On myself.

I’m on my martial journey.

I studied kendo for 12 years and stopped training because I wanted to learn about other martial arts (grappling, striking, etc). Even though I was a yon-dan kendoka, it didn’t feel appropriate to call myself a martial artist. A martial artist should be able to defend themselves and unfortunately, despite being a fourth-degree black belt, if I didn’t have a bamboo sword, my chances of defending myself were very slim. And so I stopped training Kendo. There were other reasons too, but wanting to understand how to defend myself was a big reason for my martial journey, my musha shugyo. Perhaps when I’m fifty and my body is not apt for the strenuous training of Jiu-Jitsu, Kung Fu, and Muay Thai, I might return to Kendo, but until then, I’m willing to learn the beauty of these arts and understand how and when to apply each.

Why start this blog? I’ve blogged before when I was training Kendo. No one read it, but it was a way for me to record the lessons I learned and also to capture a moment in time. This time around, I want to share my experiences, specifically how martial arts have helped me grow as a human being. Whereas my blogs from before were personal, this blog aims to be beneficial to anyone interested in reading. Most of my writing will be heavily based on kendo concepts, as it’s my main art, and there will be many Japanese terminology and martial theories. But at its core, most (if not all) martial arts are the same; the appearance, the tools, and origins might be different but at its heart, all martial arts share many similarities. I plan to share what I have learned, my observations, and my thoughts. I am in no way a master, sensei, sifu, or even a coach. I hope that no one interprets this blog as some form of authority. I’m not trying to be one. Rather, see this blog as a place for discussion and growth. I welcome any constructive feedback and criticism. If you think I should try a certain martial art or if you have a certain way to do a certain technique, by all means, share it with me and I might just take you up on it.

This has been a brief introduction to who I am. A quick recap: I was a kendo 4th dan (emphasis on was because I haven’t held a shinai since 2018), currently a blue belt in Jiu-jitsu and a blue belt in Long Fist Kung Fu. I also dabble in Muay Thai but there aren’t any promotional belts in that art. I wouldn’t be a true kenshi (swordsman) if I didn’t dabble in Iaido (Seitei and Toyama Ryu). Feel free to ask me anything regarding my training and my thoughts on my training. I would also love to learn more about you. Please comment to share about yourself and your thoughts.