[topbonusescod]

Hizeme, as you've probably been told drugs/alcohol/bad habits don't go away simply because you're doing something else. If you are really sincere about changing your life then kendo may be a good outlet for you as 'part' of your new lifestyle... but be warned that learning kendo is a long and drawn out process so don't go into it looking for a quick fix. In addition to kendo you also need to get serious about changing your life... do this by all the typical advice.. ie stay in school, get a job, be honest to yourself and others etc etc. Kendo will help in this regard also as it is based in etiquette and honor. I'd say give it a go and see what you think. It won't cost much for a while (until you need armor). But you probably won't be doing nito (2 swords) right off the bat. You'll need to learn patience and perseverance. Good luck.

[diseeKeythilt]

And if you are lucky you can break all ten commandments before you are 21 then spend the rest of your life looking for redemption.

You gotta have goals...and structure in the pursuit of righteousness. A swift kick in the butt when called for can help.

[Siliespiriulk]

I'm 15 and right now I live about an hour away from San Jose in Santa Cruz. Although I might be moving to Palm Springs in Cali.


Yes, it was the only time I was able to beat my friend.

Great! Another druggie with a sword. Please don't come to LA.

[irrawnWab]

Wow. This place is stunningly more civil than other message boards I've been on.

I'm still tempted to call troll, just because Hizeme has very good spelling and grammar for a hopeless alcoholic, drug-addicted 15-year-old. Most "normal" 15-year-olds (what EVER that might mean) don't spell that well, in my memory. But then again, I've learned to ENJOY trollery as well, so if so, goodonya sir.

And if you aren't a troll, swinging a bokken until your blisters have blisters and getting beaten over the head with bamboo sticks can, in my experience, really be something of an enlightening experience if you're willing to put up with it for a few months. Find a dojo and give it a shot!

[alenbarbaf]

I'm gonna talk to my brother about starting kendo or to my Aunt if I move there. I'm gonna pick up a copy of The book of the five rings too as well.

Also, I'm not a troll. I use simple words cause I suck at spelling, that and firefox has spell check.

[mralabama]

Do they have spellcheckers in internet browsers now? Watch me be behind the times.

And there was no sarcasm there, I was actually quite impressed with how cogently you wrote, given the background you claimed. Enough so that it seemed genuinely dichotomous to me.

[exschke]

I'm gonna talk to my brother about starting kendo or to my Aunt if I move there. I'm gonna pick up a copy of The book of the five rings too as well.

Also, I'm not a troll. I use simple words cause I suck at spelling, that and firefox has spell check.

No. Get the "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai" by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, translated by William Scott Wilson. And pay attention to what it says.
There are a lot of good moral and philosophical lessons in it. It's just excellent reading. I highly recommend it.

The book of 5 rings won't help you much as a completely untrained person. It originally was written for those studying Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu(rare to be able to study it, and there is no dojo in the US.) and apparently, only the people who study it, will truely understand the book. (Scott-san, do correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember one of you mentioning that.) Also, there are some really bad translations out there. You'd have to know whose translation is the most correct. There's one guy who doesn't even know Japanese who "translated" it. I accidentally got that one and was pretty upset when I found out. I never did read it. I was lucky to find that out from somebody before I actually wasted my time reading it. The "translator's" name is Stephen Kaufman who does karate.

Anyway, it's very late and I have something to say to you tomorrow in response to one of your earlier posts. I'm too tired to write a decent reply to it. Please check back sometime tomorrow. I may just help you with a kendo dojo as well, if you are serious.

Kaoru

[SkeniaInhilla]

No. Get the "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai" by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, translated by William Scott Wilson. And pay attention to what it says.

Don't waste your money on this or "the Book of Five Rings"....

... steal it. Come on you know it would be so easy. It's just sitting there. It's yours anyways, the store was just holding it for you. Do it man, DO IT!

[ibupronec]

Don't waste your money on this or "the Book of Five Rings"....

... steal it. Come on you know it would be so easy. It's just sitting there. It's yours anyways, the store was just holding it for you. Do it man, DO IT!

No! Bad viking! Bad!!

[mv37afnr]

Or you can find it online.

http://split-kitty.com/misc/hagakure/

Of course I make no guarantees of the accuracy of online translations.

[AdobeCreativeSuite]

Also, there are some really bad translations out there. You'd have to know whose translation is the most correct.

I prefer the translation by Kenji Tokitsu.

[BorBitExatini]

I'm 15. I drink when I can, although I was taking a small break because i had alcohol poising the other week. I smoked weed a good amount. I started DXM(an ingredient in cough syrup) on Saturday and I was arrested for shoplifting shortly before I was gonna take DXM again. I can tell you now I would've started taking DXM almost everyday if it wasn't for getting arrested. I'm in Boy Scouts now and my brother said that helped him not do drugs and drink but he still drank a lot. So I think between Boy Scouts and training in the way of the sword I can resist my old habits.

There is no doubt that you are headed down a bad path that leads to world of hurt, that you recognize this and are looking to turn it around is admirable. That you have drank to the point of alcohol poisoning and smoke a good amount of weed is of deep concern to me. Clearly you have an addictive physiology and psychology and you have used drugs pretty hard while your mind is still trying to develop. I do agree that finding better things to do with your time can only help, find new friends will help as well, but as you can see by your brother’s actions it did not keep him away from the alcohol.

A friend of mine went through this kind of difficulty and it took him a while to clean up his act. He was able to though, was the best man at my wedding, and I am still friends with him 20 years later. You need people who have been there and can help you through before it gets worse. If you try and do it by your self it may well get worse before it gets better.

http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/

Make it you mission this week to find a Dojo and an AA meeting. Make it you mission next week to go to both.

[SDorothy28]

Move in with your aunt? Are your parents in a position to help you?

Because I think you need to tell your guardians as soon as possible what you've been up to and that you need to make some changes in your life. Get them to support you in scouting and martial arts and seeing a counseler. Enlist your brother's help.

I'm praying for you. You can do this, you're getting a lot of good advice here. Beign a druggie, a boozer and a thief is a drag, man. Think about all the athletes, martial arts fighters and badasses who are on the straight and narrow. It's a much better way to be.

[BonjGopu]

Please check out Teen Challenge in northern California. (Here is a list of locations, several of which are in the San Jose area.)

This group has the highest success rate of any program in the country for helping drug/alcohol addicts recover and not relapse. I have personally known several friends who have gone through their program successfully.

You are looking for a lifestyle change. You should consider mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects to the problem. A change in location (forcing a fresh start in friends, habits, and hangouts) wouldn't be a bad thing, either. I agree with Charlie - make sure your parents/guardian are on board with whatever you're trying.

[pharmaclid]

Sadly this is happening to many of our youth here in the states.

It's good that you realize you have problems, hizme. Now you just need to seek counseling to discover the true root/cause of your behavior. I wish you luck & don't give up hope.

[GogaMegaPis]

This is really intriguing.You are only 15 and you can see the changes and affects that Drugs and Alcohol are having on you already. Make it your mission to do something about it now, rather then later, coz believe me, it only gets harder to break that cycle and the the destruction can get worse. Drugs often being one's downfall, hand in hand with jail and for some, an early demise. These are your formative years where you begin to learn more about yourself and about others, good influences and bad. You still have the early adult years to come, with uni, parties, meeting girls, the whole nine yards. The decisions you make now will always affect you tommorow.So when you experience a rough time due to a poor decision you have made, you have a the chance to say I don't want to go throught that ever again. Think yourself lucky.You have seen a side of you which is clearly destructive. Create some positive outlets to avoid finding yourself in these type of situations. Kendo may be an alternative for you, or jogging, keeping fit an active, meditation, reading books, surfing, playing an instrument, writing stories or poems, photography religion,whatever. The list goes on. Find a a passion that will direct you towards a positve path. That may be what you are lacking at the moment. Good luck man. I hope it works out.

[maks_holi]

Don't waste your money on this or "the Book of Five Rings"....

... steal it. Come on you know it would be so easy. It's just sitting there. It's yours anyways, the store was just holding it for you. Do it man, DO IT!

....... OMG..... Did I just read that correctly?? Wahahahahaha!!! ROTFL !! You are very very naughty!! SHAME on you! Now go sit in the corner and think about how you shouldn't try to corrupt teenagers. *shakes finger*

Honestly!!

Hizeme-san, please ignore this ragamuffin.

Kaoru

(hahaha, Viking's a ragamuffin! Scruffy, too. Sorry, I just couldn't help myself!)

[ConoMadura]

I found a few NA meetings so I'll be going to one. I'm looking for Dojo's right now. Thanks for the help and your time everyone.

[adactthrd]

I found a few NA meetings so I'll be going to one. I'm looking for Dojo's right now. Thanks for the help and your time everyone.

Hi!

You have to be careful what dojo you choose. Some are not legitimate.

If you tell me your exact location(town) I can help you out. I can find one in the middle of a haystack even! I know where the kendo dojos are up in North Cali. And, where is your Aunt again?

However, I will only find you kendo. You are not a candidate for traditional sword training with an Iaito(blunt edged practice sword-you wouldn't be allowed to use a sharp sword for a really really long time, if ever, in a dojo.) or bokken yet. Once you are fully sober and free of drugs for a long time, then you could train in that type of dojo. You will not be safe using one until then. Sorry. I'll
be back later to explain why so you understand what a sword is capable of doing to you and others. I wouldn't let you near a sword or bokken in a dojo(Or outside one either, for that matter. No untrained person should be playing with a sword.) if you were my kid at this point for safety reasons due to the drinking and drugs. No offense, ok?

Kaoru

[Brareevor]

However, I will only find you kendo. You are not a candidate for traditional sword training with an Iaito(blunt edged practice sword-you wouldn't be allowed to use a sharp sword for a really really long time, if ever, in a dojo.) or bokken yet. Once you are fully sober and free of drugs for a long time, then you could train in that type of dojo.

Perhaps, not your call to make on suitability?