(no subject)
Today after supper with my Kendo senpai I happened to be waiting at the Chinese High bus stop closest to the pool for a bus, and felt a vague sense of nostalgia. (Basically I took 156 from Clementi, got off outside NYGH and crossed the road.) Walking across the overhead bridge gave me a good view of the buildings along the slope, and I remembered the countless mornings I'd seen that view on my way to school but never really paid attention to it (although this was one of the rare times I've seen it in the darkness of the night). How many times have I walked up and down that slope in those 4 + 2 years? Looking at the closed gates (11+ p.m. on a Friday XD), I realized how much I'd experienced in four short years in there. Years from now, I'll probably look back at my two JC years more fondly, but on a personal level I think my secondary school years were, for better or for worse, the most significant and important period of my life. That was where I began my journey to discover and come to terms with myself. That was where I wrote that old, old poem which sparked off my love-hate relationship with Lit. That was where I met him and had that experience, which is probably one of the important defining events of who I am today. That was where I met him, the single person who has had the greatest influence on my life, ever. (seriously. if someone were to write a book about me he/she'd have to devote at least 10-15% of the space just talking about him. i could probably write another 3-5 moderate-length entries explaining what he means to me and how he's changed my life... but nobody's interested, right? XD)
Anyways, I'll be finally getting my gi and hakama and shinai! next Friday. Woot. Can't wait to be able to practice at home when I'm feeling bored. Although I have serious doubts as to whether the ceiling is high enough. =s
During Monday's training I got to see a real sword up close, and it's an incredible experience. It reminds me why the sword is the most well-known melee weapon (and IMO in contention with the small firearm for the mot well-known weapon overall). In the evening, seeing the polished metal gleaming in the fading sun... it's a sobering moment. It's like having centuries of ancestral memories of swords through the ages whispering in your ears, telling you tales of death and war and honor and chivalry, placing you under its spell until it is finally sheathed once more. After witnessing the utterly nonsensical creative disaster known as the Gunblade, I began to believe that the sword had lost its status as a serious weapon, but Kendo has given me fresh perspectives. IMO, out of all the melee weapons I know, the sword offers the best balance of offense and defense. (I could go on to compare the characteristics of different types of melee weapons, but that's another entry.) What made it even more memorable was that it was a katana (used by our sensei for sword-based martial arts like iaido), one of the few subclasses of swords which has remained relatively unadulterated by decades of fantasy (I'm looking at you, Keyblade.) Somehow I imagine the katana as a graceful, elegant weapon... mostly due to its simplicity and signature curve, I suppose.
Anyways, I'll be finally getting my gi and hakama and shinai! next Friday. Woot. Can't wait to be able to practice at home when I'm feeling bored. Although I have serious doubts as to whether the ceiling is high enough. =s
During Monday's training I got to see a real sword up close, and it's an incredible experience. It reminds me why the sword is the most well-known melee weapon (and IMO in contention with the small firearm for the mot well-known weapon overall). In the evening, seeing the polished metal gleaming in the fading sun... it's a sobering moment. It's like having centuries of ancestral memories of swords through the ages whispering in your ears, telling you tales of death and war and honor and chivalry, placing you under its spell until it is finally sheathed once more. After witnessing the utterly nonsensical creative disaster known as the Gunblade, I began to believe that the sword had lost its status as a serious weapon, but Kendo has given me fresh perspectives. IMO, out of all the melee weapons I know, the sword offers the best balance of offense and defense. (I could go on to compare the characteristics of different types of melee weapons, but that's another entry.) What made it even more memorable was that it was a katana (used by our sensei for sword-based martial arts like iaido), one of the few subclasses of swords which has remained relatively unadulterated by decades of fantasy (I'm looking at you, Keyblade.) Somehow I imagine the katana as a graceful, elegant weapon... mostly due to its simplicity and signature curve, I suppose.