Do I have to be a Melbourne University student to join the club? |
| No. The club is open to all people, students and non-students are welcome.
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Do I have to buy a shinai (bamboo sword)? |
| Members are expected to buy a shinai after about 3-4 weeks. The club sells standard shinai for $35.
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Do I have to buy keiko-gi (practice jacket) and hakama (pleated pants)? |
| Members are expected to buy a keiko-gi and hakama after about 2-3 months. The appropriate clothing is compulsory at gradings and competitions.
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Do I have to buy a set of bogu (armour)? |
| The club has a limited number of sets of bogu, which members are able to borrow during training. The number of members training will determine whether a set is available. We will try to ensure that all members get an opportunity to train in full armour, but this cannot be guaranteed at every training. Kendo Bogu has become very affordable over the past few years. A basic set can be purchased for $500 from a supplier. We encourage members to purchase their own set after a year or two of training.
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When do I get to wear bogu? |
| After the beginners' course is completed Sensei will decide when beginners may start wearing armour. You begin wearing Do and Tare (torso and hip armour), and then progress to Kote (gloves) and Men (helmet). If you train regularly you can expect to be wearing full armour after around 3 months.
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Do I have to attend every session of the Beginners' Course? |
| It is strongly encouraged that you attend every session of the Beginners' Course. New techniques are learnt in every session and your progress will be hindered if you can't make most of them. Of course, work and study commitments should be prioritized and if you have to miss one or two, it is usually okay.
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What if I can't make training on time or need to leave early? |
| It is in your interest to arrive at training by the scheduled starting times and stay for the full 2 hours. Due to work or class commitments this is sometimes not possible. In those cases just arrive as soon as you can. There is probably not a great deal of value in attending if you can only train for less than 1 hour.
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Can I come watch the training to see if I want to join? |
| If you can attend the Beginners' Course we recommend that you join in from the start, rather than just watching. If you have done Kendo elsewhere and would like to see what our training is like, you are welcome to watch as well as talk to our members before or after training.
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When can I start competing? |
| The first 'official' competition where beginners can compete will be the UMKC Club Championships near the end of the year.
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How does the grading system work? |
| Kendo grades begin at 6th Kyu through until 1st Kyu. Dan grades can be considered similar to a 'black belt' and begin at 1st Dan until 8th Dan. A grade of 5th Dan and above is considered Sensei. You can attempt 2 Kyu gradings a year. For higher grades, a certain number of years must have passed since your last grading.
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When and where are gradings held? |
Up until 3rd Dan, gradings are usually held at the Kenshikan Dojo, in West Melbourne.
Two gradings are held each year, check the Events Calendar for dates and other information. |
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When can I go for my first grading? |
| Those who complete the Beginners' Course and train regularly will be able to attempt their 6th Kyu grading in September.
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Can I train at other dojos? |
Members of UMKC are also members of the Victorian Kendo Renmei (VKR). As such members are generally welcome to train at other dojos as listed on the VKR site. However, members will first need to gain approval from Sensei. A member would usually need to have been training with UMKC for at least 6 months and have their own bogu before training at other dojos.
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Is UMKC related to the Australian Kendo Dojos (AKD)? |
| UMKC is affiliated with the VKR and the Australian Kendo Renmei (AKR). These organisations are affiliated with the International Kendo Federation (IKF) and recognized by the All-Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF). The Australian Kendo Dojos (AKD) is a separate organisation and is not affiliated or related to any of the above listed organisations. Former members of the AKD are welcome to join an AKR club, but must understand that their grade may not be recognized by the AKR.
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Do you have many Japanese people in your club? |
| Throughout the year we have a number of Japanese exchange students and visitors who practice Kendo in Japan training with the club.
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Do you speak Japanese in the club? Does it help if you know Japanese? |
| Many basic commands and terms are in Japanese. Knowledge of the language is not assumed but is certainly helpful.
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Do you ever have Sensei (teacher) from Japan visiting? |
| The VKR has established a number of relationships with various Japanese Sensei. In the past few years, 2 or 3 Sensei (often 8th Dan) have visited Australia and conducted training seminars. The Tokyo Sports University (Nittaidai) has also visited Melbourne each year for a number of years. Joint training sessions are usually held with around 40 Kendo Students from Nittaidai.
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Do you have a training camp? |
In the past few years, a 2-day training camp has been held in Ballarat, usually in early May. This is open to all members. Visit the forum for more details.
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Does it help if I've done other martial arts? |
| Certain skills, abilities and techniques may help with Kendo. However, everyone is expected to complete the course unless they have done Kendo before, in which case they will need to talk to Sensei.
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