A Refreshing Visit to a Kendo Dojo in Paris

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Lee So

I will start with a little confession about myself. I don’t enjoy talking to people I’ve just met or barely know. Writing about my weakness rather than my strength is not easy. But as a martial arts practitioner, I believe directly looking into myself is the right thing to do. In this writing, I’d love to share my story about visiting and spending some time at a dojo in Paris, away from a dojo in Korea I am familiar with. The experience was more refreshing as I communicated with people across a language barrier.

What if I visit a dojo in Paris?

A month ago, I finally became a 5th dan belt owner. Considering my age and gender, I could not help being proud of my achievement. Plus, as it took two years to obtain the belt finally, all my friends and I were deeply moved.

So when my trip to Paris and Barcelona was around the corner, I was happy and still enjoying the mood of achievement. As I prepared for the journey, suddenly, a scene of the Incheon World Kendo Championship from a few years ago came to mind. The event was quite memorable, as I visited the gymnasium to watch the game. Watching kendoka from non-Asian countries, I felt some strange feelings overwhelm me. They must have found kendo unfamiliar initially, but they were participating in an international tournament. Especially, a team match of the French women’s national team was impressive. Although I could not understand their language, I felt a deep connection. Flashing back, I planned to visit a kendo dojo in Paris. But I didn’t know whom to contact. Guess what happened. 

Introducing my plan to practice in Paris

Of course, I was eager to practice kendo in France, but considering my shy personality, busy schedule, and language barrier, I couldn’t imagine visiting one. But on one side, I had a strange belief that my wish might somehow come true. Maybe it’s because I’ve experienced several times that from the moment I speak out about what I want to do, my surroundings push me to do it. So I decided to give it a go this time.

While preparing for the trip, I told some friends I met that I wanted to spend a day at a dojo in Paris but needed to know how. Listening to my plan, one of my friends who studied in France sent me a list of kendo dojos in Paris. I searched for their email addresses on the internet and sent them an email. I only speak Korean, so I wrote the email in Korean and used Google Translate.

I waited for a while, but nobody responded. So I tried to reach them via Instagram and then on their Facebook community pages for a couple of weeks. But nobody said I could join their practice. At first, I still thought of taking my uniform to be on the safe side, but my baggage was already heavy to cover my almost 20-day-long trip. Taking my uniform out of the bag, I comforted myself that the original plan was enough, waiting for the day to fly to Paris.

Visiting BUDO 11, a large dojo in Paris

It was when I was sitting on the floor at the airport checking my mobile notifications that I finally received a message from a girl who introduced herself as a resident of Paris. She said she has stayed in Paris for a long time, and she is a kendo practitioner at BUDO 11, a dojo in Paris. She suggested she lend me her protective gear and bamboo sword. She did not mention her kendo uniform. But unfortunately, I was at the airport when I got the message, and had already left my uniform home. 

What could I do? I was already at the airport and checked in my baggage. I had no other alternative but to send her another message. 

“I am already at the airport and have left my uniform home. I thought nobody would reply. Can you lend me your uniform too? Or I can’t practice kendo there.”

What a nerve! If she lent me hers, she needed to wash it too. I still feel bad for what I said, but what else could I have said? That was the only option for me back then. Anyway, I finally got the chance to visit a dojo in Paris without any equipment.

In life, there are moments we have to jump into new tasks, even though we are not fully prepared. But luckily, as martial arts practitioners often face unexpectedly strong opponents who exceed our capability, we have a sense of courage to deal with these situations. 

A space filled with diversity and energy

I went to BUDO 11 on my second day in Paris. It was at 8:30 in the evening, well past midnight in Korea. Due to the jet lag, I felt as if I had stood up all night before practice. I felt like floating off like an astronaut walking on the moon.

At the dojo, I met Ines, a 5th dan belt owner and France women’s national kendo team captain. She gave me a warm welcome and lent me her protective gear and towel. Her hoku was a bit small for me, so I was unsure it could protect my head properly. I thought I would be fine as long as I did not allow my opponent a chance to attack me, but you know, things don’t always go your way. 

Most of all, I was impressed by the diversity at the dojo. The range of age and ethnicity was extensive. While all members at my kendo place in Korea were from the same country, training with people with different looks seemed very natural in Paris. As a stranger from Asia, this experience felt novel to me. Also, many of the people at the dojo looked so young. That could be because the program of the day was physical training, as explained by a Korean kendoka who invited me to the place. Usually, I hang out with older people in Korea.

The space was full of energy and passion, different from the serious atmosphere I was used to. I wouldn’t have had a chance to feel this refreshing mood if I didn’t have the courage to visit this new place. Although it was only a one-day program, I fully enjoyed my time there. Also, as a newbie to a 5th belt owner club, I was deeply impressed by Ines leading the whole practice curriculum. 

Feeling comfortable in a new place

After training, we went out to grab a beer. I used to think of France as the country of wine, but my new friends seemed to enjoy taking a swig of beer after practice as much as I do.

We went to a pub close to the dojo with Ines, a Japanese instructor who is a 6th dan belt owner, and two Korean practitioners who respectively helped me with the translation during the training and introduced me the dojo. One of the Korean practitioners bought me a glass of beer. Because a card payment machine at the bar broke down, we had to wait a while to order our drinks. But it was okay. We talked about kendo, waiting for our turns. I knew respecting workers is part of the French culture. 

A discussion about Kendo in Korea and Paris was fascinating. We compared the similarities and differences between them. My new Korean friends helped me with the interpretation whenever I wanted to deliver my opinions. I was a bit tipsy when I finally took the subway to the hotel. I must have gulped down glasses of beer too quickly to slake the thirst after a hard practice. 

Traveling to a new place is usually full of anxiety, especially when using public transportation or having unfamiliar food. But thanks to this valuable experience, I was comfortable in Paris. It was a quick dinner, but every moment was filled with their warm hearts. Again I’d like to thank my friends for giving me a warm welcome despite my reckless, careless, and sudden visit. 

I am not sure what will happen in the future, but I want to say one thing. Next time I visit Paris, I will take my kendo equipment with me. I will give a second thought about my bamboo sword, though. Taking the sword is tiresome since it is treated as a golf club when checking in for the flight. But I will definitely carry my hoku and uniform with me next time.