Kyushu, one of the four Japanese Isles, was the name that came to mind when I was asked for a nickname of my club: The Kendo Club. When written in Chinese, Kyushu means “the nine lands.” Coincidentally, the members of in the Kendo club are from different parts of the world: Ireland, Puerto Rico, China and the U.S. They are all drawn to Kendo, the “way of the sword,” which is a martial art from Japan that trains people to fight with bamboo swords in full armor.
I first saw “Hamilton Kendo Club” on Hamilton’s website when I was doing my college search. In fact, normally it can be difficult to find a student society in a school of 2,000 that focuses on a Japanese martial art. So, surprised and enthusiastic to find out its existence, I decided to apply to Hamilton. Before coming here, I trained at a Kendo place in Shanghai, my hometown. Currently, I am the only first-year student certified with armors at Hamilton.
The idyllic landscapes in the town of Clinton suits the Samurai’s sword art far better than the ultra-capitalist constructions I see every day in Shanghai. In Shanghai, I often practiced in solitude; here, I naturally develop personal relationships with fellow members. Aoífe, our leader from Ireland who took over the club from two Japanese professors, is really strict on the etiquette of the sport. After each paired practice we are always made to finish the routine of withdrawing the sword, stepping back, and bowing to each other. At the same time, she is still very open to discussions. Sometimes I disagree with what she teaches, but she is always glad to hear my experience-based arguments.
Bobby is a special member of the Kendo club: he is one of the school’s staff from this area. Despite his age, his stamina overwhelmingly outweighs mine: while I can only try one or two hits consecutively on him during one-on-one practice, he can make three or even four on me in a row. He would then show me his warm smile, and encouragingly say that I’ll get better. I hope I will be as good as him when I get to his age.
My fellow first-years, who are all newbies, often surprise me with the speed with which they improve their skills and the spirit they exhibit. Since I am much more experienced, I sometimes get to teach them basic techniques and it is really necessary and interesting to scrutinize my own performance to see if I can correctly guide the beginners. When I see they are mastering the basics better day by day with genuine diligence and sincere participation, I feel compelled to advance my own performance.
I have begun my first Kendo competition here at Hamilton. During Fall Break, I went to Cornell University for two days. I didn’t win, but I learned a lot though the failure. However, the most important thing is that for the first time I knew how great the feeling was when I could represent my school and fight for it — though my first battle terrifically failed. I am really looking forward to participating in more competitions once I get better at scoring points with my sword.
