On Tuesdays and Fridays between 6 to 7:30 p.m., there is a Japanese Swordsmanship class available at the CPA, taught by professor Zachary James, a Japanese language professor at ETSU .
Based on a class that I attended, it focuses on swords and one can either borrow one or bring their own as long as it is allowed on campus. Most of them were wood or plastic. They have practice mats where you train barefoot as well. I even got to see a couple of people in keikogi & hakama, traditional samurai attire, though most of them were regulars.
Sensei Zack never has a plan until after class starts, because what the class does depends on the students. There was a good number of new students this day, so he had an easy technique for everyone.
Once everyone was lined up, they all bowed in. He speaks Japanese to the students and they respond in kind as well as they can. He doesn’t expect anyone to be good or even perfect- it’s all about doing what you can do and becoming comfortable enough to get better. Then, they all kneeled, set on their shins, and bowed again, their swords laid down in front of them perpendicular to their bodies.
While it’s a teacher-led class, the students help each other out, pairing older attendees with younger ones. Zack moves around helping who needs it. There is a fun, banter-y repertoire among everyone in the class, including the instructor.
The guidance is clear and to the point, going as fast or as slow as the individual needs. Body differentiations don’t matter, so there are no class types. Everyone practices together, and even though it’s challenging it’s fun and a good workout.
The best thing is that the class focuses a lot on tradition, but it is also adapted to help with self-defense, or “America-Jitsu,” as the class called it. It’s limited to fifty students, so if you plan to go, register quickly to reserve your spot. And if you feel intimidated by the prospects, just know that it will all pay off in the end.
As Sensei Zack says, “You have to put in the work to get better.”
