Kendo, Iaido and Jodo Training Fees
Club Fees as at 2013
PCYC Registration Fee:
All members must register with the PCYC: $25 per annum PCYC membership fee register online at www.pcycnsw.org.au find club: Wollongong: join or renew membership
Training Fees
1/ Financial Australian Kendo Renmei (AKR) members:
$120 +$10 per additional art per six months (AKR membership is included in this fee- $80+$10 per additional art per annum). Juniors (under16years): $60 +$10 per additional art per six months (AKR membership component $40+$10 per additional art per annum)
2/Casual (PCYC only) members
Beginners and visitors from other clubs $10 per class. Juniors $5 per class
Equipment:
Equipment except clothing supplied for non-AKR members, AKR members may be temporarily lent bogu (Kendo armour) and/or iaito (sword for Iado) but are expected to buy their own equipment and clothing.
Other Costs
All members to pay their own competition entries, grading fees and travel costs to events.
The equipment needed for kendo
Kendo starts with
1: bamboo practice sword (shinai) costing @$40 - the first thing people are
asked to buy,
2: the clothing (huge pleated pants called hakama and jacket called keikogi)
- @$100
Many students only buy these, as the club has some supplies of loan armour it
loans to students but eventually people should buy
3: Bogu (the armour, correct fitting new armour is a good thing :) from @
$600 up)
4: Bokken (wooden practice sword, used for two person kata or patterns
from @$40)
What Kendo training involves
A normal kendo session at the University of Wollongong Kendo Club falls into several
distinct portions. Firstly reiho (method of politeness / etiquette) where
we bow in. This is followed by warmups, begining with light stretches and
followed by suburi (air cuts) with the shinai (bamboo practice sword) to
build control, endurance and cutting technique. Then we do waza (technique)
practice. Then there is the keiko (sparring). Finally closing reiho to end.
The equipment needed for Iaido
Iaido practitioners need an iaito, an unedged practice sword costing from
$350 dollars up depending on quality, and and obi, a traditional Japanese
belt costing from $30 to $60, in addition to a hakama and keikogi. Beginners start with club bokken and saya (wooden practice sword and scabbard). Progression to a live blade is not untill middle dan grade.
The equipment needed for Jodo
Jodo is the cheapest of the three arts, required equipment
starting with a Jo, a hardwood stick
1 inch in diameter costing from $10 to $100, and later a bokken, in addition to a hakama and keikogi. Beginners are provided with club jo for training.
The Shinai
page has further explaination of the shinai and bokken practice swords.
The Armour page
has further explaination of Kendo armour (bogu).
The only source of Kendo equipment in Wollongong is Shidoshi, upstairs
on the corner of Crown and Corrimal Streets, the other main options being
Martial Arts World in Sydney and direct from overseas via the internet.
ｩ 2009,2013 aden_steinke@uow.edu.au