By Lea Norsgaard Nielsen, Member until 2023

For me, POMW has been one of the most comprehensive courses that I have attended within Shindenkan, both in terms of time but also in terms of content and development.

I can still remember the feeling I had in my body the morning before I had to shoot a "real weapon" for the first time. I don't know if I should call it fear, because I didn't really feel scared - it was probably more of a feeling of excitement. Or maybe a good mix of the two. As I had already heard about before my participation in the course, POMW – or Project Old Modern Warrior – is based on the old, Japanese martial art grandmaster, Minouchi Sensei's thesis that it is not the weapon that is decisive, but rather the person behind it. The theory itself makes good sense to me, and now that I think about it, the feeling I felt was probably closer to a fear of myself (and others) rather than a fear of the weapon itself. However, you quickly got into the routine of handling the weapons. One factor that played a role in my benefit from the course was the enormous (and super good) focus that the team had on safety - both in relation to rules regarding handling the weapon but especially with a focus on making us participants feel safe (or at least safer) with having a weapon in hand.

Another important thing I have learned from participating in the course is the ability to "block out the world and thoughts". I'm in 3rd grade and I'm currently in a tough period with a lot to look forward to. This has also affected my POMW course at times. A moment of inattention or being unfocused can quickly lead to "bad" and unfocused results - the shooting dial is very revealing. But these are only mild consequences compared to what could happen in the worst case - namely hitting someone. Focusing on the task is thus paramount in a POMW course and has taught me to be present in the moment and put my thoughts on the shelf - even though there can be a lot to think about. This competence is good to have further and is something that I will definitely be able to use in the future in many situations; whether it applies to karate, exam training or something else entirely. I am grateful for the personal development I have experienced through POMW 🙂