I want to share to you guys my activities during my long hiatus :/ Aside from being so busy at work and being a full-time student again ;-) , I still managed to join Cheerleading Competitions and Kendo training before >_<.
Let me start with Kendo - Japanese Martial Arts...
Attention! Photos overload XD
-~credits to the owners of the photos :) all in all i grab these photos from our fanpage site that has been tagged to us from the owners :)
Let me start with Kendo - Japanese Martial Arts...
Attention! Photos overload XD
-~credits to the owners of the photos :) all in all i grab these photos from our fanpage site that has been tagged to us from the owners :)
-What is Kendo?
~Kendo - Japanese Martial Arts~
"Kendo (剣道 kendō?, lit. "way of the sword"), is a modern Japanese martial art, which descended fromswordsmanship (kenjutsu) and uses bamboo swords (shinai) and protective armour (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and many other nations across the world.
Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines martial arts practices and values with sport-like strenuous physical activity. (source: Wikipedia)"
Find ME!! :P lol
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I'll be sharing about Davao Kendo Club in this section :)
The journey ;)
The journey ;)
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| Logo made by Rikki Reyes-Senpai (Kendoka from Igaken Manila) |
-Natal Day ;)
Davao Kendo Club started nothing but an idea. That idea came to reality through the effort and persistence of the pioneer students Engr. Johnny Teofilo Lardera, Jasper John Teofilo Lardera and Janilyn Fe Teofilo Lardera (it's me!).
On May 31, 2014, Davao Kendo Club started practicing Kendo with a small group of kendokas (practitioners of Kendo) at Planet Infinity Gym, Damosa, Davao City. A few months later, there were new members added to the 'pioneering students' but never exceeded to five members.
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| Click here to visit: Davao Kendo Official Website |
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| with my brothers. The youngest and the eldest bro |
Siblings :)
Sensei: Philip Lim
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Jasper, Me, Philip Lim-Sensei and
Jercyl Lerin (new member)
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We are so blessed to have 3rd Dan Philip Lim as our instructor. He is a Korean businessman from Manila and currently living in Davao City (a city where I'm residing in :D ). We cannot establish Kendo Club without Philip Lim-sensei as he's the only person we've known who are currently residing in Davao City and is eligible to teach Kendo. Philip Lim is a kind, supportive and generous man. He's doing all that he could to teach us. He even let us use his gears in Kendo in order for us to learn while waiting for our gears that we ordered online to arrive here all the way from Japan. He is our main/prime Kendo teacher in the club.
Matsuda Kazuya-Senpai
On the month of April year 2015, 3rd Dan Matsuda Kazuya-Senpai, a Japanese businessman residing here in Davao City joined Kendo and is also devoting his time sharing his skills and knowledge in Kendo with us. He's been referred and informed by Ono-Sensei about the flourishing Davao Kendo Club. After a series of invitation emails convincing him to be part of the Club, he had finally accepted the invitation. Thanks! :) We are so glad that we have another teacher in our club!
There were teachers who devoted their time to share their knowledge and skills to
Nobou Ito-Senpai
Masahiro Ono-Sensei
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| with Matsuda Kazuya-Senpai and 7th Dan Naoko Morishima-Sensei |
Matsuda Kazuya-Senpai
On the month of April year 2015, 3rd Dan Matsuda Kazuya-Senpai, a Japanese businessman residing here in Davao City joined Kendo and is also devoting his time sharing his skills and knowledge in Kendo with us. He's been referred and informed by Ono-Sensei about the flourishing Davao Kendo Club. After a series of invitation emails convincing him to be part of the Club, he had finally accepted the invitation. Thanks! :) We are so glad that we have another teacher in our club!
There were teachers who devoted their time to share their knowledge and skills to
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| 3rd person on the first row from the left side - Nobou Ito-Senpai. 4th person on the second row from the left side -Nell Jone Astudillo (Bushido master) |
3rd Dan Nobou Ito-Senpai is a Japanese businessman residing in Davao City for many years. Ito-Senpai focused on teaching the basics of Kendo. Unfortunately, because of health conditions, he wasn't able to pursue his desire to teach us Kendo. We are still grateful that somehow, we got to be taught by him and learned a lot from him. :)
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| with Masahiro Ono-Sensei, and Philip Lim-Sensei and student Martin |
Masahiro Ono-Sensei
On November 22, 2014, 6th Dan Masahiro Ono-Sensei, a Japanese based in Manila Kendo Club happened to have a business trip in the City, freed his time to visit and teach Kendo in the Club.
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| With Ono-Sensei together with the second batch. |
-No Permanent Dojo and Only a Few Kendokas were Active
We've been practicing once per week in different dojos around our city. We didn't have permanent dojo during those times due to unsuitable flooring (the floor should be made of wood), expensive hourly rates AND only a few of us paying the high amount of rental fee which made it feel so expensive O_o. There were only me, my two brothers and two of my brother's friends who actively participated in the first training.
First photo of our first Kendo class with Lim-Sensei and the first 5 students.
-Didn't Have Own Equipment
(Bogu Gears, Shinais and Gi & Hakama)
We started practicing Kendo without having our own Bogu gears (Kendo terms for body gears), shinais (bamboo swords) and even Keiko-gi/Hakama (uniform). Kendo gears, shinais, and even the uniforms are really expensive. These need to be ordered from Japan and of course, there's a tax that needed to pay for again. As I've mentioned above, Lim-sensei humbly lent us his shinais for us to start practicing the basics in Kendo (Thanks we have a kindhearted instructor :D ).
BUT!
Few weeks later, we were able to buy our own shinais, bogu gears and gi/hakama.
trying out my gears without hakama and gi :P I was just so overwhelmed!
Me and my younger brother :D
Students' Commitment Status: Complicated
Some of them can't able to attend the training every Saturday due to their hectic work schedules, so it turned out it was just two or three of us having a kendo class with Lim-Sensei. We practiced every Saturday at 9 in the evening until 11 in the evening. Pretty late huh!
There were new people joined the training but end up not pursuing it. Most of the reasons were the cost and some can't meet the time required.
Dojo: Ladislawa Gym
only four of us
Ito-Senpai teaching my younger bro the proper wearing of Men (Head gear)
-My Loyalty :3
During those months, I wasn't that really busy at work & school AND no classes every saturday! :D So I was able to assist my brother in pursuing to build Kendo Club here in Davao City. I was the overall in charge of attendance, in charge of keeping money/funds for the club. When my brother went to Singapore for months(work related) I play the role of being the spokesperson (whenever there's someone inquiring about kendo and all), assistant and "tig" - carrying and bringing all the 6 shinais (bamboo swords) that Lim-Sensei lent to us all the way from the house to dojo and from dojo to the house by means of commuting or walking for about 5 kilometers Ooorayt!!. My younger brother had sometimes activities in school he need to attend but whenever there weren't activities he would join the training and help me carry all those heavy woods!
Gasshuku
On September 27-28, 2014, I had the opportunity to join the 4th Annual IGA KENDO CLUB - Gasshuku held at Antipolo City, Philippines.
It was a two hours flight going to Manila from Davao City and another l hour (less or more than an hour :/) travel by car going to Antipolo City.
My older brother and me arrived in Manila on the day before the event and stayed one night at the hotel. My brother had a business meeting needed to attend to, so technically I'm the only one who had the opportunity to join the first day of Gasshuku and had survived the 2000 Suburi!!
So far, my overall experience in the 4th annual Gasshuku hosted by Igaken was so AWESOME ;) even if I wasn't that feeling well :( I had fever, running nose and tonsilitis (O_O). But woohoo bravo I still survived ;)
I learned a lot!
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Davao Kendo Club Family is getting bigger and bigger!! and renowned!
Senseis and other senpais from Manila Kendo Club visited our club and conducted seminars. They helped us to develop and strengthen our skills in Kendo! Thanks a lot for sharing your time and effort with us Senseis and Senpais from Manila Kendo Club!
Before MKC conducted seminars here, two senpais from the Igaken Club visited the Dojo and imparted their skills and knowledge with the Davao kendo practitioners. Sadly, I don't have photos.
Davao Kendo Club: featured many times in different local major media in Davao City.
We now have 3rd and 4th batch! :D
From 1st Batch,
2nd Batch,
3rd Batch,
To 4th Batch! :D
and counting!
-XoXo-
