Sensei’s Blog

I love when students bow and tell their teachers how great they are! And yet they will not pay their PSO dues on time! These dues usually cover the insurances that protect Sensei and Dojo/Club from Civil suits! They also provide statistical numbers which give individual clubs more political clout when decisions are being made … Continue reading Sensei Rant- 15 Feb 2015

When the opponent attacks with his sword at close distance, it is possible to knock it away with your own sword, to parry or to hit. The impact as opportunity means that this knocking away, parrying or hitting should be seen as an opportunity to a subsequent strike. All counter measures are intended to strike … Continue reading Sanjogokajo-27 The impact as opportunity – Feb 14, 2014, Kim Taylor, Renshi, CI Sei Do Kai Guelph ON, Nanadan

If we can become settled, or perhaps resigned, in ourselves to being without constant technical supervision from our sensei (and let's face it, after 5 or 10 years our sensei isn't on our backs constantly anyway, we're lucky if we get a correction once a month, the rest of the time he's looking at those … Continue reading Distance Education – 3 – Feb 12, 2015, Kim Taylor, Renshi, CI Sei Do Kai Guelph ON, Nanadan

The perception of the situation teaches that you should perceive the actual situation exactly, that is to say the condition of the location as well as that of the opponent, whether he is high or low, deep or shallow, strong or weak. The teaching of the thread and yardstick should be continuously applied during the … Continue reading Sanjugokajo-24 The perception of the situation – Feb 11, 2015, Kim Taylor, Renshi, CI Sei Do Kai Guelph ON, Nanadan

You should look inside your opponent and feel the weaknesses of his spirit. He can retreat inside a house, fight against a large number of opponents, or confront an expert of the martial arts. As long as you do not see through the weaknesses, you may often confuse his weaknesses with strengths. You may see … Continue reading Sanjugokajo-25 Becoming your opponent – Feb 12, 2015, Kim Taylor, Renshi, CI Sei Do Kai Guelph ON, Nanadan

Holding back the spirit (“Zan-shin”) or letting go the spirit (“Ho-shin”) should be used appropriately according to the existing objective as well as the temporal circumstances. Whilst holding the sword you should usually let go the outer spirit (“I-no-kokoro”) and hold back the inner spirit (“Shin-no-kokoro”). But in the moment when you strike the opponent … Continue reading Sanjugokajo-26 Holding back and letting go the spirit – Feb 13, 2015, Kim Taylor, Renshi, CI Sei Do Kai Guelph ON, Nanadan

I was never lucky enough to be next door to an iai or jo dojo, the best I ever got was a couple hours trip once a week which was better than most at that time. I did have my various "empty hand" things at the University, including three times a week at Aikido where … Continue reading Distance learning – Feb 12, 2015, Kim Taylor, Renshi, CI Sei Do Kai Guelph ON, Nanadan

Instructors who are teaching far from their sensei, or who have lost their sensei tend to have some issues with legitimacy. Are they ready to teach on their own? Are they good enough? Should they be seeking out other sensei if they can find them? On that last, of course they should, but it's not … Continue reading Distance Education – 2 – Feb 12, 2015, Kim Taylor, Renshi, CI Sei Do Kai Guelph ON, Nanadan

Holding down the pillow is the teaching of perceiving the signs of your opponent’s intention to strike and thereby suppressing the head of the strike, that is to say before the movement begins, with a free bearing of the void and reducing it to nothing. You should suppress the head with your spirit, with your … Continue reading Sanjugokajo-23 Holding down the pillow – Feb 10, 2015, Kim Taylor, Renshi, CI Sei Do Kai Guelph ON, Nanadan

Whether fast or slow your opponent always moves in a particular rhythm. The perception of the gap in the rhythm means to see through the gap in your opponent’s rhythm, or to cause it and then use your own effective rhythm to attack him. If an opponent has a slow spirit, you should at close … Continue reading Sanjugokajo-22 The perception of the gap in the rhythms – Feb 9, 2015, Kim Taylor, Renshi, CI Sei Do Kai Guelph ON, Nanadan