CHUO KENDO DOJO - Los Angeles, California - USA - The Traditional Art of Samurai Fencing. Chuo Kendo Dojo is a member of the All U.S. Kendo Federation and Southern California Kendo Federation.

Kendo is the first step in learning how understand your opponent’s intentions. By considering an opponent’s mind, our own mind will also be natured. Bushido is monono (もののあわれ), which is one of Japan’s most significant values. Monono means awareness, compassion, feeling. It can be said mujo (impermanence), which conveys the idea that all the things are transient, also includes the feelings of compassion, sensitivity, furyu (the fleeting beauty that combines compassion with humanism which can only be experienced in the present moment/shonen 正念), and elegance.

Originally a Buddhist expression, shogyo mujo means everything is ephemeral, nothing remains unchanged, and here it can be said that Bushido meets Christianity’s spirit of love. So, is a sense, Bushido has reached common ground with Christianity because both are concerned with compassion and concern for the other’s mind and in so doing, we can improve ourselves and grow as human beings.

When we meet people, we greet them; when we are taught, we thank our teachers. As human beings it is necessary for us to consider others. Through the serious study of kendo we can improve our manners, attitude and consideration of our fellow human beings in addition to building a strong, considerate character.