Lack of Stamina

[BridKendo]

Hi,

I have just moved on to the Kendo Advance class. After 15 minutes of warm up, kiragaeshi, I am always running out of stamina to continue to the end of the class. Can someone please advice how to increase my strength and stamina? In addition, after 10 minutes of training, my tenugui is always loose. Does anyone has any ideas how to avoid this issue?

Thanks.

[Newbie]

I have the same problem - the stamina one. I'd be really interested to get some help with this.

[MikeW]

Well I'd say do more cardiovascular training. There are a plethora of ways to do that... jogging, swimming, hayashi suburi, stepper machine, treadmill, stop smoking if you smoke. Any low impact exercise that gets your heart rate up at least twice what is normal for you. There is a decent general article on the web concerning how to go about getting a cardiovascular training regimen at:

http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/gf_guide1.htm

There are probably a lot more around if you cruise the web also. It doesn't really have to be something that is related to kendo or martial arts as you are just trying to increase your stamina and are not actually working on any type of technique. Here's the rub.. it takes work and commitment on your part.

[slidercrank]

Try some cardiovascular exercises. Running, biking or swimming can all increase your aerobic fitness and should improve your stamina during kendo practice.

Also, this might be obvious, but don't forget to breathe properly. Loud kiais from your belly (not throat) during warm-up suburi and kirikeishi help you breathe, reduce upper-body muscle tension, and in general help you not get fatigued too easily.

Tenegui thing: best to ask a sensei or sempai to observe you while you put it on.

[joekc6nlx]

Kendo is very demanding on the cardiovascular system. Just as you wouldn't expect to be able to run a marathon the first time you put on running shoes, you should expect to be able to do kendo at a sustained high level until your stamina builds.

You haven't said how long you've been studying, or how old you are, or your current physical condition (thin, overweight, morbidly obese....)

As the others have stated before, any exercise that increases your heart rate up to the target level (220 - your age and then 80% of that) and held for 20 minutes 3 times a week is good. As with any exercise program, check with your physician to ensure that you won't keel over during practice.


Have patience with your body, it will adapt to whatever demand you place on it.

[Paburo]

this stamina issue has been treated a couple times before... you can try and search for the older threads for some info.

about the tenugui, there are several ways and methods of wrapping tenugui around your head. ask your sensei to teach you a different method if the current isn't working too well for you.

then stick to what's more comfortable and safe for you from all the variations.

[sainueng]

One addition I would like to make is that kendo probably uses your arms more than you're used to. Some of the cardiovascular suggestions, like running, don't force you to vigorously move your arms. I would try some of the elliptical machines to work your arms, or suburi.

[joekc6nlx]

One addition I would like to make is that kendo probably uses your arms more than you're used to. Some of the cardiovascular suggestions, like running, don't force you to vigorously move your arms. I would try some of the elliptical machines to work your arms, or suburi.

True, but stamina is a systemic conditioning, not just one particular area. The idea is to make your body use oxygen efficiently and prevent the buildup of lactic acid in the muscle tissues, which contributes to fatigue and the soreness associated with exercise.

Running doesn't necessarily build up the legs, although it certainly doesn't hurt them (except the knees). Swimming doesn't necessarily build up the arms, although it certainly is aerobic. Suburi will help with, surprise, suburi. I don't think that using the elliptical machines is going to help with his suburi, nor will it really do that much for his arms. Most of the work on an elliptical machine is done by the large muscles in the legs, which, because they demand higher quantities of oxygen, force the heart and lungs to work harder to satisfy those demands. You could get the same demand by riding a bicycle, jumping rope, anything that makes those large leg muscles work.

[Paikea]

Hi,

I have just moved on to the Kendo Advance class. After 15 minutes of warm up, kiragaeshi, I am always running out of stamina to continue to the end of the class. Can someone please advice how to increase my strength and stamina? In addition, after 10 minutes of training, my tenugui is always loose. Does anyone has any ideas how to avoid this issue?

Thanks.
Double post, whoops.

[Paikea]

Hi,

I have just moved on to the Kendo Advance class. After 15 minutes of warm up, kiragaeshi, I am always running out of stamina to continue to the end of the class. Can someone please advice how to increase my strength and stamina? In addition, after 10 minutes of training, my tenugui is always loose. Does anyone has any ideas how to avoid this issue?

Thanks.
1) <Freddie Mercury Voice>Bicycle...bicycle</Freddy>
2) Number 1 clippers all over the head and a tight wrap. It gets better as your men breaks in.

[Dr. Hellsing]

i found walking to ur dojo helps if you don't feel like running. but thats cuz my dojo's close (about 20 blocks).

[Naginatagirl]

my 2 cents: Keep practicing and don't give up. It'll come with time and practice, so just keep pushing yourself. Both the stamina and the tenegui.

[Dr. Hellsing]

you know, singing might help to control the kiai. that way u won't run out of breath as fast. i should try it out XD

[Kitsune]

ok, maybe is because I'm from Chile an d we don't use the word but... what's stamina? For me sounds like a part of a battery.

[Dr. Hellsing]

Physical or moral strength to resist or withstand illness, fatigue, or hardship; endurance

[dimfeld]

Stamina is just another word for endurance. Maintaining physical strength over a long period of time, or something to that effect.

Edit: Oops, beat me to it.

[Kitsune]

OOOH, I see, thanx I thought for a moment that it was some kind of protein

[yoda-waza]

As already stated building stamina is a function of regular physical conditioning. As a cyclist, I've found the cardiovascular benefit of hard riding helped my endurance in kendo practices. I further found that proper nutrition and hydration are important to stamina, whether in cycling or kendo, and there are some commercially available athletic supplements that may help you in this regard (please, no steroid/EPO jokes!) Of course there is no magic pill or elixir for stamina, but for sustained, strenuous training I have found that anti-oxidant energy drinks like Accelerade (http://www.accelerade.com/pages/description_science.html)and FRS (http://cycling.frsplus.com/science_of_frs_plus.asp)help my performance and recovery.

I'm not pushing these products as a must-have, nor are they a substitute for regular workouts. This is FYI - you can form your own judgement.

[mark]

A lot of people just forget to breath when they enter bogu. Try thinking about breathing from time to time to see if this helps. Use a breathing rhythm similar to what you are being taught in kirikaeshi.

[Gessho]

Hi,

I have just moved on to the Kendo Advance class. After 15 minutes of warm up, kiragaeshi, I am always running out of stamina to continue to the end of the class. Can someone please advice how to increase my strength and stamina? In addition, after 10 minutes of training, my tenugui is always loose. Does anyone has any ideas how to avoid this issue?

Thanks.

I hear you! I recommend a rowing machine since you want to work your lungs as well as your arms. Plus it strengthens your abdominals which is important for kiai.

One thing I notice in myself is that I carry a lot of tension in my shoulders and that also contributes to exhaustion.

[bullet08]

all that carbio work out will not help you unless you are well hydrated and well rested.

i smoke, and drink, however, i can last 2 hrs in kendo without much issue. and kendo is the only activity that i do.

body will adapt to the activities that you are doing soon enough, if you have been doing kendo for awhile, it shouldn't really be an issue as far as lasting 2 hrs is concerned. if you are seeing difference in your ability to last through out the work out, there is something else going wrong as in you are not getting enough rest, food, or water. or you might be over working your body.

make sure to sleep well night before the practice. make sure to eat plenty of carbo the day before and prior to the practice. make sure to hydrate yourself well before the practice (not just water, but water and some eletrolytes as in sports drink or salt tablet or something). and don't tense up while doing the suburi.

pete

[ne0r]

I for one agree with Naginatagirl: If you do Jigeiko/Kirikaeshi/Kakarigeiko/Uchikomigeiko long enough your stamina will build up and become better and better.
I have the same problem right now because in three of four last practises I nearly collapsed
- in the first one because I pushed my self too hard
- in the second because I WAS pushed quite hard
- in the third because I drank too little
Yeah, those were pretty hard practises but it was FUUUUUUN!

[Willow]

I'll second running, cycling, skipping/jump rope and ergo training/rowing machine as being effective for building up stamina and leg/core strength.

Stretching is important before exercising but also really important after exercising to avoid shortening of muscle fibres and associated risk of injury.

Don't forget to drink but don't over-hydrate. Women, especially, need to have their iron levels checked as this can be a problem for physical endurance activities.

It takes time and commitment but the rewards are fantastic for kendo and for all aspects of life. If you have good cardio-vascular health you just feel better all the time.

If you find that you are very fatigued after exercise and can't 'bounce back' after some rest I can recommend a supplement called Power Bar. I have tried different sports drinks, etc, but I have found this to be the most effective. I eat half a bar before class and the other half straight after I finish. It has to be within 20 minutes of finishing the class or I start to 'crash' and it takes me hours to recover. You have to drink a good quantity of water with it, too. You can get them in the health/medical section in the supermarket. They're made in Germany, are an official supplier to the Australian Institute of Sport and I don't know how or why they work but they're bloody brilliant!

[iceman_213]

Hi, im new to this site and stumbled across it as I was looking to nurse an injury, anyhoo I was reading this and since I play alot of football (soccer) and have recently been training with a semi-professional team. Over the weeks I have found it has greatly aided my stamina and have found myself lasting longer, in training and in games.

In the training we do zero ballwork and plenty of CV, short quick bursts or drills and plymetric drills. Obviously as stated by others in time your stamina will increase with the training session but I also eat organic food and find that it helps a great deal, seriously.

Pure food = more nutrients per food item = more enrgy and goodness in general.

If I've been busy for the day and I've gotta get hyped up or last for a game I'll eat a few dates 15-20 mins beforehand - very high in glucose and the turbocharge kicks in aswell!!

Any more info let me know as I'm a coach aswell, have studies sport physiology/psychology and have devised training programmes for various people/teams etc!

[mark]

In the training we do zero ballwork and plenty of CV, short quick bursts or drills and plymetric drills.

What do you mean by plymetric drills?

[iceman_213]

Plymetrics, or Plyometrics as some ppl call it is are explosive drills which used in a training session, obviously different sports will change in the drills.

For example after a 20min warm up and stretching session doing a drill which involves short bursts of speed and strength, its a little hard to explain, check this site out, i know its footy related but i think its great for any sport - http://www.netfit.co.uk/football-program-webwen.htm

[mark]

Plymetrics, or Plyometrics as some ppl call it is are explosive drills which used in a training session, obviously different sports will change in the drills.

For example after a 20min warm up and stretching session doing a drill which involves short bursts of speed and strength, its a little hard to explain, check this site out, i know its footy related but i think its great for any sport - http://www.netfit.co.uk/football-program-webwen.htm

Thanks. I will give it a read.
I remember a colleague who went to see a trainer for his kendo and was given a series of alternate wide squats that seems to fit into what you are saying.
You start out at full extension as if you were striking men leaving your left leg behind - back straight. From that stretched position you jumped to the same position on the alternate side. The lower to the ground you start the harder the workout. Before doing this you have to fully stretch your leg & groin muscles or your garanteed a tear.

For a more advanced drill you can add a men strike with each repetition.

[SmellsLikeBogu]

bleh you dont need all these fancy machines and training methods. just do your daily haya suburi :p (and I do mean more then 30 ;) )
a while a go we had a seminar that consisted of 2 3-hour trainings. must say I had a really good night's sleep that night :p

[mark]

bleh you dont need all these fancy machines and training methods. just do your daily haya suburi :p (and I do mean more then 30

Suburi is great as is haya suburi. However, I don't think either will help you re-balance your body, nor help avoid, repair or re-build damage. To my knowledge all sports and martial arts now include stretching and gym work in one form or another as part of their normal training regimen. The elite players that I have met all do extensive exercise programs during the off season and when they are not intensively training for a competition.

[Spendius]

bleh you dont need all these fancy machines and training methods. just do your daily haya suburi :p (and I do mean more then 30 ;) )
a while a go we had a seminar that consisted of 2 3-hour trainings. must say I had a really good night's sleep that night :p

It was only 2 hours in the morning...

[tamaki]

Physical or moral strength to resist or withstand illness, fatigue, or hardship; endurance

I agree with above.
(Once or twice I threw up at 8 in the morning(because of too much alcohol,not illness)and then go to practice.It can be done :smoker:)

As for the physical things,its always difficult when you first start kendo.I had to quit smoking the first year,although now I smoke like,a packet a day,I drink etc and dont get tired whatever weather or practice.

The correct kiai is also important.If you do it incorrect you 'll just have a sore throat and your heart beating fast and feeling tired and out of breath even in kirikaeshi etc etc( there should be more scientific words for these things but I dont know in english sorry).

Running also helps a lot.(Cross training.)If you go to a gym,select the cross training option,at a slow speed the first week,not more than 20 min.If you run outside,find a place with downhills,uphills,and slow up or down depending on where u are.I guess outside in the nature it is more difficult.I can never run more than 15 minutes outside.Take care of your knees when running.:(

200 hayasuburi in bogu at the end of each practice is also good for stamina.They do that here and I think it helps me a lot.

But I think that the most important of all is just in your mind.Just keep on doing it till the end of the practice, and dont think about how tired you are.The feeling when you take off the men after a really hard practice is uncomparable( is there such a word??) :ko: right?And isn't it good when (after a practice when u thought u wouldnt make it but you did) u know that you have won over yourself?

[iceman_213]

Hmm...I think if you cut down in your smoking and drinking it will help considerably. I'm assuming here that your young and thats why you can keep training etc. I do know one thing for sure and I've seen ppl when I play and train football is that after 20-30mins or so the smokers get very tired very quickly because their aerobic capacity isnt as high, due to the lungs burning up. But by doing continuous exercise you replenish all that.

The smoking drinking will only take effect when you get older as right now the body is good n healthy so it can take the damage but then when older it wont be as strong as it is now. I know ppl my age (22) who aren't obese or overweight or anything but just smoke and when they run or jog like 50m its like they've just finished the marathon!

[tamaki]

Hmm...I think if you cut down in your smoking and drinking it will help considerably. I'm assuming here that your young and thats why you can keep training etc. I do know one thing for sure and I've seen ppl when I play and train football is that after 20-30mins or so the smokers get very tired very quickly because their aerobic capacity isnt as high, due to the lungs burning up. But by doing continuous exercise you replenish all that.

The smoking drinking will only take effect when you get older as right now the body is good n healthy so it can take the damage but then when older it wont be as strong as it is now. I know ppl my age (22) who aren't obese or overweight or anything but just smoke and when they run or jog like 50m its like they've just finished the marathon!

I am 25:) not so young:paranoid:
I usually dont get tired at the normal 2 hr practice.I can jikeiko for an hour without getting exhausted.Just some sore throat if I have smoked too much the previous day.When I go back to Greece I said Im gonna quit it:rolleyes:

[Ignatz]

I smoked cigs for about 30 years. I played kendo regularly. I swam a lot. I ran 5 half marathons the year before I was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was caused by smoking. I would have done all of these things better had I not smoked.

DON'T SMOKE--IF YOU ALREADY SMOKE THEN QUIT--IF YOU DON'T SMOKE, DON'T START

[ghostdancer]

i recently watched my mother die of lung cancer not good, give up now while you have a chance
not preaching (does not work)
just a really strong suggestion

[Airin]

A lot of people above gave a lot of scientific advices, so I don't know how good mine can be. Anyway,...

Eight hours before the training I'm used to eat more carbohydrates than usually (more pasta or a bigger pizza). A couple hours before I eat fruits or few (very few!) biscuits and an hour before I drink 2 liters of water (Not drinking enough is a very problem for me). Now I also eat meat twice or three times in week, instead of one or less.
If anyway I feel down at some point of the training I try to collect strengths just... not thinking how tired I feel :wink: !

About the tenogoui, usually I use a lot of starch when I iron it, so it stays always still.

[mark]

About the tenogoui, usually I use a lot of starch when I iron it, so it stays always still.

You starch your tenugui?

[ghostdancer]

you iron your tenogui ?

[Airin]

Yep! I wash, iron and starch tenugoui, hakama and gi before every training. When I take away the tenugoui after the training, it looks perfect as if I just iron it.

[Alison2805]

aaah, someone who irons thier gi and hakama!!! YAY!!! You are my kind of kendoka!!

[Ignatz]

I always iron my tenugoui then fold them up neatly. Starch is a bit over the top I think but I have never tried it. My workshirts are always starched like cardboard and I like that but my keikogis go into the washing machine with a downey fabric softener ball and no smell softener. Feels nice on my body. I have a hakama that I only use for tournaments and tests, it is like cardboard.

I remember once seeing a guy pull out a tenugoui from his bag and it was balled up like a snot rag and he smelled it then put it on. His kendo was sloppy too.

[Alison2805]

eeeewww..... I know some guys who's tenegui is a dirty yellow/brown from never being washed :gasmask:

[Nanbanjin]

eeeewww..... I know some guys who's tenegui is a dirty yellow/brown from never being washed :gasmask:
Sounds like my undies.

[Ushio]

eeeewww..... I know some guys who's tenegui is a dirty yellow/brown from never being washed :gasmask:

OMG, did you see mine? :redface:

[Alison2805]

AAAaahhh!!! Wash your undies and teneguis people!!! What would your mothers say? Probably "always wear clean tenegui and undies in case you get hit by a bus".

Who knows? Mum knows! How do you think she got this far? Mum knows, wooHOO! (old aussie advert jingle)

[Shogun]

I had low stamina before i went to basic training.I suggest running alot.