Kendo in Japan, as a Foreigner -- Part 5 of 5
I've been in Japan since January 1994, and have been practicing kendo since April 1996. I find it exhilirating to be practicing in the sport's home country, but there are a few other observations I feel like making.
First, communication is important, but not for the reasons you might imagine. If you are considering coming to Japan to study a martial art, you might think that the language barrier will be impossible to overcome. From my perspective, this isn't the case. I came to kendo speaking basic Japanese, and a student can add some kendo vocabulary by reading books like This is Kendo by Junzo Sasamori and Gordon Warner and Japanese for the Martial Arts by Alexander D.C. Kask.
During practice, a person doesn't need to understand much Japanese. Martial arts being the physical performances they are, most verbal instructions will be accompanied by demonstrations that will get the meaning across even if you don't understand any of the words; and if you make it clear you don't understand (a must in martial arts for safety reasons), the instructor will take the time to find a way to make his meaning clear.
The truth is, a Japanese sensei will probably take a great deal of pride in a foreign student who has made the effort to study in Japan (people are individuals in Japan as elsewhere, but this has been my experience) and this will outweigh any communication frustration he may feel -- for awhile at least.
Learning the language eventually, however, is important. The sensei and your dojo at large are sure to become suspicious of your sincerity if you don't make an honest effort to learn the language. More importantly, the lack of language ability will harm you before and after practice. In Japan, being part of the group is everything, and gaining entry into the dojo's group (I call 'em the Kendo Bubbas) is going to require that you speak the language. Otherwise, you will never be part of the social interactions that bind the group together. Find yourself outside the group too long, and you will likely become frustrated and discouraged.
Also, there is the problem of etiquette, a high priority in martial arts and in Japanese society in general. While it may be easy to understand what your instructors are telling you when they are showing you how to hold your hands properly during an attack, it is more difficult to understand what you have done wrong regarding etiquette. It would have been easier if I had learned the rules and etiquette of kendo before I got to Japan. Instead, all that instruction
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