Lo Pui Ming: Japanese Swords Fan
Japanese swords fan Lo Pui Ming set up the Hang Ngai Society 16 years ago and opened the only dojo that teaches Toyama Ryu Iaido (one school of Japanese swordsmanship) in Hong Kong. He talks to Celine Lau about his venture into the sword world and the beauty of Japanese swords.
HK Magazine: How did you first get into Japanese swordsmanship?
Lo Pui Ming: When I was young I loved reading Japanese manga and I started collecting weapons. It’s easy to start collecting Japanese swords because there is a huge and systemized collecters’ culture. Unlike other types of weapons, there is a lot of information about the makers, where they were made and the story behind each sword. After I started collecting swords I moved on to learn swordsmanship in 1992.
HK: What has kept you interested in swordsmanship for so long?
LM: Japanese swordsmanship is more than just training. It is an art that attracts you from the first moment you lay your hand on it. Japanese swords are more beautiful than one can imagine, therefore there is always an urge to attain a better sword. It‘s just like cars, you might drive a Mitsubishi, but when you are in a competition with Ferraris and Porsches, you will need a Lamborghini to compete. That is why we want higher quality swords but they can get very expensive. Some of the most expensive swords can cost more than $150,000.
HK: What is Toyama Ryu Iaido?
LM: Firstly, Iaido is a form of Japanese martial art. Iaido focuses on the sword rather than direct fighting like kendo. Iaido emphasizes personal training, how one can use his sword with the maximum power and devise different ways to deal with situations. In history Japanese swordsmen possessed enormous power and this required strong mental discipline, hence the training of one’s mental state in Iaido is also important. Toyama Ryu is just one school of Iaido. It all started at the Toyama Army Academy in the 1920s. The school realized that because of westernization, many Japanese people were losing their ability with and knowledge of Japanese swords, so the school’s instructors came up with a more modern way to teach a simplified form of sword technique. The way of teaching passed on and gained the name Toyama Ryu.
HK: What does it take for one to master Toyoma Ryu Iaido?
LM: Time, patience and passion. Japanese swordsmanship can be quite boring. You might be practicing one form repetitively for a whole night.
HK: Have you ever been hurt by a sword?
LM: Swordsmanship is all about training on how to use a sword, and the attitude one should have. We are taught to respect the sword and bear in mind that it is a weapon capable of causing injury. We also learn to protect our sword so that it will not rust even in 1,000 years. Only careless students or those without manners would get hurt.
HK: People must get a bit freaked out when they see your swords?
LM: On our first few trips to Japan for swordsmanship competitions, the local police were quite shocked when they saw them—as you can imagine it’s not a common sight. The staff at Hong Kong airport are always quite cool about it but when we arrive in Japan we have to report to the airport police station and get a license to bring the swords in.