Sakurai-ha Kogen Itto-ryu Kobukan Dojo

Directions for Kendo Training

1. By now, you should well understand that the purpose of kendo training can be expressed by one phrase: nurture your spirit of self-denial through hard training of the spirit and the mind.

2. In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, martial arts training subjects your body, as a container of the spirit of self-denial, to hard training to make it fit with our strong spirit and mind, but not only for acquiring refined and fancy techniques.

3. Victory or defeat is a science that belongs to military strategies and tactics. It has one-hundred damages, but not a single merit, for achievement of the purpose of kendo training. Therefore, any unauthorized match using a real sword, bokken, shinai, or any other weapon with any practitioner of other schools is strictly prohibited.

4. Students who seek victory or defeat must devote themselves wholeheartedly to martial art training, in search of the state of mind to be defeated (killed) with grace, not reluctance. You must never change even the smallest part of Kogen Itto-ryu kata in your attempt to win a match. To do so will result in blasphemy, disgrace, and heinousness.

5. Students must be aware that the kendo training in this dojo consists of kata, iai, shinai keiko, and tai-yoho, and these four training subjects are like one inseparable body.

6. Whenever you have a time, you must practice Zen meditation, read Buddhism sutras, and visit Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines to nurture your reverence toward God and remind you to respect your ancestors.

The End

Sakurai Gen'noshin Fumitaka Minamoto-no Genzaburo Taka'aki Owner and Head Instructor Kobukan Dojo Kogen Itto-ryu Kendo Menkyo Kaiden (9th Dan) Former Shinsen-gumi Staff Former Director of Tokugawa Shogunate Police Force Kenjyutsu Education Former First Hackioji Police Force Chief Kendo Instructor