Brooklyn Shiai

Last Sunday was my third shiai. I won a medal again for my team match. I was on the B team at my dojo and the other team didn't show, so they forfeited the match. I bet we would have beat them anyway! But hey, showing up is half the battle.

Our dojo did awesome that day. Every one of the girls at my dojo won at least one medal and some won two. One of the girls that started around the same time as me got second place in the womens division.

This was the first time that the shiai in NYC had a woman's only division. Our dojo did really well! I heard that the president of the AEUSKF called our head sensei and congratulated him for the suberb teaching job!

Ah it's things like these- good friends, an awesome dojo and Sensei and just the love of NYC, that makes me not want to leave. Ok, its mostly that the kendo here is awesome and if I go to Japan to work or something, everyone at the kyu level will probably be kids and that would stink. It would be really hard to go all out with kids even if they are better than me. What if I trip and squish them? Then there is the whole teacher-student professional relationship that I'd like to maintain.

Ahh but I digress. The point is the shiai was AWESOME! Pure AWESOME! I only won one match (I really am starting to think it's psychological here...my mindset goes PHEW when I get to the second match and I start doubting myself). BUT next time I will do BETTER! YEAH! I bought a training shiai thing and have been practicing with it daily. I haven't been doing anything crazy like 50 suburi or anything (the training shinai is heavy) but I am working on correcting some technique things that I just need more practice with. You know, the stuff that Kendo Sensei's ALWAYS say and you never seem to remember to do because you're in the middle of keiko or your in the middle of trying to listen to what your sensei is telling you so you can't do the ten bizzilion and one things that he is always telling you and and...? Those things. Simple stuff.

Ok I watch TV while I do suburi. Slowly. Because the thing is heavy. However, I am actually doing it and I'm doing it just because. I also like that the thing I bought is two handed and that it doesn't smack my ceiling whenever I lift it. I hope it doesn't make me slower but if I tried hya-suburi with it I'd probably break my arms off.

I think I am rambling so that's it for now.