<Begin Segment 24>

SY: And then how, then after you got your fifth degree, is that when you started thinking about instructing?

GN: No, I started instructing, I think, when I was in the fourth, when I had fourth degree. That's when I started the Torrance Dojo, in 1974.

SY: So talk a little bit about how you started that.

GN: Well, I got a group of people together and thought that, Torrance had a fairly large JA population, although Gardena had a dojo, felt that we could have one in Torrance, and so got a group of black belts together, different ranks, and started exploring ways to start one. And one of the things that I found out was if the dojo could be considered a... I can't think of the term now, but anyway, it would be a recognized club by the park and rec commission in Torrance, then they'll help you find a facility for you. But that's what happened, and so in '74, they found that they could get the old cafeteria building at Torrance High School as our practice hall, and the reason why the old cafeteria is because it has a raised foundation, so you wanted a place where you have some give on the floor. At times the floor would be dirty, and so we had people sweep the floor. And so that was our practice hall for a number of years until the Cultural Arts Center was built.

SY: And then you got space there.

GN: Yeah.

SY: So did you, so you had to actually rent space at this, the center?

GN: No, it was free. They, the city of Torrance and the school district had an agreement where they share facilities for different programs.

SY: That's nice. And so how big did your dojo become?

GN: Gee, when I left maybe had about fifteen people. It's huge right now. We weren't emphasizing little kids at that time, it was mainly adults, but once they started the children it started really expanding. And so there's a waiting list right now at Torrance Kendo Dojo.

SY: And it's still the same people who you formed it with originally?

GN: Some of them. Some of them.

SY: So they're still involved. But you're not.

GN: No. But I do help out in the way that, well, one of the things is that eventually the city of Torrance got a gymnasium and so a lot of kendo tournaments are held over there, the Torrance Gym.

SY: So when you, you still have this interest and you still do things that are kendo associated.

GN: Yes, I used to help them find a facility for them. And I couldn't practice anymore because, see, one of the things I found was in kendo when you lunge forward you put a lot of stress on your left Achilles, and people used to snap it, especially if you're out of practice. But mentally you feel like you can still do it without being in good condition, and I've seen three people snap their Achilles' tendon who were not really in top shape but tried to lunge forward, 'cause you have to kick off with your left foot.

SY: Yeah, that hurts.

GN: And so I didn't want to take that chance so I had to drop kendo.

SY: I see.

<End Segment 24> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.