Kendo – The Way of the Sword is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting. It is based on the traditional Japanese swordsmanship. I practice Kendo and I do love it. There are many things that Kendo can teach us both in the online and offline world.
Yeah, it sounds ridiculous and funny. But give me a few minutes of your time so I can guide you on why I came to think about this. Traditionally, Kendo principles are strict and you wouldn’t get it as soon as you jump in. No one expects you to be a kick-ass Kendo player in a few weeks.
What Are These Principles
There are 11 know principles but have selected a few that would fit the topic and besides, I value your time and wouldn’t want to bore you with everything we were taught. So, let’s look into Social Media in a Kenshi’s point of view.
To Cultivate A Vigorous Spirit – In social media, we will be facing people and people are looking for energetic and mentally active people to follow. One cannot just jump on-board and expect people to follow them. Be full of spirit and you will attract the same type of people.
Correct and Rigid Training – In Kendo, we spend most of our practice hours in extreme cardio exercises and practicing what we call as forms. Nobody became a master immediately after wearing the armor and Kendo clothing. Social media is the same. Practice makes things progressive. You might have noticed that I didn’t use perfect. Because if it is, there will be no more room for improvement.
To associate with others with sincerity – We don’t just go out there and tell people how awesome we are. In social media, relationships matter. Being social means we need to understand humans and how to connect with them. We have this phrase in Kendo “Ko Ken Chi Ai” which means to learn love/friendship by crossing swords.
To hold in esteem human courtesy and honor – There are those who chose to be a jackass or big bad wolf. Yes, they are getting the attention they want. But is that the right thing to follow? We are so particular about our privacy, online or offline, but don’t give a damn about behavior. Maybe it’s time to think about it too?
To contribute to the development of culture – Oh yes, social media is a culture. Your own blog has its own culture. The community you are in has its culture. Your followers have their own culture. Think of ways on how to contribute the development of different types of culture.
My master once told me that Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the applications of the principles of the sword. I agree. It helped me discipline the human me talking in social media channels. Maybe it will work for you too. Why not give it a try? You don’t need to have a sword.
Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. I would love to know what’s in your mind.
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