Practice at Home

[Future Head]

I started Kendo about a month and a half ago, and I was wondering if anyone could recommend specific exercises I can do at home to help me improve. I've been practicing footwork, kamae, and breathing on my own. What else would you recommend?

Also, I recently bought Kendo: the Definitive Guide after hearing good things about it. Can anyone recommend other books that have been helpful?

[Craig Jones]

I have always been told to do suburi every single day. 500 or more a day. Men, Kote and Do. If you dont have enough room to do full swings sit in seiza and do your suburi that way.

It would also be good to ask your sensei what exercises you shold be doing at home. There may be specific things he can suggest for you.

[goshawk]

my room ceiling has alot of blue marks from my shinai :D

[Old Warrior]

Don't laugh folks - I have a family room with a vaulted ceiling. At the far end is a fireplace with a clock on the mantel. I noticed that if there's a light on behind me I can see my reflection in the clock face.

Soooo, if I darken the room a little and turn a light on behind, I can see just enough of my upper body and face to make sure my cuts stay on center. Of course, I make sure my wife isn't around because she would think I'm crazy. The dog is utterly confused and doesn't have a clue of what to make of the whole deal.

[Yzakj]

My Sensei says to do at least 100 suburi everyday so that you don't have to think when doing a strike, so it becomes something like muscle memory. I haven't done this much becuase of the room thing, and light bulbs breaking, and with the broken glass and parents yelling and such. But I think if you can you should do Suburi, like that one guy said. Practice Kote as well, but for Do, that is kind of hard, you should find a target. I would like to suit my brother up and just practice hits on him at home, but he's afraid, have any of you thought of doing this?

[Chook]

I have plenty of times, but all of my friends are pansies and won't let me hit them. :D

[emitbrownne]

If you do not have space to swing a shinai.. then just practice your footwork...

I do it all of the time..

as I walk through the office ( I used to get some worried looks now they just ignore me)

When I'm cooking (I flit between the tv in the front room and the kitchen)

In my head... ( this one works best when you have too much coffee and you cant sleep.. )
hmm... just find a nice bit of tiled floor and go over your various footwork.
just dont Hikari-ashi on the dance floor.... its not big, and its not clever :)

[midnightdawn]

bit of tiled floor and go over your various footwork.
just dont Hikari-ashi on the dance floor.... its not big, and its not clever :)

hah! Kendo dancing! :silly:

slide slide men...slide slide do....tsuki...tsuki

hahahahah

[Fantasia]

hah! Kendo dancing! :silly:

slide slide men...slide slide do....tsuki...tsuki

hahahahah

I see a new DDR-style game coming out soon :silly:

haha that would be hilarious.

[wingdelta]

lol... something I'll (hopefully) be good at for a change...

Unfortunately for me, I live in a kendo unfriendly house: carpets and low ceiling. My sensei got us to do a drill once, to correct our posture, so I do that a few times every night. I don't know the correct name for it... doing men while in sonkyo? Is there a proper name? or is it just made up?

[midnightdawn]

lol... something I'll (hopefully) be good at for a change...

Unfortunately for me, I live in a kendo unfriendly house: carpets and low ceiling. My sensei got us to do a drill once, to correct our posture, so I do that a few times every night. I don't know the correct name for it... doing men while in sonkyo? Is there a proper name? or is it just made up?

I live in a dorm and I have the same problem. Just practice your subari exercises in seiza. And it might be a little embarassing, but you could go outside and practice. :silly:

[LNGUYEN]

Here is the one. One night we were on the bed ready to sleep. My wife was halfway while I was still lying there thinking about Kendo. Suddenly, the Kendo evil drove me insane to Kiai a "Men" real loud that make her jump off the bed and even awaken my two kids. She got real P..s off after that.

[Fantasia]

I live in a dorm and I have the same problem. Just practice your subari exercises in seiza. And it might be a little embarassing, but you could go outside and practice. :silly:

Every college campus I've been on, people practice all sorts of weird things outside, so I doubt you'd get any negative comments hehe

[Angry Kid]

Luckily I got a house with high ceilings but Im still in trouble cos the girlfriend came out the kitchen and received a beautiful men even though it was on the side of the head!!!!! Moral....take care training in the house he he!

[kendotamashi]

My Sensei says to do at least 100 suburi everyday so that you don't have to think when doing a strike, so it becomes something like muscle memory. I haven't done this much becuase of the room thing, and light bulbs breaking, and with the broken glass and parents yelling and such. But I think if you can you should do Suburi, like that one guy said. Practice Kote as well, but for Do, that is kind of hard, you should find a target. I would like to suit my brother up and just practice hits on him at home, but he's afraid, have any of you thought of doing this?


Does your Sensei say to practice 100 on each one, men :normal: ,kote and do?