On April 13, 2016 at 07:00-8:30 p.m. world-class master of Kendo martial arts, 7th Dan Renshi, Yorihiko Maeno Sensei, who has arrived from Japan, conducted his first seminar of Kendo martial arts in the hall located at Davitashen 6/1, 3rd block.
Before beginning the lesson, he taught how to put on Kendo uniform.
At the moment there are only two uniforms in Armenia. The coach has sent from Japan four uniforms as presents, he will also leave one uniformfor the Armenian sportsmen, which he has brought with him. When putting on the uniform the Armenian coach Arthur Poghosyan said laughing that formerly he had thought that folding hakama was a very hard thing to do, but then he understood that there were harder things.
Then Maeno sensei started to explain the nuances of Kendo martial arts to the people gathered there. Then after performing the greeting ceremony, he started to teach the group the art of Kendo walking.
Maeno sensei specially warned the group that in kendo martial arts one should make steps without raising his feet from the ground: only the heel of the back footshould be kept one mm up. At the end, he added that such a way of walking keeps a man healthy like him, who is 77 at the moment.
Then he taught the participants some techniques.
At the end, they showed the walking technique for 5 minutes, and then thanked him by bowing.
This was Maeno sensei’s first lesson in Armenia for this year. This year he will stay in Armenia for four months and surely, he will conduct trainings. The trainings will be conducted in the same hall on Monday, Wednesday, Friday at first at 6:30-08:00 p.m., then in the future, in case of necessity the hours may be changed.
In 2015 visiting to see Armenia for a week, Maeno sensei made a decision to conduct trainings this year for four months. He also envisages coming to Armenia in 2017 in order to conduct trainings from April to July.
Author՝ H. Muradyan
translated from Armenian into English by M.Vardanyan