1000 cut or strike challenge in 6 months

[MM Morph]

Hi I am new to the form and wanted to ask if it is possible for a 4 kyu like me to be able to take such a challenge? I have fond this program from a friend.

Training program for getting to a 1000 kendo cuts a day in 6 months or 42 weeks.

1 Month

Week 1&2
(Set per day)
20x shomen
20x syumen
20x hidari do
20x syument
20x migi do
20x kote
20x kote-men
20x kote-men-do
40x chouyaku-suburi Week 3&4
(Set per day)
30x shomen
30x syumen
30x hidari do
30x syument
30x migi do
30x kote
30x kote-men
30x kote-men-do
45x chouyaku-suburi

Week 5&6
(Set per day)
35x shomen
35x syumen
35x hidari do
35x syument
35x migi do
35x kote
35x kote-men
35x kote-men-do
50x chouyaku-suburi
Week 7&8
(Set per day)
40x shomen
40x syumen
40x hidari do
40x syument
40x migi do
40x kote
40x kote-men
40x kote-men-do
55x chouyaku-suburi

Practice 5 days a week and rest 2 days.

The chouyaku-suburi are for stamina training, but focus on shinai swing.

1 month you need to focus on slow speed and good cuts.

2 Month

Week 9&10
(Set per day)
45x shomen
45x syumen
45x hidari do
45x syument
45x migi do
45x kote
45x kote-men
45x kote-men-do
60x chouyaku-suburi
Week 11&12
(Set per day)
50x shomen
50x syumen
50x hidari do
50x syument
50x migi do
50x kote
50x kote-men
50x kote-men-do
65x chouyaku-suburi

Week 13&14
(Set per day)
55x shomen
55x syumen
55x hidari do
55x syument
55x migi do
55x kote
55x kote-men
55x kote-men-do
70x chouyaku-suburi

Week 14&15
(Set per day)
60x shomen
60x syumen
60x hidari do
60x syument
60x migi do
60x kote
60x kote-men
60x kote-men-do
75x chouyaku-suburi

Practice 5 days a week and rest 2 days.

The chouyaku-suburi are for stamina training, but focus on footwork.

2 month you need to focus on good body form and footwork, still at slow speed.

3 Month

Week 16&17
(Set per day)
65x shomen
65x syumen
65x hidari do
65x syument
65x migi do
65x kote
65x kote-men
65x kote-men-do
80x chouyaku-suburi

Week 18&19
(Set per day)
70x shomen
70x syumen
70x hidari do
70x syument
70x migi do
70x kote
70x kote-men
70x kote-men-do
85x chouyaku-suburi

Week 21&22
(Set per day)
75x shomen
75x syumen
75x hidari do
75x syument
75x migi do
75x kote
75x kote-men
75x kote-men-do
90x chouyaku-suburi

Week 23&24
(Set per day)
80x shomen
80x syumen
80x hidari do
80x syument
80x migi do
80x kote
80x kote-men
80x kote-men-do
95x chouyaku-suburi

Practice 5 days a week and rest 2 days.

The chouyaku-suburi are for stamina training, but focus on rhythm.

3 month you need to focus on speeding up the tempo but still keeping good footwork, body form and correct cuts.

4 Month

Week 25&26
(Set per day)
85x shomen
85x syumen
85x hidari do
85x syument
85x migi do
85x kote
85x kote-men
85x kote-men-do
100x chouyaku-suburi

Week 27&28
(Set per day)
90x shomen
90x syumen
90x hidari do
90x syument
90x migi do
90x kote
90x kote-men
90x kote-men-do
105x chouyaku-suburi

Week 29&30
(Set per day)
95x shomen
95x syumen
95x hidari do
95x syument
95x migi do
95x kote
95x kote-men
95x kote-men-do
110x chouyaku-suburi

Week 31&32
(Set per day)
100x shomen
100x syumen
100x hidari do
100x syument
100x migi do
100x kote
100x kote-men
100x kote-men-do
115x chouyaku-suburi

Practice 5 days a week and rest 2 days.

The chouyaku-suburi are for stamina training, but focus on breathing.

4 month you need to focus on breathing correctly and speeding up the tempo but still keeping good footwork, body form and correct cuts.

5 Month

Week 33&34
(Set per day)
105x shomen
105x syumen
105x hidari do
105x syument
105x migi do
105x kote
105x kote-men
105x kote-men-do
120x chouyaku-suburi

Week 35&36
(Set per day)
110x shomen
110x syumen
110x hidari do
110x syument
110x migi do
110x kote
110x kote-men
110x kote-men-do
125x chouyaku-suburi

Week 37&38
(Set per day)
115x shomen
115x syumen
115x hidari do
115x syument
115x migi do
115x kote
115x kote-men
115x kote-men-do
130x chouyaku-suburi

Week 39&40
(Set per day)
120x shomen
120x syumen
120x hidari do
120x syument
120x migi do
120x kote
120x kote-men
120x kote-men-do
135x chouyaku-suburi

Practice 5 days a week and rest 2 days.

The chouyaku-suburi are for stamina training, but focus on staying calm.

5 month you need to focus your mind that all of your skill obtained, breathing correctly and speeding up the tempo but still keeping good footwork, body form and correct cuts work effortlessly as a reflex.

6 Month

Week 41&42
(Set per day)
125x shomen
125x syumen
125x hidari do
125x syument
125x migi do
125x kote
125x kote-men
125x kote-men-do
135x chouyaku-suburi



Congratulations you are doing a 1000 kendo cuts.

Warning this training is strenuous, tough and demanding…

Do not attempt this program of exercises when injured or have some physical illness, like cardiovascular problems, and not for pregnant woman.

[JCM]

Not sure, I wouldn't attempt it until I fix my Kihon. You are better of doing a hundred proper cuts a day with no fancy stuff, even just straight men cuts watching foot position, your back, arns etc. And even then ask your sensei to demonstrate (or even better, watch you) at the Dojo before you try it at home.

Is not the number of suburi, is the quality I think

[h2o]

Week 41&42
(Set per day)
125x shomen
125x syumen
125x hidari do
125x syument
125x migi do
125x kote
125x kote-men
125x kote-men-do
135x chouyaku-suburi

This is 1135 cuts. But I guess it doesn't hurt to do more. :)

1000 cuts aren't really that many. They just take a while to do. We usually let our beginners do 1200 zenshin-kotai-men on their last practice. It takes 25 minutes and is a bit boring, but it is fun to see how people who were gasping and whining after 300 cuts now do 1200 without to much complaining :)

And yes, I realize this program does more than just shomen cuts.

[Bokushingu]

sounds good but the question is can you stick to it? I find that the only thing I do outside the dojo is stretches and 100 pushups.

Btw, I agree with JCM better for you to train only under supervision of your sensei & sempais.

[EBP2K2]

last time i tried to include hard numbers on suburi practice, i always dreaded getting up in the morning... nowadays i try to do as many as I feel like when i wake up... and instead i try to make sure i put more effort on quality (which is in short supply for me, lol) of each cut than quantity.

[Anime12478]

I would say that, for a yonkyu, it is better to concentrate more on getting the swings right instead of doing as many as you can. It's no problem to try to do more and more as you go along at this point, but these types of excersises tend to focus more on the number instead of doing each swing correctly. Doing 1000 crappy swings is not going to woo anyone.

[parabuzzle]

I just do something like:
100 joge
100 naname
400 shomen
400 yokomen

[herozs]

maybe dont practice kote or do because you can get bad habits or something for those cuts.

[ZtefaNNN[K]]

my first month we used to do 1000 or 3000 suburi in a night... only men. we don´t do that anymore.

[MM Morph]

Tanks for the good advice, I will stick to my normal:
50x shomen
25x syumen
25x hidari do
25x syument
25x migi do
50x kote
About a 200 cut a day.
I really focus on my footwork when I do the cut. My Sensei told me to focus on this.
I know there is still a long way to go for me in kendo so I will pace myself...

[Stephen]

Just be carefull you don't go too hard too soon (that doesnt have to mean 1000 or even 100 suburi - everyones different). People often do this in the gym I work in and (if they don't injure themselves) very quick wear themselves out. Usually they just start to hate it an give up (or start 'discovering' excuses).

Do whatever you sensei says, but just keep the above in mind and listen to your body. If you feel your overdoing it, or starting to get sick of it, stop. In the long run you'll improve more by enoying your training and keep attending sessions at your dojo.

I've always done a little subari at home, but if I was to go back in time and start kendo again I'd have spent less time at home doing suburi and more time running and strengthening my legs and core. Reason being is that would have helped me with the fundamentals that I still struggle with. IMHO the motion of the arms is (arguabley) the easiest part of a cut to master - its always the movement from the rest of the body which seems harder to learn...although this is just my opinion, others may disagree.

Good luck with it

[Newbie]

I've talked to a few people about stuff like this - mainly because I buggered myself up completely with too much home training. You always hear about sensei or seniors who do however many hundred cuts a day. But by that stage, they know what they're doing where as a beginner can do a hundred cuts and only ten of them are any good but cos noone's watching them and correcting them, all they're doing is reinforcing the bad habits of the ninety poor cuts. I agree with Stephen - ask sensei what he/she's happy with you doing at home and do runs, lunges, stretches, whatever your morning fitness routine that will help your kendo.

[MM Morph]

I will keep this in mind and ask my Sensei what will be the proper things to do at home for my level. Exercising daily with running and core strengthening is part of my routine. I think my first thoughts on taking the challenge is out of my mind now so I will be focusing on training smart.

Tanks for the advice.

[azndeathgod]

to do 1000 strokes? just do it... what is this "program"...you just do it.:smiley: just keep trying...

[MM Morph]

My Sensei said I must work my way up to 500 normal shomen a day. I will attempt that first.

[waiwilly]

"We usually let our beginners do 1200 zenshin-kotai-men on their last practice. It takes 25 minutes and is a bit boring..."

i just can't wonder how you get to do that many swing in 25 minutes or so. In my first year i used to practice at home, about 250-500 suburi (with ashisabaki) for 45-60 minutes.

After a few years, my regular home practice is, 1000 suburi (men kote do hayasuburi) in about 2 sessions (500 - rest -500). And it takes about 1hr15min or so.

It really works for me:) up until now.

I tried to focus on the quality of my strike, or i maybe i just lame :)

[LarsCW]

I'm recouperating from my broken shoulderblade and I'm now doing 30 to 50 shomen a day while sitting.

Focus on relaxing my shoulders and arms until the imaginary point of impact.
Making sure I go through the center and that each strike is as good as I can do it with correct breathing.

So yeah I'm slow.

[Jefe]

I'm recouperating from my broken shoulderblade and I'm now doing 30 to 50 shomen a day while sitting.

Focus on relaxing my shoulders and arms until the imaginary point of impact.
Making sure I go through the center and that each strike is as good as I can do it with correct breathing.

So yeah I'm slow.

I'm just wondering if you can you do that with moving your whole body, not sitting? Suburi is about many things, one thing is to teach how to move your body. Without footwork you cannot learn that, and you'll use other muscles (mainly arm) than should. Or is that a low-ceiling problem?