nobody seems to get the fact that i am a ten year old sword fanatic,AND that i CANT afford formal classes.along with that there are no dojo's in my area. it is this or nothing.

Katanas rock,

There are dojos in your area. There is the Phoenix Kendo Kai, i believe it's at the YMCA. There is also the Kenshin iaido dojo in Phoenix. I'm sure there are more. At 10 yrs old i don't expect you to afford anything, that is what your parents are for. If they can't afford it then your best bet is to wait. You can't teach something you don't know.

KR i know exactly how you feel. im 19 and can only now afford classes.
laf you seem to be ignoring the fact that cxt is being very rude by flatout disreguarding any and everything KR says. probabally just cause hes a kid. i don know him he could be BSing us, im taking what he says at face value for now.

cxt lay off a bit. go ahed and disagre with him but a bit more gently, kay?

and since when is *** and **** bad language? it is a valid way to censor ones language on message boards

if being "self-taught" is such an issue with people, i would advise conditioning until you can afford classes. (running long distances, jumping around, climbing, moving quickly, etc) Take anything you have to do and turn it into some kind of "training" for yourself.
also, if you can find a dojo in your area, (i'm not sure if this is allowed, but it's worth a shot) try trading physical labor for lessons. As you're only 10, it won't be crazy demanding stuff. Even basic chores would be useful to the owners of the dojo. If you're truly dedicated, they may come to some kind of agreement for teaching you.
Ignore all of the "wait" stuff, you can always train in some way that won't hinder your later lessons, even if you have to wait to practice actual swordsmanship.
Good luck with training.

(i, too, was interested in martial arts and swordfighting at a young age. unfortunitally, i listened when people told me to wait. it took 12 years before i found someone to teach me [i live in a VERY small town surrounded by a whole lot of NOTHING]. I've never stopped regretting my choice to not train on my own for those 12 years. don't make the same mistake. if it's truly something you care about, you'll find a way, i promise. just keep working hard.)

[QUOTE]Originally posted by katanas rock:
it is this or nothing.[/QUOTE]Then it should be nothing. Sorry little fella, but you aren't ready for serious weapons practice. If you take a great deal of care, the risks are small. If you make the smallest of mistakes, the consequences are massive.

Listen to the guys on here - be patient. Get older, get a good education. Get a decent job with some extra money each month. Attend classes. Enjoy yourself.

Until then, keep away from Highlander films, carry on with the bokken and set a few small goals. Above all, be patient...

Take care,

Scott

[This message has been edited by ScottUK (edited 04-07-2005).]