important that during this operation you do not obstruct other people around you causing delay or worse be a hazard to them. Always place safety first.
18] Make the most of the opportunity by practising, whenever possible, with higher ranks than yourself, and never allow a yudansha to stand idle.
19] To the samurai their katana was their most valuable possession. In a similar fashion you must treat your shinai or bokuto with respect. Whenever you leave your shinai make sure it is out of the way, where others cannot stumble over or step on it. If it rests against the wall make sure it is turned upside down.
20] Shotachi is the first strike. When fighting with a senior Kendoka it is good etiquette to strike first. This allows the senior person to appraise your level and cater for your needs. Never waste your Shotachi, but strike positively from issoku-itto-no-maai with a loud kiai, positive Kamae and a careful and accurate strike.
21] Last but not least, remember to use correct reigi (etiquette) and shisei (attitude) all through the practice wherever you are, and exhibit some kigurai (pride). All this shows what you are made of and the club where you have been training will gain in lustre.

Personal Attention

Your own person and your equipment should be always be kept clean; mainly as a form of respect towards your teacher and your fellow Kendoka.

1] Toenails should be clipped for neatness and safety's sake
2] Jewellery should be removed and long hair tied back before the practice starts
3] Maximum care should be given to your own equipment. The keikogi should be washed often and a minimum of two are recommended for rotation. The hakama should be washed as often as necessary. Both should be hand washed in cold water to avoid excessive fading, discolouring and fabric wear. These garments should be pressed and always worn with pride about their appearance
4] Any trace of sweat should be promptly wiped out from the inside of your men and kote at the end of every session; while at home the entire Bogu should be opened up and placed in an airy place to dry
5] One aspect of cleanliness is also achieved in looking after one's body. Hands and feet play a very important part in your everyday training. Look after them; use cream to soften them up and to avoid dry skin and calluses.
6] If your Achilles, heels , elbows or other parts of your body ache stop training until they are back to normal. Look into the cause(s) with other senior members and try to solve them. It is better to come to keiko to watch (mitorigeiko) than not attend at all.

An unclean Kendoka indicates slackness and lack of discipline and self respect - for others as well as yourself.

Dogu

The word "Dogu" means equipment (gu) for use on the way (do). Kendo-gu is also an acceptable term.

What follows is a description of the equipment used in the study of Kendo - the buki, dogi, and bogu.

** Section not completed for Manual v1.1 **
Still to add Bokuto/Kodachi, Dogi, and Bogu sections

Buki - Shinai

In ancient Japan a Samurai’s most valued possession was his sword, handed down from one generation to the next. A Samurai’s sword was all that stood between him and death. Naturally a Samurai would spend a great deal of time and effort ensuring that his sword was maintained to a faultless condition.

Nowadays, as then, it is important to maintain your weapons. A damaged shinai can cause serious injuries. It is a mark of respect (and good etiquette) to other Kendoka and your club to ensure your weapons are safe at all times. This is a guide designed to help the owner of a shiny new shinai prepare it for use in the dojo. Shinai are usually not ready for immediate use

First, a note on safety. When handling shinai be aware of the risk of splinters. Bamboo splinters are particularly unpleasant. Also when using sharp implements always work away from your body.

Take (bamboo Staves)

The first thing to do is to remove the shipping ties from the shinai. These are usually red or gold bits of thread tied around the shinai to prevent damage in transit.

After this has been done the next part is to dismantle the shinai to its component parts. Undo the Tsuru (string) at the Tsukagawa (Hilt) making sure you only untie the Tsuru at this point not the leather knots. Once the Tsuru is untied you can now remove the Tsukagawa. Once done mark up the base of the Take so you know how to reassemble the Take. The Nakayui (centre leather) and Sakigawa (Tip) can now be removed being careful not to lose the Sakishin (A Plastic / Rubber spacer used to keep the Take separated at the end.) The take can now be dismantled into the four staves, again being careful not to lose the (Chigiri) (metal square) This little square helps keep the take in alignment when re-assembling.

If you (carefully) feel the edge of a take, you should feel a sharp edge. This should be removed so the take can move smoothly against each other when a strike occurs. If this ridge were left in place it would encourage splinters. It can also cause a shinai to ‘Jam’ in position instead of deform when striking the target. This sanding will prevent longitudinal cracking i.e. splinters.

A Shinai when being constructed seasons for at least a year before sale. This means the bamboo is dried and relatively inflexible. If used this can cause transverse i.e. crosswise cracking. In order to prevent this the bamboo needs to be oiled to make it more supple. Any type of oil can be used, personally I use light machine oil (or gun oil without blueing) although you can use vegetable oil if required. First rub in the chosen oil into the take both inside and outside. Once all four Take have been rubbed down place the Take in an out of the way area. And pour some oil into the concave surface of the Take. Leave overnight. The next day rub in any remaining oil and re-fill the hollow. If you are using a heavy oil like mazola let the Take soak for three days only. Oversoaking with heavy oil can make your shinai heavy and soggy, plus they are not very pleasant to be hit with. Light oils like machine oil can soak up to five days. Over soaking with light oils is not as much of a problem as with heavy oil. A rule of thumb is when the Take stops absorbing oil, it’s done. (This can vary depend on the oil used.)

Now the Take have been oiled it’s time for the fun bit - assembling and re-tying all those complicated knots. But first another word of warning. Some components’s come from the manufacturers with incorrect knots so you need to check they are assembled correctly. The first part is the Sakigawa (Kensen or Tip)

Sakigawa

Look at the picture above. If your Sakigawa looks like the second one it is incorrect and will need to be re-tied. This is easily fixed…. Untie the knot and thread it around as indicated in the follow images, Leaving enough loose to tie the knot shown in the second picture.

Nakayui

If your Nakayui looks like anything except this Figure… its wrong. Take it off.

Tie a knot about 2 centimetres (or 8/10 ths of an inch) down from the first knuckle in the take. Attach the nakayui as Shown in the following pictures.

Wrap around as shown and finish by tying as shown. It is usually easier to tie the Nakayui when the Tsuru is taut. Try it and see which you find easier.

Tsukagawa

Pull the tsukagawa onto the tsuka (hilt). You may need a rubber glove or similar to get a firm grip. Make sure the tsukagawa is on firmly as if it isn’t you’ll have to retie the Tsuru. If you are fitting a new Tsuru the knot should look like the first image about 10 cm from the leather loop of the tsukagawa. Thread the Tsuru as shown in the follow images. Pull taut. When fully tensioned the Tsuru should not be able to be pulled past the side of the Shinai. The tsuru should follow a straight line from Tsukagawa to Sakigawa, the Nakayui should not cause a ‘kink’.

> Maintenance

Without maintenance your Shinai will break, costing money to replace and possible injury if it is continued to be used. In order to prevent this here is what you can do:
·         Sand out dents and impact marks from the take
·         Get into the habit of inspecting Shinai before, during and after each class. Small splinters can be sanded out. Larger splinters and most cracks should not be repaired. Ask if you are unsure. If unrepairable, dismantle the Shinai, discard the broken Take and keep the remainder for future repairs
·         If you are practising regularly you should have more than one shinai at practise. Use all of them in rotation to avoid overuse. I would advise having three good shinai available at all times
·         Oil the Take regularly
·         Every couple of classes (Or every class if you are a heavy hitter) lossen the tsukagawa and rotate all the fittings clockwise to distribute wear even over the suface of your shinai
·         Try to develop a light touch with the shinai, don’t try to break it over a fellow kendokas head. This causes heavy wear on Shinai’s (and heads).

As always the best way to learn is by doing. If you have a problem with any of the knots ask your sempai.