Ted Pin (8/14/2008)
GilaMonster (8/14/2008)
I tried Kendo for a bit, didn't really enjoy it. Too much focus on point scoring and competition and that's not what I look for in martial arts. I'd love to do kenjitsu, but the only instructor in the country is over a thousand km awayYes, I think you're right; the stopping of rounds each time a point is scored is one reason I hesitated to join kendo. For me, it breaks the flow of the fighting situation.
You went to the wrong dojo then. While competition is a part of kendo, it's not the be all and end all (and dojo should not be encouraging it as such). I've been practicing kendo for about 7 years and while our dojo competes in shiai (competitions) we only concentrate on shiai techniques for about a month leading up to the competition. Our dojo's main focus (and indeed for the other dojo in NZ) is on good technique. It doesn't matter if you get hit by your opponent - that just means you have to refine your technique, improve your focus.
Remember the concept of kendo: A way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the katana.
There's a lot more to it than competition.
Plug: Check out http://www.kendo-world.com. It's a good English language resource for people into kendo, some good books available. My only affiliation with it is I'm a subscriber to their magazine and the editor is a kiwi bloke who used to run the Christchurch dojo.
MARCUS. Why dost thou laugh? It fits not with this hour.
TITUS. Why, I have not another tear to shed;
--Titus Andronicus, William Shakespeare