I feel that it has more to do with the up hill battle with making his
classical kendo more legitimate and his teacher's influence on him.
Many martial arts practitioners are focused on "preserving" what is
well established rather than starting what they feel is something new.
Dr. Kotaka is doing something kind of against this current by saying
he is trying to preserve something old that was not mainstream due to
the social/political climate. One of his students posted in other
forums and mentioned low light training and outdoor training on
hills/incline which I found to be fascinating and perhaps unorthodox
in the world of mainstream kendo.
I recall posting about the Tennen Rishin Ryu video and Serizawa
mentioned that it isn't that great...if Tennen Rishin Ryu is going the
way of many lineages which are arguably waning to put it lightly then
classical kendo may be the only shot in the study/preservation of the
martial arts the Shinsengumi practiced.
--- In SHQ@yahoogroups.com, "Shimazu Masayoshi" wrote:
> Kotaka-sensei's site was one of the first I encountered when I became
> introduced to the Shinsengumi. I admire his grit and resolve, but in
> many respects he came across as a bitter old man.
>
> I'd really, really love to see his kenjutsu in action, though.
>
> --M.