From kabuki to AKB48, from The Tale of Genji to No Longer Human, from ancient katana to battleship Yamato — everyone carries a different picture of Japan. Mine just happens to be shaped like a sword.
I first picked up kendo as a first-year CAP student at UT Arlington, and I’ve been hooked ever since. When I transferred to UT Austin, my sensei and a few friends helped me revive the Kendo Association at UT after it had gone quiet during COVID.
Kendo, the “Way of the Sword,” is modern Japanese fencing rooted in samurai combat. We wear armor and fight with bamboo swords, aiming for specific areas of the opponent with precise footwork, timing, and spirit. In Japan, collegiate kendo teams train with the intensity of American college football — and after practicing for three years, I decided to push myself by training in that environment. That challenge became my biggest motivation to study abroad in Japan.
Life in Japan
After studying two semesters of Japanese at UT, I headed to Sophia University (上智大学) in Tokyo. My weekdays start with 3.5 hours of intensive Japanese in the morning, followed by two economics classes later in the week. It’s intense, but the kind of intense that makes you realize your brain is capable of more than you thought.
I am living with a host family — all of whom practice kendo—and they have been the highlight of my experience. They introduced me to a local dojo, cook incredible home-style meals, and teach me cultural fun facts that don’t appear in textbooks. My host dad and I often end up talking — half in Japanese, half in Google Translate — until we look up and discover it’s 2 a.m.
Outside class, life is a mix of trying new foods, running to catch trains that somehow arrive exactly on time, and figuring out which trash goes in which bin. The language immersion can be exhausting, but it also makes small achievements — like ordering food confidently or understanding a joke — feel huge.
Sport Clubs at Sophia University
Before joining sports clubs in Japan, it’s important to understand the difference between a team (部) and a circle (サークル). Teams train to compete; circles train to enjoy. I joined both the kendo team (上智大学体育会剣道部) and the kyudo circle (上智弓友会), giving me two very different experiences.
The kendo team trains three to four times a week, two hours each session, under the university sports federation. Everyone else started kendo in elementary or middle school, so my three years suddenly felt like children’s level. As one of three international students and the only exchange student, humbleness is key to building relationships here.
Fortunately, my senpai always slowed down their Japanese for me and explained patiently about how I can improve. At the end of November, I’ll compete in a collegiate tournament here — wish me luck!
The kyudo circle trains once a week. Most students start in college, and sessions are relaxed but structured: posture work with rubber bows, close-range shooting, and eventually the standard 28-meter range (with Stormtrooper’s accuracy). Progress is slow — it takes two to three months to shoot from full distance — but the atmosphere is welcoming and fun. Joining both the kendo and kyudo teams would have been impossible schedule-wise, so the circle gives me a chance to explore kyudo without burning out.
Studying in Japan isn’t just anime and sushi. It’s showing up jet-lagged to a practice where you understand half the instructions, taking the wrong train because the same train two minutes earlier went in the opposite direction, and realizing that even small conversations take effort.
But it’s also sitting at a family dinner table laughing in two languages, hearing “good strike!” from a teammate, and feeling yourself grow in ways textbooks can’t measure. If you’re considering studying abroad, whether you practice martial arts or not, embrace the challenge. The unfamiliar is where you discover who you are — and where you can become someone you never expected.
Kendo Association at UT Austin
Now, allow me a quick shameless plug ( ^ω^ ). The Kendo Association at UT Austin welcomes students, faculty, and staff — whether you want a fun workout or serious competition. You can reach us on Hornslink and Instagram. We bridge the gap between a team and a circle: a place to unwind after class, and a place to train hard if you want to push yourself. Because honestly — how often do you get to say you spent your college years learning how to fight with a sword?
This post was contributed by Zimo Chen, Global Ambassador for Fall 2025. Zimo is a College of Natural Sciences Senior participating in an exchange program at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan.
