[TerAlelmlor]

Now sitting at home after beign turned away from the dojo because a hot air balloon was blocking it and there were high voltage power cables in random places on the floor I was just wondering:
What's the wierdest thing that's ever held up/ stopped your kendo/iaido session?
Can't wait to hear the stories

[BritneySpearsFun@@@]

A few months ago, we had to shut shop and leave because the bellydancing club turned up and said they'd reserved the room before we had. It's very difficult to argue with pretty women, especially from behind a metal grill.

[velichay]

Our training was once stopped by mice. Sounds like the Hitch Hiker's Guide I know, but true. We had to stay out of the bulding because poison had been put down in a cupboard somewhere by the council. I told them we didn't do Kendo in the cupboard, but rules are rules... No humans allowed in building for 2 weeks. I was worried this would take down our Kudos in the Budo community at the time. (Kendo stopped by Mice... eek! eek!)

[nvideoe]

Exams stop us from training in the gym at the university, so for a few weeks we train in the squash courts. Not only does it get LOUD in there, its really easy to run into the walls. Horrid in summer...

[joanasevilyboaz]

Once a bat got in, and we had to stop practice in order to catch it and usher it out. We didn't want to accidentally hit it as it flew by...

[grattperret]

bloke hyperventilating... that was interesting enough until we realised he'd inhaled a wasp

[CaseyFronczek]

Hmmnnnn...getting my car nailed by a truck turning into my dojo(my fault)...

The best part was next training when my dojomates were all buzzing about the BMW Z3 that got nailed outside last training and then someone saying, "I'd hate to be the poor sap who owned that car!" and then I went..."Uh...that would be me..."

[TeLMgNva]

First time I did haya-suburi... Holy crap... Had to go get water and catch my breath and stuff.

[Lidawka]

Once a bat got in, and we had to stop practice in order to catch it and usher it out. We didn't want to accidentally hit it as it flew by...

There is a trick to bats. Use a broom to get it flying. Let it fly past you, turn around smack it from behind to stun it and carry it out. You can't hit it head on, it has radar.

[RicyReetred]

There is a trick to bats. Use a broom to get it flying. Let it fly past you, turn around smack it from behind to stun it and carry it out. You can't hit it head on, it has radar.

Was it a bat or a flying fox because the latter tastes pretty good...

[pBiRXp8u]

two weeks ago, i showed up for wed. night practice and found our kendo group watching bunch of people doing ginga for capoeira. seems like there was schedule confilict at the university.

we spoke to what seems like their leader, and agreed to share the space. but i just couldn't keep the music out of my head.

pete

[effenseshoora]

There is a trick to bats. Use a broom to get it flying. Let it fly past you, turn around smack it from behind to stun it and carry it out. You can't hit it head on, it has radar.

Good to know!

We didn't want to hurt it, so we weren't trying to hit it at all. It kept flying in big lazy circles around the room, so we were waving around coats and whatnot trying to steer the little critter out the door. Eventually it got tired and then we just carried it out, though.

[Alulursuifold]

Living in amazing Thailand I've got a couple to share:

1) Blackout ... it was a closed dojo, it turned pitch black so we really couldnt hit each other, as one could've guessed. Except for one bugger who had a field day running around tsuki-ing everyone lol still haven't found out who it was til this day, although we suspect it was our beloved sensei lol (he's a playful bloke)

2) Conflict with swim meet, of all things. They said they reserved the dojo a year in advance, and needed the gym for 'resting area' of athletes ... we were obviously not amused. The worst bit was we had THREE hachi-dan visiting from Japan that very day. We were forced to practise in the outdoor gym (remember 30C Thai weather) T'was an embarassing day for Thailand Kendo, however we made it up the day after.

3) Our gym flooded. Very rainy day + air-conditioner broke down letting flow some more water to the floor. Needless to say we decided against a water kendo session, although I would've liked to try it seemed pretty fun ...

[bunkalapa]

We've gotten bats and even squirells out of our house in the past by throwing a big blanket over the creature like a net, bunching it up in a ball, and then quickly bringing it outside before the pissed off thing finds a way out and wants revenge. Works like a cozy little net. Wouldn't recommend it for adult squirells but works great for the children.

[sigrekatonov]

Sigh...whatever happened to using a trusty old tennis racket?...

[giftplas]

It didn't stop my kendo class, but it delayed it...... So here it is

At my old dojo.... there was a children's (5-10 years old) karate class before my kendo class on thursdays. My sempai that night was one who described himself as "I'll be making jokes and laughing with you when things are going good, but I'll be the first one yelling when things are going bad." It was around Christmas time and there was a motion activated Santa thing in the lobby that was really loud and annoying and danced around saying "Ho Ho Ho" and other things along those lines. So we were starting practice and there were still plenty of little kids in the lobby getting their shoes on and the santa kept going off when we were sitting in seiza doing mokso (sp?). The first time we all kind of brushed it off. Then the second time it went like "Ho ho....." my sempai jumped up and ran into the lobby and unplugged it. As soon as he sat down we here "ho ho......" and my sempai ran out to the lobby again. The owner of the club said to my sempai "its not interrupting your training" in a stern voice. Soon after this the dojo cleared up, owners and all and it was just us kendoka, somebody must have came by the lobby window because it went "ho h......" and my sempai had unplugged it.

That's the weirdest thing to happen to us here in scary ol' wisconsin. Not much compared to these other stories i'm reading here...

[PVaQlNaP]

there was a rumor of coup de etet last july 2005; yeah yeah yeah.

[sanddrareyk]

Charlotte,

what will be even stranger in stopping your practice is a short, but talented, balding Yorkshireman who catches you running ACROSS the dojo floor again. Especially when you make as much noise as the President of the flapping feet society who happens to be wearing flippers whilst dancing the lambada.

Lee

Ps the sword you have picked is fine - go girl

[pIp83Uns]

lmao... I did it quickly at least, it was either that or breaking the rules 5 times and stepping over the multitude of shinken and iaito blocking the side passage You have me paranoid now, I'm expecting you to come hunt me down for that one lol

P.S. Can't wait for the sword!

[prmwsinfo]

We were doing mokuso and we thought it was one of those days where sensei wants to be more spiritually " intense". After sempai called mokuso yamae everyone prepared for kamiza rei but sensei was still in mokuso, so we waited.....and waited....and waited....but sensei was still unperturbed...but you see we have to start practice...so another sensei..tapped his shoulders...nothing happened, tapped again, but this time it was stronger...but sensei was still serene. So the worried senseis came around him and tried to rouse him. It took about 5 more minutes before he came around.

And he said...during that time he saw himself in a place that was so quiet and peaceful....he cant hardly describe his feeling. But another sensei was not convinced so we have to call an ambulance and bring him to the nearest hospital.

...He had a seizure attack apparently. That was the doctors diagnoses, but we had that thing around in our dojo for the next couple of weeks. Really weird.