Wisconsin Kendo Tournament

I wanted to write a post about the Wisconsin Kendo tournament, but somehow, I didn't really feel up to writing one entire post about it, I'm bound to talk far too long. So a short blurb it is.

To sum it up, the tournament went well for me personally. I won two matches, and I passed the 1-kyu promotion exam (while still messing up on a lot of stuff. I'm guessing the judges were generous enough to chalk everything up as nervousness). While I was up against people of similar rank when I beat them, it was the first time that I felt that I could get into the arena and feel that I possibly had a chance against someone at all. I could feel a difference in fighting compared to the past tournaments.

I also really enjoyed my final match against the Detroit team. I really don't want to sound like bragging but I had gotten two points for our team, and also won my individual match. Funnily enough, I actually don't remember much of the match - everything was a blur of adrenaline, kiai, and the red and white flags of the judges going up when my opponent and I scored points. People commented that the match was "beastly" - and I felt it, too. I could safely say that this was the most that I had ever put into a match. When I fight, I say that I put my 100%, but wondered if I really did afterwards; for this match, I felt that I actually had put everything on the line.

After struggling with kendo for so long and feeling like crap every time a member advances in rank while I stay the same, I feel that finally, I have seen a little bump in my skill level. I had never been athletic, and I know that in sports, it always takes years for me to achieve what others do in months. But it feels great to finally feel a little more competent.