The best laid plans of mice and men. It turns out the thaw I last posted about didn't come through. The club has now dwindled to approximately five members, of which four are actually active. We do not practice the longsword any longer, while sabre and smallsword continue but in an erratic fashion and with no new students having shown. We practice Toyama Ryu/Nakamura Ryu iai and kumitachi kata more often than not. I still have faith that new blood can make the club grow again, I just have to put in the effort. The question is, do I want to? It is a herculean effort to retain students who don't really care about the historical aspect and only want smashy smashy swing sword. There isn't anything wrong with that as I love it too, but I run this club for HEMA as a holistic system, not a sparring club. Watching the club rise and fall, I think, may be something that all teachers see. There is an ebb and flow. It is a simple result of seasonal attrition for us: we cannot have class in inclement weather. Too hot, too cold, too rainy...some years work better than others for consistent classes. Affording an indoor space is nearly impossible for us, so it is what it is in that respect.

I do, however, have my own martial journey to attend to, and in doing so I did a few Isshinryu Karate-Do classes before having to stop but I still practice on my own time. Karate is much more interesting as an adult, I must say. I also took a class on Sekiguchi Shin Shin Ryu Iaijutsu, which was eye-opening in terms of the use of the sword. It is a good reminder of what is missing from books, and why a teacher is so important to have. I also learned from their group that an Ono-Ha Itto Ryu group had split off from another dojo, and am currently in the process of beginning classes with them. I realized on the drive home from observing their class that in doing so and getting involved with this, I am fulfilling a dream I've had for over ten years: to actually learn koryu kenjutsu.