When you train in martial arts at some point you will hear the phrase "slow is smooth. Smooth is fast." When training in Taekwondo I would often practice my forms slowly to fine tune my technique and find those spots where my balance was off. In practicing kenjutsu kata we go slow so we can feel what is happening. When are we displacing our partner? Are we balanced throughout the technique? During sensitivity drills we go slow and soft so we can "feel into" our training partner. In time, this slow, smooth movement becomes fast because we learn to do less and be sensitive. But I think going slow isn't just physical technique. It is not wanting/trying to move up the ranks quickly or "getting " a technique quickly. This thought process can lead to rushing through techniques and frustration because you "can't make it work." Ultimately this attitude can impair our progress. I know i am guilty of this at times myself. I would love to hear other people's thoughts on the topic.

I'm excited to announce a new section with links to purchase the best bokken and bo-tanto you can find for Nami Ryu kenjutsu and tanto-jutsu. Check out the section called "Training Weapons & Order Links" in the Kenjutsu Basics section.

Hi Everyone, just thought I would drop a note to see how people are doing. What are you working on as far as kenjutsu? I have been focusing on posture and proper walking and opening. Hope everyone is doing well!

Howdy all, I've held a friend's polypropylene katana, about a year ago. He's a beginner, but he's huge, so I was surprised at how small the sword was. I'm not beginning kendo anytime soon—I've just dipped my toe into swords at all, and I'm a curious fella. I have a 29"-blade training dao, the one in my profile photo, that I call the butter knife, and a Chinese straight sword that's intentionally a bit oversized for me, with a 37" blade and space for both hands on the handle. Do you have a rule of thumb, a principle, or a good resource for sizing a katana? I know, you match the tool to the job, and for a beginner, the job is training. Even still, I'd love to hear how you select a sword when you can choose based on feel. Much obliged 🖖

Welcome to Nami ryu Kenjutsu online. I'm excited to have you here, and to share your passion for learning Japanese swordsmanship. ⚔️ Please take a minute to introduce yourself and share what motivates you to learn kenjutsu. Maybe you're into Kurosawa movies, the samurai, or Japanese swords, or maybe you've wanted to learn Japanese swordsmanship but don't have a place to train or a community to support you. We'd like to know what brought you here!