Joining a Club at School

[Namisuke]

Hello! I was wondering what everyone's experience was like who had joined a club at school (besides English club). I would love to join one at my school, but have no idea which one I should go for or what kind of commitment I would be getting myself into. I take the train to school and don't know if I could leave early in order to catch it (it comes only once every 1-2 hours). I also don't know if I would have to go in on weekends if I joined or if I could choose to just go for certain days (ESID, right?). What has everyone else's experiences been like? Which club would you consider to be the most fun/beneficial? The only club I don't have at my school that I can think of is taiko. We have fencing, sumo, kyudo, tea ceremony/ikebana, shodo, judo, and kendo, amongst all sports including mountain climbing and skiing (although I am looking to do something that is more difficult to find back home). Thanks!

[Patryn]

i'm sorry, but I have to recommend Sumo wrestling!!! that idea just sounds fun! xD

I've joined my school's kendo club and go to club everyday including Saturday. But I was told that I didn't have to, but I am doing it as a hobby, so I choose to go as much as I can. As for your questions, it's definitely ESID. And even in the school. The best thing is to have your JTE ask if you can visit the clubs for a few minutes everyday to find which one you like, and then ask the JTE to ask for you what the commitment they expect from you is. Your school sounds pretty awesome if it has all those cool clubs! I'd love to go check out a lot of those clubs! ><

[Namisuke]

i'm sorry, but I have to recommend Sumo wrestling!!! that idea just sounds fun! xD

I've joined my school's kendo club and go to club everyday including Saturday. But I was told that I didn't have to, but I am doing it as a hobby, so I choose to go as much as I can. As for your questions, it's definitely ESID. And even in the school. The best thing is to have your JTE ask if you can visit the clubs for a few minutes everyday to find which one you like, and then ask the JTE to ask for you what the commitment they expect from you is. Your school sounds pretty awesome if it has all those cool clubs! I'd love to go check out a lot of those clubs! ><

Sumo would be hilarious, but I am not sure if I am allowed (even though I was invited to practice with them before I had a sumo match with other ALTs for a charity event). I think I will ask to try it before next year's sumo match!

Thanks for your info on kendo. DId you have to pay for your gear or does your school provide it for you?

[Patryn]

I had to pay for my gear mainly coz the school didn't have anything in my size! the cons of working at a JHS? xD

BUT, having said that, you will most likely be asked to buy your own uniform and shinai even if you can borrow the school's armour. But it's cool to have and not too much considering how much armour costs. xD

Total cost for me was:
Uniform (hakama+dougi) = about 20,000yen
Shinai+bag = 4,000yen
set of armour = 67,000yen

For the armour though, I had to get the University (foreigner) size which was more expensive. If you can get away with the high school or middle school size, it's cheaper.
Same goes for the uniform, if you can fit into JHS or HS sizes, it's cheaper too.

Quite expensive to buy the stuff, but I'm interested in it, so it's probably worth it for me. If it's just a once in a while thing, I would probably ask when you "try it out" if you'll need to buy anything. Also, the kendo shop guy was super nice and gave me a nice discount on the armour (6.7man is the discounted price, btw).

I'm interested in Kyuudo too, but not sure where my closest one is atm. I'd imagine it being a little bit cheaper as you'd just have to buy the uniform (hakama+the top bit) and the bow and arrows and arm guard? Or something like that, but the uniform is probably a good investment and looks kakkoiiiiiiiii! xD

[GunmaBrentPA]

You're school has fencing? Like with foils and epees? Awesome.

I "participated" in the softball club at my former school for a year. This meant that I helped out with the after school practices most days and would attend some of the close by practice games and an occasional (also close by) tournaments. I didn't join because to do so would have meant going to all practices/events. Also, my school was pretty clear on an ALT not being officially listed as a coach, so at any such events I was relegated to the audience and not allowed to be with my school. I know this has been the case with other ALTs, but not all.

However, I have heard that "joining" does mean mandatory attendance at all functions (even if that means just being in the stands) is pretty universal.

@Patryn - I did kyudo with a friends high school for about a year. The hakama set was the same as used in some of the iado, aikido groups (the white and black. not the blue). The school was okay with my using the bow, but I needed to supply my own glove and arrows. The arrow length is based on the length of the archers arm, so they are generally custom made. I can't remember if this was necessary as a rule or necessary because there were no extra arrows for someone with a height of 181cm. This was a few years ago, and I can't remember everything but if you have any questions send me a pm and I'll try to answer them.

[Namisuke]

You're school has fencing? Like with foils and epees? Awesome.

Yeah, one of my students is even going to France next year to continue studying fencing! We have a special fencing gym with these electronic point keeper things too. I would feel bad joining that club though as there is only so much space in the gym to practice and I would probably cut into their practice time.


Kyudo would be pretty sweet, and my size is pretty close to my students. Do you find kyudo to get boring? Is it a good workout, or is it more comparable to something like golf where you just work on accuracy? I totally think the outfit is super rad and beautiful also, but I don't want to join just for that and end up not liking it...lol

[GunmaBrentPA]

Kyudo didn't get boring for me, but I can see how it might for some. The reason I stopped is my connection moved away.

I wouldn't exactly call it a workout. You will develop some new muscles in your back and arms, but if you are looking for exercise benefits you will probably find kyudo lacking. It does focus a lot on accuracy, but also on form. Like a lot of Japanese disciplines a part of it is about showing respect and other ties to shinto that I can't really claim to understand. In the steps you are supposed to use when shooting an arrow, the last step is zanshin, or the kind of clearing the of the mind (here's hoping I'm not getting all that wrong). I would describe it as more of a zen activity, but I also no little if anything about zen. Of course, not all groups will be the same, and it could be that the area I was at pushed this more than other places do, but it seemed a fairly common tenet of kyudo.

The main thing about starting kyudo is it can be several weeks to a couple of months while you are just training at the form and aren't allowed to shoot. It doesn't seem to be something you are allowed to just dive into.

[Patryn]

yeah... that's why I wanna do kyuudo! hahaha. not super active, but also quite difficult to get the form and stuff right. My question is more of a "where can I find a kyuudojo to go to in my area" which I don't think you'll be able to help me with! xD I need to investigate further in my area, but i'm a bit lazy now that it's winter now. hhohohoho.
But yesh, it's very much about the form. You don't even need to hit the target to do well in it! xD More than likely, your form will assist you in your accuracy though. It's fun if you get to shoot things and compare accuracy with others, but the form thing would get kinda annoying after a few months of just that! ><

[Cytrix]

I've joined the ikebana club at my school, through my tantousha being the teacher-in-charge. We have a gorgeous 89 year old man who teaches us every Tuesday after school for half an hour. It costs about 400 yen each time, but some special events are either free (such as when we created ikebana for the town cultural center) or a bit more expensive (we're making New Year's ikebana which will be 1000 yen). I enjoy it as much as a way to bond with some students, two of my JTEs and also to participate in a part of Japanese culture that I find fascinating and super relaxing. Ikebana really appears to my OCD nature of having things in order and at particular angles.

I'm hoping at the start of the new school year to make an English club at my base school, where students can talk about topics not normally covered in class, watch videos, listen to English music, get help with English homework/extra help with understanding, and participate in some Kiwi cultural things.

[Namisuke]

Why don't you try mountain climbing, it is a fun activity.

I probably won't because I can (and do) do that on my own and would like to try something new I talked to my JTE about Kyudo, and it seems like it might be okay to go a couple times a week, woot! Maybe I will see if the fencing team can show me a few moves one day for fun. I would still like to hear about everyone's club activities though!

[Chee]

@Patryn

I'm particularly interested in joining kendo if and when I get accepted to JET. Could you tell me a few things about kendo club practice? How often do they practice? How strict/flexible are they when it comes to proper movement and techniques? Have you gotten to spar with the students? Anything you can share will be greatly appreciated!

(Not a current JET but a 2012 hopeful)

[Hexxes]

To address the non-JETs that are posting in this: if you get accepted be prepared for your placement to not have the club you want. My school has no Kendo, Kyudo or Tea Ceremony Club. Also,, no English club and I am not allowed to start one. We have the normal Sports clubs but they are all way to serious for me to join them. I just make sure that I go to cheer them on at matches and stuff but I am not allowed to participate more than the random one day outa the month when I am asked to spike for the volleyball team (6'4" and played Vball for 5 years). Please, be prepared to not be able to join any clubs as well as be ready to be asked to join all of them.

Because of this I actually have joined the HSs clubs. (I am at the JHS in my town). I go to there English Club, Chinese Club (I am actually the leader of that one) and their Tea Ceremony Club (Of which is a different school of tea from the one I have been teaching for the past 4 years at Univ. so it is kinda confusing). If this is your situation just clear it with your CO and the other CO first. ^^ Happy Times yall.

[histgirl]

If you're just looking for an activity for exercise, I recommend community classes/clubs instead of school ones. Personally school clubs are far too time-intensive for me to join if I'm really only interested in doing something once a week.

Ask what other teachers, friends, and neighbors do for exercise. I found a Tai Chi class through a store owner's daughter, who also volunteers to teach at my Japanese class every so often. There's two community centers in town that regularly have all kinds of classes (found this out because its where I teach my Eikaiwa). But it's important to me to have my social life distinctly different than my work life. I'm more interested in spending time with adults.

... all that being said, little jealous of the fencing facilities you have, but whether or not its worth it could be more about the teacher's style/philosophy. Learning proper technique, but being able to bend the rules is more fun and makes you a better fencer than either being too strict about form or too relaxed.


@Chee - my JTE is the assistent coach for kendo, and she is busy every day and every weekend. Think like... practice from 4pm - 6pm (or 7pm) every day. Every Saturday and some Sundays they meet for about 4 to 6 hours. Holidays too. I've only seen practice a few times, but it seems like they're fairly strict. A hit doesn't count unless it was done the *right* way.

[Melrudin]

I`ve gone to my middle school`s brass band club. I play flute and have helped the students figure out melodies and played with them. It`s a lot of fun! One of my JTEs helps out and plays oboe in it too.

I haven`t been able to go recently `cause I`ve been busy, but they said that I could come as often as I`d like.

[Patryn]

yeah, ESID. My JTE is assistant coach too, and she said I could go wheneverI wanted and not have to go all the time, but I have heard of others requiring full time commitment and stuff. Depends on the teachers and stuff.

As for form and stuff - it's kendo. You have your katas which are all about form. You also have your strikes and stuff, but more importantly, as far as sparring goes and practice matches, kendo is kendo and they will only score a point when it's done properly. None of this "close enough" business! xD I'm still not entirely sure how they judge it, but also, I don't see most of the hits coz I'm looking at the wrong sword! >< I haven't gotten my armour set yet, so no sparring or anything, nor do i know all the strikes and stuff properly so it would be pretty dangerous for me to spar with them... Though, I have gotten to hit a few of them! You just gotta watch the height thing, coz one of my students is quite short and I can't do a head strike (men) on him because I miss the front guard and hit him on the top of the head! (think sword angled downwards ).

and yays for kyuudo!