Apples and Oranges

I think this is a pretty accurate depiction of how mega CEO's from mega corporations behave. Corporations are in it for pure profit, plain and simple. And we consumers are just as selfish and just as greedy, sometimes. But in a perfect world, in my world, there'd be no computing machinery.

Less Kendo, More Reading.

I'm finding less time being spent in Kendo attendance, but this is mostly due to the fact that Kendo is starting to become painful, painful on my feet, toes, my back, and arms, wrists, and soon to be my head. I do like the fact that I sweat like there's no tomorrow though.

I am going back to one of my favorite (is this the right spelling?) literature masters, John Steinbeck. I picked up my first Steinbeck, East of Eden, at a vacant rundown rooftop apartment in Seoul. The apartment was formerly used by a foreigner/expatriot, most likely American or Canadian. It was clear as pure crystal that this person has good taste in his/her selection of literature. So this book, literally as thick as one of those unecessarily ginormous dictionaries, caught my eye - East of Eden, I will never forget reading that great piece of fiction loosely based on the great author himself.

Now I have in my possession two more Steinbeck's. Cannery Row is one of them.

Detailed descriptions of holding a sword.

There is a proper way to hold a sword as there is a wrong way to hold a sword.
I've made this mistake once in front of class which was brought out by an unexpected participation during those moments when the teacher/instructor picks you out. At that point you either demonstrate that you know it or you don't. It's like one of those moments when a coach gathers his team around in a circle and select one random person so that he, the coach, can demonstrate the proper way to grip a bat or dribble a ball or whatever. The poor soul selected to demonstrate will effectively do one of two things: demonstrate the right way, or, demonstrate the wrong way - of which the coach will point out. It's quite the effective teaching tool.

Remember, Kendo is in a serious atmosphere where everybody stares you in the eye, face-to-face, with the look of killer in their eyes. But i will never forget the day when the instructor quickly motioned that I should pause and wait and check myself, and I knew that something about me was wrong. My feet looked okay, so was my grip and my posture and everything that I could quickly think of. I was golden.

But something was really wrong. Something was very wrong. That day, in front of every member of my class, I demonstrated something which I now consider simply as unorthodox.
I had made a slight mistake in my gripping of the sword. Instead of holding it the "traditional" way, I accidentally held it so that the blade was facing upward so that if I were to happen to swing to large, I could potentially cut my own face. Of course there was no noticeable difference in the grip. To better describe this, I drew a detailed illustration.

The right way: Blade is facing down.

The wrong way: Blade is facing up.

Shortly after this discovery followed by my quick readjustment, I had an uncontrollable smile for about an hour. Amazingly, everybody else managed to display a slight smirk. And that's when I knew that I was among real, true Kendo enthusiasts. Serious were their middle names.