This is an unofficial page for San Mateo Kendo Dojo.
| Chief Instructor: |
Masaru Ogihara |
(7 Dan Kyoshi) |
| Instructors: |
Mikio Koga |
(5 Dan) |
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Jean Tessier |
(4 Dan) |
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Greg Ota |
(4 Dan) |
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| Practice: |
King Center |
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725 Monte Diablo Av |
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San Mateo, CA 94401 |
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(650) 522-7470 |
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(map it) |
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Tuesdays 6:30pm - 8:45pm |
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We practice once a week, on Tuesday night.
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All you need to start is a shinai and gym clothes.
You can obtain a shinai from Jean Tessier
for $20 and pick it up at practice.
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Please, contact Jean Tessier
for a full list of the pricing structure.
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Later, when you are hooked on kendo, you will need a
uniform and eventually a suit of armor. You can order
those (and shinai too) from a variety of vendors, when
you are ready:
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Questions & Answers
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Do you have separate classes for youth and adults?
We have a single class with a mix of children, teenagers, and
adults. We give common instruction at the beginning and then we
split the class between beginners and advanced students half-way
through.
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Is there a minimum age to start kendo?
We usually start at the age of 10.
We have had children start as young as 8 or 9 years old, and a
very few as young as 7. Participants use a bamboo stick and they
need to have enough discipline to provide a safe environment for everyone.
We need to make sure young children have enough maturity to last
through the two hours of instructions.
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Can I come and watch you practice before I decide?
Of course. If you want, you can come and watch us practice to get a
feel for the dojo and for kendo. Parents and kids are welcome too.
You don't have to stay for the whole two hours, but it does get more
interesting in the second half, and especially in the last half-hour.
We practice every Tuesday at the King Center.
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Will you have time for my questions?
The doors open at 6:30pm but the class doesn't start in earnest
before 6:45pm so we have time to answer a few questions.
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What's happens at a typical practice?
| time |
beginners |
advanced |
6:30pm
6:45pm |
Assembly. |
6:45pm
7:00pm |
Basic footwork. |
Assembly. |
7:00pm
7:15pm |
Common warm-up. |
7:15pm
7:20pm |
Opening medidation. |
7:20pm
8:00pm |
Basic instruction. |
Guided practice. |
8:00pm
8:05pm |
Short break. |
8:05pm
8:35pm |
More basic instruction. |
Ji-keiko, open practice. |
8:35pm
8:40pm |
Closing meditation and parting words. |
8:40pm
8:50pm |
Clean up and leave. |
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Some useful links:
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