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I recently watched the movie “Whiplash”. Here’s a scene that reminds me of some kendo sensei I’ve met.

Note: this is a NSFW clip due to coarse language and violence.

When I say this reminds me of sensei I’ve met, I mean it. There are some sensei who will push you, relentlessly, in ways you never thought possible – or reasonable – so that you will pick up your game and improve. At least, that’s what I think they’re thinking. If you’re the person on the receiving end, it will probably feel like they just want to make you feel stupid, that you don’t know anything and that you should just get out of kendo.

Those sensei (and sempai) do exist. You may never meet one, but they exist. You should know that they do because when you have keiko with one, you’ll question whether kendo is right for you. You will likely feel you were treated unfairly, harshly, humiliated. You may feel sensei demolished you, on purpose, in front of the entire class. And if you do, you’ll not be the first one to think this way about your experience. Onlookers may be as equally stunned as you are.

I am not a fan of this style of teaching, to constantly push people as far as they can go so that they will improve. That being said, I understand the approach. A good instructor should challenge their students, but there is a line between a hard, challenging practice designed to spur a student forward and abuse.

I believe sensei have a great responsibility to their students to help them grow and develop as kendoka and human beings. It’s imperative sensei and sempai do their best to be the best kendoka and people they can be while still appropriately challenging their students.

I welcome your thoughts and comments.