As the class title indicates, this course is concerned not only with the utilitarian aspect of martial arts, but more importantly with the implementation of discipline acquired through practice in order to enhance personal growth. The class, therefore, begins with meditation. In Kendo, meditation is not a form of relaxation; it is a means to critically look inside oneself and to destroy the ego. Ego is the agent which makes the self the center of the world and evaluates things of this world accordingly. Lecture and practice then follow: lecture is designed to enable the students to understand Zen's philosophical infrastructure of Kendo, namely mushin (the altered state of consciousness), while practice provides the experiential realization of that philosophy. The purpose of this course is to integrate the two in order to enable the student to realize physical accomplishment, self-fulfillment and self-confidence. Here, self-confidence refers to that which emerges from self-discipline, not that of the cowboy type. In this class there is no gender, size, nor age difference.

    This is not simply a martial arts class: it is a martial arts class offered as a part of the university curriculum of an interdiscdiplinary type, a course which combines Zen philosophical and American liberal art themes. It is a demanding course: discipline is enforced but the student will eventually realize that what is enforced becomes a part of the student's own discipline. This is a challenging course: the student will eventually discover his/her true self, one's own potential to promote personal growth through sweat, bruises and blisters. This is not a course for the student who onsiders bruises and blisters foms of injury.

    The requirements are to attend the class faithfully, plus to purchase a text book, The Shambala Guide to Kendo by Minoru Kiyota to supplement lecture, the shinai (a bamboo stickto be used for combat), and a tenugui (a head band to cover the head to absorb sweat). The Kendo protective gear, bogu, is lent out to the students free of charge.