Grading will take place on 26th September at the Sports Arena (Level 3). Forms will be uploaded on Facebook soon, and this post will be edited once the link is up.
Some information to take note:
1. Grading is not compulsory. You can choose to sit out of this grading if you don't feel ready, but you won't get a belt promotion for that grading.
2. Eligibility for grading is based off attendance and skill. If the senseis do not feel that you are ready, they will let you know. Also, even if your attendance is short by a few and you feel that you can take and pass grading, feel free to discuss with a sensei. If they agree that you are capable in terms of skill, they will allow you to attend grading.
3. Ashi warm up, static warm up, sword warm up, ki-ai, kihon (solo, partner, moving, guard positions, movements) and sparring will be graded.
4. Grading fees vary based on the syllabus being graded for. More updates on this when the forms are up.
(for juniors) 5. After grading, you will get a belt promotion if you pass. For entry level, that means you will be promoted to red belt (intermediate), and will be required to get the gi and bokken. More info on this after grading results are out.
6. Mock grading sequence will most probably be taught during one of the trainings near grading period.
Jiejing
Webmaster 2014-2015
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Grading Reminder!
Grading is in 2 weeks time, so that means next week will be the
training before grading! Juniors, you might have heard about grading but
don’t really know how it goes. It’s okay, we all start learning from
somewhere.
Before grading, the most important things would be firstly interest in grading. Grading is NOT COMPULSORY but of course is encouraged unless you would like to stay at a certain belt colour for a long time. Since grading is also charged separately ( about 70+ dollars), some might prefer to save the money and go for grading 3 months later.
Second. If you are interested, you need to have adequate attendance. I am not really sure about the exact number, but a rough estimate is 12. If you have been going for all trainings, you don’t need to worry. If let’s say unfortunately you do not meet the attendance requirements, your attendance from the 3 months before the grading will be taken into account for the next grading. So let’s say requirement is 12, and you only have let’s say, 9 trainings. You are unable to go for grading. The following 3 months you attended another 9 trainings. So it’s 9+9 = 18 trainings, you qualify for the next grading!
Do note that if you have successfully completed and have been promoted after a grading, your previous attendance will not be counted. So let’s say you have 12 attendance, you go for grading, you will start at zero attendance at the start of the next 3 months.
Remember, 12 is not the exact. And I am not sure about what the exact is now.
Third would definitely be skill. Of course you don’t need to be like Rurouni Kenshin or 48 Ronins during sparring to enter grading. If you have put in effort to properly execute your syllabus’ cuts, and have adequately proper footwork, you can join in for grading. If you are seen to be not ready enough for grading, your senseis will tell you, but of course, they are not gonna bar you from grading unless you don’t meet the attendance requirement of course.
During grading, for entry level (without gi), your cuts, footwork, partner kihon, moving kihon, WARM UP, sparring, KI AI and various other stuff will be taken into account by the examiners. Even small things like bowing or FIDGETING while in attention can affect as well.. Oh and see how warm up is in caps? Yes you are graded in warm ups, and expected to know the warm up sequence. If you do not know all of a sudden, DO NOT turn to your partner and ask, or there goes a few points. I will do another post on the warm up sequence later.
Since Kiai will be taken into account as well, are you finally encouraged to kiai~? Since there are several advantages to kiai, it is considered important. So kiai loudly, but don’t scream, just use the air from your diaphragm. If you have a soft voice, just put in effort and try to kiai. Better than not doing it at all right?
Next week will probably be mock grading, and the procedure will be explained by the senseis before mock grading. No need to panic during mock grading, if you do anything wrong, just take it as a learning point!
-Jiejing
Webmaster 2014
Before grading, the most important things would be firstly interest in grading. Grading is NOT COMPULSORY but of course is encouraged unless you would like to stay at a certain belt colour for a long time. Since grading is also charged separately ( about 70+ dollars), some might prefer to save the money and go for grading 3 months later.
Second. If you are interested, you need to have adequate attendance. I am not really sure about the exact number, but a rough estimate is 12. If you have been going for all trainings, you don’t need to worry. If let’s say unfortunately you do not meet the attendance requirements, your attendance from the 3 months before the grading will be taken into account for the next grading. So let’s say requirement is 12, and you only have let’s say, 9 trainings. You are unable to go for grading. The following 3 months you attended another 9 trainings. So it’s 9+9 = 18 trainings, you qualify for the next grading!
Do note that if you have successfully completed and have been promoted after a grading, your previous attendance will not be counted. So let’s say you have 12 attendance, you go for grading, you will start at zero attendance at the start of the next 3 months.
Remember, 12 is not the exact. And I am not sure about what the exact is now.
Third would definitely be skill. Of course you don’t need to be like Rurouni Kenshin or 48 Ronins during sparring to enter grading. If you have put in effort to properly execute your syllabus’ cuts, and have adequately proper footwork, you can join in for grading. If you are seen to be not ready enough for grading, your senseis will tell you, but of course, they are not gonna bar you from grading unless you don’t meet the attendance requirement of course.
During grading, for entry level (without gi), your cuts, footwork, partner kihon, moving kihon, WARM UP, sparring, KI AI and various other stuff will be taken into account by the examiners. Even small things like bowing or FIDGETING while in attention can affect as well.. Oh and see how warm up is in caps? Yes you are graded in warm ups, and expected to know the warm up sequence. If you do not know all of a sudden, DO NOT turn to your partner and ask, or there goes a few points. I will do another post on the warm up sequence later.
Since Kiai will be taken into account as well, are you finally encouraged to kiai~? Since there are several advantages to kiai, it is considered important. So kiai loudly, but don’t scream, just use the air from your diaphragm. If you have a soft voice, just put in effort and try to kiai. Better than not doing it at all right?
Next week will probably be mock grading, and the procedure will be explained by the senseis before mock grading. No need to panic during mock grading, if you do anything wrong, just take it as a learning point!
-Jiejing
Webmaster 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Freshies of 2014!!
Freshmen trials 2014
Well that took a while…… Well I don’t know why our Webmaster didnt see my message but heck… I’m back. Jeryl the doppelganger is taking over for a while. Its been a while since we finished our latest tryouts for our new batch of promising freshies. So what happen?
For those who didn’t come, it was another day of fun, joy and laughter… Well ain’t it the same as before? Anyway getting back on track, the day start of with briefing of seniors meaning our red-belts are now part of it too. Well after the briefing, its time to prepare the area to welcome the freshies who has been coming in one by one.
Of course next was the warm-up and after that everyone was separate into two groups, one group which would focus on learning cuts and the other would be playing a game in which they have to tag their seniors 5 times on the back while avoiding attacks from them. Of course to be fair, there is only 4-5 seniors responsible for the attacks. Also to avoid casualty, everyone was wearing helmets just in case.
Around 1 hr later, the freshman groups swapped places going through the activities that the other group have done earlier. As usual seniors involved either ensure safety or that they learn properly…
After that, everyone went for a water break and then separate into the same groups again now getting ready for the next activity using what they learn from the game and lesson for 3 vs 3 survival duel. Whereby whichever team that still have participants in the end wins. It was chaos in some sense but the group that start off with game wins.
Well all in all, all’s well that end’s well. The day ended with only one person skinning his feet but no one was injured badly which was pretty good.
Oh right… do take note next week on 24 May 2014, there is Grading. For those who is eligible, do take note to check Facebook for the forms. For those who didn’t make it, you can turn up to look how it goes again just in case you forget how it goes again…
Oh right, for those who weren’t able to see our demo the other time, click below to go to the youtube page of the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds-BLe9KrZE
Jeryl (Jet)
The Doppleganger
2013 Design Head.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Club tees + demo~
Just a short reminder to those who have not ordered their club tees
yet, please place your orders with Jun Hui. The material should probably
be dry-fit, so try not to order a size that is toooooooo bigggg. It
should cost about $10+.
The SPKC demo for SP CCA Open House 2014 would be on the 30th of April, 11.40am-12pm. Please do pop by and support us if you are at an area near T11 square! Thanks!
Jiejing (JJ)
2014 Webmaster
The SPKC demo for SP CCA Open House 2014 would be on the 30th of April, 11.40am-12pm. Please do pop by and support us if you are at an area near T11 square! Thanks!
Jiejing (JJ)
2014 Webmaster
Importance of ki-ai!
After belt promotion, we would learn new kihon, new defenses, etc.
But fundamentals never changes, and will continue to remain important
even as we proceed on to higher belt levels, one of it being ki-ai.
Ki-ai might seem like just a shout to accompany the cuts, but it is more than that. Ki-ai helps to regulate breathing, so you don’t end up breathless after doing a series of cuts. Of course… I don’t think irregular breathing is good for the heart and lungs either.
In sparring, a loud and especially sudden ki-ai along with a strike can startle the opponent by having a killing intent, leaving an opening to strike. Much advantage, many wow.
So how did we go about training our ki-ai on the 5th of April? Sensei Val instructed us to do crunches during warm-ups. Other than to prevent yourself from having a “family pack” at your tummy, crunches can train up the core muscles. This can help us maintain our stance and allow us to have better stamina. Training the core muscles can also help in ki-ai.
After the warm-up, we had our first exercise. We were to pair up, and one of us will face our back towards the other. The one who is facing the opponent’s back would take a step forward and ki-ai. The opponent that is not doing the ki-ai have to try not to flinch. The next difficulty would be for the opponent whose back is facing the person doing the ki-ai to turn around once the ki-ai is heard, as fast as possible. This is to train alertness and area awareness, which should be useful in competition sparring as there would be a limited area for the sparring.
Nevertheless, ki-ai has an array of advantages and uses, although it might take some time to get used to it. Practice makes better.
Jiejing (JJ)
2014 Webmaster o.o
Ki-ai might seem like just a shout to accompany the cuts, but it is more than that. Ki-ai helps to regulate breathing, so you don’t end up breathless after doing a series of cuts. Of course… I don’t think irregular breathing is good for the heart and lungs either.
In sparring, a loud and especially sudden ki-ai along with a strike can startle the opponent by having a killing intent, leaving an opening to strike. Much advantage, many wow.
So how did we go about training our ki-ai on the 5th of April? Sensei Val instructed us to do crunches during warm-ups. Other than to prevent yourself from having a “family pack” at your tummy, crunches can train up the core muscles. This can help us maintain our stance and allow us to have better stamina. Training the core muscles can also help in ki-ai.
After the warm-up, we had our first exercise. We were to pair up, and one of us will face our back towards the other. The one who is facing the opponent’s back would take a step forward and ki-ai. The opponent that is not doing the ki-ai have to try not to flinch. The next difficulty would be for the opponent whose back is facing the person doing the ki-ai to turn around once the ki-ai is heard, as fast as possible. This is to train alertness and area awareness, which should be useful in competition sparring as there would be a limited area for the sparring.
Nevertheless, ki-ai has an array of advantages and uses, although it might take some time to get used to it. Practice makes better.
Jiejing (JJ)
2014 Webmaster o.o
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Training before exams~
The “webmaster who has to prepare for CNY” is finally here to post for the very very very very very very first time o.o
Sooo… Today’s training was a combined training, both seniors and juniors training together because there was not much people who attended training today. Since I have such trashy stamina, I was already dead tired and panting halfway through training.
After the serious training, next was King of the Hill~
Juniors were split into 2 rows, and seniors into 2 rows as well. If the “King” isn’t out by two strikes in 30 seconds, both “King” and attacker has to do 10 push ups o.o And well, I think I have grown a bit of biceps after the game (please don’t imagine me with biceps thanks) ==
Since CNY is over… final exams are coming T.T
As such, there will be NO, I repeat, no training on the 22nd of February AND 1st of March 2014. So make use of the time to study, and study some more. Oh, and don’t forget to practice a bit at home so you won’t get rusty when you come back for training! New red-belts please remember to get your equipment (gi + bouken + etc) by the first training of March, which is on the 8th of March!
Jiejing (JJ)
2014 Webmaster
Sooo… Today’s training was a combined training, both seniors and juniors training together because there was not much people who attended training today. Since I have such trashy stamina, I was already dead tired and panting halfway through training.
After the serious training, next was King of the Hill~
Juniors were split into 2 rows, and seniors into 2 rows as well. If the “King” isn’t out by two strikes in 30 seconds, both “King” and attacker has to do 10 push ups o.o And well, I think I have grown a bit of biceps after the game (please don’t imagine me with biceps thanks) ==
Since CNY is over… final exams are coming T.T
As such, there will be NO, I repeat, no training on the 22nd of February AND 1st of March 2014. So make use of the time to study, and study some more. Oh, and don’t forget to practice a bit at home so you won’t get rusty when you come back for training! New red-belts please remember to get your equipment (gi + bouken + etc) by the first training of March, which is on the 8th of March!
Jiejing (JJ)
2014 Webmaster
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Mixed Weapon’s Day before CNY
For those who weren’t around today for whatever reason like our webmaster who have to prepare for CNY, today is Mixed Weapon’s Day. Finally the day when the current juniors get to use something else other than choken.
Most favorite weapon of day ain’t a weapon though. It was a shield… Everyone was aiming regardless the fact that the pairing weapon is much more shorter than the kodachi
Most of the juniors probably couldn’t handle it due to them being used to the choken and dual-wielding and the lack of longer distance but good job to those who can especially our new QM who was around, being able to defeat a choken wielder with two short swords.
Reminder:
Since next week is CNY, please do not *I repeat* do not come for training.
On a side note though too bad we don’t know who pass grading today
Jeryl Teo
*Temp* Webmaster + *Retired* Design Head
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
The Photos are Here!!!
Remember me promising the photos that will be uploaded? Yes, I finally got it and its uploaded to the blog.
For those who were not online, you can take a look at what’s been happening last Saturday. Take a look at some of the photos that do somewhat shows some very awkward positions or faces. LOL!!!
Too bad we don’t have the photos of Wei Kian being thrown… Damn we should gotten the camera’s ready then…
Anyway special thanks to Ren Mao who taken this photos
Jeryl Teo
Hopefully brown belt soon
For those who were not online, you can take a look at what’s been happening last Saturday. Take a look at some of the photos that do somewhat shows some very awkward positions or faces. LOL!!!
Too bad we don’t have the photos of Wei Kian being thrown… Damn we should gotten the camera’s ready then…
Anyway special thanks to Ren Mao who taken this photos
Jeryl Teo
Hopefully brown belt soon
Friday, January 17, 2014
It’s time to Job Advance!
Not taking the fact that I have been playing too much MMORPGs to give
this post such a weird title, tomorrow is finally the big day
especially for our juniors who are taking their first grading since they
join us in the Freshmen Orientation. After this, they will most likely
join us in their white Gi and red belt when they are given their first
colored belt to prove that they pass the grading.
Since tomorrow is the grading itself here is the list of do’s and don’ts during grading.
If you juniors still have question please feel free to ask your Senpai or Senseis, Preferably your Senseis first.
Jeryl Teo
The guy with tough luck
Since tomorrow is the grading itself here is the list of do’s and don’ts during grading.
- Don’t do anything stupid especially today, you don’t want to risk not taking the grading after you pay the fees.
- Do remember to cut your nails.
- Do remember the drink lots of water before going to bed. A word of warning though “If you need to go, you better go”.
- Don’t forget to report early. You need to take attendance which is time-consuming.
- Do remember to bow when the announcer calls you name.
- Do what the announcer tells you to do. If he/she messes up the order, you still do what he says.
- Do get into seiza position when your row is going to start soon.
- Don’t laugh or jeer. That’s a given don’t you think.
If you juniors still have question please feel free to ask your Senpai or Senseis, Preferably your Senseis first.
Jeryl Teo
The guy with tough luck
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Short Introduction
A greeting to readers. I’m Ebenezer, a practitioner of SPKenjutsu, on behalf of the current committee,
I will be giving a short introduction on the activities or our club.
What do we do?
Simply, our club mainly focus on training in the art of Kenjutsu, a sword martial art which originated from the land of the samurai, Japan. Our training consist of learning, practicing and implementing a set of kata, techniques. These training are guided by our two caring coaches, Sensei Jim and Sensei Ain.
During lesson, protected sparring among our practitioners with equipment of global standard is also an usual basis in our weekly training with the sole purpose to further improve our progress in the art through first hand situation.
When and where do we train?
The trainings are held at the polycentre (above food court 3) every saturday and lesson will start at 9.30am sharp with a duration of one and a half hour.
How to join us?
Send us an email through the available email located within the ‘CONTACT US’ category of our blog
Yours Sincerely,
Your friendly senior, Eben
The above message is brought to you by your beloved President Sum Zong Wei and his trusty side kick Leon Lim.
The 2013/2014 committee would like to wish all the best to the new committee of 2014/2015 and hope all of the practitioners will have a great time in kenjutsu this year.
I will be giving a short introduction on the activities or our club.
What do we do?
Simply, our club mainly focus on training in the art of Kenjutsu, a sword martial art which originated from the land of the samurai, Japan. Our training consist of learning, practicing and implementing a set of kata, techniques. These training are guided by our two caring coaches, Sensei Jim and Sensei Ain.
During lesson, protected sparring among our practitioners with equipment of global standard is also an usual basis in our weekly training with the sole purpose to further improve our progress in the art through first hand situation.
When and where do we train?
The trainings are held at the polycentre (above food court 3) every saturday and lesson will start at 9.30am sharp with a duration of one and a half hour.
How to join us?
Send us an email through the available email located within the ‘CONTACT US’ category of our blog
Yours Sincerely,
Your friendly senior, Eben
The above message is brought to you by your beloved President Sum Zong Wei and his trusty side kick Leon Lim.
The 2013/2014 committee would like to wish all the best to the new committee of 2014/2015 and hope all of the practitioners will have a great time in kenjutsu this year.
Monday, December 30, 2013
2014 Committee
The following students have been elected to be our new office bearers for the academic year of 2014/2015! (
ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞
President: Tan Wei Kian
Vice President: Muhammad Amirul
Vice President: Crystal Lim
Secretary: Benjamin Tan
Treasurer: Deirdre Chang
Project Coordinator: Lim Wei Jian
Assistant Project Coordinator: Koh Liang Jie
Quartermaster: Jun Hui Peh
Assistant Quartermaster: Ahmad Hakim Bin Salim
Web Master : Faith Ong
Design Team: Jun Hui Peh, Liang Jie, Jeryl Teo
-Faith
ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞President: Tan Wei Kian
Vice President: Muhammad Amirul
Vice President: Crystal Lim
Secretary: Benjamin Tan
Treasurer: Deirdre Chang
Project Coordinator: Lim Wei Jian
Assistant Project Coordinator: Koh Liang Jie
Quartermaster: Jun Hui Peh
Assistant Quartermaster: Ahmad Hakim Bin Salim
Web Master : Faith Ong
Design Team: Jun Hui Peh, Liang Jie, Jeryl Teo
-Faith
Monday, June 3, 2013
Friendly Information for Sake of Health
"Surprise! I'm back!" - Jax, The Six-eyed Mutant Thing
Yo! Been awhile, hasn't it, peeps? Due to this and that and bananas and bagels, I haven't updated in a reeeeal long time. Still, better late than never I suppose! Now you peeps get to bask in my glorious sense of humor once more!
First off, here be the mandatory standard welcome for all the fresh blood that's come to join our lil' madhouse of a family:
First off, here be the mandatory standard welcome for all the fresh blood that's come to join our lil' madhouse of a family:
Welcome.
...now I get on with the entirely optional, and often discouraged, Kenji-style welcome for all the same:
You guys and gals have no idea what you're getting into. Pray to the powers that be for your continued sanity and well-being. Seriously.
With that done, time for some actual content! See, since it's a new year and all and with the coming of fresh blood, I figure it'll be good manners to not leave all you poor, confused lil' Lemmings to flounder about like fish out of water. So this one is dedicated for all you new guys and girls and I wish you all a joyful adaptation to the club's brand of insanity, or at the very least a quick and merciful death!
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Things You Really Need To Know ASAP
1. Respect everyone
...and I really do mean everyone. Respect the masters if you see them. Respect the sensei(s) who teach you. Respect the seniors guiding you. Respect your fellow practitioners. This serves two purposes. The first is to maintain the martial discipline of our art and unite us under one family and all the pretty-sounding stuff. The second, which is far easier to directly relate to, is that most of us have been trained longer than you and in some cases are teaching/guiding you; in the interests of your personal health, you really shouldn't give us any reason to not be happy with you and completely unintentionally forget to hold back, don'tcha agree? Don't worry though, we're all good people! <3 <3 ...mostly.
2. Respect everything
Being, everything involved in our training; I don't much care if you decide to start lambasting your shoe, for example. Respect the grounds on which we train; we have a highly-recommended custom (read: Just do it.) of bowing to the training area whenever we arrive for training and whenever we leave after. Respect the equipment; I'll expand on this later.
3. Respect the art
Everything we do, we do for a reason. Reasons which we are more than willing to tell you if you ask, and we do strongly encourage you to ask. Our art isn't simply just going through the motions of swinging a sword, y'know! Anything that you are unsure about, just ask. Understand and respect that with each swing of your equipment, it is with the intention of a cut with a real sword; it's supposed to be lethal. Do not take it to be a pillow fight. Do not take cutting and getting cut lightly. Kenjutsu is the art of the sword, not the art of the foam sticks.
3. Respect the art
Everything we do, we do for a reason. Reasons which we are more than willing to tell you if you ask, and we do strongly encourage you to ask. Our art isn't simply just going through the motions of swinging a sword, y'know! Anything that you are unsure about, just ask. Understand and respect that with each swing of your equipment, it is with the intention of a cut with a real sword; it's supposed to be lethal. Do not take it to be a pillow fight. Do not take cutting and getting cut lightly. Kenjutsu is the art of the sword, not the art of the foam sticks.
4. Respect everyone's safety
Listen to our warnings and heed all the stuff that we tell you to not do. We don't say them for craps and giggles. We say them because otherwise people may get hurt, quite possibly you. Do not intentionally endanger anyone with any action, and keep minimal unintentional endangerment of anyone with any action. Stuff like cutting your nails and not wearing accessories may seem redundant to you now, but you'll be regretting it soon enough.
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The DOs and DON'Ts of Equipment Handling
DOs
- DO respect the equipment
- DO keep the equipment clean
- DO replace the equipment neatly after usage
- DO use the equipment properly, in the way they are supposed to be used
- DO wipe the helmets after usage
- DO NOT disrespect the equipment
- DO NOT dirty the equipment
- DO NOT place the equipment under your armpits or between your legs
- DO NOT misplace the equipment
- DO NOT throw the equipment
- DO NOT damage the equipment
- DO NOT perform the forbidden techniques with the equipment
- DO NOT scold the equipment and hurt their feelings
- DO NOT use the equipment as tools to act out your unspeakable fantasies
- DO NOT pass the equipment to Hui Xian when she is trying to hurt me
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Kenji
God's Gift to Dogkind
SPKC Webmaster 2013
Friday, April 12, 2013
The Outing To Devour Fish
Hey people, I'm back!
Many apologies for the late update this week; I've been rather distracted with some personal stuff lately, but all is well now (I hope) :D
So last week, on Thursday the 4th of April, we had a club outing! Yay! We started out with watching a movie, The Croods, at West Mall (at Bukit Batok, in Singapore, in Southeast Asia...), then proceeded to JCube for dinner at Manhattan's (at JCube, at Jurong East, etc etc...). Fairly standard fare for an outing.
The movie was pretty cute and all, but the most striking thing bout us watching a movie is, well, us :P SPKC is always the loudest group, no matter where we go or what we do. As can be seen from when we watch a show targeted at kids and end up laughing the loudest and hardest in the entire cinema. I take it to mean that we are all young kids at heart :3
Upon the movie's conclusion, I promptly utilized all I've learnt about footwork and movement towards perhaps the greatest and most pressing issue of all: getting to the toilet to relieve myself. It is at this time that I leave this serious warning to one and all: for your own sakes, never drink too much water before and/or while watching a movie.
Afterwards came the dinner at Manhattan's, where our group occupied a whopping 18 seats. We arrived in two batches, the first being the movie group who took the seats first, and the second being the non-movie group, inclusive of our ever lovable and blur Helpful Fish, Yu Fang. So after Fish and Co. arrived at Manhattan's, we ordered our food.
Towards the end of our meal, I began to heavily regret my choice in seating. I had forgotten that SPKC battles were not limited to the sparring field. For you see, I was seated within reach of Amirul and Ezan, who I now dub the Bandit Duo. I also ordered a mud pie for dessert. Thus began the heated Battle for The Mud Pie, where cutlery became weapons and underhandedness was not only encouraged, but a constant.
I wasn't the only one with mud pie, actually. Yet the others were perfectly safe; no bandits dared brave the wraths of sensei Bryan and senior Ying Zhi. Dessert aside, we also came into luck! Somehow they messed up the orders and we got a free Fish n' Chips, which... did not survive long at all (a quarter each to Hiok Ann, Ezan, Amirul and yours truly, though my portion was later donated to my fishy sister).
Throughout the meal, I noticed many many times that people kept staring at us for how loud and boisterous we were. SPKC is lively, people! Good job! *thumbs up*
Many apologies for the late update this week; I've been rather distracted with some personal stuff lately, but all is well now (I hope) :D
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The movie was pretty cute and all, but the most striking thing bout us watching a movie is, well, us :P SPKC is always the loudest group, no matter where we go or what we do. As can be seen from when we watch a show targeted at kids and end up laughing the loudest and hardest in the entire cinema. I take it to mean that we are all young kids at heart :3
Upon the movie's conclusion, I promptly utilized all I've learnt about footwork and movement towards perhaps the greatest and most pressing issue of all: getting to the toilet to relieve myself. It is at this time that I leave this serious warning to one and all: for your own sakes, never drink too much water before and/or while watching a movie.
Afterwards came the dinner at Manhattan's, where our group occupied a whopping 18 seats. We arrived in two batches, the first being the movie group who took the seats first, and the second being the non-movie group, inclusive of our ever lovable and blur Helpful Fish, Yu Fang. So after Fish and Co. arrived at Manhattan's, we ordered our food.
Towards the end of our meal, I began to heavily regret my choice in seating. I had forgotten that SPKC battles were not limited to the sparring field. For you see, I was seated within reach of Amirul and Ezan, who I now dub the Bandit Duo. I also ordered a mud pie for dessert. Thus began the heated Battle for The Mud Pie, where cutlery became weapons and underhandedness was not only encouraged, but a constant.
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The battle begins!
...and to the winner goes the spoils!
Scavenging for remains!
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Throughout the meal, I noticed many many times that people kept staring at us for how loud and boisterous we were. SPKC is lively, people! Good job! *thumbs up*
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To end off, Yu Fang has asked me to request that all current members fill up a form in the following link, for administrative purposes: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Xi398SBXIzpn-8oQ9kRrmXu9Ga1q_RJtQhd-9BXubF0/viewform
That's all for this one, folks!
Kenji The Hedgedog
SPKC Webmaster 2013
SPKC Webmaster 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
The Mock Competition! (suggest names please)
It suddenly occurred to me that I forgot to include something in last week's post! I must have somehow gotten infected by Yu Fang's fishy memory :P
So, without further ado...
Currently it is still in the planning stage, but hopes are quite high that it will be ready within a month! The organizing team will be quite busy the next couple of weeks, for certain. Mostly, we will be going around recruiting people to do this and that (more manpower = less work for me :3), so please don't walk away if I ask to speak with you! It's not some secret love confession, there's no need to be scared~
Anyway, some basic information on the mock competitions! It will be completely free of charge for participants, and have outstanding prizes such as pride, a sense of accomplishment, and bragging rights! Yeah, all you get is experience. Really, that should be more than enough, so deal with it. Of course, if anyone is willing to sponsor prizes, do feel free to talk to me! :D
That's all I'm saying on this for now. Everything else is still in planning and may be changed, so there's not much point in posting right now. I will have an entire post up for it when it's ready, with all the itty bitty details that most people just glance over anyway.
On a final note, I am requesting for name ideas. Calling it mock competition all the time just doesn't quite have a zing to it, no? No offense to Master Dav, but I am NOT calling it the Kenji Competition! >.<
I will give a cookie to whoever suggests an Uber Awesome Epically Cool name that I choose to use! :D
So, without further ado...
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Let us welcome our newest official Intermediate-level practitioners, Darren and Issac! They have successfully taken the first step in the learning journey of our art!
As most of us know, the advancement from white belt to red belt is very significant in our art. It is the change from a short sword to a long sword. The change from one hand to two hands. It is the donning of our gi. It is the very first measure of our progress, and the mark of our serious interest in our art. Congratulations, Darren and Issac!
As most of us know, the advancement from white belt to red belt is very significant in our art. It is the change from a short sword to a long sword. The change from one hand to two hands. It is the donning of our gi. It is the very first measure of our progress, and the mark of our serious interest in our art. Congratulations, Darren and Issac!
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Mock Competitions Official Announcement!
Most of you should have seen the poll I put up on our facebook page about this, but regardless I'll state it again for official purposes!
Some time back, I asked people for ideas and suggestions for this blog, and one Bryan Neo gave me one for a self-organized tournament. The idea behind it being that we can use more competition experience. I took the idea and developed it, and after much planning and tinkering and a meeting with the council... I am proud to announce that the higher ups have approved it! We will soon be having mock competitions!
Some time back, I asked people for ideas and suggestions for this blog, and one Bryan Neo gave me one for a self-organized tournament. The idea behind it being that we can use more competition experience. I took the idea and developed it, and after much planning and tinkering and a meeting with the council... I am proud to announce that the higher ups have approved it! We will soon be having mock competitions!
Currently it is still in the planning stage, but hopes are quite high that it will be ready within a month! The organizing team will be quite busy the next couple of weeks, for certain. Mostly, we will be going around recruiting people to do this and that (more manpower = less work for me :3), so please don't walk away if I ask to speak with you! It's not some secret love confession, there's no need to be scared~
Anyway, some basic information on the mock competitions! It will be completely free of charge for participants, and have outstanding prizes such as pride, a sense of accomplishment, and bragging rights! Yeah, all you get is experience. Really, that should be more than enough, so deal with it. Of course, if anyone is willing to sponsor prizes, do feel free to talk to me! :D
That's all I'm saying on this for now. Everything else is still in planning and may be changed, so there's not much point in posting right now. I will have an entire post up for it when it's ready, with all the itty bitty details that most people just glance over anyway.
On a final note, I am requesting for name ideas. Calling it mock competition all the time just doesn't quite have a zing to it, no? No offense to Master Dav, but I am NOT calling it the Kenji Competition! >.<
I will give a cookie to whoever suggests an Uber Awesome Epically Cool name that I choose to use! :D
Kenji
The Bark Knight
SPKC Webmaster 2013
SPKC Webmaster 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Level Up!
RED BELT KENJI has leveled up!
RED BELT KENJI is evolving!
RED BELT KENJI has evolved into... GREEN BELT KENJI!
Yep, I have leveled up! Along with many others, as we received our new belts on the 23rd of March 2013. Granted, I believe that none of us were actually expecting to have failed grading, but it was still a good feeling regardless~
If I'm to put photos here, then naturally this has to be the first! It is our new president, after all! Sum-taicho's usual serious demeanor shows, as he calmly gazes into the camera with his presidential aura!
Following President Sum comes our very own Man of Sheer Power, one half of our committee's vice presidents, Leon! One can tell his composure with the easy smile on his face.
Nowhere near as important as the others, yet still here because he's the one writing this post so he gets special privileges, is the cute, handsome, smart, humorous and not to mention extremely humble Awesome Webmaster of Awesomeness, Kenji (if you haven't figured it out yet, that's me)! Not to be confused with the other Kenji, who is much less awesome than me :D
That's all! The other photos are all on our facebook page, and will soon be here too, credits to our photo uploading person, Crystal! The photo albums can be accessed on the right side of the page, so look out for it.
Sparring was made marginally more difficult when I realized that the swings had left my left hand rather unresponsive, though nothing debilitating. It was then that I discovered a rather huge error in my sparring, as pointed out by multiple seniors and sensei.
RED BELT KENJI is evolving!
RED BELT KENJI has evolved into... GREEN BELT KENJI!
Yep, I have leveled up! Along with many others, as we received our new belts on the 23rd of March 2013. Granted, I believe that none of us were actually expecting to have failed grading, but it was still a good feeling regardless~
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
If I'm to put photos here, then naturally this has to be the first! It is our new president, after all! Sum-taicho's usual serious demeanor shows, as he calmly gazes into the camera with his presidential aura!
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Following President Sum comes our very own Man of Sheer Power, one half of our committee's vice presidents, Leon! One can tell his composure with the easy smile on his face.
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Nowhere near as important as the others, yet still here because he's the one writing this post so he gets special privileges, is the cute, handsome, smart, humorous and not to mention extremely humble Awesome Webmaster of Awesomeness, Kenji (if you haven't figured it out yet, that's me)! Not to be confused with the other Kenji, who is much less awesome than me :D
That's all! The other photos are all on our facebook page, and will soon be here too, credits to our photo uploading person, Crystal! The photo albums can be accessed on the right side of the page, so look out for it.
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Handing out of new belts aside, training was as per usual that day, if more harsh than usual due to the green belts having to attempt Cuts #3 and #4 with only our non-master hands. I can still feel the aches from it as I type this! It was quite an eye opener for me to realize just how weak my non-master hand is, as I struggled to even maintain my stance in the standard guard. I wasn't the only one. We're gonna have to train up more!
I tend to move in way too much and end up in less than a sword's length from my opponent when I attack. In particular, I've become so accustomed to stepping in with my attacks that I step in with every attack, which has proven to heavily compromise me. I spent a good few hours after lesson pondering over this flaw in my sparring.
Senior Nicholas later told me of how sensei Radz had once told him to 'fight (against) muscle memory', to be in complete control of our own bodies and not let it control us. On further discussion, I believe that the key to success is composure. Personally, I tend to get riled up when I spar. The more intense the spar, the more I lose myself in the battle lust and run on instincts, which not only inhibits my ability to be in full control of my body but also any strategic and tactical planning.
Only by remaining calm can I properly assess the best course of action to take in any particular situation, and only by remaining calm will my body obey me. If I am lost in fear, I will strike too late. If I am lost in excitement, I will strike too soon.
That is not to say that we should be mechanical in sparring! Adrenaline-fueled emotions can give us strength, when properly utilized. Instead of losing ourselves in them and letting them control us, we can channel those emotions into our determination to win and sharpen our focus!
Of course, it's much easier said than done, and I'm far from actually learning how, but knowing the what is at least the first step taken, no? :P
Kenji
The Man Who Let The Dogs Out
SPKC Webmaster 2013
Senior Nicholas later told me of how sensei Radz had once told him to 'fight (against) muscle memory', to be in complete control of our own bodies and not let it control us. On further discussion, I believe that the key to success is composure. Personally, I tend to get riled up when I spar. The more intense the spar, the more I lose myself in the battle lust and run on instincts, which not only inhibits my ability to be in full control of my body but also any strategic and tactical planning.
Only by remaining calm can I properly assess the best course of action to take in any particular situation, and only by remaining calm will my body obey me. If I am lost in fear, I will strike too late. If I am lost in excitement, I will strike too soon.
That is not to say that we should be mechanical in sparring! Adrenaline-fueled emotions can give us strength, when properly utilized. Instead of losing ourselves in them and letting them control us, we can channel those emotions into our determination to win and sharpen our focus!
Of course, it's much easier said than done, and I'm far from actually learning how, but knowing the what is at least the first step taken, no? :P
Kenji
The Man Who Let The Dogs Out
SPKC Webmaster 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
SPKC Chalet 2013
Disclaimer: SP Kenjutsu does not condone the consumption of alcohol. Any such references are unaffiliated with the club and are purely the stupidity of the idiots involved.
Woof, woof! Sup, guys? It's me again :D
On the 11th to 13th of March 2013, we had a chalet~! A fairly eventful one, with much hilarity and nonsense, and therefore entertainment! Now then, where do I start?
On the first day(night), I was forced to learn how to cycle. I conclude that bicycles are evil and whoever invented them must be burning in hell now. I have no sense of balance *sad* ...after one chipped toenail, some falls, and many times feelings like an absolute idiot, I at least managed to learn how to ride straight! Turns are still beyond me :x
Twas' a good lesson on tackling fears head on, and having the determination to continue in spite of setbacks. President Sum can attest to how many times I failed and how scared I was!
There was a night cycling session to Changi and back after the lesson(torture), which I sat out of (I was tired, okay? ><), though I've heard that there's an interesting story about a bus stop and 'sheer power' to be told. Ask Leon for details!
Later that night, or rather early morning, the group of us still awake bore witness to Andy's amazing Wing Chun skills and loss of ability to do basic maths. The efforts of certain people also helped to drive Yu Fang half crazy in the process :3 ...I'm innocent, by the way!
Come morning, I passed out for some much needed 'zzz's. Meanwhile the breakfast group shared an amazing tale of epic proportions involving the Nepal guy and Feifei the cat. In some ways I'm rather glad that I missed it. For my own sanity's sake.
It was much more crowded on the second day! Mahjong, Wii and barbeque! If I recall correctly my barbeque kill count stands at 15 satay sticks, 4 chicken wings, 2 sausages and 3 dory fillets. I was then promptly banned from the marshmallows for fear of the resident black hole in my stomach. Though I still ended up having some anyway after the barbeque (though not roasted), thanks to Ezan hiding away a packet of them!
In the Wii session following the barbeque, Neo displays his gaming prowess by kicking everybody's posterior, even when outnumbered 1 to 3. Sato Kenji causes rage with his camping skills!
Of special note is Ezan once again proving that he deserves his feline-related title, though this time the cat scratched him a good long one :3 ...no, not THAT cat. That one is much more mean and evil and kicked me off the bed =(
The second night's entertainment was supplied by our ever lovable friend whose name starts with 'A' and ends with 'ndy', via his awesome dance moves, performed half naked. The top half, that is. I wouldn't dare include this if it was the lower half instead!
When most everyone were visiting the sandman's castle, a small group of us guys proceeded to have a Manly Bonding Session, deepening our understanding of each other (Crystal, get your mind out of the gutter!) as we pondered many questions about life.
I left not long after breakfast the third day along with Sato Kenji, being too exhausted to continue. We passed out quite soon after getting on the MRT, for most of the trip (people kept tripping over SK's long legs).
In conclusion, SPKC chalets are nonsensically awesome and ridiculously entertaining (an argument can also be made as to them being awesomely nonsensical and entertainingly ridiculous too). All you peeps who didn't attend or didn't stay over missed out so much!
Kenji
The Woofman Supremo
SPKC Webmaster 2013
Woof, woof! Sup, guys? It's me again :D
On the 11th to 13th of March 2013, we had a chalet~! A fairly eventful one, with much hilarity and nonsense, and therefore entertainment! Now then, where do I start?
On the first day(night), I was forced to learn how to cycle. I conclude that bicycles are evil and whoever invented them must be burning in hell now. I have no sense of balance *sad* ...after one chipped toenail, some falls, and many times feelings like an absolute idiot, I at least managed to learn how to ride straight! Turns are still beyond me :x
Twas' a good lesson on tackling fears head on, and having the determination to continue in spite of setbacks. President Sum can attest to how many times I failed and how scared I was!
There was a night cycling session to Changi and back after the lesson(torture), which I sat out of (I was tired, okay? ><), though I've heard that there's an interesting story about a bus stop and 'sheer power' to be told. Ask Leon for details!
Later that night, or rather early morning, the group of us still awake bore witness to Andy's amazing Wing Chun skills and loss of ability to do basic maths. The efforts of certain people also helped to drive Yu Fang half crazy in the process :3 ...I'm innocent, by the way!
Come morning, I passed out for some much needed 'zzz's. Meanwhile the breakfast group shared an amazing tale of epic proportions involving the Nepal guy and Feifei the cat. In some ways I'm rather glad that I missed it. For my own sanity's sake.
It was much more crowded on the second day! Mahjong, Wii and barbeque! If I recall correctly my barbeque kill count stands at 15 satay sticks, 4 chicken wings, 2 sausages and 3 dory fillets. I was then promptly banned from the marshmallows for fear of the resident black hole in my stomach. Though I still ended up having some anyway after the barbeque (though not roasted), thanks to Ezan hiding away a packet of them!
In the Wii session following the barbeque, Neo displays his gaming prowess by kicking everybody's posterior, even when outnumbered 1 to 3. Sato Kenji causes rage with his camping skills!
Of special note is Ezan once again proving that he deserves his feline-related title, though this time the cat scratched him a good long one :3 ...no, not THAT cat. That one is much more mean and evil and kicked me off the bed =(
The second night's entertainment was supplied by our ever lovable friend whose name starts with 'A' and ends with 'ndy', via his awesome dance moves, performed half naked. The top half, that is. I wouldn't dare include this if it was the lower half instead!
When most everyone were visiting the sandman's castle, a small group of us guys proceeded to have a Manly Bonding Session, deepening our understanding of each other (Crystal, get your mind out of the gutter!) as we pondered many questions about life.
I left not long after breakfast the third day along with Sato Kenji, being too exhausted to continue. We passed out quite soon after getting on the MRT, for most of the trip (people kept tripping over SK's long legs).
In conclusion, SPKC chalets are nonsensically awesome and ridiculously entertaining (an argument can also be made as to them being awesomely nonsensical and entertainingly ridiculous too). All you peeps who didn't attend or didn't stay over missed out so much!
Kenji
The Woofman Supremo
SPKC Webmaster 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
2013 committee says "HI!"
Dear Diar... oops, wrong audience!
Time flies, and a year has passed since my batch first tried out kenjutsu in the Sports Hall (which is no longer there). We have sweat and bled (I'm looking at you, Crystal) much through the past year as we underwent our journey from fresh new greenhorns who knew nothing about wielding swords to... slightly less fresh greenhorns who will at least not kill ourselves with our own blades. At least, I hope so.
Our seniors and instructors have taught us much, and opened our eyes to many new experiences (including but not limited to getting absolutely destroyed by them in spars, repeatedly). It is not just the way of the sword that they have passed down to us; they have given us many life lessons and gems of wisdom as well.
Of which includes one on the issue of responsibility and of putting ourselves forward to take up that responsibility. Our seniors, awesome as they are, are moving on. They have done their part for our club, and a splendid job they have done. While we may wish some of them to remain forever, time flows. The Year 2s are now Year 3s, and most of the Year 3s are soon to be bald.
We even witnessed the passing of the torch from sensei Zack to sensei Brad for SP.
It's our turn now. Our turn to give back to the club as it has given to us. Our turn to support the club and help it to continue being awesome. Our turn to be seniors to the next batch of fresh new greenhorns coming in a few months. Our turn to take up responsibility.
Ladies (what few there are) and Gentlemen, I present to you the committee of 2013!
President: Sum Zong Wei
Vice President(s): Leon Lim
Secretary: Tay Ei Fong
Treasurer: Lim Hui Xian
Social And Welfare: Bryan Neo
Quarter Master(s): Justin Francis Wong and Wei Kian
Project Coordinator(s): Crystal Lim and Muhammad Amirul
Webmaster: Kenji Choo
...and we say HI! :D
Kenji
The Amazing Dogman
SPKC Webmaster 2013
p.s. Andy, your role in the club will never be replaced. Ever. We love you.
Time flies, and a year has passed since my batch first tried out kenjutsu in the Sports Hall (which is no longer there). We have sweat and bled (I'm looking at you, Crystal) much through the past year as we underwent our journey from fresh new greenhorns who knew nothing about wielding swords to... slightly less fresh greenhorns who will at least not kill ourselves with our own blades. At least, I hope so.
Our seniors and instructors have taught us much, and opened our eyes to many new experiences (including but not limited to getting absolutely destroyed by them in spars, repeatedly). It is not just the way of the sword that they have passed down to us; they have given us many life lessons and gems of wisdom as well.
Of which includes one on the issue of responsibility and of putting ourselves forward to take up that responsibility. Our seniors, awesome as they are, are moving on. They have done their part for our club, and a splendid job they have done. While we may wish some of them to remain forever, time flows. The Year 2s are now Year 3s, and most of the Year 3s are soon to be bald.
We even witnessed the passing of the torch from sensei Zack to sensei Brad for SP.
It's our turn now. Our turn to give back to the club as it has given to us. Our turn to support the club and help it to continue being awesome. Our turn to be seniors to the next batch of fresh new greenhorns coming in a few months. Our turn to take up responsibility.
Ladies (what few there are) and Gentlemen, I present to you the committee of 2013!
President: Sum Zong Wei
Vice President(s): Leon Lim
Secretary: Tay Ei Fong
Treasurer: Lim Hui Xian
Social And Welfare: Bryan Neo
Quarter Master(s): Justin Francis Wong and Wei Kian
Project Coordinator(s): Crystal Lim and Muhammad Amirul
Webmaster: Kenji Choo
...and we say HI! :D
Kenji
The Amazing Dogman
SPKC Webmaster 2013
p.s. Andy, your role in the club will never be replaced. Ever. We love you.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
New T-shirts~
Hey guys, so it's the first week of Term 2 already, man does time fly fast. After over a month of waiting, the new belts have finally arrived! The seniors can now officially level up to Green and Black belts :D (and I can finally get rid of my dusky maroon belt)
On a separate note, the new designs for the next club t-shirt are finally out as well, designed by Hiok Ann and yours truly :D
The shirt's front design. Designed by Hiok Ann~ 
Design no. 1 for the back of the T-shirt. Generic kenjutsu member acting cool after a spar. :)
Design no. 2 for the back of the T-shirt. Two pioneers locked in battle. Guess who I referenced? :P
We'll get around to printing these as soon as a vote is decided on which back design is more popular with our club members~
Enjoy the rest of the week, People! :D
- Afiq
Friday, June 22, 2012
What you need to know about the club
Hello everyone! Our dear Pioneer Radzif has kindly written down some of the information that you should know about the club so do read what's written below. Before you start, let me give you a brief introduction of this blog. If you guys have noticed, the club has 2 blogs. This is one of the 2 and the other is the one that ends with cca.sg for the link. Before SP started using cca.sg as a form of standardization for all the CCAs in SP, this blog was used as the club's blog (still in use) so do visit this blog every once in a while for updates. I will post on the club's wall on facebook as well to inform everyone when there are new posts.
Training Centre
There are 3 Training Centres under NihontoDo mandate where official training takes place. SP is one of the Training Centres. The other two are RP and HQ(hombu). The art appoints a Sensei-in-Charge as the head of each training centre, responsible for settling Syllabus and Teaching Cadre matters. Every year, a competition is held so that practitioners from across the training centres may mingle and get to test each other's ability.
School Club
SP Kenjutsu was founded in 2007 as SP Chanbara. It was later named SP Kenjutsu in 2009 as the club adopted NihontoDo as its focus martial art.
The SPKC main committee is in charge of maintaining day-to-day functions.
These include keeping track of equipment stock, booking of training venue, planning the annual Singapore Polytechnic Open, freshmen orientation and other social activities. Members who are interested in taking up more responsibilities should indicate their interest to the club seniors.
Some of the above responsibilities can be done through the Department of Student Development (DSD). The DSD are school administration who approve and give funding to certain club events. For example, they are able to provide budget for competitions and camps. The current DSD Officer is Ms. Cindy.
Three members from the pioneer batch of 2007 have remained to this day. They are Valerie, Ain and Radzif. As alumni who also hold senior positions within Nihontodo, their opinions are still strongly taken into account whenever major club decisions are to be made.
A practitioner with regular attendance may be able to attain 1st Dan during his 3 years in poly. The colored belt ranks are entry, red, green, blue, brown and black.
Entry level fees are $30, intermediate level fees are at $40.
*students get a 50% off from full adult price which is $80 for entry and $100 for intermediate
**as students of SP, they get a further $10 discount
Brief introduction to NihontoDo
Nihontodo translates to 'Way of the Japanese Sword'. It is a modern hybrid kenjutsu system that significantly utilises sparring as a method of training.
There are several modules in NihontoDo. Swordplay is the first module, and it consists of learning the fundamentals of sword handling with the short sword, or kodachi. Then comes Sports Kenjutsu, where the practitioner moves on to the long sword, spars with the choken and practices kihon with the bokken. The next three modules of Combative Kenjutsu, Battodo and Tameshigiri are advanced modules taught after 1st Dan.
Sincerely
Tan Yu Fang
Social & Welfare Mentor
Special thanks to Pioneer Radzif for typing out all these information.
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