Most Kendo practitioners outside Japan are familiar with prestigious Kendo tournaments in Japan, such as the All Japan Kendo Tournament or the Hachidan Tournament. They probably also realize that many high-level competitors train full-time as police officers or correctional officers. But just how hard is it to get to the level of an All Japan champion? In this article, I will describe the competitive climate in Japan, and the typical path that Kendo practitioners in Japan walk.

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Tsuchida Kazuhiro

Born in 1971 in Kumamoto. After graduating from Aso Chuo High School, he started working at Michiwa Shohkoh. With this company’s Kendo team, he placed 3rd in the Kanto Corporate Kendo Tournament and made it to the final 8 of the All Japan Corporate Kendo Tournament. Under his supervision, the Totsuka Dojo junior high school team placed 3rd in the All Japan Dojo Tournament. Kendo 6th Dan. 

Ashisabakai forms the foundation of correctly implementing one’s mental image and the guidance received.

You are originally from Kumamoto, right? How long have you been involved in teaching at Totsuka Dojo?

About 10 years ago, I participated in a training session for adults and was invited by the president at the time to become involved in teaching.

I started working right after graduating from high school and actually decided to distance myself from kendo. Maybe I was suffering from burnout. However, as time passed and I came into contact with the pure feelings of the children at the Dojo, I became more and more involved in teaching.

What do you focus on when teaching?

In terms of technique, I would say that it is Ashisabaki.

In Kendo, the hands can be fixed someday, but not the feet.

This is something I was taught by Sakamoto Seiya Sensei at Kumamoto Jikishinkan. Strong Dojo always have a strong player at its core. I believe that by imitating that person’s movements, the level of the entire team will improve. I think that a child’s sensitivity is something wonderful. I have seen many cases of children thinking something is “cool” and then steadily absorbing it.

My job is to create the foundations, so that if a child one day thinks, “I want to move like this,” they are able to do that. I also think that as a child grows older and moves on to junior high school, high school, or university, it is Ashisabaki which enables them to implement the teaching of their new instructors. 

A parent once asked me why we spend so much time practicing footwork. I answered, “The more you practice Ashisabaki, the better you become at Kendo. It’s like Dashi (Japanese soup stock) in cooking. The more time you spend on it, the better the broth will be. No matter the ingredients (teaching), it will be a delicious meal.

Personalized instruction in language that is easy for everyone to understand

What do you keep in mind when teaching?

I try to teach in an easy-to-understand language that anyone can comprehend.

I also try to praise them for their hard work. I treat them as if they are my own kids.

I think that whether it is better to praise them or to be strict with them in certain situations depends on a child’s personality. How do you feel about this?

First, it is important to recognize the child’s characteristics. Some children are introverted and end up crying when they come to the Dojo. When this happens, I always start by asking them why they are crying. If the reason is that they don’t want to be away from their mother, I ask the mother to stay close to the child. If they stop crying and manage to finish the whole practice, I will praise them by saying, “There’s is someone who did their best today. Please give them a round of applause everyone.” 

Every child comes to the Dojo because they want to become strong. I try to have a conversation with children, asking them why they are crying. I ask them what it is they don’t like and what they want to do. At the end, I tell them a little sternly that they can’t become stronger by crying. They often stop crying when they hear that.

That’s a big step for that child.

Yes. The kid who made it to the final 8 in the All Japan Dojo Tournament this year was one of those kids who wouldn’t enter the gym when he was still in first grade. He was introverted and shy. Actually, I was that kind of child myself. Maybe that’s why I’m able to tell them, “don’t worry, take your time.”

On the other hand, if a strong kid cries after losing a match, I sometimes scold them severely. I tell them, “Instead of crying now, cry during practice! Did you really try that hard?” The real reason they are crying is because they hate losing. 

Preparing children for the real world

I was impressed not only by the Totsuka Dojo children’s technique, but also by the fact that they were polite and properly arranged their shoes and belongings.

I want to make sure that they don’t cut any corners in daily life and do things properly, so that when they become full-fledged members of society in the future, they won’t run into any problems. However, I think that this might be difficult to understand for small children, so I start by telling them this:

“The God of Kendo resides in the Dojo. The God of Kendo watches the children, and if they give it their all during practice, God will lend them strength during their matches. Conversely, if you try to cut corners, God will see your weakness. So, let’s give it our all during practice, as if we were asking God to please let us win. If we are dishonest and sloppy, God won’t help us.”

I heard that you also teach the children business etiquette.

In April 2022, the law for the prevention of power harassment came into effect. This also affected small and medium-sized companies. Respecting others is very important. However, I wonder whether a fear of being labeled as someone who abuses their power might stop people from scolding, instructing and taking care of their subordinates. 

I realized that when these children grow up, they might not even know basic manners. That’s why we started studying business manners at our summer training camp, using a projector to display slides. For example:

“You entered a room together with your teacher and your mother. Where do you sit?”’

“You and your teacher are waiting for the elevator together. Who gets to enter the elevator first?”

We also teach them how to hold chopsticks and eat fish. Former students really appreciate this. When they go out for dinner with their superiors, they get praised for being able to do such things.

In this way, I would like to teach not only Kendo, but also things that will be useful in society.

How did you come to think like this?

The teachers who taught have had a blog influence on me.

My teacher at Jikishinkan was strict about manners and speaking properly. Thanks to him, I have been able to avoid embarrassment as an adult. Not only manners, but also the importance of not letting your weaknesses take control of you were drilled into me since I was young.

I was once told this:

“Inside all of you, there is weakness and strength. If it were a game of rock-paper-scissors, your weakness is “rock”, and your strength is ”paper”. When weakness enters your mind and you feel like skipping or slacking off, make sure that “paper” wins.”

In rock-paper-scissors, paper beats rock, right? When my teacher told this story, he also used his hands to express what he was talking about, so that even children could understand: Paper beats rock.

People of all ages train at your Dojo. Is there something you keep in mind when communicating with everyone?

On top of respecting what other people think, I believe assertion is important when conveying my own ideas. Assertion is something which is becoming popular in the business world. The parents in the Dojo are all from different generations, and their values differ too. I started studying about assertion in order to respectfully communicate with them without imposing any old beliefs on them.

Running this Dojo, I come into contact with people who have a diverse range of values. Sometimes, they even criticize me. Assertion also helps in controlling and dealing with your emotions in such situations. In order to solve fundamental problems, I believe that it is important to not only respect others’ opinions, but also your own.

In order to learn how to listen to other people well, I am also studying to become a career consultant. Career consultants are nationally certified to help people who are struggling with their careers. I’m learning how to guide people through the process and help them pick the right methods to tackle their problems.

What he learned at Jikishinkan and Aso High School became the fundamentals of his teaching style

It seems like the teachers you had when you were young greatly influenced you. How did you get started in Kendo?

I was a very shy and small-minded child. I wouldn’t even get on the bus to my kindergarten. My mother was worried about me and decided to encourage me to join a Kendo Dojo, telling me that my friends were also doing Kendo there.

But when I was little, I hated kendo. The Sensei was very scary, and since we had practice in the evening, I couldn’t keep up with the popular evening anime.

Do you have any memorable moments from your elementary school Kendo days?

Next to teaching Kendo, my instructor also organized fishing and barbeque events. We went camping every year. We would stand on the back of a truck and sing in front of everyone. Thanks to that, I don’t mind public speaking at all. The Dojo helped me become less introverted.

Why did you choose to go to Aso High School?

When I was in my last year of junior high school, I saw a video of the Gyokuryuki finals between Aso High School and PL Gakuen. This got me interested in Aso High School.

This video is really amazing.

Right? I was especially amazed by the one-armed Jiho, Mori Masafumi. This video got me interested in Aso High School, but it is not why I decided to go there. 

One day, I got invited to my teacher’s home. As I walked in, I saw Isumi Katsutoshi, the Kendo teacher of Aso High School. He said:

“Come to Aso.”

The great coach I saw on TV the other day asked me to join him. I was overjoyed. I felt like I had no choice but to go to Aso High School, which of course wasn’t true.

At that time, Aso High School was a boarding school. We were told that if we won, we would get a spot on the team. If we lost, we would have to pack our stuff and leave the dorms. We had to stand firm, and every day was a test of our mental strength. Rather than improving my techniques, I feel like it really strengthened my mentality. We were not allowed carbonated drinks or instant noodles.

Teenage boys like carbonated drinks and instant noodles, right?

Yes. However, it taught me the importance of proper nutrition. The practice at Totsuka Dojo is tough, so if you lack stamina you won’t be able to keep up. We ask the parents to have the children eat four meals a day and sleep seven hours. If they come all the way to the Dojo to practice, but their body can’t keep up, the children will be frustrated. That’s why we ask them to eat before practice. 

When I was a student, I would ask myself, “How can I win?” I would discuss techniques and such with my classmates in the dorms from dinner until the lights turned off. I feel like this pressure cultivated my ability to think. 

It influenced your own style of teaching. But you also mentioned that you were burned out for a while, right?

I guess you could say that. I was actually scouted by a university Kendo club, but I chose to start working instead. I was finally freed from the harsh dorm life and moved to Tokyo. I vowed to “buy my own freedom with my own money.” I enjoyed Pachinko, slot machines, mahjong, darts, lure fishing, and playing guitar. Other than Kendo, I did everything. 

That was also a valuable experience. In mahjong, there is “destiny” and “luck”. Destiny is something you’re born with, but luck is distributed evenly among people and comes around eventually. Whether or not you can ride the momentum when luck comes your way can determine whether you win or lose. When I’m at a match with the children, I try to stay aware of this.

Giving children hope and fostering a love for Kendo

What are your future prospects?

To win some kind of All Japan tournament. There are various national youth Kendo tournaments in Japan. Wouldn’t it be nice to win an All Japan tournament? Winning such a tournament would make both the children and their parents happy. If they then continue practicing Kendo and make the most of what they have learned, I would be very happy.

I don’t want to start a discussion on what is correct Kendo, but I believe that “straight Kendo” can wait until adulthood. Instead, I would rather focus on giving children hope and fostering a love of Kendo.

I also look forward to drinking together with my students once they grow up. The other day, a group of grown-up students invited me to grab a few drinks. I was so happy. There were about 10 of us, but I was so happy that I ended up paying for everyone. Maybe that was their goal all along, but I was so happy that it doesn’t even matter.

This may be what motivates me to teach Kendo as a volunteer. I find myself truly looking forward to drinking together with my students when they grow up to be splendid adults.

Nowadays, we live in a world where you can always get what you want: convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, and you can get any sort of information you want just by using your smartphone. I think that adults will scold children less and less and children will be surrounded only by people praising them. Some children might even lose sight of themselves. They will lose the ability to thoroughly understand their desires, so I doubt whether they will be able to become truly independent people. That’s why I want them to gain confidence through Kendo, develop communication skills, and become able to stand on their own two feet, without any outside help. I believe that Kendo has that power.