Introduction: Safety First!

Konbanwa Blogosphere! ^ ^

 My name is Midori and I'm a sword addict. I collect, study, eat, breathe and sleep swords. Swords are also my livelihood, as I repair and customize them for a living. At any given time, my house is full of them. I have so many, I forget about some of them. Their images (as well as information about them) take up the memory on my computer. Books on their history, use and manufacture line my desk. I couldn't imagine my life without them.

That being said, I'm also a martial artist. I've been studying sword arts since I was fifteen. I began with Italian fencing, then moved on to Japanese Sword Arts (hereafter referred to as JSA) seven years later. I now practice Kashima Shinto Ryu Iaido and Kendo, as well as several unarmed arts (more on those in a later blog). Recently, I've noticed I've been building a good amount of muscle and dropping weight because of practicing my martial arts, and it has also improved my mood, confidence, posture, balance and concentration. So I decided to start a blog about it and chronicle my results, as well as sharing some things about swords that you may not otherwise find unless you joined a dojo. ;)

However, I would like to start with one admonishment, THE most important, golden rule: Safety First.

 Safety is a very important factor in any martial art, especially when dealing with large, sharpened blades. Whether practicing a form with a sensei, cutting waterbottles in the backyard for fun or sparring with shinai (bamboo swords), one must always be aware of their surroundings, the space they have, and how close or far people and pets may be. Swords are weapons, not toys, and the proper respect is due to them as such. More information on that is available here.

Well, this has been my first blog, hope you enjoyed; I'll be sure to make the next one less awkward, but I am very new to this game!

Ja ne,

-Midori.