Kendo fitness level?

[Sharpy]

I'm interested in starting to practice kendo, but I'm wondering about the level of fitness needed to begin. I've never studied any martial art before, and I haven't gotten a whole lot of physical exercise in a few years. Thanks to my job, I usually spend 10 hours a day sitting in front of a computer. I'm not grossly overweight, but I could probably stand to lose 10 pounds or so.

I'm mostly concerned about stamina/cardio fitness. I'm sure that full on sparring in bogu is quite demanding in that regard, but at least I'll have a few months to work up to that point. But how physically demanding is kendo training for complete beginners? I don't want to look like a fool constantly gasping for breath, and taking a break every five minutes. Would I be better off if I just started working on general fitness first, and put off kendo until I was more confident in my conditioning? Or should I just go for it? What kind of things does a typical beginners practice entail?

[smith]

Better to start training first and then see where your fitness is in relation to kendo. If you want/need to do extra training then you will have a better idea of what you'll need to improve. If/when that time comes, there are plenty of threads on KWF re cross training with useful info and links.

But in the beginning especially the best training for kendo is kendo.

[alexpollijr]

Judging by our shoshinsha (beginners) down here, Kendo is actually quite demanding. Most of them can't fully withstand even medium practices without bogu ( 300 suburi and some 15 minutes of nonstop footwork and basics practice before interval).

But it's just like most sports out there. You don't need to be in top condition from the very start, but certainly it would help a lot in the long run.

Try it and see. As said above, you can always add some extra aerobic exercises to help.

[Kiki]

Go for it. You'll be learning basics for a while anyway. Foot work, how to swing, bow, sit, etc. This is not to say your heart rate isn't going to go up or you wont have sore muscles and maybe even blisters. In the meanwhile start building your cardio stamina and doing stretching exercises. Remember to listen to you body - if it hurts - stop.

[kendomushi]

Kendo can be done by anyone who does listen to their body, push when you feel you can push, stop when you feel you should stop. I've been reprimanded several times over for pushing myself when there was no need to do so. You have nothing to prove to anyone, you won't keep up with the experienced students to start with, and you will wear out even faster than you expect when trying to learn the basics. This is the nature of learning in any physical activity.
And based on the number or overweight, out of shape looking people I know doing kendo (myself included) I doubt you'll have much trouble.
Welcome to our world.

[Old Warrior]

"And based on the number or overweight, out of shape looking people I know doing kendo (myself included) I doubt you'll have much trouble."

I knew I found the right activity; one where I could fit in right away. The only problem is that I'm 3X's older than anyone in the class and my white hair 6', 230lb frame makes me stand out and be the target of every skilled teenager in the class.

[StylophonePet]

Sharpy, I asked the same question a week or more ago in "Training", I just joined my first training last thursday .
I have some cardio probs aswell and I also sit behind a pc for 10 to 12hours at work, so I hear where you come from.

I suggest you first go watch a training session in full. Before or after the training a sempai will surely talk to you so ask away
After my first training I already had endorfines racing through my body.....a quite enjoyable feeling
So, the only thing I can tell you is, don't think to little of your own body and just go for it if you want to do it

[Jerry Wellbrock]

Sharpy as Nike says "Just Do It" If you want to get in shape kendo is great for that. Something extra, try walking.

StylophonePet. Congratulations and good for you. Glad you took the first step on your path.

[kendomushi]

Old Warrior,

Do they slam into you trying to throw you off balance at every turn? That I found to be very common among the skilled teens when I started. To counter them, I just reverted to american football techniques and just bent my knees and back down slightly and waited for the hit. When I straightened up at the right moment, they go sailing. Reminds them that although we are old, our size, confidence, and other abilities are sometimes a great equalizer. ;)

[Old Warrior]

kendomushi

Actually, my size intimidates them and they don't like being in close. This is because I am just about unmoveable and my hand/arm speed is still OK. Therefore I have as good a chance to hit men or do, in close, as they do. What they all do is stay at distance (tips crossed a couple of inches) and come flying as fast as they can. Remembering I only have 6 months experience, my responses are still limited and developing. I find the best things to do are to hit their shinai to mess with their timing and to attack kote, a lot. This keeps them busy thinking defensively. Considering I'm the lowest rank in the class, last week I actually won 3 bouts in a row; which surprised the heck out of me. I can see that speed is only one asset, be it an important one. There are others if you can master them (timing, accuracy, body positioning). There's a lot to learn and too little time to learn it.

[smith]

"There's a lot to learn and too little time to learn it."

Amen to that.

[kendomushi]

Just be careful with the kote. It can become a habit. I'm 6'2" tall and everyone is just aboslutely certain I will use my reach to attack men. As a result I made a habit of going for kote. But it made my abilities with other attacks suffer. And after ten+ years, there is still lots to learn and too little time to learn it.

[Hai_hai]

Originally posted by Old Warrior
...Remembering I only have 6 months experience...

You are wearing bogu with 6 months of experience?

[StylophonePet]

Is there some issue with wearing bogu after 6 months?
(sincere question)

[Hai_hai]

Oh no. It also depends on how often you go to kendo practice a week and how often you practice on your own time.

It just seemed like from all of Old Warrior's messages in the past, that he has all this knowledge and skill under his belt and yet now I find out, he's only been doing kendo for 6 months., which would mean he's been in bogu for less than 6 months. He's been writing all this "European-fencing-super-power-knowledge-training-instructor-fighting-skills-10-years-yada-yada-yada-I-know-more-than-you-because-I-am-skilled-in-swordsmanship-from-teaching-epee" crap. 6 months???

Old Warrior wa shoshinsha desu. :bandit:

[StylophonePet]

I am too little experienced to comment on this subject...
But I do understand your point Hai Hai, very much so

[kendomushi]

Hai_hai,

While he may be relatively new to kendo, I have found that those who come into kendo with a western fencing background develop several times faster than those with no sword training background do. The skills are different but lessons learned in one can be applied often times to another. If you think it can't, then kendo must be nothing at all more than a wierd impractical sport with no value off the dojo floor. See my point?
OW speaks from his experience and background. Just as any of us do. Don't dismiss him because he hasn't done kendo as long as someone else. Everything each of us says here should be evaluated based on its own merits, on what is known about the poster, and on what value it might have to our own development.

[Confound]

‚*‚Ì‚ˆ‚�‚‰�Q‚ˆ‚�‚‰‚â‚Â‚Í –{“–‚É ƒoƒJƒ„ƒ�~�B

Hai_hai, Old Warrior has never claimed to be some great super fencer. If you want to say nasty things about him, be up front and say them in English. Don't hide being some elementary Japanese that isn't even written IN Japanese.

The man has always been very nice and pleasant to everyone, unlike me. I notice, from your profile, that you have no grade at all in kendo. Who are you to be lecturing him? If you are so picky about sempai and kohai relations, you'd have realized that as an older person, he still deserves respect, even if he's your junior in kendo.

grumpily anyone's but yours,

confound

[Hai_hai]

Well, I just use the little Japanese that I do know for fun. As for the kohai/senpai relationship, that's all very well explained in the movie "Rising Sun" starring Wesley Snipes and Sean Connery. Hee hee. Confound, you can bite me you Canadian gaijin piggy.

[Old Warrior]

I am always amazed at how some small minds post harsh messages that were seemingly provoked by nothing. I guess its that "negative attention" thing; in which children sometimes engage. Yes, I have raised 3 kids to adulthood and I do have some definite opinions based upon 35 years of experience. Yes, I have 20 years of epee experience and I do teach those who are interested in learning.

For the record: I have never claimed to have kendo skill, only an inquiring mind and a sincere interest. I put on bogu - when I was told to. Perhaps attending class 3-4 times a week accelerated the usual progression (whatever that may be). To those on this board that seem to be offended by my ongoing attempt to find the right path and develop the appropriate mindset - I'm sorry you feel that way.

[Hai_hai]

You're goin' down Old Warrior. Down.

[Inouye02]

you sure you want confounf to bite you hai hai ? you might get that mad cow thing they have up in canada now, plus you get warts and shit also ..

[blur]

Originally posted by Old Warrior
For the record: I have never claimed to have kendo skill, only an inquiring mind and a sincere interest. I put on bogu - when I was told to. Perhaps attending class 3-4 times a week accelerated the usual progression (whatever that may be). To those on this board that seem to be offended by my ongoing attempt to find the right path and develop the appropriate mindset - I'm sorry you feel that way.

Good on you, Old Warrior; keep it up! :)

There's no doubt (even in my novice mind) that 20 years of Western fencing and classes 3-4 times a week would be an enormous help.

Given that a lot of folks seem to train once a week (and twice seems to be "at best" for most), you're quadrupling (sp?) and, at worst, probably doubling the training of most people.

So getting into bogu after 6 months doesn't seem a tremendous stretch of the imagination for me - and I'm surprised that anyone else would question it.

[Inouye02]

guess that makes 2 people that wont be getting a christmas card from OW

[Hai_hai]

Originally posted by Inouye02
guess that makes 2 people that wont be getting a christmas card from OW

Chotto... how do you say in Japanese, "boo hoo".

[StylophonePet]

Blur: "Given that a lot of folks seem to train once a week (and twice seems to be "at best" for most), you're quadrupling (sp?) and, at worst, probably doubling the training of most people."

I know I don't have time to train 4 times a week coz' my club only trains twice......

[blur]

Originally posted by StylophonePet
I know I don't have time to train 4 times a week coz' my club only trains twice......

Which proves my point; thankyou for saying this. Your average person trains 1-2 times per week, so I ask people to think a bit about OWs situation, because he is clearly training 4x - 2x more than anyone else probably on this forum - and combined with his previous sword experience, is obviously a quicker study than your average kendoka. Also, I tend to find that the older someone is when they start a sport/hobby/whatever, the more serious and determined they can be - which is for a variety of reasons: keeping up with the young guys, making up for lost time, whatever. So, please guys, let's not try to label OWs background with some kind of cookie cutter Kendoka template because everyone is different.

[KATSUJIN]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by blur
[B]

Which proves my point; thankyou for saying this. Your average person trains 1-2 times per week, so I ask people to think a bit about OWs situation, because he is clearly training 4x - 2x more than anyone else probably on this forum -

uh uh uh blur.....i also train abt 4 to 5 times a wk.....but i still agree on your point abt OW.....keep it up OW!!! :D

[blur]

Do note my use of the word "probably" in both my posts. I'm sure there are people who train 3-4-5 times a week... but they are definitely a minority.

[PhilMcLaughlin]

OW - people go into bogu when the sensei thinks they are ready for it. There arent any set limits - unless its a kids class where the progression would normally be slower

Everyone has their own rate of progress, sounds like youre doing well , keep it going !

Hai Hai - grow up a bit eh ?

cheers

[PhilMcLaughlin]

Getting back on Thread,

Sharpy, general fitness level helps, lower body training helps but if youre a bit 'unfit' be careful you dont do too much too soon

If you havent done any exercise recently get a check over from your doctor, otherwise train and listen to your body.

Do more stretching than is called for in the class & try to do a stretch routine at home because the muscles that are also new to kendo will get a lot more work than they have been used to

Mostly if you want to get fit for kendo - do more kendo

good luck and enjoy !

[kendomushi]

can someone add hai_hai to the "who would you like to beat up on KWF?" thread? lol

[samurai999]

Originally posted by Sharpy
I'm interested in starting to practice kendo, but I'm wondering about the level of fitness needed to begin. I've never studied any martial art before, and I haven't gotten a whole lot of physical exercise in a few years. Thanks to my job, I usually spend 10 hours a day sitting in front of a computer. I'm not grossly overweight, but I could probably stand to lose 10 pounds or so.


You start off slow. You learn the elements of swings and footwork using a bokken.. Then a shinai. The with bogu.. You really don't get worked out until you have some competency with the basics. (I dont' say understand or have them down due to the flaming you get when you say that :D)

You start doing intense cardio-vascular stuff when you have some competence in the basics. The biggest ones are long stretches of kirikaeshi and kakari-geiko. For me, those are like intense 10sec periods of all out craziness. The sensei usually don't recognize outright if you are in shape or not. Everybody, in shape or out of shape is in the same boat. Try to push yourself, but don't break yourself, if you get my drift. If you want to prepare for the cardio stuff, treadmill, bike and stairmaster will help.

Tim

[Hongsermeier]

A good aerobics class helps. I've started to go with my wife and I can last much longer doing kakari-geiko now.

[alexpollijr]

Originally posted by kendomushi
can someone add hai_hai to the "who would you like to beat up on KWF?" thread? lol

Can someone fire a rocket-propelled grenade at hai_hai ? It is you who works at an U.S air force base kendomushi? There must be some lying around, judging by what we see in the movies :rolleyes:

Cheers, all in good fun

- Alexandre

[samurai999]

Originally posted by Hongsermeier
A good aerobics class helps. I've started to go with my wife and I can last much longer doing kakari-geiko now.

Hahahahahaha.. Brad with a headband and tights.. LOL j/k
I'll keep running up the hill I live on. Saves me some money.

Tim

[KhawMengLee]

I say tow him out (bound and gagged) into Jaws(Maui) during a 30 foot set and then cut the line when he's just under the lip...then again...his corpse might pollute the break...

[Tako-kun]

And I thought all you surfers were mellow :)