[golozhopik]

Kaoru,

I haven't been practicing Kendo for that long so it's really not my place to criticize an instructor, so please consider this as just a few "observations" that I made just by looking at the pictures on the website.....

If you look at the top picture, the bogu is worn is incorrectly. The hakama is hiked up and the front is higher than the back; instead of the other way around. Also, the Men is tied incorrectly because the length of the strings after being tied is uneven.

In the other 'Mind, Body' picture, it is supposed to be a picture of someone striking men using fumikomi, but why is the left leg in front of the right? Even if the pic was taken just at the moment the left leg just happened to be in front incidentally, why would a Kendo Sensei put that up on the web as a representative picture of their dojo? Also, the guy on the left is wearing the men incorrectly...His Tenugui is sticking out the back...

The final observation that I see is that everyone in the pictures is holding the shinai in the "Shini-Te" or "Machi Te".

You may ask, What does this have anything to do with the quality of instruction? OR What do I wish to express with these observations?

My point is very simple....If your instructor cannot teach you the most simple and basic of things in Kendo, how can you expect him to take your Kendo to the next Level as well as take you (as a person) to the next level physically, mentally, or spiritually?

Just a thought....

amatsuda
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/sjkendo