2024 Beginners’ Course
The Melbourne University Kendo Club (MUKEN) Beginners' Course is aimed at complete beginners with no previous experience with kendo. Student or non-student, all are welcome at MUKEN.
A free trial commences from Monday 26th February 2024 for two weeks and ends on 7th March 2024. Training will be held every Mondays 5:30PM - 7:30PM and Thursdays 5:00PM - 6:30PM.
Following the free trial, lessons will be given twice a week in a group setting by experienced instructors for a further eight weeks.
For more information, please see Beginners Course Information Pack here.
For any enquiries regarding the beginners course feel free to email melunikendo@gmail.com or message us on Facebook or Instagram page.
Join us for the 2024 Beginners’ Course!
To express your interest in starting Kendo at MUKEN please fill and submit this form and we will send you a reminder closer to commencement of free trial.
For any enquiries feel free to contact us on melunikendo@gmail.com
Course duration and course fees
The course runs for 10 weeks (2 weeks free trial + 8 weeks instructed beginners course, for both Monday and Thursday sessions), starting from 26th February 2024.
Cost Options
The costs for the beginner’s course are as shown below. The first 2 weeks of the beginners course is a free trial and everyone is welcome to attend at no cost.
Students:
Enrolment into the 8 week beginner course program (excl. trial weeks) $50
Shinai (bamboo sword) $45
Shinai Bag $10
Uniform Set (Navy Blue Gi and Hakama) estimated cost $120, to be confirmed toward end of course
Non-Students:
Enrolment into the 8 week beginner course program (excl. trial weeks) $70
Shinai (bamboo sword) $45
Shinai Bag $10
Uniform Set (Navy Blue Gi and Hakama) estimated cost $120, to be confirmed toward end of course
Location and Time
The course will be held in the Sports Centre, West Stadium - click here for a location map.
Beginner’s course will take place during our normal training times:
Monday 5:30-7:30pm and Thursday 5:00-6:30pm
What to wear
Comfortable, loose-fitting clothing is recommended. Upon arriving at the training hall, please take off your shoes and socks.
After the beginner’s course
If you are interested in continuing Kendo after the course, beginners will be gradually incorporated into the main class.
There is an increase in the difficulty level of Kendo after this point, particularly when you start wearing the armour. But Kendo will also start to feel more rewarding because of the challenge.
Uniform
You will eventually be required to purchase and wear the Kendo uniform, which consists of Keiko-gi (training jacket) and hakama (pleated pants). A set can be purchased for less than $100. We will help you purchase the uniform, including taking your measurements to ensure correct fit.
Armour
Because of the difficulty of Kendo, it usually takes about 3-4 months of consistent training to begin to wear kendogu (armour). It is quite an achievement getting to this point!
The club has used sets of armour that are available for hire. Because of the large upfront cost of purchasing armour (around $500), we do not recommend purchasing your own set until you feel comfortable to do so.
If you decide to purchase your own set of armour, we can give you advice on where to purchase it and also help you with measurements.
For more information, please see Beginners Course Information Pack here.