Maryland Kenkonkai is accepting new students in Nakamura Ryu Battodo and Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo.
Prospective students must be at least 18 years old.
Maryland Kenkonkai is an open dojo - we don't ask members to sign contracts locking themselves into long term membership agreements, and members are welcome to continue training in other arts.
Membership dues are $60 per month, payable by the first class of each month. New students who join in the middle of a month will not be expected to pay dues until the new month begins.
To join, please contact us, or come observe a class to see if our arts are right for you. If you plan to come unannounced, please check our schedule to make sure we'll be there. Cancellations are posted on our schedule page.
Students pay a monthly membership fee of $60. This fee is the same whether students train in Battodo, Jodo, or both.
Equipment
The essential equipment of Battodo and Jodo are clothes and weapons.
New students don't need to buy equipment immediately. Loose fitting exercise clothes and dojo loaner weapons are best for the first few classes. Currently, we have loaner weapons available for two Jodo students and one Battodo student.
Students who have been training for two or three months will need to buy equipment. Maryland Kenkonkai doesn't generally sell equipment, but we can recommend a few vendors that sell good clothes and safe weapons.
The clothes we wear in both arts are the traditional gi (robe), juban (light inner robe), obi (belt), and hakama (trousers).
The weapon used for regular Battodo training is a practice sword, usually called an iaito. Iaito for training usually have a dull metal blade made of an aluminum-zinc alloy. Serious Battodo students eventually buy a real katana for training and cutting, but this purchase can be postponed for a few years.
The weapons used for Jodo training are wooden practice weapons made of Japanese white oak. Good quality weapons are flexible and tough, so they won't splinter, crack, or shatter in practice. The first weapon you'll need is a jo. Most Jodo students acquire additional weapons over time.
Students who already own suitable weapons can use them instead of buying new ones, if the weapons are assessed to be safe for training.
