The way of the warrior
The specific kiai sounds made during kendo training can be heard coming from the dojo. 'Do', 'Men' and 'Kote' indicate the strikes used in this particular martial art. Two kendokas are aiming strikes at one another full of fighting spirit. After an hour of loud kiai noises and the clatter of shinais on one another's equipment and protective gear, the two men stop and greet one another. They take off their helmets to reveal their red and sweaty faces and then take off the rest of their protectivegear. They greet one another again before sitting down next to each other exhausted. It was, they admit, a fantastic training session and they compliment one another's many strikes, blocks and dodges. They've thoroughly enjoyed their training and are delighted to be able to test their skills at such a high level. Both of them are middle-aged and have been practising kendo from an early age. They have both won many competitions in the past and have become two distinguished teachers in the dojo.
In the meantime, two other kendokas enter the dojo and greet one another.
The two of them calmly take up their fighting positions and stand opposite one another completely motionless. The dojo is filled with silence. The two kendokas continue to stand facing one another like this for more than an hour. Suddenly, at precisely the same moment, they both take a step back andgreet one another. The entire process is closely watched by the other two kendokas in the dojo who were waiting anxiously with bated breath for an attack and a loud kiai that never happened. The two kendokas take off their helmets, greet one another and walk out of the dojo.
* Food for thought
What's the difference? The two teachers who were watching were greatly impressed; after all, the other two were their former masters who were well over eighty years of age. The teachers now realised they still had a long way to go before they too could reach such a high level. They knew that the two older gentlemen would attack if there were the slightest opening or weakness in their opponent's defence. They knew all this from experience and from the many training sessions they had had with their masters when they were still young. They knew that if one of them had shown any sign of weakness, the other would have immediately attacked.
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