feeling like a moron..

[Alison2805]

How do you girls (particularly beginners like me) deal with making a really big mistake or doing something very embarressing during training? Could be anything.

I myself have a very long history (way before kendo) of being the person you can count on to trip over, stand in dog doo, say the wrong thing, whatever, usually in front of lots of people. Im quite used to it now, and have carried this trait over to my kendo.

For example, at the taikai on the weekend, during warmups, in front of the other club and senseis, instead of doing a big men cut at the end of highasuburi (sp?), my toe caught in my hakama and I did a tripping soccer smash and slide onto my knees and across the dojo floor (this happens quite often, and my hakama is actualy too short, clumsyness is it). Being the only person in white made sure everyone remembered it!

Ill trip over, forget stuff, count the wrong numbers, you name it, all the time. It doesnt really bother me, I think everyone is used to it by now. I generally crack up laughing and carry on. I was a little embarressed to do that in front of other clubs though.

So, the point of this thread is, how does stuff like this affect you? Do you laugh and keep going, or do you do the standard female reaction of thinking everyone is looking at you and mentally beat yourself up about it all night? (I know guys do this too, but some girls tend to take it a bit harder when they are already a minority)

[Lone Kitten]

i know that the general female mentality is the completely paranoid way that we all think everyone is looking at us and judging us - like going into a communal changing rooms and hiding under your towel when you get changed, when really all that is happening is that everyone else is being just as self conscious as you and are too busy worrying about the way they look instead of looking at you.

same in the dojo - it seems to me that men are nowhere near as self conscious as us girls (although a male perspective on this would be appreciated). I know i've done stupid things and gone a lovely shade of puce as a result - seems like blokes don't have the same fears that everyone is looking.

i don't know, but it's an interesting topic. what do the fellas think?

[tantadi]

Being self conscious isn't always bad, it can help you in training, make you take instruction faster.

[Nochi-no-tsuki]

I myself have a very long history (way before kendo) of being the person you can count on to trip over, stand in dog doo, say the wrong thing, whatever, usually in front of lots of people. Im quite used to it now, and have carried this trait over to my kendo.

Ill trip over, forget stuff, count the wrong numbers, you name it, all the time. It doesnt really bother me, I think everyone is used to it by now. I generally crack up laughing and carry on. I was a little embarressed to do that in front of other clubs though.



Alison, i am not trying to be judgemental or mean spirited in my response to your question, but have you ever thought of putting a little more attention and concentration into your actions? i also have the tendency to let my mind wander and not pay the best attention. i am also sometimes too quick with my physical actions which leads me to trip, drop stuff, etc... But i've gotten to the point where i said, no, i'm not going to laugh it off anymore, especially in kendo where your slip ups affect and reflect on everyone you are training with. i decided to put more effort into paying attention to what i do and concentrating harder instead of spacing out. have you ever tried this instead of just blaming it on clumsiness and going on with life? if it embarrasses you then you should do something about it so you won't have to feel that way anymore. just a bit of kind advice, please don't take offense.:)

[Paikea]

i know that the general female mentality is the completely paranoid way that we all think everyone is looking at us and judging us - like going into a communal changing rooms and hiding under your towel when you get changed, when really all that is happening is that everyone else is being just as self conscious as you and are too busy worrying about the way they look instead of looking at you.

Um, no. Male Locker Room etiquette is somewhat restrictive in this aspect. In there, we talk about you.

same in the dojo - it seems to me that men are nowhere near as self conscious as us girls (although a male perspective on this would be appreciated). I know i've done stupid things and gone a lovely shade of puce as a result - seems like blokes don't have the same fears that everyone is looking.

There are other people looking? What are you lookin' at? We don't do "puce" or "mauve" either. Recall that we are the gender who decided that sometimes a ditch by the side of the road can be a perfectly good place to sleep?

i don't know, but it's an interesting topic. what do the fellas think?We don't do that to excess, either.

[pgsmith]

same in the dojo - it seems to me that men are nowhere near as self conscious as us girls (although a male perspective on this would be appreciated).
It has been my experience that men are every bit as self conscious as women. However, we are a lot more used to being laughed at! Men tend to respond to ridicule with anger rather than embarrassment. I've done well more than my share of stupid things in the dojo, and at Tai Kai in front of senior judges! Mainly I tend to just laugh at myself and move on, with some anger left over for messing up something that I shouldn't have. It seems to me that women tend to have a much harder time with the moving on part. (yes that's a stereotype!) :)

[Lone Kitten]

hmm.... interesting. See, women are always sure that someone is looking at them - using the changing room example, if a girl thinks she has a fat bum, she'll be worrying that everyone in there will be looking at her and thinking "my god... she has a fat ass". When in reality, there just as conscious!

and pgsmith... if you can't laugh at yourself what can you do? that's what i always say (esp after a rather embarrassing incident at a re enatment where i knocked my lieutenant's fiancee out with my musket barrel - oops!)

[Naginatagirl]

ahahhahahaaaaaaaa.......yeeeah...well, i'm pretty accident prone. I can't count how many times I've turned red in the face because of that... For me I just think, "Of course..." sigh, and then show up next practice. I've always played sports, so the changeroom thing doesn't really apply to me because I'm used to it. Though, my clumsiness has made me more aware of where my limbs are at when i'm paying attention, so maybe some good has come of it. ...or at least, I tell myself that. XD

[mingshi]

hmm.... interesting. See, women are always sure that someone is looking at them - using the changing room example, if a girl thinks she has a fat bum, she'll be worrying that everyone in there will be looking at her and thinking "my god... she has a fat ass". When in reality, there just as conscious!
True, but most of that will get out of the way as time goes by.

Say, you are highly unlikely to hold the bokuto on the wrong hand or up-side-down with a few years in practice (okay morons do exist, but just an example).

My gym is a shared facility of a big complex hosting major concerts and such. Now I got very much used to women in the toilet queue looking at me while I am going half-naked changing next to them (I know they do as there is a huge mirror in front of me!!). As long as I don't care anymore! :D

[runsyi]

No worries, I do embarrasing stuff a lot too. Usually what I do in that case is to brush myself off and get right back into it. Treating it like a big deal only draws attention to it and makes it a big deal. Trust me, the other people at the taikai were concentrating on themselves.

[Kitsune]

Asking the question I just say I'm sorry and move on.

[Maro]

It's a shame that it happens. The men make just as many mistakes but I guess we're used to having a poker face.

If it's any consolation, I think that women make the better Iaidoka (especially at first) as they don't overemphasise the cuts like a lot of men can do. Very graceful

:happy:

[Alison2805]

Its good to know that most of you girls do the same sort of thing where you just laugh it off and keep going. I think going to boarding school got rid of a lot of embarressment in lockerrooms for me. I do know some people who wouldnt be able to handle the whole idea of wearing bogu and making lots of noise. Kiai was the hardest thing for me to get into doing, did any of you other girls have trouble with that? Im trying to encourage one of the beginners (the only girl in her group) to kiai louder, she gets very embarressed.

Nochi-no-tsuki, dont worry, no offence taken!! One of the reasons I took kendo is because I thought it would help me to focus and not be so scatter-brained. I never zone out, or not pay attention, I just tend to find myself a little behind the 8ball at times. The more nervous I am, the worse it gets. And trust me, Ive tried EVERYTHING to try to fix it. From postit notes all over the house, meditation, strange diets, etc. Its something everyone in my family does. For example, every morning when I go to work, by the time I get downstairs to the car, I will realise Ive forgotten something and have to go upstairs again.... every morning...

It is getting better at training, and Im sure most people dont notice half the stuff I do!! It takes a LOT to get me embarressed, so I cope with it quite well. Ive always done well at sports and stuff, thats never been a problem. But like you say, I really dont want it to reflect badly on the club or distract the people Im training with. That was the only reason I was embarressed at the taikai, it looks bad for my sensei.

[Paburo]

...feel like i'm reading the bridget jones' diary kendo version... :D (avoids flying objects from angry girls).

i guess i'm sort of used to being the center of attention sometimes.... when my sensei whacks me in the head or yells at me for doing something wrong, lol. ouch, it's ok girls. if this happens to you, or if you trip and fall ungracefully don't take it to heart. think you can always do something awesome and/or impressive to make it up for it and be remembered by :D

[lucy]

Kiai was the hardest thing for me to get into doing, did any of you other girls have trouble with that? Im trying to encourage one of the beginners (the only girl in her group) to kiai louder, she gets very embarressed.


I'm an absolute beginner in kendo (~2months, only once a week) and just yesterday my sempai tried to get me to kiai louder+longer+steadier... It's very hard for me, I'm not the person to scream around usually... :o
At first I was unsure about it but now I'm trying to just do what they tell me and not to think how it might look+sound... :wink:

[Nochi-no-tsuki]

i also would flat out refuse to kiai at first. and when i did after getting yelled at, you could barely hear it. i credit my awesome dojo-mates and sensei for getting the yell out of me. they would just yell "louder!!!" at me when i was being too quiet! sometimes my sensei would announce at the end of a drill that one of the kids was louder than any of us older students and it was so embarrassing! LOL, at first it made me so mad because it felt like such a strange sound to make, but thankfully they pulled it out of me.

[Nochi-no-tsuki]

sorry double post, how do you delete this??!!

[neko]

i agree with runsyi, no one was paying attention to you falling down. everyone is too hyped, nervous, or focused at a taikai to pay you any mind.

about falling down. i have to admit that i am not the clumsy type. probably the last time i fell down before doing kendo was probably at the skating rink when i was younger. but since starting kendo i have found myself numerous times on the floor. the first time it happened it was quite a shock and as i was in bogu, very difficult to get up (now i know how a turtle feels like when on it's back). it was a strange feeling actually because i remember not being embarrassed at all. i think my partner (who was only 16 at the time) was much more embarrassed than me (he sorta "clotheslined" me somehow).

and for those of you that have difficulty getting those first kiai to come out, try practicing in the car. that way you will not be surprised by the sound of it and you can work on technique in a relaxed atmosphere. it'll work wonders, trust me. :)

[neko]

poo...me too. double-post.:tired:

[lucy]

and for those of you that have difficulty getting those first kiai to come out, try practicing in the car. that way you will not be surprised by the sound of it and you can work on technique in a relaxed atmosphere. it'll work wonders, trust me. :)

I have read such a thing somewhere already and incidentally (sp?) I tried it today... Was quite funny, though I felt a bit ridiculous, driving along the road and yelling, I instantly gripped the steering wheel harder...

[neko]

yeah, the first couple of times i tried it, i got the giggles. :silly:

you may have read one of my old posts. i have posted the suggestion several times since i discovered how helpful it was with my kiai. incidently, i have only been doing kendo for a little over 2 years, so i still consider myself a beginner. my kendo rarely (if ever) has gotten a compliment from those that matter, but my kiai is commented on constantly (outside my home dojo). perhaps by kendo is so lack luster that they comment on my kiai out of politeness when wanting to have something to say during conversation.

[Genya]

Whenever you do a mistake just forget it. If it´s something small like shouting kote instead of men, don´t let everyone else know that you did something wrong. Just do it right at the next time.

Even senseis do mistakes sometimes. I once heard a story that someone dropped his kodachi during grading, he picked it up and continued. And passed his grading.

[Lone Kitten]

lol... during the kata competition at the british open one year one guy hit my sensei's tsuba... really hard... which then exploded!

he carried on without even flinching and won! Now that's zanshin for ya!

[mulan]

i also would flat out refuse to kiai at first. and when i did after getting yelled at, you could barely hear it. i credit my awesome dojo-mates and sensei for getting the yell out of me. they would just yell "louder!!!" at me when i was being too quiet! sometimes my sensei would announce at the end of a drill that one of the kids was louder than any of us older students and it was so embarrassing! LOL, at first it made me so mad because it felt like such a strange sound to make, but thankfully they pulled it out of me.




After more than 2 years practice, I still can't have a kiai, there is absolutly no sound sorting out me. Furthermore I'm very shy, I m always embarrassed in practices as everybody is teasing me because of this unability
:emb: And it's just standing in the way for my progress in kendo.

[runsyi]

Its good to know that most of you girls do the same sort of thing where you just laugh it off and keep going. I think going to boarding school got rid of a lot of embarressment in lockerrooms for me. I do know some people who wouldnt be able to handle the whole idea of wearing bogu and making lots of noise. Kiai was the hardest thing for me to get into doing, did any of you other girls have trouble with that? Im trying to encourage one of the beginners (the only girl in her group) to kiai louder, she gets very embarressed.

Nochi-no-tsuki, dont worry, no offence taken!! One of the reasons I took kendo is because I thought it would help me to focus and not be so scatter-brained. I never zone out, or not pay attention, I just tend to find myself a little behind the 8ball at times. The more nervous I am, the worse it gets. And trust me, Ive tried EVERYTHING to try to fix it. From postit notes all over the house, meditation, strange diets, etc. Its something everyone in my family does. For example, every morning when I go to work, by the time I get downstairs to the car, I will realise Ive forgotten something and have to go upstairs again.... every morning...

It is getting better at training, and Im sure most people dont notice half the stuff I do!! It takes a LOT to get me embarressed, so I cope with it quite well. Ive always done well at sports and stuff, thats never been a problem. But like you say, I really dont want it to reflect badly on the club or distract the people Im training with. That was the only reason I was embarressed at the taikai, it looks bad for my sensei.

Really don't see how you tripping reflects poorly on your sensei. Everyone's human.

But onto the kiai discussion... I've never had a problem doing loud kiai. Sometimes I feel that it's the only thing in my Kendo that I have control over.

[T.Lee]

But onto the kiai discussion... I've never had a problem doing loud kiai. Sometimes I feel that it's the only thing in my Kendo that I have control over.

you mean:
"WOOOOOOooooooo!"

[Lone Kitten]

idon't like my kiai - it's really high and squeaky... loud, but squeaky! It works though! And it's not as squeaky as some girls out in japan!

[runsyi]

you mean:
"WOOOOOOooooooo!"

But at least it's loud, yeah?

[Stimpson J. Cat]

And it's not as squeaky as some girls out in japan!

Some guys who have trained in Japan, especially if they trained there as kids, have a high-pitched, screeching sort of kiai also. The best of them with a real finger nails on the blackboard sort of affect that makes you cring just to hear it, much less be standing right in front of them and have it directed into your face.

[Kitsune]

Kiai was the hardest thing for me to get into doing, did any of you other girls have trouble with that? Im trying to encourage one of the beginners (the only girl in her group) to kiai louder, she gets very embarressed.


Well, for me Kiai was the easy part of kendo, I have a big voice and I used to sing, so I know how to do it quite right, but at first I didn't use it not because I was embarressed, but because I had a lot of coordination problems,so at first I used to learn all, the movements first and then kiai with them (embarresing isn't it?:grin: )

[Stephen]

That was the only reason I was embarressed at the taikai, it looks bad for my sensei.

Hey Alison. Really, dont worry about it, Chris Sensei has witnessed much (much, much) worse in his years at the club (I was unfortunatly the cause of a number of them:dead: ). I found he respected people more for continuing to come back after embarrasing stuff ups, as many would just would quit. So just keep having a quick laugh and dont let it affect your confidence.

btw, tell everyone at Murdoch I said Hi.

[Alison2805]

hehehe, thanks Steve! Yeah, it'll take more than me falling on my face to stop me coming to training!! Ill say hi to everyone when Im back in perth, at the moment Im working on a station out of Broken Hill for a few weeks.

I do the "kiai in the car" thing too, its good fun. Ive only done it once with the window open tho, hehehe.

[Newbie]

Broken Hill huh? You gonna stop in and say hi to us on your way back? If you can make it to Adelaide 22-23rd July we got an iaido/jodo seminar going on.

Anyway, in the beginners', I was the one who tried to encourage my fellow beginners to kiai loudly but to do that I had to leave my own self-consiousness behind and consequently my kiai was always complimented (whilst I was in beginners, that is). But in the beginners' course all you kiai is your target. My second time in bogu after having been moved out of the beginners' I got thrown into a mock shiai. I was like a rabbit in the headlights having no idea what to do or what to kiai when you kiai just to build spirit or intimidate your opponent. So I just opened my mouth and what came out has been my kiai ever since. Though my best friend told me it sounded like a Cornish farmer (aaayyyyyyyyyyeeeeei - low and gutterer. Very unfeminine).

I mainly get embarrassed when my friend points out things to me, my friends, my dojo mates, etc like that my kote kiai sounds ocker or something like that or my zanshin face makes me look like I'm about to cry. But hey, it works and I adjust it - real quick! He doesn't do that so much anymore though.

I do however get self-conscious when I'm doing something different to the rest of the dojo, at least to begin with, like if I'm doing jodo off to the side whilst everyone else is doing kendo. That usually wears off when I really start concentrating on my jo though but at first it feels really... odd, especially when you know the beginners are watching the lone person not in bogu waving a stick about doing the same couple exercises for an hour and a half.

Oh, and occassionally my hakama gets caught under my foot when I go to stand up or I go into sonkyo and lose balance. That's kinda embarrassing.

[Alison2805]

man Im so glad its not just me that does these things!! I wish I could call in and meet you. Im driving the hire ute back to adelaide, then jumping on the plane home. Ill be out this way again in a while, if I can arrange it Ill stay in adelaide long enough to go to a training with you! Ill let you know.

I apparently sound a bit like an ambulance siren. Its just been the easiest noise to make really. I cant do a growl or yell without hurting my throat. A high pitched screamy thing is easy. Funnily enough, the only way the guys could get me to kiai at the start was to yell at me and get me to yell back. Good ol' Mike, he scared the bejeezus out of me with his kiai, but he would look so pleased if you did it back at him.

I had a jigeiko after a tournament with a girl from another club and as soon as one of us would kiai, the other would laugh at it, and back and forth it went. Both of us thought the other sounded hilarious. Still attacking eachother of course. We must have looked like a couple of drunk giggling screaming girls with sticks. It was great fun.

[Saigo]

Ok the wierder the kiai the better, When where doing keiko and opponet dose a wierd kiai it just makes your crack up so much that it opens everything up, o and I trip on my hakama all the time

[Lone Kitten]

yep... i was at a seminar last year and there was a guy whose kiai sounded like "day-o"...very funny

[Martino]

Stephen you lazy bum, get back to training.

(on topic)
my Kiai come out Yoo...
We have almost given up on trying to change it.

[Alison2805]

Martino, I think I watch you at the nationals in perth! I remember soemone with a kiai that sounds like "YO!", it was so tempting to yell back "WHA'SUP!"

was that you?

[Martino]

Yep, I am unique

[Alison2805]

it sounded awesome! Its great to put a ...mengane....to a name, LOL

[Falcon]

I read this thread yesterday and have to say a big THANK YOU!
I'm new to the boards, and still a beginner. I practiced for about 3 or 4 months in grad school had a several year hiatus from kendo then forced myself to go back into kendo practice. I love it.

But I too am a member of the Clutz's Anonymous Club in Kendo and elsewhere. I used to and sometimes still feel so self-conscious about my actions in the dojo. I'm still learning etiquette and my mistakes are slowly disappearing but they still do bug me a bit.

For example while being the timer while watching the senior sparring students I swore sensei said to yell "Hajime!" at the end of 5 minutes. I felt completely stupid after a senior politely told me (and I was grateful for her help) Hajime means begin, I needed to yell Yame. I've studied Japanese language on and off still, and I should have known that!

My other favorite was when my hakama began slipping off my hip the first time I wore it, and the second time when I started at the new dojo. I never let it happened again but I went totally red faced when a senior told me about it. Again I was grateful for the help! ^_^ And thanks to this forum I figured out why that happens (darn my mom's childbearing hips!).

There are some things I've found that have helped me get over my mistakes and being so self-conscious. First, sensei asks his students to keep a journal for after practice to make notes of what happens. The writing keeps the vocabulary in my head and helps me remember and build it too. I started reading a lot on the topic and history. I made it a point to be attentive and disciplined, but also not to stress too much on being perfect. I also remind myself after a mistake that I'm in practice, and I'm still learning. If I'm making a mistake and I learn from it, mission accomplished.

As for Kiai, gads can that be intimidating at first! The other girls in my group talked about that. I'm not sure what changed with me though, but somehow when I took up the shinai again I don't hold back on my Kiai that much anymore.

I'm still a clutz and probably always will be one. I recently found out I have an extremely weak left ankle left over from a sprain that apparently was a fracture. PT is helping and my balance I'm hoping will get better.

Anyway Thank you for the thread, so good to see a women's thread and hear so many experiences I can relate to!

-Falcon

[Aries]

I haven't consitent ly been going "men" or "kote" for all my cuts as its takes me about 2 minutes to complete a single cut. i'm just really slow.

but i've seen some videos and at first i was puzzeld, like "who the hell is scremaing?!?!" then i realized it was the girls in the match. kendo kiai's seem to sound a lot differnt.

only once has a kiai i've done for tkd "felt" right. jsut once in all my life when the kiai triggered action and i could feel it tingle through me and my kick was controled perfectly.... that one time.. i doubt i'll experience that again for a whiles.

[JByrd]

It is true that we have to shrug off our mistakes or we cannot move forward.

On the other hand, we cannot really move forward until we stop shrugging off our mistakes, and start facing them by addressing the reasons we make them.

[Inner_Silence]

Martino, I think I watch you at the nationals in perth! I remember soemone with a kiai that sounds like "YO!", it was so tempting to yell back "WHA'SUP!"

was that you?


hahahaha
i actually said once "wusaaaaaaaaaaaaap!" to someone whos kiai was "yo!"

mine its funny too :( is like "hai-toooo!"

[Falcon]

Couldn't have said it any better.

Thanks JByrd ^_^

[Alison2805]

Im glad this thread was useful!

Im still a complete clutz.

[Heathen_Blade]

Uh... I thought that 'clutz' was spelled with a 'K', as in 'klutz'... am I wrong?

[Alison2805]

its slang. Hence different everywhere. Here we spell it with a c.

[Heathen_Blade]

its slang. Hence different everywhere. Here we spell it with a c.
Oh.

Hm...

I don't think I've been making the best impression on this forum... time to fix that.

[funnyface12]

How do you girls (particularly beginners like me) deal with making a really big mistake or doing something very embarressing during training? Could be anything.

I myself have a very long history (way before kendo) of being the person you can count on to trip over, stand in dog doo, say the wrong thing, whatever, usually in front of lots of people. Im quite used to it now, and have carried this trait over to my kendo.

For example, at the taikai on the weekend, during warmups, in front of the other club and senseis, instead of doing a big men cut at the end of highasuburi (sp?), my toe caught in my hakama and I did a tripping soccer smash and slide onto my knees and across the dojo floor (this happens quite often, and my hakama is actualy too short, clumsyness is it). Being the only person in white made sure everyone remembered it!

Ill trip over, forget stuff, count the wrong numbers, you name it, all the time. It doesnt really bother me, I think everyone is used to it by now. I generally crack up laughing and carry on. I was a little embarressed to do that in front of other clubs though.

So, the point of this thread is, how does stuff like this affect you? Do you laugh and keep going, or do you do the standard female reaction of thinking everyone is looking at you and mentally beat yourself up about it all night? (I know guys do this too, but some girls tend to take it a bit harder when they are already a minority)


Haha sounds like me. most people can count on me to trip over my own two feet, (but its probably true) I think girls take it harder on themselves when they mess up but after a while the embarrassment goes away.

[Yuralain]

When first started wearing bogu. I did a spectacular job of showing most of the newer editions to our club just what could happen when your trying to get use to the new weight. Like you, Alison2805, my toe was caught on my hakima. When I was trying a wide over the head strike. In some strange aerial feet ended sprawled on the ground face up with several of my club mates staring down wondering why I was laughing at myself. :silly:
The second time I did this I managed to save some dignity by landing on my knees, rather painfully. And forced myself to get back to my feet into the ready position before anyone could come over to help me up. Seeing as I’m still trying to get use to my men, I’m certain there will be many more embracing displays of learning in the future for me.
But even embarrassing accident have their point. We learn how not to let them happen again and to not let them get to you. Just get back up and try again don’t dwell on the mistake or the accident but rather what useful thing you learned from it. Especially for us girls, let them know that we won’t get discouraged by a little trip up. :wink:

[samurai80]

Funnyface, I don't know you, but could you please stop bringing up the 2-5 year-old threads? This is like, the 6th one of I've seen that you've dug up. We get it, you know how to use the search function.

[Trent]

I do not know whether this is trained into me, or I am just blessed, but I seem to have a reasonable level of balance (and possibly quick reaction time). I always trip up on stuff - like standing on my own feet, standing on my hakama / getting toes caught in the hemming on my hakama - but I have never fallen over during keiko (well, there was this one time when we were practicing Hikiwaza where I did fall flat on my backside).

As far as males being less self-concious, I have to disagree. I am rather self-concious, particularly when it comes to what people think of me (like what I wear, how I act, etc.), but what I have to do is just move past this. In reference to changing rooms, I just do not think about it at all - the first time I did kendo in hakama, I was uncomfortable with having to take my shorts/pants off. I still feel a little uncomfortable about the whole thing, but I have moved past it.

Hope this helps in making women feel like they are not the only ones that are self-concious.

[Mizukaze]

It just isn't a taikai unless somebody trips on their hakama during warm-up. Happens to somebody almost everytime.

[Inner_Silence]

ok, since this thread is revived Ill post, hopefully it helps.

from a guys point of view, when a girl does one of those things, like falling off on the hakama trip,or have a funny kiai or happens whatever of this kendo funny things... well after checking that the person is ok (a hakama trip can be very painfull I personally know it) yes, endeed its funny, but it really doesnt make it funnier if the person that has happened this is a girl or or a guy, what makes it funny is how the person reacts to this. actually, at least for me its funnyer when this things happens to a guy, generally (at least in my dojo) when a guy trips, or say a funny kiai or whatever we laugh out of it or make a joke (that doesnt mean that we guys dont get embarassed when this kind of things happen). but when it happens to a girl, she generally gets embarased, instead of laughing out of it, some girls think that they are doing something wrong or that theyll get the disaproval of the older dojomates, Ive even met lots of kendo girls that think that kendo and many other things in life are a guy vs girls struggle, so when they do a hakama trip they feel bad becouse "guys dont trip, girls shouldnt" it sounds very crazy but Ive heard this kind of things a lot... so that kind of reaction its very boring and some people think "bah, she is so uptight!...". and yes, its obvious that girls and boys react diferently to this kind of things, but what people may think when this funny things happen depends on the reaction itself and not on the gender.

in other words, reacting in embarassment ways or making such big deals out of this small matters or all other kind of paranoia IS actually the reason why everyone notices it.

so, when this funny things happen, people WILL laugh, I mean its obvious its funny, but noone makesfun of the person or noone would give a dissaproval becouse of tripping or something like that, people just laugh becouse its funny and thats it.

and it has hapen to me and I think that it has happen to every guy in kendo or any sport...once one of the girls in kendo did something like this and it was funny and I laughed and she got mad at me and felt bad and she said "you are laughing at me!" and I said "no! I just laughed becouse it was funny" sadly she never understood it. dear reader, the universe its a giant place, infinite some may say, and all universe and its chaos are actually ruled by universal mathematical laws that deflects all its energy in to a giant spiral that ends in to a certain point of absolute peace where all answers of all universal knowledge can be found, that center of the universe... is not you! ... so relax! and have a cuba libre :D

[Inner_Silence]

...besides... s*it happens to everyone, this girl knows it (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9V07eBKjBMQ) check out the vid at about the second minute... in a nidan test :S:S

[imouto]

Funnyface, I don't know you, but could you please stop bringing up the 2-5 year-old threads? This is like, the 6th one of I've seen that you've dug up. We get it, you know how to use the search function.

What's wrong with bringing up an old thread like this one?

I wish I knew to search for a thread like this months ago!

[samurai80]

There isn't anything wrong with reviving ONE old thread. Reviving five or six old threads from years ago, and on the same day is...well, I can't think of a word for it. Actually, unless it has something to do with a dojo, or practice times, just read the old thread, or start a new one. I mean, how many more threads can there be about kendo, and the olympics? I'm sure we'll find out.

[Gessho]

There isn't anything wrong with reviving ONE old thread. Reviving five or six old threads from years ago, and on the same day is...well, I can't think of a word for it. Actually, unless it has something to do with a dojo, or practice times, just read the old thread, or start a new one. I mean, how many more threads can there be about kendo, and the olympics? I'm sure we'll find out.

WHAT? Did someone mention reviving a thread on kendo in the Olympics? Right, I'm off to do that right now....:smiley:

[NigelSponge]

Well, i'm no woman, but i can tell you i find it really annoying when people make a lot of mistakes and keep apologizing for them! It's not a big deal, just laugh it and make it look like you are having a good time lol.

[yoda-waza]

Come on guys!. Let the women talk. Don't you have anything better to do?

[Master Shake]

Hey Alison, don't worry about any of it mate. Just enjoy your kendo.

As for the falling over, don't worry about that either.

Blokes dig scars too. *(I think)

If it makes you feel any better I half passed out, tripped and fell face first into a wall once. AND, that was in Japan! Not sure what i was more embarrassed about too... being fanned by my Japanese teachers and sempais, or bending my men-gane...

I wasn't the only one to pass out that day, but I was the only one needing a panel-beater to work the kinks out!

[samurai80]

Alison posted that two years ago.

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[CH0ZEN]

Just shake it off. You're your own worst enemy when it comes to letting embarrassing moments take control of your life. People forget about things you do far faster than you ever will. Don't let it bother you.