[Illirmpipse]

I'm interested in any quotes u find useful for your Kendo or just cool or motivating.
Whether its from a writer, philosopher,samurai or your sensei.
Allow me to start:

"Kendo is in Japan a way of life,for the majority of western world,Kendo is a competition."
-sensei Mladen Jeličić-

"Once,it took four attempts to pass an examination,the first three time I flunked,but learned a lot from it.
The fourth time I passed,but learned nothing from it".
-nanadan sensei Wolfgang Demski-

"Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye."
-Miyamoto Musashi-

"You win battles by knowing the enemy's timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect."
-Miyamoto Musashi-

"Never give a sword to a man who can't dance."
-Confucius-

Please,share your favorite quotes with us.

[Zmniubqr]

"I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin on the mountainside."
- Gandalf

[JAMES PIETERSE]

"Kendo is about reading your opponent's/partner's heart."

[Frinzer]

Be Water My Friend

LOL

[megasprut]

Conan, what is best in life?

"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women!"

[Theateetetuig]

I tried to find some quotes relevant to us budoka.

One has attained to mastery when one neither goes wrong nor hesitates in the performance. A strong and well-constituted man digests his experiences (deeds and misdeeds all included) just as he digests his meats, even when he has some tough morsels to swallow. The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.
/Friedrich Nietzsche - 1844 – 1900

[NerbuitW]

"The faster you are, the slower life goes by." Unknown


"It's a cruel and random world, but the chaos is all so beautiful." Unknown


"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair."
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

You either surf or you fight." Col. Kilgore

[xochgtlm]

Be Water My Friend

LOL

be jodan player my friend.... hahaha

[Nppracph]

"What the hell was that?" - Richard Tanaka-sensei.

[RenyBontes]

Do your best, and leave the outcome to Heaven.

A great master is stupid. If he were smart, he would find something better, and more profitable to do. I believe the conflict between true teaching and paying the dojo's rent will never be resolved. Soldats, visez au coeur !

Maréchal Ney, to the soldiers in charge of executing him.

[kenowinnumberss]

This is long, but in light of the recent monster thread on seme, I just read this again last night...

From the Fire Book of Musashi Miyamoto's "A Book of Five Rings":
In contests of stategy it is bad to be led about by the enemy. You must always be able to lead the enemy about. Obviously the enemy will also be thinking of doing this, but he cannot forestall you if you do not allow him to come out. In strategy, you must stop the enemy as he attempts to cut; you must push down his thrust, and throw off his hold when he tries to grapple. This is the meaning of "to hold down a pillow". When you have grasped this principle, whatever the enemy tries to bring about in the fight you will see in advance and suppress it. The spirit is to check his attack at the syllable "at...", when he jumps check his advance at the syllable "ju...", and check his cut at "cu...".

The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy's useful actions but allow his useless actions. However, doing this alone is defensive. First, you must act according to the Way, suppress the enemy's techniques, foiling his plans, and thence command him directly. When you can do this you will be a master of strategy. You must train well and research "holding down a pillow". And this... from the Water Book:

Adopt a stance with the head erect, neither hanging down, nor looking up, nor twisted. Your forehead and the space between your eyes should not be wrinkled. Do not roll your eyes nor allow them to blink, but slightly narrow them. With your features composed, keep the line of your nose straight with a feeling of slightly flaring your nostrils. Hold the line of the rear of the neck straight: instil vigour into your hairline, and in the same way from the shoulders down through your entire body. Lower both shoulders and, without the buttocks jutting out, put strength into your legs from the knees to the tops of your toes. Brace your abdomen so that you do not bend at the hips. Wedge your companion sword in your belt against your abdomen, so that your belt is not slack - this is called "wedging in". and this, again from the Water Book:

The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the enemy, whatever the means. Whenever you parry, hit, spring, strike or touch the enemy's cutting sword, you must cut the enemy in the same movement. It is essential to attain this. If you think only of hitting, springing, striking or touching the enemy, you will not be able actually to cut him. More than anything, you must be thinking of carrying your movement through to cutting him. You must thoroughly research this. ...ah.. so many gems there...

[HwoRas1]

To students who hit too hard..

"Damn man... you don't have to split them in half... just kill em!"

PM me if you want to hear some of the cruder ones I've come up with.

[Cibirrigmavog]

not directly related to kendo, but definitely in the spirit...one of my favorite movie quotes:

Billy Clanton, as he pulls a knife: "Why, it's the drunk piano player. You're so drunk, you can't hit nothin'. In fact, you're probably seeing double..."

Doc Holliday: "I have two guns, one for each of you"

[Sleflanna]

Topical:

"I can haz Ippon?"

[allachakb]

There are only two forces in the world, the sword and the spirit. In the long run the sword will always be conquered by the spirit.
-Napoleon Bonaparte-

[Creelaleps]

Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior. Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men.
-Miyamoto Musashi-

[GoveMoony]

Logic is like the sword - those who appeal to it, shall perish by it.
-Samuel Butler-

[codespokerbonus]

not very useful, but i've been enjoying it.

"I want to say that no one has been able to dig to the rhythm of the sun, and that no one has yet cut a stalk of corn with love and grace." - leon felipe (?)

pete

[pavilionnotebook]

Stolen from other thread...

3. Follow your instructor's directions. Do not "experiment" or engage in horse play with swords.

[klubneras]

Some I think of often, from sensei and sempai:

When you get discouraged based on your opponent's ability:
"The weakest have their strongest moment and the strongest their weakest point."

"You are taught based on your current ability to learn."

"Learning is a difficult thing. To learn you first have to admit someone else knows more than you, which most people's ego refuses to accept. The first step in learning is humility."

"Kihon, kihon, Kiiiiiihooooooooonnnnnnnn!!!"