[Bletlemof]

Originally posted by mingshi
It's also part of sportsmanship. You must have heard tennis players' Kiai. What is "tennis players' kiai" like? Never heard it.

But fellas, if spirit is not the paramount thing for beginners to focus on, what is? Indeed, it's important for them, as it is for all of us, to constantly thinking of keeping good posture, executing big, clean waza, always pressuring forward, etc... but when your level of kendo is in such an infant stage that you cannot yet address these micro-kendo issues, I think spirit should be the thing to aim for.

I have always talked to micro-kendo issues vs. macro-kendo ones. Most people's approach to kendo falls into either one of those two categories. Kiai and good spirit is an example of focusing on the latter. Spirit - yes, not aggression, but rather resilience, diligence, and perseverance - keeps you going, especially when you're new in bogu, disoriented, confused, and darn tired. It also shows others that you are comitted, and trying your best.

Especially when beginners are fighting against senior members more skilled than they are - what have they to rely on except their spirit? Their kendo is inherently slower and weaker. The only area in which they could possibly dominate their opponent is in spirit.

Granted, I'm not trying to encourage examples like the guy mentioned earlier, doing kiai even when he's getting dressed... there's a thin line separating spirited enthusiasm and sheer craziness.