We are sad to report the death on Wednesday 10th August of Peter Powell sensei.
Peter was a long time member of Butokukan Dojo, having started kendo more than forty years ago.
As one of the most senior members of the Dojo, he was in regular attendance at kendo practice until very recently, offering his advice and encouragement to the other kendoka. He will be greatly missed.
Peter was rokudan kendo, awarded by the British Kendo Renmei.
His funeral will be held in Brighton on 30 August.
One of the most troublesome of subjects in the proper martial arts is the best way to teach complete novices from their very first experience in their chosen dojo. The problem is not the new student but the method of teaching him or her and ensuring that those doing the teaching know what they are about. In other words, are these ‘seniors’ aware of what is required and how to go about it? It is of the greatest importance to the whole dojo membership that mistakes and errors don’t become established. Shakespeare put it quite clearly when he wrote: ‘When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions’ – and he was absolutely right. Mistakes not corrected from Day One will plague the student even thirty or forty years in the future – and will always be a handicap to progress. All the masters of Kendo and Iai-jutsu that I and my fellow seniors have had the good fortune to their instruction, have followed one set of principles throughout their own careers: basics – basics – basics – and when fed up with them – yet more basics!
For more information contact Butokukan Dojo.
kendō goes back to the Samurai or warrior class of Old Japan. We use bamboo shinai or practice swords, wearing protective armour. Training is under the watchful eyes of the Sensei, as discipline is necessary to master the sword techniques and ultimately oneself.
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