Starting in hakama?

[B. Rock]

Hi everyone; I think this is my first post, so hello to everybody :)

I start kendo in a couple of weeks.. is it all right to start from the beginning in hakama and gi? Most of the people in the beginners' class are in sweats, though there are one or two in hakama. I don't want to seem too presumptuous by showing up in hakama and gi right off the bat, if that makes any sense. Thanks everyone.

[skilled]

MMMMMMM , in that case do whatever you want , but i suggest to first learn the basics of ashi sabaki (around 4 weeks or so) , and then wear your hakama , you"ll feel much more free to move your legs than if you were used hakama from the very first day of kendo , got it? xD.

[R Stroud]

This is a simple problem. Ask your sensei, that is why he is there. He would rather you ask and you will be glad you did.

[Kaoru]

Hi everyone; I think this is my first post, so hello to everybody :)

I start kendo in a couple of weeks.. is it all right to start from the beginning in hakama and gi? Most of the people in the beginners' class are in sweats, though there are one or two in hakama. I don't want to seem too presumptuous by showing up in hakama and gi right off the bat, if that makes any sense. Thanks everyone.

Hi!

Welcome to the forum! :)

Imho, no. You should show up and wear what all the other new beginners wear. I do feel that is a teeny bit presumptuous to show up in the uniform without getting the ok from the sensei first. Each dojo is different and has different rules. You should follow the rules that your dojo has for beginners just starting. Does your dojo have a website you can look at to see if they say anything about what to wear when you first start and when you can start wearing the uniform? If your dojo doesn't, or, if the site hasn't any info on what to wear, that means you should call the sensei and ask questions about what to wear. If he says you shouldn't wear the uniform yet, then do what he says and wear what everyone else is wearing. :)

Those beginners you see in the uniform will have been there longer than the ones not in the uniform yet and will likely have gotten the go ahead to wear it. That's how it is in my dojo. :) The reason beginners start out in sweats that come just to the ankle and a t-shirt is because the sensei needs to see your feet so he can correct your footwork. The hakama covers the feet and so he cannot then correct your footwork if you wear it from the beginning. Also, the t-shirt allows the sensei to see how you are carrying your body, arms and your posture much better than when one has a keiko-gi on. It is important that he can see all this in the beginning stages of your kendo.

Anyway, I hope this helps. Good luck and I really hope you enjoy kendo when you start! :)

Kaoru

[Charles Lockhar]

I start kendo in a couple of weeks.. is it all right to start from the beginning in hakama and gi?

I agree with Kaoru (because I'm afraid of her), you should ask your sensei. Show up for the first class in sweats and a t-shirt, and ask. The best way to ask is to go up to the sensei, very politely and showing respect, and say something like "ah, sensei, do I need to buy the uniform now?" and grimace like you're in a small amount of pain.

With luck, he'll say no, so you can put off buying the gear as long as possible. Because I can tell you this from experience: you buy gear, and you use it, and it wears out, so then you have to buy more gear, and it just wears out, and so on.

The goal is to buy as little gear as possible between when you start kendo and when you die, that way you have more money for beer. Kendo-shmendo, I'll have a Guinness.


Sincerely,

-Charles

[Kapplow]

I'll have a Guinness.


Yuck! You might as well drink motor oil. You'll kill more brain cells that way. How about a Newcastle?

[yoda-waza]

It's best to ask first and not presume.

Our dojo prefers beginners not to wear hakama until at least some reasonable consistency in correct suri-ashi is attained - that's usually several weeks. It's harder to observe a beginner's flawed footwork under hakama so we want your feet and legs undraped a while.

[Kaoru]

I agree with Kaoru (because I'm afraid of her), you should ask your sensei. Show up for the first class in sweats and a t-shirt, and ask. The best way to ask is to go up to the sensei, very politely and showing respect, and say something like "ah, sensei, do I need to buy the uniform now?" and grimace like you're in a small amount of pain.

With luck, he'll say no, so you can put off buying the gear as long as possible. Because I can tell you this from experience: you buy gear, and you use it, and it wears out, so then you have to buy more gear, and it just wears out, and so on.


You're afraid of me?? ROTFL! :D That's so silly! Now, do 1000 suburi! :laugh:


The goal is to buy as little gear as possible between when you start kendo and when you die, that way you have more money for beer. Kendo-shmendo, I'll have a Guinness.Don't listen to him. He's just trying to turn you into another drunken kenshi! :D Run for the hills!

My goodness. Haven't you guys anything better to do after keiko??
I'm never gonna understand this idea of drinking after practice. Yuck... the stuff tastes so awful, too. You don't need a beer to have fun. Have a soft drink instead. It's more fun to remember your conversations and know you are sober enough to drive safely home and also know that you didn't do something stupid if you got drunk.

Ok, sorry. I couldn't help myself... I always go on a rant when it comes to drinking... :ko: I just can't understand the concept and why it seems to be cool.

Kaoru

[Kapplow]

Haven't you guys anything better to do after keiko?
Nope. Beer and Kendo are one.

[LarsCW]

Nope. Beer and Kendo are one.

This is something which becomes clear once the bogu comes on.

[sminch]

i'm with charles on this one. save your $ and buy the gear after talking with your sensei - if nothing else, they might have a store to recommend. and spending your money on beer in the interim sounds just grand to me.

sminch

[Charles Lockhar]

He's just trying to turn you into another drunken kenshi!

I'm... I'm confused... you're saying... there are other kinds of kenshi? I'm sorry, I... I just don't see it. I think you must be wrong. Yes, wrong. Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra. Both had beer.

On a side note, while drinking with one of my sensei the other night, I'm pretty sure he indicated that at his old dojo in the Land of the Cleves, they may have actually had dojo level shinsa that members had to pass in order to take the step towards wearing gi & hakama, and another test to wear bogu. So, assuming I understood, they had internal tests for that stuff. ymmv.

-Charles

[shred_lord]

Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru! You've obviously never been drunk! Cause to be honest, it's pretty awesome! :D But then, in addition to being a happy, silly drunk (as opposed to a shouty, punchy drunk), I'm one of those untenably lucky buggers who barely ever gets a hangover :P

Kiddies... that was all lies...drinking is bad mmkay?

Edit:

Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra. Both had beer.AAAAAAWWWWWEEEEEE GEEK-OUT!

[verissimus]

Nope. Beer and Kendo are one.

The eternal concept of ki-ken-tai-biru no ichi... thankfully it's very easy to learn!

[Kapplow]

Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra. Both had beer.


OMG You're funny. Rep to you sir and have another Guinness.

[Kagerou]

This is a simple problem. Ask your sensei, that is why he is there. He would rather you ask and you will be glad you did.

We aren't the person responsible for training you. Ask your sensei. He may have reasons specific to him.

[Makigai]

My goodness. Haven't you guys anything better to do after keiko??
I'm never gonna understand this idea of drinking after practice. Yuck... the stuff tastes so awful, too. You don't need a beer to have fun. Have a soft drink instead. It's more fun to remember your conversations and know you are sober enough to drive safely home and also know that you didn't do something stupid if you got drunk.

Ok, sorry. I couldn't help myself... I always go on a rant when it comes to drinking... :ko: I just can't understand the concept and why it seems to be cool.

Kaoru

Why do you assume that anyone drinking a beer gets drunk. After some practices or tournaments its enjoyable just to sit have a beer and talk. Not everyone drinks to excess.

[LarsCW]

My goodness. Haven't you guys anything better to do after keiko??
I'm never gonna understand this idea of drinking after practice. Yuck... the stuff tastes so awful, too. You don't need a beer to have fun. Have a soft drink instead. It's more fun to remember your conversations and know you are sober enough to drive safely home and also know that you didn't do something stupid if you got drunk.

Ok, sorry. I couldn't help myself... I always go on a rant when it comes to drinking... :ko: I just can't understand the concept and why it seems to be cool.

Kaoru

After keiko the body needs fluids and and other stuff too hard to spell for me this early. From midevil day men and women have been drinking beer because that assured you of having a healthy drink:D
The part of not getting drunk is just a matter of practise and knowing how much the body can take.

You always rant my dear Kaoru about anything:D but it's oke we don't know otherwise.

[cesarekim]

One of my PT friends always said that a beer was as good as a sports drink for after training. Carbs and all that. He may have been lying but it sounded good at the time. I have since joined the ranks of the teetotaler but that's just because I was spending more time in birukeiko than in jikeiko....