Chambara: A game that kids play with a toy sword or a stick pretending to be their favorite heroes usually samurai heroes or "Super Sentai" heroes.
There is a spots chambara now. The kids' chambara has become more organized and systematized for a sport.
I have no opposition for kids playing chambara or people enjoying sports chambara at all.
I personally enjoyed chambara as a kid and I am interested in sports chambara. I think sports chambara is a great way to have a fun.
What makes kendo different from them?
Please take a moment to think about
it.
I think kendo is fun. And I enjoy it very much. Kendo does have rules and regulations. Well, I have my own rules in jigeiko...(Smile). So when I think about it,
the difference would be...
Commitment
Do you commit yourself into your strike?
Of course, players of sports chambara also have commitment into their blow. But because of the nature of their sport, they do not have to have Ki-Ken-Tai Icchi like
kendo.
Their body can stay behind to avoid a cut from their opponent while they are executing their cut.
In kendo, your body has to come forward. So you cannot just reach out with only hands and hit your opponent.
That is why we always have a risk of getting stabbed in our throat when striking our opponent's men.
Commitment is to show "Determination"
If you think about the old days, when you execute your cut, you are going into a moment of "dead or alive". Probably before you know, you would stay alive or lay down on the ground not breathing.
So when you execute your technique, you'd have to have
determination of "I've done everything I could do so I have no regret even if I could not survive this
battle".
This is kendo. This is we called, seisei dodo, the attitude of fighting fair and square.
People are afraid of getting stabbed when they are striking men. I understand that. I have been there and done that.
But you have to overcome this fear. You decided to execute a cut so complete it no matter what happens.
In our daily life, we have to be very careful because your mistake can cause a major trouble in your company or
family.
That is why you have to TRAIN yourself to make a DETERMINATION and COMMIT to it. TRUST yourself and COMPLETE what you have started, i.e. your cut in
kendo.
This will help you to true yourself and make a determination, commit yourself into what you have decided to do and complete it.
In kendo, we do not die. That is why we can learn how to commit ourselves. We can try again and again to overcome our fear and become stronger.
And we will become wiser so we can make a wise determination and commit ourselves more and complete it for a better result.
That is why kendo will help us to deal with our daily life.
So do not stop your strike in a half way through. You should complete what you have started in kendo. If you are afraid, overcome the fear!
Let's Do It!!!
