[RagonaCon]

I do have respect for the people who do historical reenactment (I'm thinking of people who do those Civil War things). Its a culture and hobby that I know little about, but still think is interesting and isn't something I'm willing to disparage. From what they do, it seems like it requires a great deal of discipline, research, money and commitment.

However, although there are many similarities between those kinds of historical reenactors and kendoists, I wouldn't consider myself a weekend warrior or a roleplayer at all. At most I'd consider myself a hobbyist sportsman or a Japanese fencer. There are many analogies I could make. For example, although one could make a link between grecoroman wrestling and ancient greek culture, I doubt that participants in the modern day sport think of themselves as greek hoplites, or asking if modern day amateur golfers actually think they're learning scottish culture or shepherding.