Let me explain my Kendo journey first.  

I came across Kendo in January 2022, it was like an accident at the perfect timing in my life. Since then, I have been practising it with passion. I met great Senseis and made some good friends. Surely, Kendo has inspired me and led me in the right direction. Ironically, until that encounter, I have never been interested in Kendo. However, the best timing had just arrived when I had the most difficult time for a few years in my life. This is the reason I started writing my story which was like a kind of therapy, but it was a slow step toward recovery and I had no idea where my life was going ahead. But once I started practising Kendo, amazingly I was able to focus and I realised I had moved on to that difficult stage. When I read my story back now, I could not believe this was me one year ago. Was it me? This is the magic of Kendo. Therefore, I started translating the Kendo philosophy into English and my Kendo sensei translates into the Czech language. Also, it is really helpful to understand what Kendo is and what Japanese traditions are, even for me who was born and raised in Japan. There is in-depth wisdom connecting Zen and Japanese history. 

 

I created two types of cups and T-shirts using Kendo philosophy with photographs I took when I saw Kendo practice in a Dojo in Prague for the very first time in my life. It was on January 8th 2022. The sounds and vibrations of Kiai shocked me and made me awake. It was an unforgettable moment. Therefore, I chose the word Kiai for my artwork. Another noticeable thing was a standing posture of a Kendo-fighter. Advanced learners stood in front of their opponents with strong solid confidence in their manner.  It is described in ”Kenshin Ichinyo”. Therefore, I picked this word as well.    

 

I have a big picture of this project. I will explain it now. The price of the T-shirts is 23 Euros and the price of the cups is 19 Euros. These prices are just above the cost not including the design fee. However, if I order more, the prices will be reduced. Furthermore, given the current situation of inflation in Europe, I want to minimize risk and maximize return. It rang the bell, I will apply another Japanese knowledge I am familiar with. It is the lean system in Monozukuri which means manufacturing in Japanese. Japanese manufacturing companies including Toyota strictly follow this system to manufacture goods in order to minimize waste and obtain the maximum returns. I work as an interpreter in Japanese manufacturing companies and this concept stays under my skin. So, why not use it in this project? 

 

I will set the date for ordering a quantity of the T-shirts and cups according to the needs following the concept called JUST IN TIME. The first deadline will be November 27, 2022. The lead time is 2 weeks, then I will send it to you by post. Unfortunately, the shipping fee is not included. For any kendo lovers, if you are interested, please email me. Then I will send the link to the page of Onlineshop. Then the next deadline will be set in two weeks or a month according to the order quantity. If I have at least ten pieces of each item, I can save money for this project. 

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Should you have any further inquiries, please feel free to contact me through email at yukondrejka＠icloud.com.

 

In the end, there is the concept of KAIZEN in the lean system. Kaizen means continuous improvement. I have one supplier in the Czech Republic and one in the UK. If you know any suppliers who can print T-shirts and cups. Could you please introduce them to me? I will try to reduce the cost to get more returns for this project. Also, if you can translate it into your own language, cups and T-shirts in your language will be available.  

 

Thank you very much for the time you read through this. This is my first baby step in expressing my appreciation for Kendo which changed my life dramatically. I believe each of you has your own story to discovering Kendo and keep practising it. If you don’t mind, please share your story. I am very much looking forward to hearing your own unique story from you.

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Sincerely yours,

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Yuko Ondrejka

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