[Lerpenoaneway]

So I have been thinking...
Do you think it would be a positive or a negative if the world kendo community was larger?

A large kendo community means more kendoka, and possibly more dojos. Also less time explaining what that crazy MA you do with a stick is. Plus bogu might get cheeper as the demand increases!

On the flip side a small community means smaller class sizes (more personalized teaching), less commercialization, and less kendoka who only practice for a year before giving up.

What is your opinion?

[Gymngatagaica]

Nope, keep it small. Look how traditional martial arts like karate were destroyed when they became commercialized. There is a reason to keep away the masses...

[hujdrftgkas]

Yeah, for the most part I agree. But more dojos would be nice. I'm really lucky to live close to one, and alot more good kendoka and iaidoka would come if they had dojos within 50 miles.

[Gozmand]

I really can't decide, but to play devil's advocate ...

Wouldn't it be nice if bogu was cheaper. What if there were enough kendoka in your neighborhood, where you could get one or two other people together to practice with you out of the dojo, to push you and so that you could practice things at home other than suburi. And having more dojos, providing more practice times would be swee wouldn't it.

[Effofqueeno]

I don't think bogu is that bad of a price, most sports can get expensive. And I do have a few of my fellow kenshi I practice with out side the dojo. We aren't neighbors, but have become good friends and get to gether often. My concern, like so many others is the fear of the mcDojo. ATA kendo devision. So small works for me, big would be fine as long as it never sold out.

[ErnestTU]

I would like to see more people practice with us in our university club, but that's just my opinion. Our retention rate from new people is 1.2 per year, and since almost all of us are students, no one stays beyond 3-4 years.

I also don't think an increase in popularity automatically translates into commercialization.

[HenriRow]

I think kendo itself is highly disciplinary and people who come into the course with a certain sort of assumption about it soon have it destroyed and are inevitably faced with the reality of the fact that this is not something that you just do 'because all the people in the movies do it'. So I say, everything is ok as it is ... so far ...

[altosburg]

I would like to see more people practice with us in our university club, but that's just my opinion. Our retention rate from new people is 1.2 per year, and since almost all of us are students, no one stays beyond 3-4 years.

I also don't think an increase in popularity automatically translates into commercialization.

being in a college club i can agree with these numbers, my own personal idea is to start highschool kendo clubs in your area, a ni-dan to a san-dan could instruct a beginning group in highschool, and then you would be dumping already semi experienced people into the many university level clubs around the US

[Beedcardabeme]

That's a good idea, although I don't think anyone of us has the time to practice *and* coach

One has to graduate, after all...

[DextExexy]

Despite the commercialization I think that more good would come out of a bigger kendo population. If there are more people, then there should be more higher ranked people available to teach kendo to others and a better chance of living near a kendo dojo. After I get my degree, I don't know where I will be going but I hope to live in a location that has some great talent.

Besides, if you do the research, you can easily separate the real and fake dojos. I am not sure what Karate and Tae Kwon Do have in place to ensure that you are not going to a McDojo, but sites like Kendo World, E-budo and fighting arts and various federations to keep dojos around the world in check, it should be harder for the bad dojos to stay open long.

[THOUTHCAW]

I think the question might be moot considering that most people I know aren't seriously interested in Kendo beyond the initial inquiries.
Think of all the people who show up for first practice, then a month later or sooner leave when they find out that it's actually very hard work and commitment?

My belief is mainly for this reason, (and I always could be wrong.) there won't be a tremendous explosion in popularity, such as with TKD for example.

(edited to write)
Oops. My point was already addressed.
Shitsureshimasu!

[Hervams]

So I have been thinking...
Do you think it would be a positive or a negative if the world kendo community was larger?
?

I think we need a much much larger kendo communitiy. Not so much thousands of kyu's, but more hachidan and nanadan. Wouldn't it be great if all clubs had a half a dozen or so?

[ProomoSam]

I think a growing kendo community would be good, and I think it is happening already. I don't have the numbers in my head right now, but I know kendo in Sweden has increased almost explosively the last 3-5 years or so, and I would not be surprised if the same thing was happening at least in the rest of Europe.

More people -> More competitions and camps -> More fun

[BundEnhamma]

I think more people would be a good thing, the question is to what lengths do you go to make it more appealing? Do you put peopl in bogu in their first lesson? Do you develop kendo drills set to music? Do you let people where MA trainers in the dojo like the TKD people? DO you allow multi-coloured gi with myriad badges and patches advertising dietary supplements? Do you make regular appearances in crappy MA magazines showing kendo-based street-fighting techniques you can learn at home? DO you sell tie-in DVDs for home tuition? DO you have distance students who never visit the dojo but just watch the DVD and email you questions? DO you aggressively pursue parents of junior members for dojo fees in advance, using arguments that are pure emotional blackmail? Do you grade to shodan in 3 months?

All the things above and more are used by other (mostly non-weapons based) MA to increase their recruitment potential and hold onto numbers. Pretty much without exception, I'd say the answer to all the above is "no!"

More people doing kendo will happen, slowly. More dojos outside Japan will have half a dozen nanadan in regular attendance. Countries outside Japan will win the WKC. But along the way I think we need to just focus on our training, and be thankful of the fact that kendo attracts and holds onto the kind of people that it does. We should be thankful also that there is no "O-sensei" or "Soke" at the top with who we can all either deify, or storm off from and set up rival organisations.

Kendo is a wonderfully strange community: a hierarchical collective, Camelot with knights of the round table but no King Arthur. A surprisingly resilient structure.

b

PS - re the price of bogu, I have a theory that bogu prices, which have fallen by up to 50% over the last 20 years, will soon flatten out. Then one day, when China's currency is finally valued properly, and the new Chinese middle-class starts to demand real wage rises, then the cost of bogu will return to a more realistic level. Rising oil prices will also add significant $$ to the cost of imported goods. So my advice is buy several sets of bogu now for the future!!!

[mpxricyNimb]

Well-said, sir! I agree.

The best way to keep kendo in it's relatively pure state is to ensure a constant focus on it's traditional aspects (the etiquette, what constitutes a proper strike, etc.) Another way is to NOT pursue acceptance of kendo as an Olympic sport!

[goatteatromiag]

I think larger a little bit at a time is a good thing

Other activities that I have been involved with when you try and keep it "core and pure" = dwindling membership over time... when talking about recruiting numbers that is

Bigger doesn't have to mean lesser. Raising the level of instruction vs attendance (via teaching technique/number of teachers) in equal parts to new students/class size should keep things at the status quo so to speak.

Just a guess but sounds about right to me

Commercialization... seeing kendo in Ads like have been posted here.. it's a marketing campaign for a populace in which kendo is popular.. or well known at least.. i think it's a reflection of a good thing.. it says kendo is active here.. speaking from a place that doesn't feature kendo in ads keep in mind.. for all i know i'd be sick of them in a week on my t.v.

[viagracheapest]

I think that kendo would be great if come more people, but only if all the tradition and feeling continue as always

[Mangoman]

If the community could get just a little bit bigger so that people in general weren't completely in the dark as what Kendo is, then it would be beneficial.

[Fsfkkkjz]

Another way is to NOT pursue acceptance of kendo as an Olympic sport!

I agree. Whenever this comes up, my first response is, "Think about what has happened to Judo". Maybe, for now, Kendo is best left as it is. However, if kendo's popularity were to spread and still maintain the values it has now, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad.