Dojo Evaluation in Sacramento California

[Abunai]

I found this "dojo" and its basically the only one within practical distance of my house. It claims to be good, i know theres not much you can do without walking in and checking it out but from a first glance could you tell me what you think? http://www.avalonartscenter.org/home/ this is the homepage, if you go to the about page it explains stuff more. That said, does anyone know of a good iaido, iaijutsu, kenjutsu, battojutsu etc. dojo in sacramento?

Also, is it unwise to attempt one of these sword arts without any prior M.A. training without weapons?

Thanks

 

[Chris Parker]

Hi,

I really can't see anything to recommend or deter a student to this school, other than the fact that it seems to state that the school was flooded and may or may not be open again.

The Ryu for the swordsmanship is Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu, definately a legit school primarily focused on Iai, but also including a Kenjutsu curriculum, but it says that it is "now" a Muso Jikiden Eishin school... makes me wonder what it was before... probably Seito Iaido.

As for whether or not it is suitable for a beginner, without previous experience, sure. Any teacher worth their salt (wow, that's an old phrase, isn't it?) should be able to direct and instruct a purely raw recruit as easily as an experienced practitioner. It just depends on what the experience is. Some will actually slow your progress, as you would need to "unlearn" certain ingrained habits. But check them out (if they're open again...), it really is the only way to know what they're like.

 

[Abunai]

okay arigatou gozaimasu! It says that its re-opened and re-scheduled all classes so i guess its up and running again.

So should i just sit in on the class i would hypothetically take(beg. iaijutsu)? and then at the end of class talk to the sensei or other employees and enroll if i like it?

Also, im only 15, i think usually you have to be 16 to join kendo schools so i dunno about that. I have no previous M A experience so i wouldnt have to unlearn anything, however i just came into posession of a katana/wakizashi set that belonged to my great grandfather(im half japanese although the set was not an heirloom) so should i just leave it be or try to see if i can handle it, its not sharp at all except the tip.

 

[Chris Parker]

You're welcome. I'm not Japanese, so I'll stick to English.

The first step is to go to a class. You may watch, you may join in, each different school will be run differently, so check with them. Ask questions, certainly. If you were in Japan, that would be a definate no, but Western cultures tend to like them a fair bit, so it'll be more accepted there.

As for age, again it depends on the school. I have come across Kendo classes for children as young as about 5, so check with them. In my school, we generally only accept students 18 and over, other Ninjutsu schools have kids classes, so who knows?

Okay, you have "come into possession of a katana/wakizashi set... should (you) see if you can handle it... they're not sharp except for the tip", oh boy. There's a fair few warning signs here in just a few words, so you know. To begin with, what so you mean you came into possession of them? He passed them on to you? Where did he get them from?

You also say that they are not sharp except for the tip... how do you know? Did you try cutting with them, or did you run your finger along the edge? If you answer yes to either of these questions, DO NOT DO IT AGAIN! The blade of a Japanese Sword can be easily damaged by the oils in fingerprints, resulting in rust-prints on a blade. Don't touch the blade if possible... at all. I cannot under-emphasise that. And if you attempted cutting without instruction, you are asking to hurt yourself. Don't.

If you know because that is what you were told, then that is a different story. There are a couple of different swords that are unsharpened, but retain a relatively dangerous tip (kissaki, if you want the Japanese...). At the top of the scale is a Mogito, which is a real sword that is unsharpened, then you go to Iaito, which are baldes made from a zinc/aluminium alloy, to soft to take an edge or hold up to the rigours of contact. Lastly you have the decorative trinkets which don't deserve the name "sword". They are sword shaped pieces of metal, with no balance, no integrity, no edge in the sense of a real sword, and are just imitations. No use at all. If your great grandfather gave you one of these, be dubious about it's origins...

If and when you join a school, it will be a while before you get anywhere near a real sword, or even an Iaito (in most cases). Typically, you will begin with a bokken (or bokuto, a wooden sword) until you have the requisite skill to be trusted with a metal blade. Remember, the concern will be the safety of those around you, not your safety, so you need to demonstrate that you can control and (most importantly!) STOP a sword. Then you will begin to use a metal sword, and after a while of that, eventually a live blade.

Don't be too eager to pick up a real sword. They are dangerous items, and should be treated with respect, and only picked up by those ready to use them. But don't worry, you're young, and have plenty of opportunity ahead of you!

 

[Abunai]

okay, ill do that

My great grandma died earlier this year so my grandma wanted to know if we wanted anything from their house because she knows im interested in japanese culture so she let me keep the sword set. I really dont know anything about them, they appear(atleast to my eyes) to have all the qualifications to be a real katana but they also might be decoration because i dont think my great grandpa ever used them although he did study karate. All i can gather about its origins is that he got it from japan, i dont know when or how. If you would like i can take a few pictures and send them to you.

And yeah i did run my finger on the blade >.< The wakizashi has some odd residue that looks kinda like it might be mildew or something, how should i remove that?

My guess is that it is either a mogito or a decorative blade but let me know and i can take some pictures because i would like to know

Thanks again

 

[Blindside]

okay, ill do that

My great grandma died earlier this year so my grandma wanted to know if we wanted anything from their house because she knows im interested in japanese culture so she let me keep the sword set. I really dont know anything about them, they appear(atleast to my eyes) to have all the qualifications to be a real katana but they also might be decoration because i dont think my great grandpa ever used them although he did study karate. All i can gather about its origins is that he got it from japan, i dont know when or how. If you would like i can take a few pictures and send them to you.

And yeah i did run my finger on the blade >.< The wakizashi has some odd residue that looks kinda like it might be mildew or something, how should i remove that?

My guess is that it is either a mogito or a decorative blade but let me know and i can take some pictures because i would like to know

Thanks again

The "residue" might either be a congealed oil or it may be a patina on the blade itself. If you did tough the blade with your fingers you may want to rub the blade down with some oil or you may get fingerprint rust spots on the blade.

 

[Abunai]

okay ill try to clean although, my great grandparents lived in hawaii and the salt air and high humidity usually rust a lot of metals so why wouldnt the blades be rusted already, they were kept in the sheath the whole time so maybe that protected them. If they didnt rust they might be low quality stainless steal kind?

 

[pgsmith]

Mr. Abunai,
In regards to your first question, I've heard some not so good things of the instructor, Peter Arno, in the past. However, these things were second hand, so I wouldn't place too much store in them, just be wary. The organization they now belong to, Jikishin-kai, is a very good organization. The mentor for their study group, Robin Ramirez, is an excellent iaidoka as well as a great guy.
As regards the swords that you inherited, they are more than likely aluminum bladed decorative swords. This means that they may, or may not, be of sufficient quality to actually swing around. Once you begin practicing, your instructor would be the one that should pass judgement on that. For now, I would advise wiping them down with a very light coat of some sort of machine oil such as 3-in-1 or sewing machine oil just in case they happen to be carbon steel. Also, as tempting as it is, I would advise against swinging them around until you reach that point in your training. Even if they aren't sharp, they still have the potential to do serious accidental damage.