When to begin learning concepts?

[earth_kendoka]

I haven't been able to attend kendo in a while now and i've been trying to explore the philosophy and concepts behind kendo. As much as I have learned I find myself to begin to become more confused. So i'm wondering that if kendo concepts should be left alone 'til a certain point or if they are pointless to try to learn without keiko. From what i've seen almost all of the concepts are based in application during ji-geiko. So when I return to kendo ( a matter of weeks) should I disregard the concepts and focus only on the physical side of kendo for a while, say until I make ikkyu. I'm a sankyu for referance. Well any replys would be greatly apreciate it.
Thanks- Earth Kendoka

[Halcyon]

At this point in your kendo development, doing trumps thinking. There'll be plenty of time to apply abstract concepts later. Right now, concentrate on three things -- keiko, keiko and keiko a little more.

[Hisham]

Concept questions will surface naturally with practice.

[Inner_Silence]

trough practice you'll get to a deep understanding of the concepts that you have been told or read somewhere.

it is good that you think about all this stuff, but youll understand it deeply and it will be "yours" only with the practice of kendo. is something really hard to explain but youll know it when you see it.

[Thunder]

Practice, Practice, Practice.
Concepts are good to focus on in your offtime. But you never "think" about the waza you are executing in Keiko...thinking is too slow.

[Anime12478]

Until you return to Kendo, you can think about how you are going about doing techniques versus what the goal is. It can also help to look at videos and such if you don't do so already so that you can have a reference for everything.

[Masahiro]

here's a concept for ya, if your kendo isn't as good as you think, chances are it's much worse that you'd like it to be.

concepts are like these fortunes you get in the fortune cookies, it's will "hit" you unexpectedly even though you might have known it for a while. Understanding the concepts can take place at many different levels.

[nodachi]

You learn concepts as they naturally arise or others suggest them to you. For example, at one point in my training someone told me "mi o suteru" (I think that's right), throw away your body, essentially. I was holding back, not one hundred percent committed to the attack and some other issues. This concept arose from a sempai who told me it when I needed it and I started to commit more to my attacks and things went better. If I had randomly started thinking about this as a beginner, I would have just gone berserk and attacked even when there was no chance in hell of doing anything productive. There is a time and a place for kendo concepts. Let them naturally come out, or think about them on the drive home, or let others tell you when they apply along the way in your training. Timing is everything, and trying to apply something too soon will be counterproductive, I think...

[enkorat]

Actually,

If one considers "rei" as part of concepts, and the ancillaries associated with that subject (reiho, reigi, sempai kohai) , then probably starting the first day.

Zanshin and Kiai (or Kakegoi) are also introduced fairly early on. The idea of chushin is also slipped in there, although I don't think we use that word specifically. Sutemi is also introduced early, though the application of sutemi is ...challenging... The idea of "cutting" vs. "hitting" (think hitting the grill vs. not) is also introduced fairly early as well...

If we're talking about concepts related to "fighting other people", then those don't get introduced until after one is in bogu. And probably after the ... break-i... err...introductory period in bogu is finished and we get past the "omg I can't see!" phase...

[Charlie]

You know, I voted shodan but I would change my answer to what enkorat said.

[tango]

the question is really too vague..

i went ahead and voted shodan anyway... just because.

i was thinking of the question in terms of kendo = walking
well, once you learn to stand (shodan?), then you can start concentrating on walking.
until then, worry about transitioning from crawling to standing.

[bullet08]

i would say shodan too.. but i think it also depends on the age of that person. some of the older folks might understand kendo better if they understand the concept behind it. where as some of the younger people might not care about the concept, but how to go hit the next guy over the head.

pete

[tango]

good point, pete...