The Rivonia Kendo Club (RKC) has become home to a number of Sandton residents. A weekly occurrence, the national lockdown has now put a stop to the practical classes.
The Sandton Chronicle spoke with head Sensei Warren Ho to tell us about his Kendo journey.
Born in South Africa from Chinese descent, Ho has always had an interest in martial arts. “I’ve been doing it for almost 25 years or so.
“Growing up I would watch traditional old Chinese movies, you know the classic, Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, and with that my interest for martial arts grew.”
After dabbling in a number of styles, Ho eventually found Kendo.
“I decided to pursue Kendo as sort of full-time and make it into a profession as such. You know I always joke and brag about having 11 black belts, five of which are in Kendo,”
Making use of technology, RKC has introduced a virtual dojo to continue to motivate and inspire their members. Using the Zoom application, students simply log on for their lesson. Taking place three times a week, Ho said it serves as a coping mechanism for many during this time.
“I keep encouraging my students to please keep training. It is the only thing keeping us sane through this insane time, mentally and physically. The virtual dojo helps give your day a different feeling,”
He added that many will have a lot of free time and so the practice of Kendo can help cultivate personal development.
Even in this time we would still like to inspire and motivate.
“The virtual classes help give that sense of community, that we still belong to something. Even though we are social distancing we can still connect and that is the important message I tell my students,”
If you would like to see what Kendo is all about visit: www.rivoniakendo.co.za
