Our Values

We are respectful to each other. We don’t berate, yell at, or bully others—mentally or physically. When we communicate, we have good manners and show decorum in our speech. We are supportive of each other’s individual journey. Everyone is different, and everyone is in a different place.

Kindness is also about being direct, and telling others what they need to hear. Kindness does not mean we hide truth just to spare one’s feelings. We help each other and give each other feedback with good intentions.

We expect kindness over skill. You can be #1 in the world at kendo, but if you are not kind, first, this will not be the right place for you.

We believe that anyone can do kendo. It ought to go without saying, but we welcome all kinds of people no matter their race, ethnicity, gender identity, orientation, and belief. We also believe that kendo can be done no matter your age, gender, and physical capability.

We are student-centered, and each individual member moves at their own pace, and on their own track. Those who are seventy-five should do something different from someone who is seventeen.

We believe this kind of diversity, as well as our focus on the individual, makes our club a better place.

The word “integrity” comes from integritas, which means something like “wholeness.” Integrity has to do with being true to yourself, with your inside self and outside self represented consistently. We want to be a club where members can be themselves, be accepted for who they are, and behave in a way that is consistent with both the club’s values, and our own.

We also treat others well. We show decorum, we are polite, and we show proper etiquette, particularly within the context of the kendo community. We show respect to all people, regardless of rank. In this way, we are honest with ourselves and with others.

Humility is the willingness to see oneself accurately—for both our strengths and our limitations. We do not distort things to make ourselves look better. If we get hit, or we lose, we do not try to protect our pride. There is no need to make oneself look better than one actually is. We show restraint around credit, status, and self-display.

On the flip side, there is also no need to dominate others in order to elevate one’s own status. A humble person (a person with humility) has no need to put someone else down. There is no need to magnify your own weakness and punish yourself, either.

We all need help from others to get better, and humility allows us to receive it and accept it.

We are thankful that we can practice kendo. We appreciate each other. Being able to do all this is a gift. Tangible or intangible, on purpose or not, we benefit from the help of others. We show our appreciation through our etiquette (e.g. bowing), by saying “thank you,” and recognizing others.

A culture of gratitude builds trust. Grabbing someone and saying thank you to them for their help, for working with you, and even for hitting you—it goes a long way. And, it makes the club a place where people want to be.

Our goal is to help members to feel and believe that we can learn anything. This comes from enabling individuals to solve puzzles on their own. To give possibilities, not solutions.

We also do kendo with no expectation of reward. Learning is not a short-term endeavor, nor is the purpose to get a promotion or win. Those are just the results of our behaviors.

We, as individuals, are the central cause of our own learning. Everyone—from sensei to student—is there to support you, but ultimately it is our responsibility to learn and to change.

We take responsibility for the dojo, for things around us, and for other kenshi. We prepare ourselves for practice, testing, and tournaments. We don’t blame others for outcomes and we take responsibility for our own progress.

We get to be here. Although we take things seriously, we also enjoy that we’re able to do kendo. And, we enjoy doing kendo with other members of our community. Ultimately, we’re here to derive some sort of satisfaction from our activity. We want to spend time with people with good attitudes, who want to be here.